Guest Speaker Series: Chelsie Hayes

Hey, everybody, it's Tara, Bryan, and you are listening to the course building secrets podcast. Whether you're a coach or a CEO, the success of your team and clients is based on your ability to deliver a consistent experience and guide them on the fastest path to results. This podcast will give you practical real life tips that you can use today to build your online experiences that get results and create raving fans. Why? So you can monetize your expertise and serve more people without adding more time or team to your business. If you're looking to uncover your million dollar framework, package it and use it to scale you're in the right place. Let's dive in.

Hey, everybody, welcome to today's episode of the course building secrets podcast, I am so thrilled to introduce Chelsie Hayes to you all, she is the course Pro. And and so I'm super excited, not only because she's gonna have some awesome things to share with you today. But she is also one of my partners in crime. And so we may talk a little bit about that relationship today. And so for those of you who are interested in both the strategy and implementation, like we have formed an amazing partnership that we'll talk about. And so with that, Chelsea, welcome to the show, we're so happy to have you here. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, your business, all the things so we can get to know you.

Hey there, Tara, I'm so excited to be here. I feel like I can nerd out with you on all things, digital courses, somebody that understands the big picture and how courses can help elevate your business. So I'm thrilled to be here. I am the course Pro and I help entrepreneurs launch their successful digital courses. And I typically work with people that are new in the digital course, space, we specialize in the Kajabi platform and helping people and entrepreneurs take their ideas and their vision for their course, and getting it actually created and out into the world. There's so many things that our clients are doing, they're running their full time business, they have families, they're doing all the things. And so for us to be able to help them reach their course goals by taking care of some of the tech is a dream for us. And we love what we do. So thank you for having me here today.

Yeah, you bet. And it's a dream for your clients, because most of them hate the tech. So you are out there and you hate the tech. That is okay. And it is something that actually is very typical, which is why we have people in this world like Chelsie and her team who are helping just take that totally off the table and, and help you kind of not only frame up what you're doing but get out into the world because as she said, there's a bazillion different steps. Alright, awesome. So Chelsea, tell us your story. How did you get into into the online course business? How did you get into helping customers like what does that look like? What was what's been your journey? Yes.

So my background is actually in hospitality management. So event management and event planning is what I did for the first 10 years of my career. So I worked primarily in country clubs. And I actually really loved what I did. There's a lot of logistics, putting on events. And that's where I really excelled we would be we did small events, private dinners, big robust weddings. But working in the industry, you're working nights, weekends and holidays in at a certain point. That is not what I wanted for my family. So I I had to find something else. And I couldn't find something else that I wanted something that had the culture and the schedule and really doing the type of work that I loved. So I created my own business. I started out as a virtual assistant doing a little bit of everything for anybody that needed help. I'm a systems and processes person. So working with different entrepreneurs and helping them on the back end, getting some of their systems in place is really where I excelled. But I was doing everything for everyone. And I felt like Jack of all trades, but master of none. And so in 2019 I narrowed down my services to only work with course creators, because I had done several launches before and that was the thing I loved the most. And so since 2018 I only do launches for course creators and I have taken that event planning experience and all the logistics and the details and timelines and trance transpire that into a course launch There are certain things that you need to do today that you don't see the user doesn't see or your audience doesn't see until three months down the road. So I've taken that those, the love of logistics, from my event planning days, and now into course launching.

Yep. I love that. And especially, you know, for those of you listening, this is the question that I ask everyone is, how did you go from what you were doing to, to sort of packaging your expertise in a different way. And so I love your story, Chelsie, in the sense that you're like, Okay, I'm really good at logistics, like, out of hospitality, I was planning things, I had to be on top of all the things and in like, you know, get everybody all organized and do all those things like, how do I take that, translate that into something else that allows you then to control your time, control what you were doing, and your love of sort of organizing all the rings, and put that together? And so, so often, I think when people are going out on their own, they first start with like, well, this is what I do, right? Like, this is what I know how to do, this is what I do. So you could have gone into, you know, events, or virtual events, or those types of things. And it kind of just made that direct path. But she looked a little bit further to, you know, how do I build this by staying online and controlling your time? And so I think for anyone who's listening, who's trying to kind of figure out like, how do I get my expertise into something else, you know, Chelsie story is so powerful, because it just shows you that you can take your core skill set and move it over, and then grow and, and, and really kind of morph it from there. When you think about your journey, what's what's like the biggest aha, or tip or piece of advice that you would give somebody who, who's kind of in the middle of that right now,

