Once upon a time, online communities were alive - buzzing with conversation, collaboration, and connection. But lately, many of them feel... quiet. Too quiet.

In this episode, Shannon pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening in online spaces that once thrived, and why the problem isn’t spam, it’s silence. She explores how community “rules” designed to protect authenticity may have accidentally stripped it away, leaving creators and entrepreneurs unsure how to show up, share, or sell without guilt.

From her own experience running The Classifieds, a thriving Skool community where promotion and collaboration coexist beautifully, Shannon reveals how a new wave of community design is making it possible for entrepreneurs to be both genuine and visible.

You’ll hear:

• The hidden reason engagement has dropped across online spaces
• How well-meaning guidelines often stifle connection instead of fostering it
• Why Skool’s model is changing the game for course creators and community builders
• Real stories of collaboration and generosity that prove business and community can grow together

If you’ve ever wondered how to revive the soul of your online community, or how to talk about your business without breaking “the rules”, this episode will change how you see what’s possible when authenticity and entrepreneurship finally get to coexist.

🎧 Listen now to discover why a community that sells isn't necessarily a sell-out.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Join The Classifieds on Skool
  
  
• Check out Skool (affiliate link)

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

Ever felt like you’re sitting on a mountain of valuable content (tutorials, workshops, PDFs, maybe even entire slide decks), but you have no idea how to turn it into a structured, sellable course? You’re not alone.

In this episode of The Art of Online Course Creation, Shannon sits down with Alexis Galloway, founder of So Sweet Academy and a creative entrepreneur who went from stitching for fun to building a full-fledged online business teaching machine embroidery to beginners. But Alexis’s journey wasn’t a straight line.

She started, like many creators do, by sharing her passion and answering questions one by one… until she found herself repeating the same explanations over and over. That’s when she realized there had to be a better way - a way to multiply her impact, streamline her teaching, and scale her business beyond one-to-one conversations. Enter: online courses.

But as Alexis discovered, creating a course isn’t just about recording tutorials and uploading them to a platform. Her first course (though successful on the surface) lacked the structure, intentionality, and learning journey that students truly needed. The result was confusion, repeated questions, and missed transformation.

In this honest and inspiring conversation, Alexis opens up about:

• The mindset shift from hobbyist to business owner and the pivotal moments that sparked her evolution.
• Why her first course made her cringe and how refining the structure changed everything.
• The biggest mistake most creators make with existing content (and how to fix it).
• How adding coaching and real-time support took her course from “nice to have” to life-changing.
• The essential (and often overlooked) parts of course creation that separate scattered content from true transformation.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your own ideas, or if you’re wondering how to turn your expertise into something that actually gets results, this episode is packed with insight, honesty, and actionable wisdom.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Alexis transformed a messy vault of tutorials into a profitable, purpose-driven program, and how you can do the same.

Connect with Alexis here:

https://www.facebook.com/Sewsweetacademy https://www.youtube.com/@sewsweetacademy https://www.instagram.com/sewsweetacademy

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

Have you ever sat through a lesson and wondered, “Why am I even learning this?”

If you’ve ever felt that way, imagine how your students feel when they step into your online course without a clear sense of purpose. The truth is, one of the simplest shifts you can make in your teaching is also one of the most powerful: starting with why.

In this episode of The ART of Online Course Creation, Shannon Boyer shares how a single moment in the classroom changed her teaching forever, and why leading with purpose isn’t just a nice touch, but the difference between students who finish your course and students who check out halfway through.

You’ll hear:

• A personal story about an adult learner whose simple question revealed a hidden gap in course design.
• Why explaining the “why” first transforms attention, retention, and real-world application.
• How to connect each lesson to a bigger outcome so students stay motivated from start to finish.
• Practical strategies to keep purpose alive throughout your teaching, not just at the introduction.

If your students have ever seemed distracted, disengaged, or unmotivated, this episode will give you a fresh lens on how to spark their focus, help them remember what you taught, and, most importantly, move them into action.

🎧 Listen now to discover how starting with “why” can turn your course from information overload into a transformational learning experience.

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

What if everything you believed about growing your audience was just… backwards?

