Level Up Your Course Podcast With Janelle Allen: Create Online Courses That Change Lives

Welcome to episode 050 of The Zen Courses Show. I can’t believe it’s been 50 episodes already! In this episode we're going to take a trip down memory lane. You’ll hear the highlights from a year of interviewing online course creators, including my top takeaways and snippets from the most popular shows over the past year. I'll also share what I've been up to with Zen Courses. Ready? References and Episodes Mentioned: Jumpstart Your Course - A live program to help you get started with your online course ZCS 011 - Sarah Selecky of SarahSelecky.com ZCS 047 - Bob Reynolds of BobReynoldsMusic.com ZCS 044 - Caleb Pike of DSLRVideoShooter.com ZCS 043 - Courtney Sanders of ThinkAndGrowChick.com ZCS 003 - Darlene Hildebrandt of DigitalPhotoMentor.com ZCS 007 - Emma Holmes of SchoolofScratch.com ZCS 025 - Brent Weaver of uGurus.com Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners fi

Welcome to episode 049 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the Krystal Wascher, a freelance audiobooks producer and online course creator. In this interview Krystal shares how she left her dream law career and overcame cancer to build a successful audiobook business. Oh yeah, we chat about her course too. Check it out! In This Episode, You'll Learn: How Krystal used Udemy to validate her online course How her dream job as an attorney led her to audiobooks Why she thinks 'find your passion' is bad advice How she decides what to include and what to leave out of her course The tools Krystal uses to create community in her courses How Krystal uses workshops to make sure that the right students buy her course Read the full show notes: http://zencourses.co/049 Enjoy This Episode? If so, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews help the show's rankings. Plus, they help me improve the show so I can bring you more value.  And, finally, don’t forget to su

Welcome to episode 048 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the talented Yann Ilunga, a podcast strategist and online course creator. In this interview he shares his story and how he uses the power of sales funnels to sell online courses. Ready? In This Episode, You'll Learn: What a sales funnel is and why you need one Ways to validate your online course Why you should get validation from people who don’t know you well How community helps you improve your online course The 3 key elements of a sales funnel How to identify problems in your funnel Tools to setup your sales funnel Click here to see the full show notes!   If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher. Las

Welcome to Episode 047 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is the talented, Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist Bob Reynolds. When he's not winning Grammys, Bob is also a songwriter and online teacher. He and I have been circling each other online for years and finally had a chance to chat. In this interview he shares his story and how he started teaching music online. Enjoy! In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why a successful working musician started an online school Bob's biggest fears when he first started The turning point that made him commit to creating a full-blown school versus working on a single course How he teaches different learning levels in his school Why he focuses on process instead of outcomes Tips for teaching yourself how to play an instrument References and Tools Mentioned: BobReynoldsMusic.com Bob's Virtual Studio Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & h

Welcome to Episode 046 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the wonderful Holly Wren Spaulding poet, teacher, and activist. Holly has been a long time supporter of Zen Courses. I asked her to join us to share her online course journey, especially how she balances creating online programs with making art. Ready? In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why it’s good to disconnect from the online world to create What an immersive course / program looks like Why Holly Wren uses a seasonal structure for her program How she balances teaching online with her need to create art How she transitioned her in-person teaching to an online business Why pricing is something you have to test How she teaches transformation through poetry in an online program References and Tools Mentioned: Poetry Immersion Program Holly's upcoming course, A Body of Work Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings &

Welcome to episode 045 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the amazing Paul Jarvis, designer, course creator, and founder of ofCourseBooks. Paul was one of the first guests on the show. He’s back this week to share what he’s been working on and his Mailchimp course, Chimp Essentials. If you want to take Mailchimp to the next level while saving money and learn about marketing automation, this episode is for you. Ready? In This Episode, You'll Learn: What Paul’s been up to as a course creator for the past year Why he created a course on Mailchimp when there are other email solutions out there How to make Mailchimp work like ConvertKit…and save money Why Paul chose an open and close cart structure for his course launch Why short videos work great for technical topics What marketing automation is and how it works in Mailchimp How Paul uses drip content in his course to increase activity The 3 ways Paul uses student feedback How to beta test your course: content, testimonials, support requests

