Why Community is Essential for Course Creators

Alternately: Why My Business Didn’t Grow for Nine Months

There’s only been one time when my business didn’t see any real growth.

That timeframe was only about nine months, but that’s a pretty big deal for any business — certainly a big deal for a multi-million dollar company.

Things weren’t failing, and we certainly weren’t losing money…

…But we weren’t growing either. We had plateaued. And forgive the rhyme, but: You can’t grow when you plateau. 💁

This lack of growth wasn’t because of some bad marketing strategy or some bad PR.

It wasn’t because…

My products and services suddenly stopped having value for my customers.

I stopped showing up and doing my work.

It wasn’t even one specific mistake or misstep.

Instead, it was the time I wasn’t in a community of like-minded course creators.

It was when I wasn’t in a curated coaching program or mastermind.

 

 

How handy that I have this relatable anecdote ready to pull out to promote my own coaching program, right? ::Cue the eye roll.::

BUT… that’s actually the point. And that’s a huge part of why Launchpad exists at all.

Why Community is Essential for Course Creators

Those nine months — the nine months where we didn’t see any growth — started off like any other time in my business.

I had just finished one coaching program that I’d been a part of for the last year, and it had been great! My business had crossed the million dollar mark in revenue while in that program, and I was feeling gooooood.

Also, I was given the opportunity to join a new coaching program or re-enroll in my current one, but I said no.

I thought:

“I got this! I can go it alone now. I’ve done the coaching thing for the last couple of years. I got what I needed. Now, I’m going to try to fly solo for a while. I’m good!”

And I was. At first. I was good!

But something interesting happened (aside from the whole business plateau-ing part I mentioned before):

I suddenly became very aware of the value that the coaching program — that community — had previously brought me. And that value was totally different from the reasons I had joined in the first place. 

Initially, I joined to get access to the growth strategies and access to the smart, strategic brain of the coach leading the program.

I thought “I’ll join this program to learn from them and to have the ability to ask them questions about my business whenever I have that need.”

So it stands to reason that once I had seen growth in my business (million dollar growth hellooooo), I felt I was good. I’d learned what I needed to learn. I was done. I was ready to go it alone.

After all, I’m a great self-starter. I’m smart! I’m disciplined. And I already have supportive friends, family, and biz besties. Ok?! I am allllll set up.

So, I figured that accountability stuff didn’t really have an impact on me.

But as time went on, I fully realized what I was missing.

Because here’s the thing:

When you take big risks, you have the possibility of bigger rewards. This is pretty much always true.

But when you’re flying solo, it’s a lot harder to take big risks because you aren’t supported.

When you’re not in a community for course creators, you’re not among those who could push you where you want to go,

Why Flying Solo in Your Business is Playing Small

So, for someone who has always played big and taken big risks, I found that my solo-flying self — without any support — was playing small.

Tiny.

Itty bitty.

And the results?

Low risks = low rewards. Playing small led to growing small. And in time, not growing at all.

I had chosen to end my time with the coaching program because I felt I had graduated.

Somehow I clung to some false belief that graduating was even a thing.

“Once I check these boxes, I don’t need this anymore.”

But as ambitious entrepreneurs, getting high-touch, high-level support shouldn’t be something we do for a short timeframe and then we’re done.

And as course creators, this is why community is everything.

You don’t graduate from entrepreneurship.

Also, you don’t outgrow the need for support any more than you outgrow the need for a seatbelt.

Ok?

It took some time and a little business plateau-ing for me to learn this lesson, but once I got it, I hopped right back into a coaching program. I put myself in a program with entrepreneurs who were on the same level of ambition as me.

The results this time? Bigger risks. Way bigger rewards. Way more business growth.

And not just because of the coach or the content. If anything, that was the smallest takeaway. Instead, I had support. I had accountability. I had solidarity. And all of this meant I showed up bigger and better in my business (and served my audience in a bigger, better way as a result).

I’ve been able to have a greater impact on others because I’ve chosen to invest in myself.

And just like I will always need a seatbelt when I drive, I will always need to be in a mastermind or coaching program — as long as I am running my business.

The work I do is far too important and the impact I can make is far too great. I can’t risk being in a situation again where my default is to play small because I don’t have the support I need to play big.

And this is exactly why I created Launchpad, my six-month coaching program and community for course creators.

Because I know that what I teach in my courses is valuable, but the impact I can make with a coaching program is invaluable.

My students in The Course Course see big wins, but I don’t want them to just have a flash of success; I want them to build a sustainable business. And sustainability comes from support.

So when my students in The Course Course asked for the next level — a more serious program where they could be among other serious course creators, I gladly obliged because I knew firsthand how valuable a curated coaching program could be.

And this is why I’m talking about it so much in your inbox this week. Because if you want to create and launch a successful, profitable online course, then you can do that successfully inside The Course Course…

…BUT if you want to have sustainable success from the beginning and hit the ground running — whether you’ve created your course before or you’re just getting started — then Launchpad is your game changer.

If you have your sights set on 6- or 7-figures success with your online course, then Launchpad is a must.

Once you join, you’ll have access to all of my favorite features from my favorite programs. But above and beyond that, you’ll get the support you need to get where you want to go.

The value goes far beyond any pretty words or phrases I could string together over on a sales page, but I tried anyway.

Ready to get started? Visit that link above, fill out an application (it just takes a minute), then my team will reach out to book a call.

You’ll get to talk with me and figure out if Launchpad is a good fit for you (and if you are a good fit for Launchpad).😉

You’ll never know what’s possible if you don’t apply.

Get started and learn more here.