Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 15: Interview with Helen Manchip, The Social Surgery

Transcript

15: Interview with Helen Manchip, The Social Surgery · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to the Digital She Does It Show.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: This is episode 15, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking to my guest, Helen Manchip, who will be sharing her own personal experience with creating an online course.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: She will be lifting the lid on what it took for her to create her course and the lessons she learned along the way.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Helen, thank you for joining me today on the podcast.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm really pleased that you were able to come along and be my very first guest.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: I just wanted to talk to you and dive into sort of your experience as a course creator and to introduce you obviously to my listeners, but to just find out about your experience in terms of creating your online course and where you currently are in your course journey.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, do you want to introduce yourself?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, first of all, thank you very much for having me on, Karen.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I feel as a bit of an honour being the first person on here, so thank you.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, to those who are listening, I am Helen and I run the social surgery.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a social media manager and coach, and I help people with their social media for business as it's a totally different kettle of fish than posting personally on your socials.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I have been devising or been thinking about doing a course for a little while, haven't I, Karen?
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And there's one thing I'm always getting asked about when I'm doing my one-to-ones, when I'm doing my training and workshop, is a lot of it is being like, what should I post?
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: When should I post it?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: What sort of content?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's not as simple as just putting out some pretty pictures and posting willy-nilly, it really, really isn't.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought I'm sort of repeating myself quite a lot in these one-to-ones and workshops, which is fantastic, and I'm meeting those different people, but how can I reach a bigger audience and how can I get the message out there a bit further out there for other people who aren't, you know, in my local area or who don't necessarily want to do it on Zoom and the timings don't work for everybody.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that's where Karen came in and helped me devise a digital online course.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that's where I am now, really.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been exciting, it's been a journey, but I'm really pleased and I'm I'm very excited because I am like literally about to launch, so yeah.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a really exciting journey, hasn't it?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I think because of your topic, and because there's so much to know, isn't it?
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Your topic is so huge, and it's working out how to break that down in a way that really helps your ideal student and to be able to kind of communicate that in a way that they know what they're getting from your course, and I think that's something that I know when we were working through like creating the framework and getting into the detail of the course, that was something that you were very much aware of because people are buying it for a reason, aren't they?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: And it's so it's sort of making sure that you know what, there are so many social media courses out there.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: How can you create a course that really does respond to the questions, like you say, that you were constantly being asked?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was really interesting going on that journey with you to sort of think about because originally I thought it would literally just be one module, it'd be quite a short course, and in due respect it probably still is, it's over six weeks, which I'm trialling out first of all, and then I'm going to the second stage.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to put it all as one course if people can do it in their way in time.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: However, the more you look into a course, the more lessons there are, you can break it down into whether you do bonus lessons or little extra modules or sidelines of courses.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: It was a really, really interesting journey doing that, and I think that is a huge, huge thing to think about, definitely.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And the whole learning journey for me was about how one particular subject, which I was going to talk about, has suddenly ended up being into a potentially six-week online course.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think there's so much to consider with social media anyway, and because you come at it from a perspective of right, okay, let's work out your strategy first and align that to your goals and then work out which is the best route forward.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think when you start looking at that, there's huge amounts there, isn't there?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Because you may have somebody coming on board that is new to social media, but you may also have people coming on board that have been sort of leveraging social media for a while, they're just not getting those results.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: And so when you were mapping out that framework, it's kind of looking at what your audience needs and being able to create content around that, but you soon realize just how involved that topic is.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: And if you are delivering results, which obviously your course is all about, you're going to want to take them on a journey so that they have in-depth understanding about what you're teaching them so they can get those results.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that was the difference, wasn't it?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: I know in the early stages when we were talking about your course idea, you sort of had like this idea, and of course, it has evolved and sort of developed into something that I think is going to benefit a lot of people, actually.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, and as I said, well, I do say in my course, you can buy this course just once, but it's evergreen, there is nothing on there that is particularly going to change.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: So if you suddenly diversified in your business or you set up a new business, or you know, you decided to go on a totally different tangent, you can implement everything that I talk about in my course to any kind of business, and I think that was quite something as well, because otherwise you're going to be completely regenerating courses all the time.