I, in speaking of my personal journey, we all have that impostor syndrome, right? Where we think we're not as good as somebody else. It's the biggest aha moment is when I realized all the resources I need are right there in front of me, I listened to so many podcasts. I'm an audiobook kind of girl. I have watched YouTube videos. So anything that I want to know more about, I fill my ears with that. And you don't have to have formal education to know how to market a digital course, like you can learn so much in a short amount of time. That is my hobby. I listen to podcasts like this one, where I can learn a specific skill set. And it does not like I said, it does not have to be a formal education, whatever you're interested in, or really whatever you feel like you're lacking in your business, or something that you want to be. You want to be like better versed with, you can do your own learning your own education. It's all out there, you just have to honestly click a button and listen to a podcast. And you can learn so much about anything that you want, whether it's your business, personal life, it's all right there in front of you.

Yeah, I love that. Because I think that a lot of times people will say, Well, I don't know how to do it, so then I won't do it. And and I think that because I'm like that to like kind of scrappy in that way where I'm like, Yes, I can do it. And then I'm like, Wait, how do I do it? Like go and figure out how to do it, right. But that's I think so much of what's needed. When we're first learning when we're trying to grow when we're trying to learn, you know, kind of adapt, something that we don't exactly know how to do is that it's just a matter of digging in and figuring it out. And getting the education and the resources that you need.

there does come a point where, okay, I don't want to watch 100 YouTube videos, can I partner with somebody that already knows how to do that. And I think Tara that's where you and I can come into the picture and and really help different course creators like accelerate and fast track, getting their course out there. Because they don't have to spend, you know, hours watching YouTube videos, we can just handle it for them.

Because we have this, we have this skill set. So I want to go down that rabbit hole real quick since you mentioned it. And then I mentioned at the top of the podcast. So Chelsie and I met I don't know, half a year ago now. And and so Chelsie was working on, you know, launching courses, putting them in Kajabi. And I do more as you guys know, I do more of that sort of the strategy. How do you create your framework? How do you package what you're doing in in a way that helps your people succeed? So I do more of the strategy stuff. And then of course, we have implementation. We do all those kinds of things as well. But it when we met it was like, wait a minute, like we're kind of doing the same thing, but it's kind of different. And so speaking of partnering, one of the things that happened was all of a sudden we said you know what, Tara your strengths are here. And Chelsie you Your Strengths are here, which we're different, but around the same sort of person that we're helping, what if we match those together, and kind of found out how we could work together to really help accelerate somebody's success, not just in fast tracking what they're doing, but taking it to that next level. And so it's been so fun from a partnership standpoint, when you find somebody who, who speaks the same language, and who has like a complementary but different skill set. And so I 100% recommend that for anyone who is kind of out there looking at like, I know, I have this zone of genius. But in order for that to happen, I have to do all these other things. Find that person that can help you do those other things, and it becomes a win win. So. So Chelsie, I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about that. But but from a partnership standpoint, it does help catapult both businesses.

And it's so easy to be competitive to say, oh, Tara does this and I do it too. And let's be competitors. Instead, we figured out Terra loves the strategy, you also have a lot of experience in the course curriculum, that course framework, taking their expertise and laying it out in a digital course format that their student could, could absorb that material. And I don't have that background. So that was a perfect partnership. In even just that one scenario. I love the implementation. Like I said, I'm a systems and processes person. I love just going through the checklist and making sure you know, everything that needs to happen for the launch is, is working, and we're going through there. So I love that we've, we have taken this as a partnership, and where we both get to be in our zone of genius and not competitors. And I for sure, learn from you. And you ask me a lot of questions. Hey, what have you seen, because both of us work with a high volume number of clients. And so that has been really fun. Because we have our standards, this is what we do. You know, we do things certain ways. And then you come in and say, hey, well, this has also worked like, Oh, I love that idea. And so it's just it feels like meeting of the minds and we can we can accelerate even faster for our clients.

Yeah, yeah, it's so much fun. So just remember that we're like the the power duo that will help you with your courses, if you're interested. We even have like the, the, you know, the photos to prove it. So I have to play those out. At some point, maybe I'll put those out with this podcast. But yeah, so so it's been super fun. And I think that, you know, in your journey of building the business, it is important to kind of find those partnerships, find those things that catapult you forward, and, and make a huge difference. Like, you know, meeting Chelsie and kind of walking through it. Like I finally was able to say, right, like, I can go out and find a million clients, I can talk to them, I can bring them in, in fact, I I frequently, you know, email Chelsie, and I'm like, Okay, we've got another like, let's keep going and, and so for me, that's what it lights me up. And that's what's exciting is doing that front end piece. And then Chelsie's like, Alright, I got it, we're gonna run them through our process. And, and so it's just, it's just been a great a great partnership so far. And we're just in our infancy. So it's gonna be super cool to look for stuff in the future. All right, cool. So I want to I want to talk more about give us some so you work with a lot of different course creators, a lot of people who are trying to sort of get their their expertise package, what is like the the number one challenge that people have? And how do you work through that with them? When they're building their course? Like, how do you fast track somebody through that kind of job.

