13: Three Beliefs That Are Holding You Back From Making Money With Online Courses

Are you curious about online courses but held back by some limiting beliefs? In this episode, we'll explore three common beliefs that people have about online courses. Once you recognize these beliefs for what they are – just thoughts or stories that you've been telling yourself – you can start making progress towards your goal of creating and selling an online course.

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Transcript:

Have you ever thought about creating an online course but then talked yourself out of it? Or maybe you already have a course, but still have doubts that it's something people will pay you for. That's what we're going to be chatting about on today's episode of Launch Perspective. Creating online courses has impacted our family in a way we never thought was possible, but I remember having doubts. And those doubts can come from limiting beliefs that keep you from taking action. But if you can identify those beliefs and acknowledge them for what they are, that they're just a story you've been telling yourself, it will allow you to move forward. So, let's jump in.

So, I first learned about the benefits of creating an online course in 2014 when I watched a webinar with Amy Porterfield. 2014 was a very different landscape than today. Entrepreneurs had to invest in a lot of things like video production and technology because tools were not readily available that just anyone could learn and use, but that is no longer the case. Tools and technology have improved so much for each part of the course creation process. And what it means is that we live in a time where a single person, a solopreneur can launch a business from their home and earn income from online courses. And I know I personally could not be more grateful.

It was March of 2020 when I launched my first course. And in that first year of business, 61% of my revenue came from online courses, also known as digital courses. And since then, for 2021 and so far in 2022 online courses now make up 75% of my annual revenue. The remaining 25% comes from a combination of coaching, sales from digital products, and affiliate marketing. But having a business where we sell online courses has completely changed our life. You heard in my intro and in other podcasts episodes, I'm sure, that within 18 months of launching my business I was able to retire my husband from his 30-year career.

I thank the Lord every day that we are living a dream that we didn't know was possible. My husband went from working so long and hard for a company to becoming my podcast manager and our tech support specialist. He's so gifted and now he gets to use those gifts to build our business. He was even able to take over homeschooling our son this year. He's able to take care of things around the house or run errands in the middle of a workweek. We're able to wake up together, go on walks together, go on vacation when we want, and essentially work from anywhere.

I share this because even as I say it, I'm so humbled and grateful, but I also want to shout from the rooftops that being able to create this type of life with that flexibility and freedom is possible. Now, did it happen overnight? No way. Was it a ton of work? Absolutely. Was it worth it? A hundred percent. We personally believe that we're building something bigger than ourselves. As Christians who love the Lord, we don't look at our business as a business, but as a kingdom purpose, something God has given to impact the lives of others. And we don't take that lightly. We work hard and we make the most of the opportunities given to us.

And we really feel that online courses are an opportunity. It's an opportunity to create something that can make a difference in your life and in the life of others. It allows you to increase your earning potential. Now not everybody leaves their full-time job to create online courses. So even if you work another job or you just want to add an additional stream of income, I want you to think what topic could you turn into a course? There are online courses out there about every topic under the sun.

So, what is something you love to do and love to share with others? What is something people know you for or something people come to you to learn about? Is there something that you do in a unique way, maybe something you do naturally or something you've learned through education or experience that you could package up into a framework that becomes an online course? Now, before we move on, I'm going to jump into what this episode is really about. Because even as I share the benefits of online courses, I bet some thoughts are going through your head. I call them limiting beliefs. It's those things that go through your head that basically talk you out of doing something, even though that thought is not truth.

So, the three limiting beliefs that I think are so common when it comes to online course creation are these. Number one: there's so much free content out there why would anyone buy a course? The second one: my topic is so saturated or there's already so many courses out there about this topic. And number three and probably the most common: I don't have the qualifications to create a course. I'm not smart enough, not old enough, not young enough, not pretty enough, not techie enough. We could go on and on about the limiting beliefs we have about ourselves and every single one of these things can keep us from an opportunity that may be perfect for you.