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you've got to keep it up to date, certain things, but it is pretty much evergreen and trying to keep it all fluid for absolutely everybody.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, as much as I'm in social media and I see a lot of sort of artists, florists, you know, people who've actually got products, retail, clothing brands, that kind of thing.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: But it could be done for business to business as well for charities.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a charity actually coming on board who's going to do the course.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, it's it's literally for anyone out there, and I think that was a very interesting learning breakdown of doing the whole journey with you.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, thank you for that.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: Because I don't think it would have been originally.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like you say, because social media is constantly changing, you know, there's always new things coming out with Instagram and LinkedIn, and they're always evolving the capabilities of that platform, and to create a course that isn't so time-stamped, you know, I think is really important because, like you say, otherwise you're going back to the drawing board and then you're having to constantly keep your updated because of all the new updates coming out.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I think looking at your content and almost being like, well, you know, let's create something that can be universal, I think is really important because it means number one, you're not having to revisit the wheel constantly.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: But like you say, it's something that year on year, quarter on quarter, people can sort of go back to and they'll get the value from it because that it'll help them the next time they need it.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I think there's a the huge amount of value there.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: If you can develop a course that people go back to as and when they need it, rather than do it once and never to be done again.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think I think it becomes quite powerful because then you're supporting them as they grow, yeah, and they'll go back and revisit the training.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's there's so many different elements in there.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you're not going to be able to grasp everything, and you might absolutely nail one part of it to begin with, you think, actually, I've got that sorted now, I need to go back to that lesson and tweak this here and there, and that's exactly what it's designed for doing.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: It really is, and that's when my socials and a lot of other people's socials all come into their own because let's take Instagram, for example, it's the platform everybody wants to know about at the moment, everyone thinks they should be on, they might not necessarily need to be on it, but that's where you go to find up all the updates of what's going on.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, you know, I put reels out, I put little videos out, which are now reels, and stories and bits and pieces about any updates that Instagram's doing.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: But if I was to put that onto a course, by the time I'd uploaded it onto a course, it would be out of date.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the beauty of social media, it's just so fast-paced that you can keep up to date with it all, but in a different way, whereas the course is the longevity of it all.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's it's one of those topics that you have to approach it with caution because it's so fast moving, and I think being able to devise something that has longevity and doesn't become out of date is really important because the last thing you want to do is create something and then have to revisit it time and time.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you kind of relieve when you get to the end and you're like, it's done, to then have to go back and update it.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you're always going to be tweaking it to a certain extent because obviously you may get feedback from your students, and there's going to be times where you think, actually, I could probably do this a little bit better, and I'm I'm further along in my own journey and I can improve that part of it.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: But you want to be doing that because it fits with you and your goals, as opposed to being forced to because the platform's made yet another update.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: And just with Instagram, I think it's a really different platform now from when I first started using it.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you feel like that.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas this time last year, a couple of years back, they were starting to bring it out, but it wasn't to the extent that it is now, and everything seems to be going down that route.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the fact they've taken video away, for example, and everything is now real, is interesting.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: And it's going more towards the more TikTok aspect than obviously the feed, which is in the early days, was obviously, you know, the feed was the important piece, and obviously, over time it's brought out all these other sort of components that have now sort of taken priority in a sense.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So trying to keep up with that, I think you And also then trying to focus on your business because ultimately social media is all my business, that's what it's all about.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: However, that's just one little part of most people's business, you know, as well as the finance, the marketing, um, actually getting their products or whatever it is that they're selling, whether it's a service, keeping them up to date, yeah, you know, packaging, all that kind of thing, you know.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So break it all down onto somebody else's business, social media is just a tiny part of it, but a huge, huge thing to be missing out on if they're not doing it right.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the downside with social media, it can really drain time.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: You can end up spending a lot more time on it than what you would want to, because it's free.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, if you can you know purchase something or invest in something that's going to really support your endeavours on social media, you know, it's almost like fast-rooting to the results as opposed to going around the houses trying to work out how all of this stuff works, because it really is a minefield.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I think probably most small business owners who actively post on social probably would agree with that.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, that there is so much to learn all the time, but I think first and foremost it's just really understanding the sort of goals that are aligned with it and the strategy that you have in place, because then that's going to make your efforts so much more focused, and then the results so much more easier to achieve.