Marketing your business effectively is one of the most important skills you can master as an educator or business owner. Without clients, we do not have businesses. And if your messaging feels like it used to work but suddenly is not landing the same way, this episode explains why.

In this quick training, we are unpacking market sophistication. What it is, why it matters, and how it is directly impacting your sales and visibility heading into 2025.

The truth is simple.

It is not that people do not want courses.

It is not that your offer format is outdated.

It is that your audience is more aware, more discerning, and more educated than ever before.

And that requires a more intentional, specific, and results oriented approach to marketing.

1. What market sophistication actually means in simple terms
2. Why vague marketing worked in the past and does not anymore
3. The chocolate bar analogy that explains modern buyer behavior
4. Why differentiation is no longer optional
5. How to focus on identity, aspiration, and specific outcomes
6. Why shouting louder is not the answer
7. What cutting through the noise actually looks like in 2025

1. Get clear on your differentiator
2. What makes you uniquely positioned to serve your audience?
3. Focus on results, not tasks
4. Stop describing what you do. Start describing what it does for them.
5. Refine your messaging
6. Remove vague language and speak directly to lived experiences and real challenges.
7. Understand who your audience wants to become
8. Your marketing should reflect the identity they aspire to step into.

The goal is not to be louder.

It is to be clearer.

When your brand resonates deeply with the right people and speaks directly to the transformation they want, that is when you cut through the noise.

If this episode hit home, take a screenshot, share it to your stories, and send me a DM on Instagram with your biggest takeaway. I would love to hear how you are refining your messaging

DM Jodie on Instagram

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If you’ve ever opened Instagram (or your notes app) and thought… what am I even supposed to post this week — this episode is for you.

Because most educators aren’t struggling with content because they “don’t have ideas.”

They’re struggling because their content isn’t aligned to a clear message, a clear reputation goal, or what their business is actually trying to do right now.

In this episode of the Sought After Educator podcast, I’m breaking down the quarterly content system I use (and teach inside my work) to help educators stop posting reactively and start creating content that actually builds reputation, demand, and sales.

This is the shift that makes your content finally catch up to your expertise.

And when it does, you’ll feel it:

→ visibility opportunities come in

→ collaborations and podcast invites start popping up

→ launches feel easier because people already “get” what you do

→ and the DMs change from “how much is it?” to “when can I start?”

1. Why repetition builds reputation (and why you’re not being “annoying” by repeating your message)
2. How to treat content like business infrastructure instead of relying on inspiration
3. The 3 questions that instantly clarify what to post each quarter
4. How to align your messaging and visuals so your brand feels cohesive (without needing a full rebrand)
5. A simple batching rhythm for educators who are busy, running a business, and cannot create content every day
6. How to audit what’s working and repurpose content so you stop reinventing the wheel

Phase 1: Strategy and clarity

Decide what you want to be known for this quarter, what your audience needs to hear on repeat, and what your content is building toward.

Phase 2: Align brand visuals and messaging

Create cohesion that builds credibility — so your content feels recognizable and intentional.

Phase 3: Batch creation

Plan, shoot, write, and prep your content so you’re not scrambling daily.

Phase 4: Refine and repurpose

Audit what landed, repeat what worked, and deepen the message instead of chasing new ideas.

Block 30 minutes this week and answer these three questions:

1. What do I want to be known for this quarter?
2. What does my audience need to hear on repeat?
3. How should my content support my business goals right now?

Then DM me on Instagram @itsjodiebrown and tell me what you’re focusing on this quarter — I genuinely want to know.

And if you’re listening like, “This sounds amazing, but I don’t want to do it alone,” send me a DM and we can talk about quarterly content support through Align Creative Co.

Visibility is not just a content problem. For a lot of educators, it’s a nervous system and identity problem.

In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew, an educator, mentor, and coach who has spent decades supporting people who support other humans. His background spans behind-the-chair work, education leadership, training educators, and later transitioning into full-time coaching and facilitation for leaders, mentors, and guides.

This conversation goes way beyond Instagram tips. We talk about what’s actually happening when being seen triggers fear, shaking, freezing, perfectionism, or overthinking and why so many experienced educators still struggle to show up confidently.

Andrew shares a grounded, practical lens on nervous system safety, identity shifts, and how to move through visibility resistance without forcing confidence or bypassing what’s really going on underneath. There’s also a spiritual and soul-level layer to this conversation, but it’s woven in thoughtfully and practically, not preached or overwhelming.