I feel like the biggest struggle that most of my clients or any course creator that I talked to deals with is they want it to be that they want the first time that they create their course and launch it the most beautiful course that has ever existed. And that makes sense, right? We want it to be a reflection of us and our expertise and a level of professionalism when we put it out in the world. But we have to remember that we are in a learning phase, the first time you create anything you're in this learning phase you have to create and put it out there and then get feedback. And you can't get that feedback until you put it out and and have real people go through your course materials. And so understanding that a beta launch or a founding members launch is a great way to To start, because it takes the pressure off of you to be perfect or to think that it has to be perfect, it could still be really good. But it takes that pressure off. And so you can put it out there. And then you get feedback from your clients. And this is something that my clients often experience is there, they'll put out all their course modules. And their students will say, it's great, but it's a lot of information. And it was very overwhelming, okay, so we can go back to the drawing board and drip the modules. So they get a new module every week. And that allows them to have different checkpoints. And and that student then can work through it a little bit easier, that doesn't feel as heavy or feel as big of a task to get everything at once. So every course is different, you just you don't really know until you put it in front of your audience what their feedback is going to be. And so remember, you're in the learning phase, you are, you are learning so much about the course and about your students and their experiences just as much as they're learning what it is that you're teaching. So the learning phase is definitely something that I think, if any course creator would go into their first launch, having that mindset, they would be well ahead of well ahead of the curve.

So give us some some specific tactical examples. Like most people who are sort of in that perfectionist paddy mode, think that they have to have this fully produced, or this totally done or whatever, like what are those things that people

specifically get a question with. So your video lessons and modules, a lot of people will come in thinking they need a professional videographer to, to videotape them when they teach their lessons and modules. And most people are far from that. You can do a solid course, with sharing your slides and recording yourself that way. You can also do live. And I know that something that you love, Tara is the first time you deliver your course do it live, hop on a zoom session, you teach your material live in the moment. I love that because you get real time feedback. You can there's like this pulse, you feel the energy from the group? What are they asking about? What are they leaning into? Where did you kind of lose their energy. And so you can use that, and tweak your modules and lessons so that when you do pre record it, you've already run it through real people, and you didn't have to spend so much time recording and editing videos. And you can, it allows you to be a little bit more personable as well.

If you do well. And the other thing about that is like one of the pieces of advice that both of us give is like don't do it all. And then and then launch it after you've done it. All right. Because if you haven't tested your idea, if you haven't tested whether or not you're solving a problem that people want to pay for, you're like you've just wasted all this time and all this money. So validate your idea, test it with your live audience or with a sample audience or whatever. And then, you know, do all the things later and you can keep going and iterating it's not going to go anywhere, it only can get better. But to your point, like you have to get that feedback, or you have no you really have no idea. Yeah, and so often, you know, one of the things that that I find a lot is the perception that more is better. Right? And it's not right? Or hang you to get the fastest path to the results. They're not paying you for all of your knowledge and information. And so if you can get, you know, you have to kind of get it out in that's a sort of a bigger lift. And then you say okay, so how do I make this as tight and as as concise as possible. So people can get results, not like a million things. So yes, the tendency is like if you're going to create it, your first question, I have to put all the things that I could ever imagine in here and actually it's the other way around.

Yes, because when it's so much information, it's overwhelming people shut down. It's not it doesn't feel easy to consume easy to absorb. So more is not more. It often is is this overwhelming factor and that limits there that's the number one reason why people don't go through a course is because they feel overwhelmed by all the material and and so simplifying is easier as for you as a course creator but also for your students as they go through through the material. Yeah, I

told I'm one of my clients who there they were a little windy. And he said what? Like, this part was just a little windy. So we're going to unwind it, and then jump to the step. Oh, yeah. Okay, that makes sense. So so if you're windy, then you know, sometimes it's, it makes sense to kind of bring it back. Okay, well, so what's what's like the number one, like success tip that like, when you work with somebody, and you're like, oh, like, this is gonna rock like, this is gonna be awesome. What's like that one thing that if somebody incorporates, you know that they're going to be successful.

