Got super clear about her messaging- and immediately doubled her client groups.
Name: Nicola Harwood
Business: Teacher, teacher trainer, CELTA tutor and Cambridge speaking examiner. Runs online courses helping non native English teachers expand their lexical repertoire and feel equipped to teach their own high level students.
https://lexicalship.com/
Problem: Nicola’s online training business had collapsed due to the war in Ukraine, and she was struggling to attract new clients.
Result: I helped her both clarify her message and work out how to get in front of new clients, with the result that she was able to open two new groups within a few months, and is confident that’s just the start.
For people who are wondering about doing the course, I’d say go for it.
You won’t regret it. You’ll get heaps of advice from someone who really knows her stuff. Somebody who’s rooting for you during and after the course. It’s really paid off for me and I’m sure it will for you too.
Before working with Rachael..
Before starting the programme, I had already been running Lexicalship for around two years with two groups of fairly consistent teachers. I also had an asynchronous course which I ran via WhatsApp. I’d started this course initially working with Russian and Ukrainian teachers, but with the outbreak of the war, the numbers had dropped from 50 to under 10.
I was in the process of rethinking the whole asynchronous option and really needed guidance on how to market myself to a wider audience. I was burning out, creating new material for the participants that were consistently showing up and needed to get a steady influx of new clients so that I could recycle all the material that I had already created.
Did you have any hesitations about doing Designed to Flourish
To be honest, I had quite a few reservations before committing to the programme with Rachael. The biggie was the cost of the programme, as my income was a bit unstable. I was also concerned about whether I would have enough time to follow the programme, as I had CELTA commitments on top of my own courses. And I was also unsure about whether I would be a good fit for the course, as I already had a clear niche product and a website.
I decided to take the plunge as I couldn’t see how I could change my situation without somebody’s guidance and I knew that Rachael was worth her salt having stalked her for several years, having done a couple of her challenges and having talked to her about my concerns. As for the money, the fact that you can spread the payments out was a real help.
Once you see all the material you have access to, you know that it’s an invaluable resource. And Rachael’s wealth of experience is priceless. The great thing about the material is that you can work through it when you have time and you have lifetime access to it. I was able to cherry pick what was most relevant to me at the time I needed it and catch up on other modules when I had more time.
What did you learn from doing the programme?
During the course, Rachael really helped me to identify my ideal client and what they’re looking for. She gave me such valuable feedback on my website, so I was able to revamp it and make it much clearer to potential clients who I work with. and how I can help them. People have told me how much they can now identify with the content, and this is certainly thanks to Rachael.
Rachael also gave me valuable advice on how to launch, which brought a flurry of new clients onto the program. I’ve started to reach a wider range of nationalities, which is fantastic. Instead of two groups, I now have four, so my numbers and income has doubled.
I’m confident that this is just the start, and I’m planning another launch to enable me to start another two new groups in a couple of months. I’m finally able to recycle material, so in the long run, I’ll have more time to dedicate to marketing.
I’m more clued up on how to run discovery calls, I’m more confident about how to market my courses, and I have lots of ideas on how to manage my time better. I’ve finally been able to say no to other work. Work that isn’t what I want to do as I have confidence in my own courses flourishing.
What would you say to anyone considering doing Designed to Flourish?
For people who are wondering about doing the course, I’d say go for it.
You won’t regret it. You’ll get heaps of advice from someone who really knows her stuff. Somebody who’s rooting for you during and after the course. It’s really paid off for me and I’m sure it will for you too.