Lessons learned (so far) from running my first live course

Hey, this is the first actual newsletter I’m sending from this new account. I hope you enjoy this story and read to the end because I’ve figured out what I will use this account for going forward.

This week, I launched my first-ever live online course. Between the process leading up to the launch and the day's experiences, I’m left with many takeaways that maybe others can learn from.

I posted these lessons on Threads last night with the intention of expanding on them with a little more context. This isn’t an exhaustive list, and I don’t want to bore anyone with excessive detail, but here are ten lessons on running my first live course served in no particular order.

Be humble and gracious for people's attention, but don't apologize too much for mistakes.

Being a live event, there was stumbles and gaffs. My mom (also an artist) was on the call, and she told me that I apologized to the audience too much (which is advice I’ve shared with her in the past). I recognize that now and will make a more conscious effort in the future.

That said, I think it’s OK to allow for grace in the presence of people who have paid money for the time to be there. I may be the authority on the topic I am sharing, but I am not the authority on running live video calls. That title will come with time.

You're the authority—act like it

I do believe in the words I was sharing during the call. I know the subject thoroughly, and I’ve been a practitioner for years. There were moments during the presentation, though, where I felt a tiny bit of insecurity about what was being shared.

I track that insecurity back to the fact that I wasn’t managing interaction and participation as well as I wanted.

You don’t have to use all the toys

The technology I use for my newsletter and courses is a fantastic product, and it comes with all these lovely technological options. However, no rule book says I need to use all the things just because I paid for them.

I got myself in a convoluted pickle of email list segmentation and automation where I was unsure if everyone was getting the messages delivered correctly.

When I relaunch the course in the future, I will streamline that process a lot, making it more simple and direct.

Find the email balance

I had this discussion with my friend Julie on our podcast about how some groups out there will go out of their way to push dozens of messages in your face to get you to sign up for their offer.

I’m not that guy. I hate that shit as much as anyone.

However, I am also a marketer, and I feel it’s essential to regularly reach out to people to remind them of what is coming. The struggle comes with knowing the best schedule people are willing to tolerate.

Plan for calamity

Safeguards against the unexpected can be challenging to manage but so necessary. I was prepared for the live event hours ahead of time and ready to jump on the call early.

If I jumped in 5 minutes early, receiving others would be an excellent time. I planned on having a little mood music playing in the background while people found their way in, and that is precisely when the electronics failed me.

First, my Bluetooth speaker died, so there was no mood music. Second, the computer processing power went down the toilet suddenly. I was forced to reboot, and by the time I got back up and running, I only had a few minutes to greet people before we started.

Next time, I’ll be on the call earlier, and my Bluetooth speaker will be fully charged.

Stay hydrated

I planned ahead. I had a jug full of water and a tumbler of coffee ready. My throat was raspy and dry after going way longer than expected. I can only imagine what it would have been like had I not had the liquid.

Underpromise and overdeliver

This one is easy to say but not always easy to execute. I could have gone on longer with the details of my sharing, but that meant more time for them to sit there watching me talk.

That said, I wanted to ensure the participants got more than they expected by diving deep into the topic and sharing practical advice that anyone can apply. They didn’t know they were getting that information, but I’m sure many appreciated getting it.

Take feedback

I asked some people for feedback, and I got it. Like most, taking critique is not always easy, but I tried to do so with grace and acceptance. This was a big one because I tend to take things too personally. I tried to push my ego aside and listen this time because it will help me do better next time.

Know when to push some feedback aside

Some critiques are specific to the person giving them. They have a style and format they appreciate, but they may not be the best for the rest. Listen to what they share and decide whether it’s suitable for the group or just for them.

Keep your props simple

Despite being an online class, I wanted this to be an analog experience. I used a flip chart (really, it was a large drawing pad), markers, and make-shift notecards.

In retrospect, I didn’t need the notecards. Because I was looking at them, I lost track of my flip board, which was more important to the viewers than my cards. I’ll do that differently next time.

Don't let your fears hold you back from greatness

Charge forward into the process despite the fears; it will be much better than you anticipate.

I was legitimately scared to present live even though I’ve spent countless hours in front of a camera. Live presentation is a different animal, and the thought of it gave me a reasonable amount of anxiety right up until I joined the call.

Once I settled in, though, and I saw friendly faces who were interactive and eager to learn, the fear faded away.

Going forward, I will post to this blog regularly (dare I say daily), and I’m taking a Seth Godin approach to the process. I’m less concerned about the length of the content or what form it takes (words, images, or video) and more interested in showing up regularly.

Most of those posts will remain blogs, and I will only send periodic newsletters with links to some of the more notable posts.

The process of writing daily-ish will be an essential tool for growth for me, and I hope the byproduct is that some of what I share helps you.