Structured for Success - Nicole Lehman

00:00 Hello and welcome to Structured for Success i am so excited to be with you today virtually talking about online courses and building a strategic and impactful outline for your online course we are covering a topic today that I am so passionate about because I want to really equip you to build an online course that is basically guaranteed to get results that's going to be very impactful in the lives of your clients and in your audience whoever buys it, purchases it from you, goes through it, and I really want to equip you with some strategies as well that's going to simplify the process, right i want to make sure that the overwhelm doesn't sabotage your project, that, you know, you avoid some of these common pitfalls that I see people deal with and stand in the way of actually bringing a course idea to like course complete and ready to sell so like I said, I'm just so honored to be here talking about all of this with you today so by way of introduction, my name is Nicole Layman i have been in the online business world for this is my fifth year in business, so four full years and starting in on my fifth year i started my business as a response to starting a family so I've got 2 little ones, a 3 and a half year old and a 1 and a half year old. 

01:10 And, you know, previous to all of that, I was a teacher so I am passionate about teaching i've always loved teaching i was several, several years in the actual traditional classroom i got, you know, my undergraduate and my master's degree are both in education and I am just so passionate about what it looks like to build really, really high quality content that teaches people things right, that where we see people grow and successfully achieve an outcome and you know, being able to bring that same passion to this online space has been so fun like I absolutely love it so I'm, I'm thankful that you're here learning with me today. 

01:44 And I, I'm confident it's going to be very helpful to you in your journey for building a strategic high integrity, high impact online course so the first thing that I want to cover before we really dive into the meat of this is kind of the strategy that people commonly use when they sit down to outline a course, right you have this amazing idea you're like, oh, this would be perfect for an online course or, you know, you've been looking for, you know, some sort of like passive income stream in your business and you're thinking I could build an online course or, you know, you're looking to expand your impact maybe you're working with people and it's taking up all the hours in your day and you're like, gosh, to reach more people, I need something that is self-paced like an online course. 

02:24 And you have this amazing idea, right chances are you are very good at what you do you're an expert in your field. You are, you know, working with people successfully and you think, gosh, I want to expand and go into this online course format. Ok, And so you, you know, get your cup of coffee maybe after the kids are in bed or when you have a free moment after your day job, right you get that Google doc open, you have your hot cup of coffee fueling you for this brainstorming sesh. 

02:49 And you, you know, you start outlining your course now some of you may be old fashioned like I am i'm love a good pen and paper notebook moment oK, so, but I'm, I'm fully aware that most people these days are, you know, on Google Docs or maybe you're planning in your, you know, in click up or air table or in your notion board, like wherever you are planning your course, you sit down and you think, OK, I am going to write the outline for my course i am so excited i'm going to plan what content is going in this course so you're like, OK, great. 

03:19 I am going to start with my introduction, okay and in my introduction, you know, I really want to talk about who I am, make sure people know me, and of course going to talk about my course so that's kind of the first two things I want to do in sort of an introduction section of some kind and then I really want to be purposeful about what I'm saying so I'm going to mix like personal and biz life, you know, and who I am and you know, I actually want to really want to make sure that people also understand why they're here, right like why they chose my course, what makes my course so special? And so I really want to make sure that I have a section in there on that. 

03:52 And you know, in that section I probably should really hit on like their main pain points. That seems logical and really, really just explain like how this course is going to help them learn marketing better or whatever it is that you're teaching, right how they're going to learn marketing better and you know, how they look at that this should actually probably go up in this first section so when I talk about my course, that's where I can talk about how it's going to help them learn marketing and then pain points and this is kind of like my introduction and you know, after that I really want to go into just the basics of marketing so maybe I'll have my first module be like a marketing one oh one and then I can cover what is marketing i can cover common mistakes that people make in their marketing and then, you know, if we're, we're really getting into like more important things, you what I want to teach is actually marketing strategies so I'm going to get into marketing strategies and gosh, you know, I should have a workbook, but I probably want to talk about the workbook in the first module so that they can just use it throughout the whole course so maybe a workbook introduced in the first module and Oh my goodness, I have these amazing templates that I've used with clients. 

