If you record in segments, don't you have to deliver a bunch of files to students? No...

Why bother? I have such a small audience I can't enroll anyone...

A common, very understandable fear when thinking about creating courses is: "What if I pour my heart and soul into creating this course, launch it, and no one (or almost no one) signs up? Especially if I have a small audience?" This fear stops many talented creators before they even start... That's why I practice and recommend a "Launch Lightly" approach – essentially, launching your course offer before you've created all the course content. The Strategy: Launch First, Create Content Week-by-Week Instead of spending weeks or months creating all the modules of your course upfront, focus first on: Defining the Offer: Get clear on the topic, draft an outline (like we'll do later, in Modules 2 and 3), write the description, choose a title, set a price. Setting up the Launch: Create the registration page for your FTA webinar (we'll talk about this strategy later in this module) and the sales page for the full course. Launching Gently: Announce your FTA webinar and open registration for the full course. We'll work on this in Modules 3 and 4. You only need to have the introductory content of your course -- your FTA webinar -- ready before that first session. You then create the content for Modules 2, 3, 4, etc., week-by-week, after you've confirmed you have enough enrollment to run the course. Why This "Launch Light" Strategy Works Wonders: It forces you to organize your ideas: Every time you attempt to launch a course, you will create an outline and description, which requires you to structure your expertise into a presentable package. This is valuable work in itself! It instantly boosts your credibility: Simply announcing a planned course will help to position you as an expert who has something valuable to offer. Even if this specific launch doesn't result in a course running this time, your audience sees you developing and offering valuable knowledge. (And honestly, social media moves so fast, few will remember the specifics if you launch something different a few weeks later!) You practice gentle launching: Every time you put an offer out there, you practice the skills of authentic marketing and communication. You build resilience and speed in your actions for the next launch. It minimizes wasted effort: This is key! You avoid spending potentially dozens of hours creating content for Modules 2-6 before validating that there's enough market interest right now. Handling Low Enrollment Gracefully (It's Okay!) So, what do you do if only one or two people sign up, or not enough to create the group dynamic you envisioned? It's simple, low-stress, and builds trust: Option 1: Offer Alternatives: Reach out personally to the few who enrolled. Explain honestly that enrollment didn't meet the minimum for the group experience you intended. Offer to convert their payment into credit towards 1:1 coaching/consulting with you, or perhaps credit towards a different offering. You could also mention that if you run the course in the future, they'll get access then. Most people are very understanding. Option 2: Offer Full Refunds: Simply thank them for their interest, explain the situation, and issue a prompt, full refund. No harm done! People respect honesty and clear communication. In either case, the "failed" launch isn't a failure at all – it's valuable market feedback, gathered with minimal risk to your time and energy. Embrace the Experiment! This "launch lightly" approach removes one of the biggest mental barriers to getting started. It allows you to test ideas, practice launching, and build momentum without the fear of wasting huge amounts of effort upfront. Reflection: Take a moment to consider: How does knowing you don't have to create all the content before launching change your feelings about creating your first (or next) course? Does it feel lighter or more doable? Feel free to share a brief reflection in the comments if you like.

Warm welcome to the Course Creator's Journey!

This is a co-learning experience... so what strengths and energy would you like to bring to this community?   What do you look forward to receiving?  Comment below :)

How I upload videos to Simplero course platform

If interested in how I host my webinar/course videos in Simplero, here's the process I do after every webinar / course session!

If you have 2 different audiences, is it OK to teach ONE course to both?

What if only a few people show up?

After setting up your registration and tracking systems in the last couple of lessons, a common thought might creep in: "What if hardly anyone registers? What if only one or two people actually show up live?" This is a normal feeling... but allow me to offer a perspective shift that might transform this anxiety into an opportunity. Every Session is Valuable Practice: Whether one person shows up to your live FTA webinar, or ten, or even zero initially, consider each time you prepare and offer your teaching as incredibly valuable: You are honing your craft: Every time you structure your thoughts, practice your delivery, and manage the technology, you get better. You are testing your material: You gain insights into what resonates, what's clear, and what might need adjustment, even just through the act of preparing and speaking it aloud. You are practicing presence: You build comfort and confidence in sharing your energy and knowledge in an online format. Trust the Process: Growth Happens Over Time Especially when you're starting out, or testing a new topic, attendance might be small. Please know that this is normal. If you keep launching FTAs consistently and continue practicing market discovery to choose topics your audience genuinely wants (as we covered in Modules 2 & 3), your attendance will likely grow over time. The key is persistence and relevance. An Inspiring Story of Dedication: To put this in perspective, I want to share a deeply moving story about service and dedication beyond numbers. It's a reflection by the spiritual teacher Adyashanti about his first teacher, Arvis Joen Justi: "When she first started to offer teachings at her house, she would sit down after preparing everything, but nobody would show up. Still she wrote a talk, set up her meditation room, and opened her house even single week, week after week. Sometimes, out of compassion, her husband would sit with her, but mostly she sat alone. She continued to do this for an entire year without a single person coming. That is dedication! What service to the dharma, the Buddhist teaching - not being in service to how many people appear, to numbers or normal measures of success, but to doing what she was called to do. After a year, one person came, and for the next year it was Arvis and that one person. As word slowly spread, more people arrived, until sometimes she would have fifteen or twenty people. Her dedication was a great teaching for me. It touched my heart because it spoke to what service is: the willingness to put ourselves in a position of giving, to be an embodiment of what we are dedicated to, and to put our life, time, attention and energy into the most important things. Even when Arvis was sitting in her living room alone, she was in service to all the people who might show up in the future. Many years later, I ended up being one of those people." (You can find this reflection shared on my Facebook profile here: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKao/posts/10112514950126433) Your Service Matters, Regardless of Numbers Think of your FTA webinar, even if only one person attends live, as an act of service – service to your dedication, service to honing your message, and service to all the people who might benefit from it in the future, whether through the recording or future iterations. Action Step / Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on the above story and the idea of teaching as practice and service. Comment below sharing one thought about how this perspective might help you approach your upcoming FTA webinar, especially concerning your feelings about attendance numbers 🙏🏼

"What course platform do you use, George?"

I use Simplero -- it handles my website, email lists, course platform, event registration, client scheduling, and more -- but you can use whichever platform you enjoy as a student and a creator. Yes, try out various ones as a student and see which you like best, then try it out as a creator on their platform! If you have a favorite course platform, comment below. Perhaps you can find others who use a similar platform as you and provide mutual support :) If no comments below and no ability to comment, first log into the course.