When business and sales coach Tracy Beavers left her high-powered corporate job, she thought she had all the tools she needed to build a thriving online business. But after sinking thousands into ads and launching to crickets, she realized something was missing—and it wasn’t just a better funnel.

In this candid and energizing conversation, Tracy sits down with host Shannon Boyer to unpack how she rebuilt her visibility from the ground up without spending another cent on ads.

What she discovered not only transformed her business, it’s now helping course creators across industries build sustainable, high-converting marketing machines using nothing but organic strategies.

You’ll hear the real story behind Tracy’s rocky first course launch, how she turned failure into a framework, and the specific mindset shift that every course creator needs to make to grow with confidence.

We also dive deep into the time trap of content creation, how to simplify your strategy without sacrificing results, and why social media might be less about shouting into the void and more about building quiet momentum that lasts.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• How do I grow without ads?
• Why does my content feel like it's going nowhere?
• What actually moves the needle when launching a course?

This episode delivers clarity, strategy, and a whole lot of permission to do it differently.

🎧 Listen in and discover:

• The 90-day rule that can predict your income
• What most people get wrong about consistency
• How to reverse engineer your social media content without burnout
• Why engagement isn’t the goal (and what is)

Plus, Tracy shares her go-to strategy for creating 90 days of content ideas in just 30 minutes—and it’s way simpler than you think.

Ready to ditch the overwhelm and build the kind of audience that buys? This one’s for you.

🎁 Grab Tracy’s free guide: Social Media Made Easy: Create 90 Days of Content Topics in 30 Minutes

📲 Connect with Tracy inside her community: Be a Confident Entrepreneur: Get Visible, Grow Your Email List and Your Income

Tracy Beavers Website

With an award winning career spanning 20 years, Tracy Beavers has guided hundreds of entrepreneurs to grow their business visibility through organic marketing strategies. She is a public speaker, and a published author. She has been featured by CBS television, the Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair Lingerie, and Kajabi. She is the creator of the top ranked business podcast “Create Online Business Success!”

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

You can create the most brilliant curriculum in the world… but if your students feel invisible, disconnected, or lost, your course won’t deliver the results you promised.

In this episode of The Art of Online Course Creation, Shannon reveals the hidden force that can make or break your course: student touch points—the intentional moments of interaction that transform information into real learning.

From a surprising lesson she learned as a classroom teacher with a stack of essays and a red pen, to the way course creators can strategically design touch points that keep students motivated and on track, Shannon unpacks why these small, human connections often matter more than the content itself.

You’ll discover:

• Why touch points create momentum, trust, and completion in ways curriculum alone can’t.
• The unexpected way interactions with your students can actually make you a better teacher.
• How to decide the right type and number of touch points based on your course promise, your business model, and your students’ needs.

The big idea? Interaction isn’t an add-on—it is the experience.
If you want your course to stand out and truly change lives, this episode is your roadmap.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to design courses that feel guided, personal, and unforgettable.

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

What happens when a reluctant teacher, a vintage sewing machine, and a dial-up internet connection collide?

In this inspiring episode, Shannon sits down with Lyric Montgomery Kinard, award-winning artist, educator, and founder of the Academy for Virtual Teaching, who has spent decades guiding creatives—from quilters to course creators—toward confidence, clarity, and connection through online education.

But Lyric’s journey into the online course world wasn’t mapped out. It began unexpectedly, with young kids at home, limited travel opportunities, and a camera in hand. What followed was a series of bold pivots, from filming grainy DVDs to teaching design principles to students on every continent. Along the way, she discovered how to translate in-person energy into a compelling digital presence, how to build an audience without relying on social media, and how to step fully into her role as a guide, not the hero.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re curious about transitioning from in-person to online teaching
• You feel intimidated by technology or the idea of being on camera
• You think you need a big audience to launch a successful course
• You’re an artist, creative, or craftsperson wondering how to monetize your skills through teaching
• You’ve hit burnout and are looking for a grounded way to reconnect with your “why”

Topics We Cover:

• Lyric’s unconventional path from quilt guilds to course creation
• The myth of needing a massive audience to succeed online
• How to develop confidence on camera (and why it’s okay if it feels cringey at first)
• Why creating online courses is a creative act in itself
• Tactical advice for teachers who feel overwhelmed by video tech
• The secret to building deep trust with your audience—even without flashy marketing
• What to do when you’re starting to wonder if course creation is still right for you

Whether you’re at the very beginning of your course creation journey or years into it and looking for renewed purpose, this conversation is a reminder that there is no one right path to success—just a commitment to serving others and staying true to your values.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to build an online teaching business that fits your life—on your terms.

