How Course Creators Can Ditch the Overwhelm of Launching Online with Ken Westgaard

[Kathryn]: Hey Ken, I am so excited to have you on the podcast today to share with my listeners how course creators can ditch the overwhelm of launching online. 

[Ken]: Thank you so much. I’m passionate about helping course creators in a way that is in alignment with them. 

[Kathryn]: Can you share with our listeners a little bit about your business and who you serve?

[Ken]: First of all, I'm from Norway. So across the pond from you. And I help course creators, coaches with launching online. So everything from messaging to selling courses.

[Kathryn]: I love that you touched a bit on the different components of launching online because it shows course creators the various components of a great launch strategy. So I'd love for you to share with our listeners, what the mission is for your podcast OMG I’m Launching?

[Ken]: I noticed a lot of course creators tend to talk about these big huge launches, which is great. I mean, we need to hear about the six-figure and the seven-figure launches. And there's a lot to learn from them. But I think we could learn the same amount, if not even more from some of the first ones that we did as course creators. 

[Kathryn]: Yeah, and I love that you touch on that because I think it helps give course creators some perspective of launching online because I think painting a full picture of what it’s like helps course creators handle the ups and downs that come with it. So what would you say is the best way to set yourself up for success when launching online?

[Ken]: I think one of the biggest problems is that course creators overthink launching online in a big way because they think they have to do everything they need to have all the bells and whistles. And that is because a lot of course creators out there are telling you that you need to do this, you need to do that. And there's a lot of moving pieces to it, but you can make it a lot simpler, a lot easier. It doesn't have to be everything that you get told to do.

[Kathryn]: Do you feel like course creators fall into the trap of looking at the seven-figure, eight-figure business owners who have these massive launches or who have been launching online for years and try to achieve these massive results at the start? 

[Ken]: So let's say course creators are promoting that you should use a webinar for launching online because they have used it successfully. They actually forget all the ways they’ve adapted their launch.

[Kathryn]: I totally agree with you on that one. And no shame to them, it’s just that they are a lot of steps ahead of the first and second launchers. So what would you say to course creators who are just starting out on how to make launching online easy and simple?

[Ken]: No matter how you're launching online, there are a lot of strategies that work. It’s not the strategy that is the problem for coaches and consultants. The problem is we try to do things in our business that aren’t aligned with us. And as course creators, your energy is important when you're launching online because if you show up with the wrong energy, people are going to pick up that even through a camera or through a podcast, or whatever it is that you're launching online. Your energy plays a big factor when it comes to selling courses.

[Kathryn]: I love that you touch on the alignment and the energy piece, be the sought after entrepreneur podcast is really all about that, in a lot of ways like how we show up as course creators when we are launching online plays a huge factor in the success of your launch. And I've worked with course creators who have launched and went in with the energy of not wanting to go all-in because they weren’t sure it was going to work out. So it's finding that balance for course creators of like, where am I letting the fear of launching online stop me versus is this really something that's not in alignment with who I am? And sometimes that takes testing? Would you agree, like testing out launches or how you’re selling courses online?

[Ken]: Yeah, I think that's one of the cornerstones of launching online is that you need to make it an experiment–as in you testing out new things, testing your messaging, testing out your offer, testing out the way you're launching online. I mean, it's testing, testing, testing. 

[Kathryn]: Yeah, I love again, that you talk about how important it is for course creators to test and tweak and not scrap everything when launching online. Would you ever see your clients go through the ups and downs that come with selling courses online?

[Ken]: Obviously, that is probably one of the hardest things for course creators when launching online because I think everything else is pretty easy. I mean, you have templates, you have strategies, you have resources everywhere online for selling courses whether that's through a coach or online program.

[Kathryn]: Yeah. So let's talk about the stages in terms of if you can break it down in a simple way for course creators considering launching online, what are those stages? 

[Ken]: Well, for course creators launching online will look different, that is the beauty of selling courses online. You can create a step-by-step plan that is in alignment with you. But obviously, it starts with a strategy and plan. I see too many course creators launching online without that. 

[Kathryn]: Do you feel like the messaging and the offer are like the two biggest pieces, course creators need to nail in order to be successful?

[Ken]: Yeah, I would say, messaging is like the foundation of everything you do. And it's the foundation of your business. So once you actually nail that, things will be a lot easier. But keep in mind that your message is always evolving as you evolve as a course creator. 

[Kathryn]: Well I feel like you’ve given our listeners and fellow course creators amazing insight into launching online. I know we have just scratched the surface when it comes to ways of selling courses successfully. So where can people find you if they want to reach out to you about launching online?

[Ken]: They can find me on Instagram, obviously, and my website.

[Kathryn]: Amazing we will link those up in the show notes!