• Who: Aaron Frank
• Website: theadhdproject.com
• Course Topic: ADHD
• Interesting Stats: $1000 in sales the first week

Who are you and what course have you created?

I’m Aaron Frank, and I founded The ADHD Project after being diagnosed as an adult to help other people with ADHD lead more fulfilling lives. Here’s the link to my course page!

What market does your online course serve?

There are an estimated 8.7 million adults living with ADHD in the US, and my course helps them learn the skills that enable us to cope with our daily struggles. Many still view ADHD as a childhood disorder, but the truth is that it doesn’t go away, and there are SO many adults who still need help with it!

What’s the biggest benefit of taking your course?

THRIVE is designed to help you manage and overcome ADHD symptoms, including distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. You’ll learn techniques to improve focus, reduce distractions, and stay on task, so you can be more productive and achieve your goals.

How did you get into the market?

After I started The ADHD Project, what happened really amazed me.

So many people related to my experience, and were going through the same things! Not only did I see that I wasn't alone, I realized I had an opportunity to help other people on their journey with ADHD. -Aaron Frank Click To Tweet

I wanted to help them learn as they go how to live their lives on THEIR terms, not how everyone else thought they should, because just throwing pills at people and hoping for the best isn’t the answer.

Why did you decide to create an online course in the first place?

In 2020 I felt lost, overwhelmed, and burnt out. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough at home or in my relationship, and I was stressed to the max. I was getting nowhere with my life and my mental health, but I couldn’t figure out why. Then, I saw a video about ADHD and decided to talk to a therapist, and eventually got tested and diagnosed. I was so relieved and felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders!

You see, I had spent the past 30 years thinking I was the problem. That all of these things I had failed at were my fault. You develop so much internalized guilt and shame, you feel like you’re letting everyone down and failing miserably at life. To finally know that something has been causing your issues, it’s not your personality or laziness or a character flaw is SUCH a freeing feeling!!

So I started to learn everything I could, started taking meds, started working on strategies and coping skills and everything else I could find.  It wasn’t an overnight change, but slowly and surely I started making progress. I’m nowhere near perfect but I’m so much better now than I was a few short years ago

I knew from there that I HAD to help other people not only figure out if they had ADHD, but then do something that I didn’t see a lot of others doing at the time.  I wanted to give people tools to actually manage their symptoms, to shift their mindset from hopelessness to taking charge, actively managing their lives and routines.

Did you have any moments of doubt before you created/launched it?

I absolutely did! I worried that since I’m not a certified counselor or anything that people wouldn’t take me seriously or that maybe I didn’t know enough. But I knew what worked for me and some other people I knew with ADHD, and I figured if it works for us it MUST work for at least some others.

If so what made you turn it around and do it anyway?

I came to the conclusion that since I was offering something down-to-earth and different enough – practical, real-life strategies and skills – that I was well qualified and of I wasn’t, people would tell me quickly! It was really REALLY difficult to stop listening to my inner critic and stop caring about the naysayers, but the mission I set out to do, to help people with ADHD learn to live a life they love, was worth facing any challenges I would come across.

What’s your online course like?

The course is a live action video series with text slides worked in to it. I talk on camera and show illustrations of certain concepts.

How long did it take you to create your course?

The process of pulling the information together took many years of life experience and research, but putting the videos together was relatively quick since I do have a little bit of video/filmmaking experience. It still took about 2 months to write out the content scripts, film and edit the videos, and put the website together.

Tell us a little about the process of launching your course and getting your first sale(s).

I had started building a following and email list through my social media and website prior to launching, and I offered early-bird discounts to those who signed up for the wait list. When launch day came I shouted it from the rooftops, after sending a number of lead up communications. Thankfully I had a great response and made sales that first day!

Do you have a lead magnet?

Yes, during the lead up I opened a wait list and offered early bird discounts which had a great response. From then on I’ve been offering a free ebook through my website to gather leads and it definitely helps to bring in new potential customers.

What’s the traffic strategy that works best for you?

I use mostly content marketing with social media and my weekly email newsletter. I focus on giving value to my readers/followers and making sure that I give them a reason to want to sign up. It’s a learning process as always but it’s definitely the most effective strategy I’ve used!

What online course platform are you using?

Right now I’m using Thinkific.

Do you like it?

I do! Every platform has pros and cons, so I did a lot of research before launching to find out what would be best for me.

Are there any features you wish it had?

The integrations with other platforms could be more robust, but it’s a small impact.

What made you decide to use your chosen platform over others?

I wanted to be able to offer an all in one platform that combined the course with an online community, and the option to convert the course into an app was something that I wanted to use in the future.

What other tools do you use to run your online course business?

SO MANY! Shopify, Descript, Canva, G-suite, the list goes on…

What books or training programs have you found useful on your journey to a successful business owner that others might find valuable too?

ADHD Coaching Matters by Sarah Wright was a huge source of information that helped me put together the actual course. The other books I’m going to recommend are less about the course itself and more about how to get there. Atomic Habits by James Clear is a fantastic, practical guide to incremental improvements and getting in the habit of doing something. I wouldn’t have been able to stick with the process of creating the course without it. I also loved The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday, it talks about how to look for the hidden benefit you can take from each obstacle you face, and boy did I face some obstacles!

Do you have any big mistakes you’ve made along the way that you’d be willing to share?

The biggest one was when I was filming, I went too far before checking my footage and realized that my audio was terrible! I had to go back and redo a lot of them because you couldn’t hear it at all. Lesson learned!

Please share some idea of revenue.

I was expecting little to nothing for launch, maybe 1 sale at the $30 discounted price, but actually made about $1000 in sales the first week from pre-orders and launch day sign ups! -Aaron Frank Click To Tweet

Please tell us a little about what the money you’ve earned from your course has done for you.

My goal is to help people with ADHD lead more fulfilling lives, so in addition to the monthly donations to the Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) organization I’ve been able to make I’ve put all my earnings back into the business so I can grow and do more for more people!

In addition to revenue are there any numbers you would like to share?

By listening to what people want and giving them more of it, I was able to grow from 600 to 60,000 followers on TikTok in about 60 days. I used it as a way of testing my content, the videos that did well were part of what went into the course because TikTok is basically an instant feedback machine. You see whether or not it will bring value to people almost instantly by the views and engagement. I cut out what didn’t help, and doubled down on what did, which is when I started seeing ridiculous growth because folks were actually learning something and getting value from it.

What has creating your course done for you personally?

It takes a lot to put yourself out there online in the public eye, because you're opening yourself up to everyone and showing your struggles and vulnerability. - Aaron Frank Click To Tweet

It took a lot of personal growth to get to the point where I was comfortable, and I’m still not 100% there but getting closer every day. The drive to put good things out there into the world and help others like me who need it have been my motivators, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to do that. To see the accomplishments and know that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life is the greatest feeling. I have become a totally different and renewed person in many ways, which FAR outweigh any financial benefit.

Do you have a story of a transformation from any of your clients?

Several of my course students have reached out and let me know what an impact the course made. I don’t want to single anyone out, but I’ve heard stories of people having more success at work, being better partners at home, and other tangibles but there’s something that stands out more. What I love hearing is when people say to me “I never thought I could do these things, but here I am doing them and feeling great about it”. Just to know that I’ve helped give them that self confidence is amazing.

What advice do you have for people just starting out?

Just start. Do it. Stop waiting for things to be perfect, or to feel like you know enough. Because they never will be, and you won’t know until you start.

Learn more about Aaron Frank of theadhdproject.com:

• Website: theadhdproject.com