Creating an online course has changed my life.

It’s allowed me to build a life around my family, focus on my health, and step back from the therapy chair.

But it wasn’t always easy.
And along the way, I made a lot of mistakes.

Today, I’m sharing an encore of my podcast epsiode with the top 10 lessons I’ve learned over the past 7 years of building, tweaking, and growing my first digital course.

Whether you're dreaming up your first course or looking to refine one that’s already live, I hope these lessons save you time, energy, and heartache.

Mistake #1: Letting Trauma Set My Pricing

I didn’t realize how much my childhood trauma — and immigrant upbringing — shaped my pricing mindset.

I felt like I had to “prove” myself.
So I priced my course way too low.

Even after I hit big milestones — podcast charts, student testimonials — I still struggled to believe I was worth charging more.

That underpricing led to:

• Poor revenue growth

• Anxiety + burnout

• Feeling resentful

Lesson: Your trauma may be driving your money story. Start doing the inner work early — therapy, brainspotting, books, and communities can all help.

📚 Try:

• We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
• Tiffany McLain’s Money Mindset Course

Mistake #2: Lifetime Coaching + Community Access

I threw the kitchen sink into the course offer because I was afraid people would ask for refunds.

But offering lifetime access to:

• Group coaching

• Community support

…quickly became unsustainable.

Over time, it led to burnout and resentment because I was still showing up for students years after their purchase — often for a one-time $500 sale.

Lesson: Define clear access boundaries. Coaching and community should match your pricing — and your energy capacity.

Mistake #3: Obsessing Over Gear, Not Marketing

I spent more time researching mics than building a marketing system.

Why? Because marketing felt scary.

What changed my mindset:
Marketing is connection. Marketing is service.

Once I saw it that way, I focused on being helpful — and chose one platform (Twitter) to go all in on.

Lesson: Start with one product and one marketing channel. Then show up consistently.

Mistake #4: Trying to Be “Middle of the Pack”

I priced my course like everyone else — trying to stay “affordable.”

But I wasn’t thinking like a business owner.

A friend asked:
“Do you want to be Apple or Walmart in your niche?”

It shifted everything.
Now, I aim to go deep with a smaller number of high-fit students — and charge accordingly.

Mistake #5: Ignoring the Backend Opportunity

I thought a course was one-and-done.

I didn’t realize a good course can lead to:

• Retreats

• Masterminds

• Intensives

• Group coaching

• Recurring membership

Lesson: Not everyone wants more… but some of your best students do. Build with that in mind.

Mistake #6: Chasing Sales Instead of Testimonials

Every sale felt like a rush.

But I wasn’t asking myself:
“How do I use this momentum to grow future sales?”

Eventually I learned: a good testimonial is better than a short-term dopamine hit.

Now we collect testimonials every 3–4 months, using a storytelling framework that highlights:

• Before → After transformation

• Tangible outcomes

• Emotional wins

Mistake #7: Building a “Strip Mall” Instead of a “Skyscraper”

In the early days, I had multiple products (a.k.a. strip mall model).

But it was exhausting:

• Constant updates

• Multiple funnels

• More decision fatigue

Now I’m shifting to a skyscraper model — one core offer (my mastermind), with deep value and long-term growth.

Lesson: More offers ≠ better business. One great product done well can scale better than five average ones.

Mistake #8: Thinking I Couldn’t Teach Because Someone Else Was

When I wanted to create a podcasting course, I hesitated.

Why?
Because my mentor already had one.

But here’s what I learned:
There’s room for all of us — especially when you niche down.

My course? It’s not for everyone.
It’s specifically for therapists, with a focus on heart-centered podcasting. That makes it unique.

Mistake #9: Selling Over Serving

Early on, I focused too much on closing the sale.

But I’ve learned something powerful:
The relationship matters more than the sale.

People forget your product.
But they remember how you made them feel.

In my recent mastermind launch, I said no to 13 amazing people because I didn’t feel it was the right fit — and that’s a boundary I’m proud of.

Mistake #10: No Recurring Revenue

I focused too much on single sales, not sustainability.

Now, I pair:

• ✅ One-time course sales

• ♻️ Recurring offers (like a monthly mastermind)

That combo gives me stability and the ability to reinvest in quality.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to make these mistakes.
And if you’ve already made some — that’s okay.

Every “wrong” turn has taught me more about what kind of business I actually want to build.

One that’s grounded in:

• Integrity

• Energy alignment

• Deep relationships

• Quiet growth

If you're a therapist thinking about creating an online course, I’ve created a free A-to-Z guide to help.

It includes:

• Software recs

• Loom walkthroughs

• The 10 most common course questions (with video answers)

📥 Download the free guide here →