Welcome to episode 044 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is none other than Caleb Pike, founder of DSLR Video Shooter. I’ve been following Caleb’s videos for a while and am excited to have him on the show to share his experience using YouTube to market to his audience, plus his take on camera gear for online course videos. Ready? In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Caleb got his start in video after quitting college • How YouTube has changed his business • Why he stopped writing blog posts • How to skyrocket your email list subscribers using YouTube • Editing secrets to make your videos more engaging • How to streamline your video production process • How he decides what to create for free versus what should be a paid product • What camera, microphone and lens to buy if you’re starting out with video References and Tools Mentioned: DSLR Video Shooter on YouTube DSLRVideoShooter.com VimeoPro Thinkific http://first500subs.com Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider

Welcome to episode 043 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Courtney Sanders, founder of ThinkandGrowChick.com. Courtney has a fantastic story. In this episode you’ll hear how she went from losing her scholarship in college and drowning in debt to turning her blog into a five figure business that allowed her to quit her job. Of course, we’ll also talk about her workshop turned online course, The Escape Plan too. Ready? In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Courtney got her start as an entrepreneur in college…and lost her scholarship • The escape plan she used to turn Think and Grow Chick into a profitable brand • Why she uses live workshops to test drive new courses • Why you need be willing to invest in your business to grow • How she structures her course, The Escape Plan, for learning. References and Tools Mentioned: • Think and Grow Chick • Courtney's course, The Escape Plan  • WooCommerce • Sensei • First 500 Subscribers Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an h

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Mackenzie Child, designer and creator of Design for Developers. In this interview we talk about his course-building process, how he uses YouTube for marketing and why he uses Coach to deliver his online course. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Who Mackenzie is and why he started teaching design online The big mistake that delayed his course launch (and how he recovered from it) Why he does things before he's any good at them Why Mackenzie uses Coach for his online course; plus, what he likes & where there's room for improvement How to streamline your video production How to use YouTube to build your brand What equipment he recommends for quality videos Sites Mentioned: Mackenzie's course, Design for Developers Mackenzie's YouTube channel Video Equipment Mackenzie Uses: Shure KM32 Focusrite USB interface Canon 80D DSLR camera Blue Yeti Microphone Final Cut Pro *The links above are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Dave Graham, musician and founder of Music Theory is Your Friend. Dave just had his first successful launch for his newest course, The Music Creator’s Toolkit—after many failed course launches. Today, he shares what he did differently to succeed. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How Dave got started teaching music theory The secret mindset you need as an entrepreneur to keep going The one thing he changed that led to a successful course launch How to keep going even if you think you’re doing everything wrong Alternatives to having an email list References and Tools Mentioned: The Music Creator’s Toolkit Fizzle - Online Training for Business Builders Teachable Thinkific Coach Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.  And, f

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Spencer Fry, serial entrepreneur and founder of Coach, a new platform to help you create and sell your products and courses. In This Episode, You'll Learn: • Who Spencer Fry is and why he created Coach • How Coach is different from other online course platforms • The features and benefits of Coach • Why you should sign up for Coach before December 5, 2016 • How to get help creating your online course References and Tools Mentioned: • Coach - https://www.withcoach.com/ • Work with Me - http://zencourses.co/workwithme Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review. And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on St

Welcome to another fabulous episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Shauna Lynn Simon, award-winning home stager and founder of Styled, Listed, Sold Academy. In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Shauna Lynn left a career in mathematics to become a home stager • How she tested the market before creating her online course • The steps and tools she used to run her webinars • Why she thinks webinars are a great marketing tool for selling your online course • How she stopped using “research” and “tools” to procrastinate • Her biggest lesson as an entrepreneur References and Tools Mentioned: • Shauna Lynn's website - http://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/ • Styled, Listed, Sold - http://www.styledlistedsold.com/ • Thinkific’s article on Shauna Lynn’s webinar success - http://blog.thinkific.com/power-good-live-webinar-case-study/ • Zoom (webinar platform) • Crowdcast (another great webinar platform; aff link) Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review f

Welcome to Season 2 of The Zen Courses Show. In this episode you’ll learn how to create a more transformative course. Plus, how your course is ultimately a vehicle for happiness. Enjoy! Resources Mentioned: • Bloom's Taxonomy • Backwards Design Creating your first course? Check out Jumpstart, my latest course designed to guide you through picking a topic, making sure your customers want to buy your course, and planning your content. Click here to check it out: jumpstartyourcourse.com Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher. Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to all new and long time listeners. Thanks for rockin' with The Zen Courses Show!