Lyric Kinard is an award-winning artist, educator, and author dedicated to helping artists gain confidence, refine their creative vision, and develop their unique artistic voice. With over 25 years of experience teaching art quilters and visual artists, Lyric specializes in making complex design concepts accessible and practical for creators at any level.

www.lyrickinard.com

Free Video Production Checklist

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

You launched your course with big intentions. The content is solid. The delivery felt strong. You know your stuff.

So why aren’t your students getting the results?

In this episode of The ART of Online Course Creation, we’re pulling back the curtain on what really causes a course to fall flat—not because you're a bad teacher, but because no one ever taught you how to design for impact.

Host Shannon Boyer takes you inside the three places most course creators overlook when transformation doesn’t happen—and why those polite testimonials, half-finished modules, or quiet student chats might not mean what you think.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Am I attracting the wrong people?”
• “Why aren’t they actually using what I teach?”
• “Do I need to burn this whole thing down?”

…this conversation is your permission slip not to panic—but to redesign with purpose.

This isn’t about throwing more content at the problem. It’s about finding the friction—and fixing it in a way that honors your voice and your learners.

🎙️ Listen now to discover:

• The surprising (and fixable) reason even great courses stall out
• What adult learners actually need to take action—and how to deliver it
• How to spot a misaligned audience before it drains your energy
• And the single bold idea that could change how you think about teaching online forever

🎯 Because impact isn’t accidental.
It’s designed—with clarity, intention, and leadership.

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

In this episode of The ART of Online Course Creation, Shannon sits down with Kelly Leardon, founder of Walk Like Warriors, a woman who’s redefining what it means to grow a business on your own terms.

Kelly’s journey didn’t start with a flashy viral moment or a large following. In fact, it began with a phone call she never should have answered - on her daughter’s wedding day, no less.

That moment of regret turned into a powerful catalyst, pushing her to leave a corporate dream job behind and build something better.

Fast forward to today, and Kelly has scaled a thriving business without sacrificing her personal life, her family, or her values. She’s proof that it doesn’t take a massive audience to create real impact. It takes intention, authenticity, and an unwavering commitment to your customers.

Throughout this episode, you’ll hear:

• The story of how a pivotal family moment became the spark for a business built on integrity and balance.
• Kelly’s candid reflections on how to build an algorithm-proof business that doesn’t rely on trends, going viral, or catchy dances.
• Her no-nonsense approach to course creation and why she believes you should burn it down and start over (again and again) until it actually gets results.
• How she balances the demands of entrepreneurship without letting work consume her life (and why she won’t compromise on weekends or family time).
• The spicy takes she’s not afraid to share about the myths of overnight success and why so much of the social media advice out there doesn’t hold up in real life.

Kelly also opens up about her mission: to serve women who are spinning a million plates, to show them that it’s possible to build businesses that work for their lives, not the other way around.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been at it for years, this episode is a rallying cry to rethink the hustle and embrace a slower, smarter, and more sustainable way of building something that lasts.

Tune in to hear Kelly’s unfiltered insights, and why it’s not about the size of your following, but the size of your commitment to getting your people real results.

Kelly Leardon is the powerhouse behind Walk Like Warriors, a business strategy brand that helps female entrepreneurs stop winging it and start scaling it.

As a certified Director of Operations turned Business Coach & Strategist, Kelly teaches female business owners how to structure their work like CEOs, not hobbyists, to drive real results (all while working LESS).

You can find her at:

Walk Like Warriors website

Instagram

Check out her free Revenue Boosting resource here.

Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.

To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.

To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co