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, what was the experience like then with creating the course?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So we're going right back from the start, where I just thought I'd had this maybe an hour's course to set up and to start and selling to people, has now, as I say, turned out to be a potential six-week downloadable course.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that was a huge learning curve, and I think it makes you realise actually how much you know, yeah, how much you know about your business, and yeah, there's a lot more.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it's trying to simplify all of that down and break it down into manageable chunks for people because you've got to be realistic about it as well, how much people time they've got.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone's time poor, hasn't got any time to do stuff, but yet they want to learn and progress themselves.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: So you've got to make that manageable.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that was a really huge, interesting learning curve on that.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: I found the whole system approach of how you broke it down to make a course was incredible.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: I just thought it was really, really helpful because I would not have had a clue where to start, where to go, all the guidance you gave, and all the different platforms you potentially build your courses on or put them onto, and also the things to think about, you know.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean it's slightly different for me because I am on social media, so you do think about the lighting, you do think about the background and things like that.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, for some people they wouldn't.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's also about things like teleprompters, who knew they existed.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't, you sound very cute about it, you know.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's all the extra little bits that you really helped me to make it such an easier journey to get to the end destination which I am nearly at now.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: My other thing I think was the hardest thing for me was doing the videoing, and that was a real confidence thing.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: As much as I'm on social media, I don't particularly like going live.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: I can do live stores and interviewing people and things like that, but I don't particularly like going on stories and talking to the camera and talking to people when I can't see them.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I did find that really hard, and that was quite a bit of a barrier.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: But once I got going, it was fine, and all I can say to anyone who's thinking about doing this, I would either block out and book essentially a recording studio or block time out in a diary, whatever you do.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to necessarily use a recording studio, but make sure you stick to it because believe me, there's so much ironing and so much washing, so many other things that you can quite easily do it at a later date and just stop procrastinating doing it.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: But I think once I've got that overcome that fear, I'm actually really excited about putting it onto the platform.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I just said to Karen before we came on here, didn't I?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: That I think this could get a little bit addictive.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking about all different types of courses now that I can do.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I think that's I think that's one of the things that has come up, and it's interesting you say about the recording because when I work with other clients, that is something that comes up all the time.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: The fear of being in front of the camera, it's real.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's unusual to us, isn't it?
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: We don't sit in front of the camera recording ourselves on a day-to-day basis, and then for this course, you then decide to do that, and then it's and then it's uncomfortable because it's not something that you've done previously, and then of course you miss in the tech, and then there's a whole load of overwhelm there because you're having to bring in tech into something where you're already feeling uncomfortable, and then you're having to somehow create something for this course, and I know that is an area that many, many course creators really do struggle with because it's so new, and then they don't know if they're doing it right, whether what they've done works, whether it's good enough, whether they've got their hairs right, whether their makeup's right.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know a couple of things while we've been chatting about this actually and it just sort of sprung to mind for me?
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: I used to block out time in my diary.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: I even had accountability to put it in my diary, and then there would be like you'd get a cold, so you can't do it then because you've got a cold, or you'd lose your voice.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: That happened to me a couple of times.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Clearly, you can't do it then.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Then I don't know, maybe the neighbours were having some building work doing or something along those lines, so you know you've got to think about those kinds of things as well.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: So even though you do block things out in your diary, it might not always go to plan, yeah, and then you've lost another week, and then you've lost another week because you know you're too busy or you're procrastinating doing it.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: But potentially having an accountability partner, if you know somebody else who's going to do a digital or an online course to do some filming, or as I say, block book potentially in so many different co-working spaces now where you can go in and potentially maybe just rent a room for a couple of hours.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you've got that in your diamond and you've paid money for it, you're gonna get it done, aren't you?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what I mean?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Something on those lines, but yeah, just break that barrier, break that fear, and it becomes a lot easier, I think.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: How do you feel now when you're now at the other end and you see what you've created?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: How does that make you feel?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: Because you've actually brought something to life, haven't you?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: Your idea, your concept, you've taken steps and now you have it.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: What does that feel like?
