From Overwhelmed to Organized YOUR E-COURSE TOPIC CHEAT SHEET From the Desk of the Rebel Professor Lindsay Padilla, Ed.D.
Want to finally create that dream course? Your assignment begins NOW. Time to get your shit together. Your students are waiting! r o s s e f o n. r p i e is h t
1 BRAINSTORM Step 1: Grab your Materials Timer AND: A stack of Post-it notes (a full stack) OR A set of index cards (cut them in half so you can use a ton) OR A mind-mapping program Step 2: Idea dump Set a timer for about 10 minutes and begin your idea dump. You re basically putting one idea per card or Post-it note.
1 BRAINSTORM TIP: Make sure to set a timer because you ll be amazed at what comes out in those final minutes. There s going to be a lull. You think you wrote all your possible ideas, but if you allow yourself to sit, more ideas are going to start coming. The timer is actually not to cut you off, but to keep you working because most people like to give up after that steady stream! EXAMPLE: Let s say you wanted to teach your tribe how to build a Wordpress site. Ask yourself, Okay, what do I know about that? And you re like Themes. Divi. Bluehost. Hosting. Dot-com vs dotorg. Dashboard. Plugins. Put one idea on each card or Post-it note. Do this for 10 minutes. Don t judge what comes in. Just write it down.
2 ORGANIZE Step 3: Sort This is the step where you sort your cards (or move your mindmap web). Place a main topic at the top. Find all the cards that are either steps or subtopics that belong under that main topic. This step is key because you start to see where your course is going and what kind of knowledge you have. If you start this brain dump with everything you know about the general services you provide, you'll start to see other courses popping up. That s really cool! If you go bigger with this brainstorm topic, you can really start to plan the instructional journey for your tribe. Step 4: Refine Anything that starts to feel like it doesn t fit, put it to the side. You don t want to throw away any ideas that you had. You re just setting it aside for a future course or maybe a Facebook post.
3 PINPOINT You're oh so close! Looking at your collection of topics, it s time to pinpoint where your ideal clients needs meet your skillset and love for teaching. STEP 5: Know your Ideal Client. Now, this isn t a branding/marketing freebie, but I have to assume that you know who you serve and what you help them with. If you don t, no worries...just stop reading and figure it out! Pick up this pdf when you're ready. I'm here. I won't leave you.
3 PINPOINT STEP 6: Ask! Time to straight up ASK your crew what they might want help with. If you have an email list, ask there. A Facebook group? Ask there. Neither? No worries. I got you! Keep the questions simple. Try: "What are your struggles with?" (Insert one of your main topics) "What have you previously tried to solve this?" If you don t have a Facebook group, you could ask these questions in other groups. Here s a tip: use the search bar at the top of your favorite groups. Search key terms associated with your main topic. All the posts people organically made will show up there! Score!
3 PINPOINT STEP 7: Picking your Course Topic You've collected GOLD! Time to create a document (Evernote, Google Drive, etc) to store all the responses you get from the previous step. Now you have a reference for sales language, emails, and of course, for your course! Using the language of your ideal clients, I want you to ask yourself: "What solution do I have for their struggles?" "What do I feel pulled to focus on right now?" Remember, you have a TON of knowledge. Think about what you can get out there quickly and with little effort. This is only the beginning! Time to choose your topic! My next course is on:
Congrats! You have a topic! If you're ready to leverage your time + serve your community, it's time to create your DREAM course. Office hours are open! Book a FREE assessment Oh, and don't forget, in my 5-hour Mini-Course Cram Session, we delve deeper into course creation. And we do it all LIVE on zoom! Please join us! I need to CRAM!
Meet Lindsay Dr. Lindsay Padilla is an e-course expert + membership site optimizer for trailblazing entrepreneurs who want to create a value-packed course, get their students unreal results, and make a lasting impact on the world! She specializes in translating 1:1 client work experiences into signature courses, group programs + membership sites, as well as mapping out instructional content into a conversion machine that she lovingly calls a "teach your tribe roadmap." 2016 LINDSAY PADILLA FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY LINDSAYMPADILLA.COM