04:51 Definitely want to make sure I provide those in my course so got to include those templates somewhere i got to pull those from my Google Drive. And you know, I absolutely want to make sure I talk about the difference between marketing and copy because, you know, that's what a huge common mistake as people don't understand the difference between these two things and Oh my goodness, do you see how quickly this gets a little bit out of control and a little bit overwhelming? And this is an extreme, extremely common experience what is happening in this type of outlining process is you are going from point A to point B, which honestly seems really logical, right you're saying, OK, I'm going to start at the top of the page with an introduction, then we'll go module 1, then we'll go module 2, and we'll get all the way to the end of the course, point A to point B but as you can imagine, I see a lot of people who come to me for help saying everything just got super overwhelming. 

05:42 I'm not really sure what's happening. I don't know where to go from here, and I'm just feeling overwhelmed oK, So you can see this sort of traditional method of outlining a course of thinking, sitting down and starting to think of what do I include in this course? It's really overwhelming, right and you start asking these questions, you start having these doubts of like, well, I don't want to overwhelm my clients, but trying to include too much in this course this looks like a lot of information and I'm not sure where to stop like where do I stop adding in I have all these ideas, I have all these, you know, things that I could talk about where do I stop i'm not sure what to include. 

06:18 So many side paths I could go down and honestly, it's just a mess and I'm getting pretty overwhelmed by the process this is at the heart of the struggle that I see in most people as they sit down to plan their content and you can see how we get to this place, right? When we're just kind of doing that traditional outline, especially for courses that are larger or you know, that we really want to go really in depth with things and provide a lot of value, we can quickly find ourselves in this place and ultimately the at the heart of it all, we're asking this question, is my course even going to make an impact? Is it even going to make sense to someone right. 

06:54 And this is a good question to ask you want to make an impact, you want to provide an outcome, a transformation, you want to help people grow in whatever the niche is that you're in, right and so this is a really important question to ask, but I don't want you to ask it and not have an answer and So what I want to introduce to you today has all to do with this idea of outlining and structuring your offer and it is an educational design theory, a learning theory that we in the education world call backwards design, OK and this is just a different method, a little bit of a mindset shift and a different approach and how to outline content that goes into an online course. 

07:32 Ok and you know, in the more corporate business world, you may be more familiar with this term reverse engineering you know, when someone tells you, oh, we're going to reverse engineer that, I need you to reverse engineer that. That's the same concept here we're talking about backwards design, but with the idea of learning, with the idea of a course in mind oK, So I want to cover that theory to make sure that you really understand what I'm talking about. 

07:54 And then I'm going to give you just very practically, how does this play out when you sit down pen and paper or cursor and Google Doc, right, to actually plan out your course so let's first dive into this theory of backwards design oK? So backwards design by nature of even its name means we're going to start at the end and look backwards we're going to design backwards oK? So instead of looking A to B like we were doing in that first example that I gave you, we're actually starting at the end result we're starting at B and then eventually we're going to be looking back to the beginning, OK but we want to start with the end goal in mind, OK and this is something that I also like to talk about as outcome based planning. 

08:34 We have to know where we're going you have to know where you're going, OK? So you need to as the very first step to deciding you know what content should look like in your online course. Your very first step is to get very crystal clear on what you want your course to do. What is the transformation that someone is going to see with this course what is the outcome that someone can expect when they take your course, right get very, very crystal clear on this this is your North star this is your point on the horizon. That has to stay at the forefront of your mind to make sure that every little piece of information that you put into your course strategically leads to the outcome, OK so that is the first step in this backwards design concept, right? You want to start with the end in mind and in order to do that you need a clear picture of the end. 

09:23 Ok, And I know it seems a little bit backwards obviously, but this is the best place to start what is the purpose of your course? Where are people going to end up by the time that they are done with it? Ok, Like I said, from there we're going to look backwards to that point a OK, We're not starting at the beginning, we're starting at the end. And then we are very intentionally going to reverse engineer our way back to the beginning where someone will start in the course. Ok, so this is the theory why does this make such a difference well, number one, it keeps you really, really focused on the outcomes and the end goal and it's helping you filter everything through this lens of does this contribute to the outcome or does it not contribute to the outcome because if it does, I need to include it i want to include it, but if it's extra, if it's fluff, if it's, you know, sidetracking people, I'm going to cut it out it really gives you a lens by which to view everything in your course and it keeps you focused on the reason why you're there. 