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: I am very excited, I have to say.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: I just yeah, I can't wait for it to go live.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Nervous, like really nervous.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: I can't bear the fact.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: I don't what I haven't watched, I mean, obviously, I have gone back and watched it since it's been edited and things like that, but it's horrible because nobody wants to see myself talking in front of the camera.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I'm really excited and I can't wait to get it out there, and I think I'm just about to I can say that I'm about to be in beta testing mode, can't I?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, so mine's literally about to go live in beta testing mode, which I'll chat to in a minute about because I think that's quite important.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I think once I've got that first module out there and people have started watching it, then I feel a lot more relaxed.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: At the moment, I'm really excited, nervous, and then I think until I they get to the end of their six-week journey with this course, the only thing will tell will be the feedback.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Fingers crossed, that's gonna be alright.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I just think I feel elated at the moment.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: I just can't, yeah.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm literally uploading it at the moment to um and Karen as well to the platform, so yeah, fingers crossed we'll see.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: So, but yeah, it is it's a great feeling and exciting, and then potentially getting it to the next stage once I can actually get off the beta testing mode and get on to the next stage of actually selling it for real, which really and I think being able to beta test it before it goes live, I think it's a really smart move because one of the things that course creators who are creating courses for the first time do worry about is this idea of right, I've created my course, I'm putting it out for sale, and I'm not going to get any sales.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: And part of that may be that they're putting blocks in their way because, in their mind, they don't know if it's good enough, they haven't got that validation.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the things that you can do in order to test drive your idea to make sure that it does hit the right notes is by putting it in beta, which means that you're piloting that course before it goes live and just bringing people on board, and it's not for free, it's still chargeable, but but it may be that you're charging a more discounted price.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: But what that allows you to do is get feedback and get it in front of people that are going to be honest with you so you can make those tweaks and updates before it then goes out for full launch, and that's exactly where Helen is at the moment.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: So, other than the filming and the tech aspect of that, was there anything else that you found challenging, or did you find that once you got into it it flowed really well and you actually ended up enjoying the process, or was there any one thing that stood out to you as being difficult?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think, well, for me the filming was difficult, but I think also the other thing, you know, is to block out time, writing the scripts.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: We all know what we've got to talk about, we all know what you know what we're good at our subject, that kind of thing.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: However, trying to put that pen to paper to actually write a script out, that can be quite tricky.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: So that's one thing I would say.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: But once you get again, it's sort of a bit like writing, isn't it?
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: The creative sort of writing, once you get into the flow of it, it's absolutely fine.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: So that was good, and because I do my workshops, a lot of it was already there and already incorporated anyhow, so that was that was absolutely fine.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: But I would just it'd be time management.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, anyone who wants to do it, you know, definitely set aside the time, you know, whether it's an hour a day to do it, maybe block out one full day a week to do it, whatever it is, how you do it.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just absolutely you won't you won't regret it.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've I regret taking as long as I have done to do it, but you know, it's all been a fantastic learning process, and along the way, other courses have been created from this one course I've done.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, actually, for me, it's yeah, it's been worth taking that little bit of extra time to do it and to get it out there.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the beta testing, I think, is a really good idea.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't feel confident or right, should I say, I feel confident about my course obviously, but I wouldn't feel right putting it out there for the maximum price I'm going to straight away because I know there's some tweaks already.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I need to re-video some of the videos because I might be umming and erring and that kind of thing, but I will only get that feedback from the people who are beta testing it for me.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: I I think with beta testing, I think you'll get a lot of insight and it's interesting actually what people are prepared to share and how honest they're prepared to be with love and in a kind way, but because they know that this is for something for you to develop, so you will get that feedback, and I'm sure it'll all be amazing.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: But beta testing allows you to kind of get that honesty from people because that's what you're essentially asking them for.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's a really good thing to do.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_01: One of the things that you touched upon, which was time management.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: Now, this is something that I probably will do an entire episode on this because I agree with you.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: I think managing your time is so important, and at the beginning, you know, it's really difficult to see what time you may need to invest in order to get the course done.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: The time frame from start to finish doesn't really matter to an extent because that's going to ultimately come down to what you desire in terms of when do you want to get it out for selling?
