235 | How to Build a Profitable Online Course

ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc

Business, Careers, Investing

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2020

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Jacques Hopkins turned a side passion into $1.7 million by teaching piano online—without being a concert pianist or music teacher. Brad and Jonathan unpack how he built Piano in 21 Days while working full-time as an engineer, battled imposter syndrome, and proved you don't need credentials to create a profitable online course—just the ability to teach beginners what they most want to learn. Jacques shares the mechanics of launching a digital course: how he tested demand, refined his offer through student feedback, and learned that marketing matters as much as the product itself. The conversation tackles the myth of "passive income" head-on—it's not hands-off, but it does decouple time from revenue. Whether you're sitting on a skill you take for granted or wondering if you're "qualified enough" to teach, this episode maps the path from idea to implementation. Key Takeaways Online courses can create sustainable income streams by leveraging existing skills—even if you're not an expert, just ahead of your students Jacques transitioned from electrical engineering to teaching piano online, generating $1.7 million and helping thousands learn piano in 21 days Overcoming imposter syndrome: Jacques defied fears of inadequacy by networking with successful course creators and letting market feedback build his confidence Marketing is essential—launching a course involves not just product creation but strategic outreach to reach your audience Networking with successful individuals provides guidance and opens opportunities for new entrepreneurs Timestamps [00:01:46] Jumping into Online Courses [00:04:01] Introduction of Jacques Hopkins [00:05:49] Discussion on Skill Development [00:18:10] Networking with successful individuals [00:24:00] Overcoming imposter syndrome [00:36:00] Using feedback to improve course offerings [00:54:51] Final Thoughts on Success Action Items Identify existing skills you could package into an online course Connect with mentors or successful individuals in your field to gain insights Continuously seek feedback and improve your offerings based on market response Key Quotes "You make your own luck." [00:19:30] "Networking with successful individuals can propel your own journey forward." [00:18:10] Related Resources Piano in 21 Days Course [00:04:15] The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss [00:09:01] ▶ Listen Next: Ep. 236 — The Intersection of Fitness and Financial Independence | Essential Listening

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Choose FI Radio.
0:09.6	The blueprint for financial independence lives here.
0:20.4	If you're looking to unlock the secrets to financial independence and early retirement,
0:25.4	you're in the right place.
0:27.3	Stay tuned and join a community of like-minded people who are getting all fans to hear and
0:32.2	taking control of their lives in the pursuit of financial independence.
0:36.4	Choose FI, your home for financial independence online.
0:42.9	It's always fun to take a look at this equation.
0:54.6	What you earn minus what you spend is equal to this difference or the gap and recognize
0:58.5	that you can take action on all three components of that equation.
1:01.6	We can focus on earning more.
1:02.7	We can focus on spending less.
1:04.0	We can focus on optimizing the difference.
1:06.6	We try to point out when we're leaning into one section or another, but the point being,
1:11.0	you don't have to just do one thing.
1:12.0	You can do all of it.
1:13.0	You can do some of it simultaneously.
1:14.8	You can do some of it in steps as you start to acquire more bandwidth.
1:18.2	Today, we're going to talk about increasing income.
1:21.2	In a way, we're going to talk about it in a way that we haven't covered in any significant
1:25.0	way up to this particular point.
1:26.7	We are going to talk about creating a digital course, digital IP, taking a skill that you
	...

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