How I Built Fempreneur Marketing School (Interview with Tiana Fech)

First off, I’d like to thank Tiana Fech for including me in the “Course Creator Spotlight” part of her new book!

Below are Tiana’s questions and my responses.

1. Why did you decide to create an online course?

After having noticeable success in marketing my first book, many women were asking me for advice about Facebook and LinkedIn marketing. I've never been camera-shy, and I'm not a perfectionist. I wanted to help women get out of their heads and try new things on social media. I created the course to focus mostly on connecting them with like-minded women. The secondary focus is marketing education.

The number one reason why I created Fempreneur Marketing School was I wanted to surround myself with more Fempreneurs. Sharing what I know with them and connecting them with each other seemed like the best way to do it, and now that over 170 women have graduated from my program, I am so glad I followed my heart. I should also mention Fempreneur Marketing School was free for the first 100 women, then the price became $197, then $297. The course was taught via live video to groups of 6-12 women until January 2022 when it became an online course.

2. How does your course help people? What does your course help people know, understand, and/or be able to do?

My six week course shares the six fundamental marketing strategies that I stumbled upon while simultaneously writing and marketing my first book:

1) Build Your Team

2) Marketing is simply Conversation

3) Let your Servant Heart lead you

4) Open up and share your most Impactful Stories

5) Create new ways to Serve your Community

6) Take control of your Time (Automation).

The six video courses and 130 page workbook provide clear action steps each week to get Fempreneurs putting these strategies to work in their businesses. Completing these steps leads to Fempreneurs being discovered on Instagram by more of their ideal clients.

3. What is the format of your online course?

Fempreneur Marketing School includes six video courses sent via email one week apart and a workbook, which is mailed to the students (with a surprise bonus gift!) I meet with each student ASAP after they register via video call to answer their questions and start building a relationship. The students are connected in a Messenger group chat where I prompt them to share wins, challenges and cheer each other on. They are also invited to three group training sessions where they meet other Fempreneurs.

4. What tools did you use to create your course? (Video recording/editing, workbook creation, image sources, online course platform etc.)

I used Canva.com and WeVideo.com to create the videos and workbook. I use kdp.amazon.com to self-publish and print by workbook. I use unlisted videos on YouTube to deliver the six video courses. I use Mailchimp.com to automate the sign-up process and sending out the videos. The payment pages for all my courses and coaching packages are built at Stripe.com.

5. What were some of the key decisions that you had to make in developing your course and why did you make the decisions that you did?

I chose six weeks for the duration and after my first group completed the course, I asked if they felt it needed to be longer or shorter. They said the length was exactly what it should be. When I decided to switch from teaching Fempreneur Marketing School live in six weekly sessions, it was because the universe has sent me many Fempreneurs who want to write books. I had to automate Fempreneur Marketing School as much as possible to allow myself the time to offer my new 90-Day Program, which is for women who want to write a book while growing their community using my proven marketing techniques. I'm still tweaking everything I do and always will. The best decision a course creator can make is something I heard Rachel Hollis say: "Keep putting out 'good enough' and getting feedback."

6. What are some of the roadblocks and obstacles you experienced in creating your course and how did you overcome these?

Asking for feedback is a necessary but not always fun exercise as a course creator. Although I’ve never felt blocked or frozen, in my mission to deeply serve Fempreneurs, I’ve had to accept the fact that I will not be liked my every single woman who comes into my world. My mission is not to serve all women. It is to help the ones who need what I have to offer and who are willing to take risks and do uncomfortable, new things. I've learned how to identify people who are not right for me, or who are not ready for what I have to offer.

The biggest obstacle was trusting myself enough to take the first step, to set the date for the first six week marketing school. And loving myself no matter how it seemed my students felt about me. I had to trust that if I did my best, good things would come from it. This ties into the obstacle that many people tried to throw at me: YOU SHOULDN'T BE GIVING THIS AWAY FOR FREE! But they were wrong. I gave my course - my time and encouragement - away "for free" monetarily to 100 women. And those 100 women became the foundation of a community that is now around 2000 women strong. That wouldn't have happened had it not been for giving something away for free to 100 women, and I would caution anyone reading this who feels they shouldn't offer any of their knowledge or time for free. About 30% of those 100 women who received my free six week course took the next step, which was not free. They either stepped into a 1:1 coaching package, and/or a website design package, and/or a Mastermind group. (yycfempreneurs.com/support)

7. What were some of the successes and wins that you had in developing your course?

Knowing that I have a super amazing, life-changing course has sparked so many other fun marketing ideas. My new ideas are all spin-offs and ways to repurpose the course material that has worked for almost 200 women. For example, I was wanting to get back into yoga, so I searched on YouTube for a “30 Day Yoga Challenge”. As I was yoga-posing my way through the day 1 challenge video, I realized this is what I was missing: a free Instagram Marketing Challenge on YouTube! I was so so pumped to build it, so I got to work. It is called the "22 Day Instagram Marketing Challenge" (click here to watch the day 1 video) and it has resulted in women around the world finding me and registering for Fempreneur Marketing School!

The ultimate success from developing my course is meeting 2000+ Fempreneurs!

8. What did you learn from creating your course?

I learned that people care mostly that you care about them and are listening to them. The fact that you are trying to help them by building a course is of utmost importance to them. They don't need to see fancy graphics and photography/videography that cost you thousands of dollars. They want to see your smiling, enthusiastic (sometimes scared, but REAL) face. They want to be asked for feedback. They want to help you improve your course. They want to help you come up with ideas for the next course or event you will offer. This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to create a course for a super-niche audience: they will feel like you are talking specifically to them and will develop a relationship with you very quickly.

I have become living proof that if you are in the business of improving the lives of a small group of 1000 people who all have the same problem, you will succeed. Be real, work hard, ask for feedback, listen to your people, and keep going.

I want everyone to know it doesn't cost thousands of dollars - or even hundreds of dollars - to get your online course up and running. I use the free version of Mailchimp and unlisted YouTube videos to deliver my course. And payment systems like Stripe.com only charge you when you make money, so it's a win-win! I used to pay monthly to have my course available on a course delivery platform, and I’m not saying that’s a bad investment, but it isn’t the only way to host an online course.. There are many other ways, and Tiana Fech knows tons about these options! So be sure to grab her new Course Creation workbook as soon as it's available on Amazon!

9. What feedback have you received on your course?

Negative feedback is usually about difficulty with navigating Mailchimp.com.

The fact that Fempreneur Marketing School gets women out of their comfort zones is the most common positive feedback I hear. Grads say that they found the courage to post videos and photos of themselves on Instagram because they felt safe and because other Fempreneurs in their class were doing the same "scary" things. Grads also appreciate the stories I share about my business building journey that prove we waste too much time worrying about what others might think and not enough time JUST DOING IT!