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: But I think whatever that time frame looks like, having an idea on the time that you can dedicate on a consistent basis is so important because that's the thing that's going to get you to that end.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so even if you can only, you know, put in half an hour a week or an hour, two hours, whatever that looks like, by just putting a small amount of time every week, you're going to move the needle, you're going to get your course done.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's something that I know when I did my course very early on, you know, I struggled with a whole time thing.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: I was juggling projects and I was having to kind of you know, you know what it's like.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: You go networking, you do this, you do that, you social media, and and then trying to find that time just to kind of build in you know, time on the course is challenging.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think I did the same.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: I started off two projects at the same time, and really sticky.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: I should have focused on one and done that, and then I should have focused on the other and done that.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: I haven't, I've done them simultaneously, and they're sort of near enough going live at the same time.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's something else to think about as well.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's it's been a big learning curve, and you know, but it's it's been exciting and it's been a it's been a massive learning curve for me.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as I say, some of the videos I might have to redo because I've seen my confidence build while starting video.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I would say my last lessons are probably oozing more confidence than lesson one, for example, where I'm sort of I don't look at it, but inside I'm petrified about talking to the camera, which is silly considering it's meaning a camera in a room.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's interesting, isn't it?
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: When you when you put it like that, it's something that we can develop a lot of fear around, but when you really break it down to what it actually is, it's it's a piece of equipment.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: That's what it is.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's a piece of equipment and it's you, and you're in control, and nothing can go wrong.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing like what's the worst thing that can go wrong?
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, the camera might not record in the best way, but then you can re-record and you but you're in control, and I think that's the thing, isn't it?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's just putting perspective around what you're doing, but sometimes you need to kind of do some less than good versions, shall we say, to kind of break through that barrier to then do the stuff that really you know you feel confident about.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: One thing else which has been really good is I think there's a lot of possibility for people to collaborate as well.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: Like with their different courses.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know you've put me in contact with a couple of other people, and uh while I've been doing my course, I've been thinking of other people I can collaborate with, who can touch base with my course or can link up quite nicely.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I think people don't just see it as your own course and it's a standalone because I'm sure you will be able to think about oh, actually, you could have affiliate links with people, all kinds of things like that, you know, where it all connects with each other, if that makes sense.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, and I think being able to collaborate with other course creators that have synergy with your course, put your course in front of their audience, and that's something that again I'll probably sort of go into a little bit more in terms of a way of increasing your audience.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it's worth knowing that these courses can really support and help your audience, but linking up with somebody else who's created a similar course, maybe in a slightly different area, can be really powerful as well.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then there's collaborations and possible opportunities, and it just opens up that space for discussion, and I think that's what's great about it.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's one of the things that can really come from this, and also you mentioned that in your course you've not just done one course, you've actually off the back of your course created two courses, haven't you?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: I have, yeah.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: So I've created so one is actually a lesson within one of the modules, which I'm doing as a standalone as well, and yeah, I've I've seen uh definitely room for another couple, and also then the spin-off of ebooks as well, things like that.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it all sort of you know spirals spirals as well.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, yeah, and you've got the content, so it's not like you're having to reinvent the wheel, you've got the content there, you can really purpose it for other things which can, like you say, you know, support you as well.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's really it's we really I've really enjoyed the journey.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's been hard at some points, I'm not gonna lie, but you know, I've done it, I'm now at the other side, and I'm super I cannot wait.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just excited to press that button.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's like the big red button, isn't it?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Now take off.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so what one piece of advice would you share with someone who was looking to create an online course for the first time?