1. Why being seen can activate fear even when you want to grow
2. The difference between fear-based resistance and true intuition
3. How perfectionism can act as a protective strategy, not a flaw
4. Why mentors, coaches, and educators often overthink visibility more than beginners
5. A practical way to build safety with being seen instead of forcing confidence
6. What identity shifts really require when moving from service provider to mentor or coach
7. Why stepping into leadership often brings deeper personal work to the surface
8. How to approach career pivots without burning everything down too fast

This conversation is especially powerful if you are:

1. A hair or beauty educator
2. A mentor, coach, or facilitator
3. Someone feeling called into leadership or deeper impact
4. Struggling with visibility despite having experience and skill
5. Navigating a career evolution and questioning fear vs intuition

If visibility feels hard, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.

It often means you’re standing at the edge of growth that requires safety, patience, and integration, not more pressure.

Launching feels different right now, and you’re not imagining it. In this final episode of the January launch series, Jodie zooms out to explain what’s changing in the online space, why even industry giants are pivoting their launch models, and how to build a launch approach that fits how you teach, sell, and want your business to feel.

You’ll hear why this isn’t about finding a new silver bullet. It’s about adopting an experimental mindset, strengthening the foundations underneath your launch, and focusing on what creates demand and conversions in 2026.

1. Why the “one perfect launch style” narrative is falling apart
2. What creator pivots really mean and why it’s not hypocrisy
3. Why audiences take longer to trust and why context matters more now
4. Why aggressive short open carts are phasing out
5. The core four requirements every launch needs, no matter the method
6. How webinars, challenges, mini offers, and direct launches all do the same job differently
7. Why copying someone else’s launch rarely works the way you think it will
8. Why “the messaging matters more than the messenger” matters more than ever
9. How to make launches feel calmer, repeatable, and improvable over time

1. Markets evolve, and entrepreneurs are allowed to evolve too
2. You don’t need to “keep up” and you do need stronger foundations
3. Launching is an ecosystem, not a single tactic
4. The goal is repeatable results, not one-off hype cycles

1. Sought After Educator enrollment is open at time of recording and closes February 1, 2026
2. If you’re listening after doors close, join the waitlist to be notified when they reopen later in 2026

If this January series helped you feel more grounded about launching, share this episode with an educator friend who’s been spiraling over “the right way” to launch. And make sure you’re following the show so the Wednesday episodes land in your feed automatically.

If you’re here for the Monday episode… I have news. Sought After Educator is officially moving to a Wednesday drop. This is not a full episode, but the next one goes live Wednesday, January 28th. Hit follow so it lands in your feed midweek, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.

Choosing the right launch event can feel overwhelming especially when every marketing mentor online is telling you a different strategy is “the one.”

In this episode, I’m breaking down the most common launch event types educators are using right now and explaining what each one is actually responsible for inside a launch. Not just what they are, but why they work, when they work best, and how to decide which one makes sense for your offer and audience.

We’ll talk through live webinars, challenges, paid workshops and mini offers, and even launches that skip an event entirely. I’ll also share current data and benchmarks so you’re not just relying on opinions or outdated advice as you plan your next launch going into 2026.

Most importantly, I’ll help you reframe how you think about launch events altogether so you stop trying to force content into the wrong container and start choosing a delivery method that supports the belief shifts your audience actually needs to make.

• What a launch event is responsible for inside your launch timeline

• The pros and cons of live webinars and why they still work

• When challenges make sense and how to avoid over-teaching

• Why paid launch events are rising and what they signal about buyer behavior

• How mini offers can warm your audience and increase conversions

• When going direct to offer works and when it falls flat

• Why content clarity matters more than the launch format

• How to choose a launch event based on your audience, offer, and capacity

• Course engagement insights from Thinkific

• Customer loyalty and repeat buyer data from Bain and Company

There is no “best” launch event. A launch event is simply a container. Its job is to give people enough context, trust, and momentum to decide if your offer is right for them. Once the content and belief shifts are clear, the delivery method becomes much easier to choose.

If you’re planning a launch this year and you’re unsure which direction to go, send me a DM and tell me what you’re thinking. I’ll point you in the right direction.

And make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the final episode of the January Launch Series.

Launching education doesn’t start when you announce it.

In this episode of the Sought After Educator podcast, Jodie walks through the full launch timeline and explains what’s actually happening in each phase, so launching your education feels clearer, more grounded, and more repeatable.

This conversation is part two of the January launch series and is especially relevant for hair, beauty, wellness, and creative educators who are launching digital programs, in-person classes, or retreats.

