Sexy or Success? Foundations for Sexy Success

Hey there, course creators! Welcome back to our journey of real talk. In our previous blogs, we debunked quick fixes, discussed the dangers of shortcuts, and explored how to build real confidence. 

Today, we’re going to talk about the real work – laying the foundations for your business. 

Spoiler alert: there are no shortcuts to long-term success. Let’s dive in.

The Importance of Foundations

Realtalk: There are no shortcuts to seeing long-term success in your business. Laying the critical foundation for your business takes time. Sure, some might attain $$$ in their first launch with a shortcut method, but can they sustain it? Statistics say no.

"Want my blueprint for how I grew my business to $100K overnight?”

Stop buying someone else's blueprint for success and work with someone to map YOUR path.

Why Quick Fixes Fail

A Guru’s exact blueprint isn't YOUR strategy. It’s a one-size-fits-all “How I did it” blueprint.
A course isn't a strategy. That’s a one-size-fits-all template.
A template isn’t a strategy. It’s a great guide but not tailored to YOU, your audience, or how you want to show up.
A group coaching program can be a closer step to strategy. They teach to a common denominator. Even if you get a question answered, they don’t know YOU and your business. If they offer regular 1:1 sessions as part of the group coaching offer to tailor answers to YOU, then this is a good option.

There is zero substitution for a tailored strategy. Stop Frankenstein-ing your business with an amalgamation of different strategies!

Gail Starr: "When you are looking for a magic pill or shortcut, you undercut your confidence. It’s the grist for the mill that keeps you going through the tough times. And you WILL have hard times."

Embrace Discomfort

We need to normalize being uncomfortable in business. You should be more uncomfortable than comfortable. If you aren’t uncomfortable, that means you aren’t growing.

Kimi Brown: "We need to normalize being uncomfortable in business. What if the discomfort is normal and necessary for me to do the work to get the success I’m looking for? There is NO perfect offer. Selling overnight is not the normal path. You will have to learn to market and sell and grow relationships, and this is uncomfortable."

So, what should you focus on instead?

Focus on Solid Foundations.

Start with You: The Heart of Your Business Before you even think about your course or your funnel, you need to think about YOU. That’s right, you are the heart and soul of your business. Here’s how to get started:

1. Identify Your Passions:
• What lights you up?
• What are you unwilling to give up to have this business?
• What do you offer now you’d rather not do?
2. Find Your Audience:
• Who do you want to spend your days working with?
• How do you want to work with them?
• How do they need to show up so they energize you and make you excited to do your best work?
3. Understand Your Audience:
• What is top of mind NOW for the people you want to help? (not you want to teach them)
• What are their biggest pain points and dreams? (or go opposite, what do they want solved, to achieve, to have?)
• Where do they hang out on social media?

Do the Fieldwork

Now that you’ve got a handle on your capacity and what lights you up, and who you want to serve, it’s time to get out there and do some fieldwork. 

This means going where your audience hangs out and really listening and engaging with them.

Engage in Conversations: Join groups, forums, and social media spaces where your potential audience is active. Pay attention to the questions they ask and the problems they discuss. Give them help in the comments (don’t sell!). Just deliver solutions to get them unstuck without saying “DM me” or “I have a checklist you can download”… Just help. I swear they will reach out to you if they want to connect.

Ask Direct Questions: Get feedback on your offer directly from your audience. For example: “Hey, I’m thinking about creating a course to help busy moms get off the 5 PM dinner struggle bus. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Real-Life Example: One successful strategy I’ve seen is posting in relevant Facebook groups where you are allowed to post. For example, if you’re targeting busy moms, you might post: “I’m thinking about creating a course for moms to help them avoid the 5 PM dinner struggle. Would that be helpful for you? What’s the biggest challenge you face around dinner time?”

Prove Your Idea Before You Build It

Don’t waste time creating a course that no one wants. Validate your idea first by engaging with your audience and getting their feedback around the promised outcome and if they’d buy it.

• Determine the Transformation: What specific outcome or transformation will your course provide? Make sure it’s something your audience truly wants and needs. You get this based on the answers you got above!
• Test Your Concept: If your audience responds positively, you know you’re on the right track. If there are crickets, refine your idea based on their feedback.

Build Step-by-Step: The Unsexy but Essential Work

Once you’ve validated your idea, it’s time to start building your offer. This isn’t the time for shortcuts.

• Plan Your Visibility: How will you get in front of your audience? How will you lead them into your “funnel”? Yes, you have to get visible. This means you do NOT rely solely on SEO for them to find you. Where do they hang out? Pick no more than 2 places.
• Pick your funnel method carefully: This could include a lead magnet, blog posts, social media, YouTube, webinars, or podcasts, etc.

Example: If your course was for busy moms, would you pick a Live 5-day challenge with daily homework that must be turned in every day because that is what is necessary in order for them to see the promised transformation of the challenge and run it from 2:00-3:00 pm? Would you pick a low-offer funnel tripwire sequence when your goal is to attract an audience who will say yes to your high-ticket offer? If your course was for those living with dyslexia, would you pick a written blog to get visible?

• When Visible, Engage & Convert: Share valuable content that demonstrates your expertise and helps your audience solve small problems and yes, invite them to take action to get into your funnel. This builds trust and positions you as an authority.
• Create Your Offer: Finally, once you have a “buy-in” from your audience for the promised transformation they MOST DESIRE and would pay for, then work on how you will DELIVER on that promised outcome and remove any roadblocks to them getting there. Price it and package it.
• Create your Online Course: Once you have your offer, build your course step-by-step, ensuring it delivers on the promised transformation. This might not be glamorous, but it’s crucial for long-term success.

Did you notice that even this advice is generic?

This is only a framework that must be tailored to YOU.

There are no shortcuts to building a sustainable online business.

It requires strategy, laying foundational work, and a deep understanding of your audience.

Normalize the challenges, embrace the discomfort, and stay committed to your path.

You’ve got this!

Ready to build a real, sustainable business with a solid foundation? Book a Consultation Call with me to see how I can help you with your business success strategy. www.kimibrown.com