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: I would seriously think about what it is you are trying to teach and tell people all about.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I seriously wrote that down because like myself, you might realise that it's actually a lot bigger subject or topic than you actually thought in the first place.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: I would then definitely set aside time and be really, really honoured with your time to do that.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: So you know, you've allocated that time to do the course, to do it, don't put anything else in the diary or it might overrun or whatever for that.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, it will never get done, it will just be a journey that's just going to keep going and going and going.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: You want an end destination basically.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I would definitely get beta testers, I really do.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think that'll be really I mean, I I can't say you know, I'm hoping it's it's the right decision to do, and I'm sure it probably will be.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: But for me, it seems right and comfortable doing it that way.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: But I think you know that gives you a lot of fiddles at the end as well.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you've got the testimonials, you've got your reviews, you've got you know things that you might have to touch up on before you can then take it to the next stage.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: So those would be my three main amazing.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I have to agree with you on all of those.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's really great advice, actually, because it might not be obvious at the beginning, and and you sort of mentioned about sort of the framework.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: You don't know what you don't know until you know it, it's that kind of thing, but but the framework you know underpins the entire student journey.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: So, really getting that clear, mapping that out, and getting clear on what those results are going to be looking like, because that's going to help you when it comes to creating that content.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's I know when we started working together, that was the thing that we just needed to get really sort of nailed down on what this course was about, and but what you wanted to achieve for your students as well, how you wanted to help them in the best way possible, in the quickest way possible.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, yeah.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know people some of the beta testers, for example, obviously not the main names.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, some of them I don't even know, so that's marvellous.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's really, really that's really exciting to be honest.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: And then I've got people who have been in business for quite a while, I've got people who are literally just starting out, so it's a huge range of people, yeah.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that just goes to show, doesn't it, who who you can put on board really with it.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it's exciting, it's exciting.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, what's next for you then?
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: What's next for me?
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so well, trying to do spin-offs of all these different courses that I've had ideas.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, definitely definitely need to get this this course uh to its end of destination and to get uh to the end of the beta testing mode, which I'm really excited for, so that'll take us up to mid-October.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also then going to do the same course again, but instead of drip feeding it, I'm going to put it all as one download at the same time because obviously some people prefer that than the drip feeder.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to see what the different responses are for both of the ways of actually having the course out there.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I think in the new year there'll be a couple more mini courses.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is quite a big course, really, that I've done.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I think there'll be some little mini spin-off courses for me and some potentially some ebooks there as well.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: But it's been it's been a great journey.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: I've also got a separate side of my business as well, and it's made me realise that I should do courses for that side of the business as well.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's it.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think once you've created your first one and you see what that process is and how you get it done, you can then like you say, opens your mind up to other potential opportunities that you have in your business, and you're building your business for scale.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's one of the most important things, isn't it?
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: Because at some point you're not going to need to be there delivering this over and over because your course will take care of that.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, exactly, and that's the other part of it, which I haven't even spoken about.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so sorry, I've got two things that I've just only brought up.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: Passive income, I mean that's huge, isn't it, Johnny?
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: And we've all realised over the last couple of years how you need to diversify.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: So this is just a marvellous way of doing it, and also who you're going to reach.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: As I say, I've got people on my beta testing who I've never met before, and they've just, you know, they've bought it from my social, which is I feel honoured from that as well.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: But who knows where that might take me?
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: It might take me abroad, it might take other people, you know, who just don't know.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then the other thing, when you ask me about the journey, I mean talking on a second second note about this whole devising and developing the course, who knew there were so many different platforms out there to put your course actually onto.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I would definitely, I mean, I know Karen, you've really helped me on this, and I know it's part of the journey and the process that you go through, but to really think about the course platform you're going to load your course onto because I try and there's a lot of trials out there that you can use.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've tried and tested a few of them, and I've come to the conclusion to use one of them.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_00: Pleurely, it might not work for some people, but for me it's all about the community, and I'm building the community, and that's why I've chosen the platform I have.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I mean they all it's a bit like buying a car, isn't it?
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: I suppose all got near enough everything, but one's got a little element that the other one hasn't got, so you know.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a minefield, yeah.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: You don't realise until you start looking how many course platforms there are out there, and then making that decision is you know, do you go with cost?
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: Do you go with a capability?
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, how do you make that decision?
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's like I say, that's a minefield in itself.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: That took quite a lot of working out to do, actually.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's one of the things I should have put in earlier when you said, you know, what have you learned?