Welcome to Season 2 of The Zen Courses Show! In this episode you’ll learn what’s coming up this season, plus check out a new segment. Enjoy. References and Tools Mentioned: • Handbrake - handbrake.fr • Wistia • Vimeo • Product Hunt Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.  And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher. Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to all new and long time listeners. Thanks for rockin' with The Zen Courses Show!

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Alan Bondy, the husband of Dianne Bondy from Dianne Bondy Yoga. Alan is the technician behind Dianne's recent course launch. He’s here to share the details and process behind their five figure sales success. Heads up: we dig deep with this one. Enjoy! In This Episode, You'll Learn: How Alan prepares for a course launch Why he chose to do a limited enrollment How he uses psychology to improve his launches The specific channels Alan used to drive his launch How to setup an email funnel for your course launch The tools Alan used to run his course launch The books and resources that helped Alan create his launch strategy Why video was such a key in the success of their launch SPECIAL OFFER FOR ZEN COURSES LISTENERS: Click here to get 50% off Dianne's Yoga Training! References and Tools Alan Mentions: Yoga For All Training Copyhackers Fizzle.co Launch by Jeff Walker Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Esteban Martinez, calligrapher, martial artist and founder of LearnShodo.com. In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How he started teaching calligraphy online • How he overcame many challenges and positioned his style of calligraphy to stand out • The marketing channels he used to launch his first workshop without an email list • What motivated him to go from teaching in-person to teaching online • How he overcame his fear of technology to create his first online course • How he determined what to put into his intro course versus his advanced course • How he priced his first online course References and Tools Mentioned: • Esteban’s website • Esteban’s Introductory Shodo course • Esteban’s Advanced Shodo course • Teachery.co Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Trevor Turnbull, founder of LinkedInfluence and many other products. This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about using LinkedIn to market and sell online course and other products. Enjoy! In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Trevor got his start in sports and social media • How LinkedIn can help you build your brand, business and sell products • Tips for getting your students to complete long videos • How Trevor plans his online courses • How to get started with Joint Webinars • The tools Trevor uses to deliver, manage and sell his course • Why starting is the most important thing you can do for your success References and Tools Mentioned: • Trevor’s Personal Website • LinkedInfluence • 30 Day Sales Machine Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read ever

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Philip Morgan, founder of PhilipMorganConsulting.com and author of The Positioning Manual. In this episode, you'll discover the game-changer for effective marketing. Enjoy! In This Episode, You'll Learn: • What positioning is and how it can help you sell more courses and other products • The cold, hard truth about self-paced courses and completion rates • How the live bootcamp model is differs from self-paced online courses • Why learners need more structure than we think • The pros and cons of hybrid courses • Non-salesy marketing strategies for introverts • Why you should build a minimum viable course (MVC) instead of focusing on perfection • Unconventional non-LMS ways to run your online course Resources that Philip Mentions: • PhilipMorganConsulting.com • The Positioning Crash Course • Prison Break Bootcamp • Free workshops Philip and I are hosting on positioning and marketing your course Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Claire Pelletreau, founder of ClairePells.com and host of The Get Paid Podcast. This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about using Facebook to market your online course. Enjoy! In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Claire made the transition from employee to online entrepreneur while living abroad • What Facebook ads are and how they help you sell your course • Why you should create products at different price points • How to deal with low attendance and lack of participation in your course • Why access is the key to value and success for your learners • Why it’s important to set boundaries for your availability • How to run your online business while living abroad • Why Facebook ads are ridiculously powerful for your product launches References Mentioned: • clairepells.com • The Get Paid Podcast • Claire's Free guide to list building • Absolute FB Ads self-study course Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode,

Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Greg Smith, co-founder of Thinkific, a platform to host and deliver your online course. This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about Thinkific, marketing online courses, and pricing. Enjoy! Free Workshop! Greg and I are Hosting a Free Workshop to Help You Create Your Course! Click here to register: http://get.thinkific.com/zencourses/ In This Episode, You'll Learn: • Greg's story: how law school helped him start teaching online courses • How Thinkific is different from every other online course platform out there • Why self-paced courses have low completion rates—and what to do about it • Direct integrations that will help you run your online business • How to get started with Thinkific if you’re considering it for your online course • Two features on Thinkific that you can’t find anywhere else • 3 ways to improve your odds of success with your online course • 3 marketing strategies to spread the word about your online