10:22 Ok. It also prevents you from getting into the little XYZ details too quickly. That's it's going to prevent you from going down the rabbit hole of your Google Drive trying to find that one resource or template that a coach gave you that one time that you want to use in your course. All of a sudden you're completely derailed, Kate it prevents you from getting sucked in to all the nitty gritty things before you have a strategic structure and outline for the course itself oK. And then the third thing that this does is it really does create strategy in everything that you choose to include or not include, right in this course, which I touched on a little bit at the beginning of this slide so This is why this makes such a huge difference now when we think about this practically, the question is, OK, well, what does this look like like how do I practically plan in this way like when I sit down with my pen and paper, what does this look like oK, so let's get into how to strategically create your outline with your outcome at the forefront of your mind using this backwards design concept oK, so First things first, a little caveat is that this process is often much more visual than people are probably used to, right? You're used to an outline looking like line by line in a notebook, right you either do bullet points and then an arrow or an A capital ABCD and then little ABCD, right like you're thinking of like that outline structure in a Google Doc or in a Word document. 

11:47 So we have to sort of remove ourselves from that idea and start to think a little more visually. And I, This is why I like to do it pen and paper because I can kind of like map it out as almost a web. Obviously, if you are a digital person, you want to do this on a Google Doc, you obviously can do it there as well, but it's definitely more of a visual process and you're going to see what I mean here very quickly so the very first thing I want you to do as you are outlining your course is I want you to put that result or outcome, right that end result. 

12:16 I want you to put that big and bold across the whole top of the page, right it needs to always catch your eye because I want you always coming back to it and focusing on it as everything I do in this course should lead to this outcome oK, so put that big and bold across the top of your page and after it's there, I want you to ask yourself this question. What are the main things that people need to be able to do or that they need to know or that they need to achieve or whatever in order to reach this outcome, in order to have this end result? Ok, this is a tough question sometimes it is really good to just sit with this question for a while and really hone in on, OK, what are the most important and key components that someone would need just in general to reach my outcome and what you are going to end up with is kind of a set of main overarching concepts, OK and so, you know, for a really, really, really large course, maybe you have 8 or 9 main concepts for kind of just a standard, you know, run of the mill course four to five or a mini course maybe you're looking at two or three main concepts, but you're finding and identifying these main concepts or buckets where it's like, OK, you know, these four things if I have this outcome in mind, if I have this goal in mind for my clients, whoever takes this course, then these are like the four areas or the four main concepts that they will need to know or be able to do or achieve in order to meet my result that I have planned for them. 

13:47 Ok, like I said, these are kind of overarching now what you see here is we are, we are going backwards, right we have our main outcome or result and we are just stepping one level down. We are not getting into nitty gritty details we're taking one step backwards, one level down into the four to five main concepts. Ok, once these are solidified, you're going to sit with these and you're going to ask a very similar question you're going to ask yourself, what is the purpose of each of these concepts? Say when I'm looking at these four things, what is the overarching lesson that I really want people to walk away with, right in main concept number one why did I choose to include this why is it so important in contributing to the result of my course? Ok, in main concept number two and three and four, why is this here? And is it, does it truly need to be right and this is where you can really start this is like a living document, right you can say, oh, maybe this isn't as necessary, I think, or the more I reflect on this, like you'd always be coming back to this, but you're asking the question, what's the purpose of each of these four things? Ok, the overarching lesson I want people to walk away with and once you've landed there, you're going to ask yourself this question, what do I need to cover or teach in each of these main concept areas in order to make sure that people get it, that they get what I need them to get from each of these four things, OK. 

15:05 And you very quickly see we're taking another step back into the next level down, OK because now I'm able to identify, OK, maybe in main concept number one, I need to cover these four like smaller ideas and main concept number four i need to cover these few smaller ideas, these mini concepts, OK now 4 is not a magic number i'm just using 4 because it's what fits on the screen when I was designing the slide, OK? But maybe main concept number two only requires two things maybe there's just two little mini concept concepts under that second column. 