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_00: That is definitely one of them.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: Don't just rush to the first one, have a really long, hard think about it when you are.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, take the time and do the trials because what works for one person isn't necessarily going to work for another.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, we have both the platform I use, you tried and you didn't get the same from it that I I absolutely love my platform, but you decided to obviously look at other options because that platform wasn't suitable for you.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's it.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think there are so many platforms out there, it's finding the one that suits you and what you want to achieve with that platform.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_00: And looking at the long-term goal of what you want, aspiration might not be the right platform for me just like at the moment, but I'm hoping that six months to a year down the line I've chosen the right platform, and also something you said was about costs because I remember looking through some of them, and there's a huge, vast variety of different costs going on out there.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, when you hang on all the little add-ons, so potentially the cheaper ones, you're better off paying the more expensive one because it turns out cheaper.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I'm saying.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: They come at it all different angles, don't they?
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_01: And you have to be just really careful that you know exactly what you're signing up for.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_01: But I think I think you mentioned like where you want to be a year down the road, you want to have a platform that supports the growth for your digital business.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_01: So thinking not necessarily just about the pricing, but what it's gonna give you in the long term.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_01: So for you, building more courses is obviously going to be something that you're gonna be looking at, so therefore, you need a platform that's gonna support you with that side of things.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's not necessarily going to be for everybody because some of my clients just want to build one course and then that's it.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: They're happy with one course, and and that one course is going to support them.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_01: But if you are looking to create multiple courses, maybe you want to do a library courses, maybe you want to do freebies and paid for offers, then absolutely look at the platform, see what it offers, and make that judgment to whether it's really going to support the aspirations you have going forward.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: So, how can people get in contact with you?
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, if they are interested in the course, where can they find you?
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, people can find me on Instagram and Facebook as the Social Surgery.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's all about social media, and I'm helping you to review your social media thing free.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: So, social surgery on Instagram and Facebook, and you can find me in Pelom Mantry at on theme too.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Lovely.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.uk.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and also if they're interested in creating an online course and they're they're just interested in finding out a bit more about going through that, would you be happy for them to send you a DM and just reach out to you?
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, yeah, yeah.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: Drop me a DM, happy or messenger, absolutely, not fucking at all, I'm more than happy to chat to people about it.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because it has been it's been a brilliant journey, it really has, and I've learned so much about myself and about my business, and yeah, just it's been really good.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I can really thank you for that, Carol, because it's been you know, it's and here we are, about to go live, which is yeah, it's quite exciting.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it's really exciting, and the whole launch period as well.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's something to be enjoyed.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_01: This is the reward for all your hard work and your effort, and that's something that you know you have achieved.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: This is on you.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_01: I've just been the facilitator in a sense of guiding you through in that step-by-step approach, but you've done the work and you've committed and stayed true to it.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I think off the back of that, you're gonna have a fantastic course that is really going to support people and help them to get those results that they're looking to achieve on social.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's the key thing, isn't it?
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's really supporting your audience so that they can get what they need from your course.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I know you've spent a lot of time really working on that to make sure it's the best it can be.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I have no doubt that you're doing really well with the sales and that and everything.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I look forward to seeing what other courses you end up creating because because I do think it's like Pandora's box now, it's been opened.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: It is, it is a hundred percent like that.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's like yeah, I'll take a bit of a breather, get this one, you know, see this one through a hundred percent as it's in beauty testing mode, and I would do anyhow, even if it wasn't in beauty testing mode, and then yeah, take the uh find out what people do the feedback from that, go back and have a little maybe tinkle around with it.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and yeah, once that one's out there, then yeah, it's just starting it.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: Start all over again.
• 37:56
  unknown: Exactly.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: But it won't be as scary and it won't be as daunting.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: You'll have it nailed, you'll you'll and you'll do it in half the time, and and you'll be absolutely fine with it.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: Helen, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_01: I really appreciate it, and thank you for sharing your experience.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: I'm really excited to see how well you're gonna do with your with your course, but thank you for your time and I wish you every success.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, thank you.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you very much for having me on, and thank you for all your guidance and help.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: And anyone who is thinking about doing the course, don't care and it really is a step-by-step approach with markers.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, thank you.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday, so why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.