1. The five phases of a successful education launch
2. How audience building supports launches before selling begins
3. What pre-launch content is designed to create
4. How launch events drive engagement and momentum
5. What the open cart phase is responsible for
6. Why delivery strengthens future launches and brand trust
7. How to approach launching education as a sequence, not a single moment

If you’re a hair, beauty, wellness, or creative educator planning to launch a course, group program, retreat, or in-person class, this episode gives you a clear framework for understanding the structure underneath a launch and focusing on the right phase at the right time.

Next week’s episode breaks down different types of launch events, including workshops, challenges, mini offers, and evergreen options.

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

Selling your education in 2026 isn’t about chasing the newest launch trend or copying what massive creators are doing. It’s about understanding how different sales methods actually work, and choosing the right ones for your audience, your offer, and your season of business.

In this episode, Jodie breaks down the real ways educators sell their programs today — without hype, pressure, or pretending there’s one magic solution.

1. Why most educators overcomplicate selling their programs
2. The difference between building demand and creating decisions
3. Selling through social content and when it works best
4. Why engagement doesn’t always equal buying intent
5. How direct selling supports decisions without being pushy
6. What evergreen funnels really are (and why traffic matters)
7. Mini offers vs free opt-ins and when to use each
8. When sales calls make sense and when they signal a bigger issue
9. Why live launching still matters in 2026
10. How sustainable educator businesses layer multiple sales methods over time

This episode is especially helpful if:

1. You’ve tried selling on social and felt like it was slow or inconsistent
2. You’re confused about whether you should launch, go evergreen, or do both
3. You want sales to feel aligned instead of forced
4. You’re building education for the long term, not quick wins

1. The Content Edit private podcast series
2. → A free private podcast for educators who feel like their content is being liked but not trusted or converting
3. Episode on market sophistication

DM Jodie on Instagram @itsjodiebrown with your questions about launching or selling your education. January’s episodes are built directly from the conversations educators are having right now.

Make sure you’re subscribed... this is just the first conversation in a full month focused on launching, selling your education, and choosing strategies that actually work for your stage of business.

What educators need to focus on in 2026 to grow

In this episode of the Sought After Educator podcast, Jodie sits down with Maddi Cook, founder of Boss Your Salon, for a grounded conversation about what actually helps educators grow in 2026.

This isn’t a step-by-step launch episode.

It’s a real discussion about repetition, responsibility, experimentation, and staying close to your people long enough to build trust, authority, and sustainable growth.

Maddie brings her experience helping beauty professionals create and launch their first online courses. Jodie brings the brand, marketing, and positioning lens—breaking down why education businesses don’t grow through information alone, but through perspective, clarity, and consistency.

Together, they unpack what’s changed, what hasn’t, and where educators need to focus now if they want to build something that lasts.

1. Why growth often stalls because of hesitation, not lack of strategy
2. The difference between thinking about growth and actually creating it
3. Why teaching live (or staying close to your audience) strengthens both your offer and your marketing
4. How repetition builds trust and authority even when it feels uncomfortable
5. Why testing ideas beats waiting for confidence or clarity
6. Fault vs responsibility and how this mindset shift changes outcomes
7. Why people don’t pay for information anymore, but for perspective and pathway
8. How a clear, measurable program promise makes marketing and selling easier
9. What educators need to release in order to grow in today’s landscape

🎟️ Get your free ticket to Beyond the Chair Fest

https://maddicook.com/beyond-the-chair-fest

📲 Follow Maddi on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/maddiecookcoaching

📲 Follow Jodie on Instagram

@itsjodiebrown

Notice which part of this conversation challenged you the most.

That’s usually where growth is asking for more repetition, responsibility, or action.

Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know what you thought of this episode!

In this episode, I’m sharing a candid behind-the-scenes reflection on my year and the word I chose to guide it. What started as a commitment to discipline turned into a full season of refinement across my offers, systems, team, and leadership.

If you’re in a phase of rebuilding, slowing down, or doing the quiet foundational work that no one claps for, this episode is your reminder that it all counts.

1. Why 2025 wasn’t the year for big pushes or glamorous goals
2. How refining curriculum and offer ecosystems created stronger results
3. The leadership lesson that revealed where structure was missing
4. Why relying on systems instead of people changed everything
5. What I learned about boundaries, onboarding, and clear expectations
6. How rebuilding backend systems created more freedom and peace
7. Why sustainable growth requires space, not constant urgency
8. What it really means to build capacity in yourself as a leader

If your year felt slower on the outside but stronger underneath, you’re not behind. You’re building something that can actually hold what’s coming next.

If you’re listening in real time, send me a DM on Instagram and let me know what landed for you in this episode. I don’t usually share this much behind the scenes, but I believe seeing the real work matters.

I’ll see you next week with an incredible guest as we dive into building a brand and marketing as an educator.