15:37 Ok, whatever it is, I want you to very intentionally think, OK, what do I need to cover or teach in each of these main sections in order to fulfill their purpose OK. And as you can see, we have stepped back even one layer further into this process to more specific details. Now this process could go on and on and on forever i typically find that people feel really, really good after kind of three levels we have our main goal, we have our second level main concepts, and then we have our third level mini concepts oK, In my experience, these 3 levels, maybe one level further if it's, if it's a really big course, but these 3 levels get people to a place where they're like, OK, I feel really confident about what I'm including in this course i feel confident about, you know, how it's organized and it gives me a framework. 

16:26 It gives me a framework to work from. Ok, now at this point, when this gets really solidified, this is when you can start saying, oh, I have these few little resources those fit perfectly right under mini concept number one main concept number one right like in this first column, or oh, I have this template or I have this story that I want to tell her i have this case study or this example that would really illustrate my principle that could go right here in the framework, OK, But the framework is set and then everything that you're adding in is supporting a specific part of that framework, which the beauty of this, you guys, the beauty of this then is that everything still funnels to that outcome, that main outcome of the course, because you were keeping it at the forefront the entire time when you step back through these levels like this, it is guaranteeing that people, if they are, you know, in main concept number three be working with mini concept number four, you can know that in this framework, even mini concept number four is getting is funneling someone towards your outcome. 

17:26 So that's the beauty of this process so I know this is a lot to take in and I want to give you a little bit of a caveat because your next step is to get to outlining like let's go, let's do this. And I just want to remind you that this is a huge mindset shift. Not a lot of people think this way when they're outlining, think this way very naturally even myself, like I had to really learn this strategy, this backwards design concept does not come naturally, at least it doesn't for me, and I would assume it doesn't for a lot of other people so give yourself a little bit of grace as you work with sort of this shift in mindset instead of going from point A to point B, going B back to A, right like give yourself some grace and working through that. 

18:07 The more you do it, the faster you will get at it and the more it will become just like very natural for you. Ok and so one thing that I have found super helpful for people as as sort of just helping you get used to this is while you are creating that framework, you know this backwards design framework. If you have a thought in your mind of like, oh, I've got to grab that template or, oh, I have a resource or, oh, I thought of a story or, oh, I really want to use this metaphor, just get it down somewhere and put it to the side, right i love using sticky notes for this purpose. 

18:38 Grab a sticky note, jot it down, move it off to the side so you're you're not going to forget it you can come back to it, but you're not figuring out where it goes yet in the framework, right? It's just off to the side or if you're in a Google doc, have just a separate section for like those random thoughts that come to you where it's like, oh, I really want to include this. Let me just get it down because then when the framework is established, when you have this outline framework established, you can go back to all those random ideas and you can really ask yourself, does this truly fit into my framework, right this was this random idea I had. 

19:09 Does it truly fit in my framework and if it does, where does it best fit and then you can place it in the framework now what you're going to do then is this framework becomes your modules, your lessons, your kind of step by step when you actually go to build the course, right so your course is not going to function and in this format, right main concept number one is probably going to be module number one. 

19:30 The mini concepts more than likely will be lessons, though oftentimes you may get to the point where you're like, oh, mini concept number one and mini concept number two could be one lesson but this then becomes the outline for the content of your course. Ok. And I just, I really, really want to give you some encouragement and honestly just say that if you are like fired up about this and you're like, yes, I really want to implement like this type of strategy for my online course like good for you i'm really proud of you because this means that you want to build a course that is like strategically creating an impact for people that you are walking in integrity that you're going to be able to make this claim. 

20:09 About your course, this marketing claim like this is what my course will do for you, but then you are actually legitimately strategizing how to back that up with the content, like the structure of the content itself and that is going to set you apart. And so I'm just really proud of you for like engaging in this and even being willing to try it and so, you know, I absolutely love connecting with people on this so truly, if you have questions or you want to follow up about this presentation, do not hesitate to reach out to me you can find me on Instagram. 

20:36 I'm at Hello Underscore Nicole Lehman, and I'd love to just even answer questions or help troubleshoot with you but I truly just wish you the best of luck and just really hope that this course building process, hopefully this is a good helpful piece to the puzzle for you and that it equips you to, you know, kind of keep the overwhelm at Bay and successfully build what I'm sure is an amazing online course so thank you so much and I hope to connect in the future.