I don't know if this is the answer that you want, or most people want to hear. But it's knowing the long game that a course is not one and done, you don't launch your course. And based on the results, that's not going to determine your success. It's knowing, okay, I have this vision in three years, I want to have this amazing, incredible course, I have to get the first iteration of this course, under my belt, you have to get that first one done, so that you have room to improve and tweak. And I see a lot of people, they do a first launch and they don't get the results that they want. And they feel like, Oh, I'm a failure. It's not them. And I say this, it's not you, you just haven't figured out what works for you and for your people. And in knowing that long term vision of how your life could be different how your business could be different with a successful digital course, that keeps you going don't give up after the first launch. You know, and there are some people that just totally knock it out of the park the first time they do it. And I love those stories. But I don't want people to feel like a failure if they don't hit $50,000 in revenue in their first

launch. Yeah, well, and most of those people who are knocking out of the park have been doing things a very long time. Yes, they have a big list, the list is ready for whatever it is that they have to offer, and they're hungry for it. Somebody who's starting to package their expertise for the very first time doesn't have that momentum behind them. And so you can't compare it because it's not the same thing. So it's such a great reminder, I think, Chelsie when you're saying that, that it's really about the long game. It's not only even about the course itself, but it's about what is the transformation that you're hoping to help your people have? Which, which is like once I've done that first course like what's the next step? Yeah. And then what's the next step? And what does that look like from a big picture perspective, because I think that, to your point, like, the course is a stepping stone that gets you in this game of business, but it's not the one and done, that's not going to give you the momentum that you need to keep going, regardless of how many people you have sort of behind you, you know, asking for what you have to offer. So that's, that's, that's a different answer than most people give. But it's a powerful answer. So anyone who's listening who was like, wait, what, like there's a difference between a course and building a business? Yes. Like you want to think about? Like, what's the big picture and the vision you have, and then the course fits into that. It's not just about throwing a course out there because there's so much more around that in the momentum will shift once you have that bigger vision and movement. So that's a super powerful, powerful tip Chelsie. Okay. Um, so I want to wrap up our show today. And one question I always ask everyone is what's one resource book? Podcasts, you said, you'd like to listen to things like what's what's the one resource that has guided or changed the way that you do business?

It's funny you asked that, because I just wrote down yesterday, a few books that have really been powerful for me most recently, and Tara, you are the one that recommended this. The big Lee Gay Hendricks, I believe is the author, the big leap was just just changed a lot of my perspective, because it talks about self sabotage, where you hit a certain level of success in your business or a certain point, and then you internally like cool yourself down, and you don't reach that potential. So that was one I really loved. And then to piggyback off of the big leap, who not how and that is, who is in your life that can help you or in your business that can help you do the things because you they know how to do it. You may not know how to do all the things so you bring in a who that can help you get there. So I recently hired on another team member, because social media is one thing I'm not consistent with. And so I brought in another team member, subcontractor into my business to help me with With that, she knows it. She loves it. Great. So she is the WHO that knows the how. So the big leap? And who not how were two books that I read back to back that just, I feel like have given me a lot of momentum recently.

Yeah, those are awesome. Those are two really good ones. Go check those out. There'll be in the show notes. And Chelsie, my final question for you is, where can people find more information about you, your business and all the awesome things that you're doing?

Yeah, so I like to hang out on Instagram. My handle is Miss Chelsie Hayes. Ms. Chelsie is CH e l s IE HAYE s. And that's where I give a lot of I give a weekly tip every Tuesday on launching, but just general tips throughout the week and kind of a peek into my entrepreneurial world. Because we are not just our business. We are also humans that have lives and families and things like that. So that's where I love to engage with other people. So on Instagram.

Awesome. Very cool. All right, Chelsie, thank you so much for being our guest today. It was great to hear all the tips and and tricks that you have to help core course creators and future course creators get out in their message out into the world. So thank you so much for being on today.

Thank you for having me.

You bet.

Everybody just wanted to jump on at the end of this episode to let you know about a special event that we're hosting in August, it's August 1 to the fifth, it's called gamify. My course camp, not only are we having a camp theme, meaning that you're going to be doing tug of war and an obstacle course a scavenger hunt all sorts of things. But we're really going to spend some time focused on your course adding participation and ways to engage your learners in your course. So they finish because I don't know about you. But so often people come to me and the biggest challenge that they have is that people aren't staying they're not finishing their courses. They're not attending to their new offers. It's almost like they're bringing them in and they have a leaky bucket because they're going right back out. So if that is you if you are interested in taking your online course or program to the next level, please come and join us. It'll be again August 1 through the fifth game of buy my course camp. You can find that at Tara bryan.com forward slash game of I hope to see you there.