217: Creating courses people actually finish - and pay for (with Rodney Daut)

➡️ Stop overthinking and finally publish that article — join The 5-Day Article Sprint that gets you from idea to inbox in under a week. Get it here.

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Season 2, episode 17 is here!

In this episode,

Rodney Daut 🔥🪵⛺️

breaks down what creators often get wrong about building and selling courses, and how to rethink content from the ground up. He shares practical insights, surprising analogies, and sharp strategies for creators who want their work to actually teach (and sell).

What we covered:

• Why traditional social media failed Rodney, and why Substack Notes became an unexpected growth engine for him

• What most creators misunderstand about course design, and how to build training that actually sticks

• How to teach complex ideas using “disconnected stories” that hook readers with curiosity before delivering insight

• A behind-the-scenes look at building courses for clients in health and education, including a surprising case study that involved milk and Mongolian horsemen (?!)

• How Rodney uses AI to improve course content, not replace it, and where it still falls short

• What makes a micro course feel valuable, not small, and how a “potato chip” analogy can change how you think about content

• A dead-simple trick for finding the real problem your course should solve, and how to name it

• Why specificity in your audience and offer isn't about who you are - it's about the problems only you can solve

👉 Make sure to subscribe to Rodney’s publication before you go, and grab your free ebook copy of Profitable Playbooks right here.

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Go deeper:

• 216: How to become a bestselling author and build a business around your book (featuring Dina Marais)

• What really happens on book launch day

• If you're stuck on your next post, just use this simple framework

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What’s next?

I’m ready and waiting to support you in the next stages of your creator journey. Here’s how I can help:

1. Start Your Podcast on Substack: A complete course guiding you from concept to launch, based on everything I’ve learned so far during my own podcasting journey. Learn to plan, brand, record, edit, publish, and promote your podcast while building an audience. Perfect for creators eager to share their voice with the world.

2. The 1K Daily Writing Challenge: Build a consistent habit by writing 1,000 words daily for 30 days. Along the way, you'll get encouraging video prompts, accountability support, and plenty of inspiration to ignite your creative spark. Nail your rhythm. Find your flow. Transform your writing journey forever.

3. One-To-One Coaching: A live coaching session over Zoom plus a full video audit of your Substack publication. Ideal for those who want to grow their online presence, identify their key strengths, and develop a long-term business strategy. Upgrade to VIP Membership for full access.

4. Sustainable Scalable Social Strategy: This 6-part, online, self-driven course will guide you through the same process I used to develop a strategy for my social media management. When you finish, you’ll have a sustainable social strategy in place that will help you scale your business properly.

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Table of Contents [Start Here]