So, let's rewrite that first limiting belief. Why would anyone buy an online course when there's so much free content out there? It is true. If you want to learn a new skill, let's say it has to do with quilting or working on your car, you can go to YouTube or Google and find content related to learning just about anything. But if I want to learn an entire process or step-by-step roadmap that's going to help me do something in a much more systematic approach a course is going to serve me better than a mix-match of little tips here and there. A course is also going to let me learn at my own pace. It's going to encourage me because I'm going to be able to engage in that course in a way I like to learn whether that's through written content, audio, or video content. And depending on the course, I may even get to connect with others who are like me, or I might get to connect with people that are learning alongside me, but I'm going to have more opportunities through a course that I purchased than I would by absorbing free content.

The second limiting belief is my topic is saturated or there's already so many courses out there. I want you to know that there could be thousands of people selling a course on the exact same topic and it wouldn't matter because each and every course instructor and course is going to vary. Each person's delivery, teaching style, formula or framework is going to be different. And different people are attracted to different things. I've had people tell me that they've taken classes related to my topic, but that they were so thankful for my course because my delivery helped it all click for them. And I'm sure there are some people that take my courses that might click with someone else's approach. It's so important to get out of the scarcity mentality. There are millions of people on the planet, all with different interests, likes and needs. We aren't going to worry about those who are being served somewhere else. We're reaching out to those who will be impacted by what we offer.

The third limiting belief is I don't have the qualifications. This, my friends is imposter syndrome, which is when you doubt your abilities or feel like a fraud because you think who am I to teach a course? I don't have enough experience or the proper training, degree, or certification as if these are the only things that make you qualified to empower someone else's life. It doesn't matter if you're a hairstylist, a dog trainer, homeschool parent, or whether you're good at gardening, art, music, sports, business, or ministry, there is something that you are good at that others would love to learn.

Expertise comes in a number of ways. It comes from learning through education, but it also comes from experience. It can be something that you're naturally good at or something that you've learned over time that you now excel in. Maybe it's something you've been good at from birth, let's say creating an organized home. You love organizing and helping others organize their home. Well, what system do you use? What tips and tricks have you learned along the way? All of this can be turned into an online course, or maybe you're like me and your experience came from a breakthrough that you had in your life. Something you struggled with for a long time but overcame it and now you teach others how to do the same.

That's how I came up with a topic for my first course The Digital Clutter Cure. For 17 years, I struggled with paper clutter and digital chaos, but in 2013 I was introduced to Evernote and over the next few years had a total transformation in my digital systems. And I knew others would benefit from me sharing what I learned in that journey. Now I did go through an Evernote certification program in 2016 that obviously increased my knowledge, but that isn't what made me qualified to create a course. So sure, additional training if it's available to you. Education is always great because it offers more value. It helps you become a better educator, but the framework I teach did not come from getting certified in this one tool. It came from life experience.

So, you can absolutely teach something that you've learned along your journey. Some of my clients teach courses on parenting, breastfeeding, cooking, boundaries, weight loss, fashion, fitness. The possibilities are truly endless. Now it's definitely not a get rich quick. You have to be diligent and resilient because you have to usually go through a few failed attempts to create that course that people will buy. But the sky's the limit and you are a hundred percent capable of creating a course that people will buy.

If you struggle with having limiting beliefs based on your knowledge, your age, your looks, background, or past experiences gone wrong, I want you to know you're not alone. We all struggle with those thoughts that we're too old, too young, too this, too that. And when I find myself thinking those things, I just remember Psalm 139:14, that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. No one else gets to decide if we are qualified or capable. It's time to rewrite those limiting beliefs. Because even when we aren't sure of ourselves or we don't think we have all the answers or all the steps, we a hundred percent have things that we can impart into people's lives to have an impact.

I hope this encourages you today, especially if you've been thinking about creating an online course. Because if you've been waiting or holding back because of one of the limiting beliefs I shared today, it's time to let that go and move forward. The world is waiting to hear from you.