• Who: Gretchen Gegg
• Website: GretchenGegg.com
• Course Topic: Healthy Weight Loss
• Interesting Stats: Created a $347 course in about a month

Who are you and what course have you created?

I am a former college professor turned work from home mom.  I have an M.Ed. in Kinesiology, am a group fitness instructor, and personal trainer with 15+ years experience in the in the industry. The course I created is The MiMo™ Method, an online health, fitness, and weight loss course. It focuses on using cognitive behavioral techniques to instill positive behavior changes in women seeking an improvement in their overall wellness.

I am a personal trainer, yoga instructor, life coach and mentor who specializes in helping moms of kids of all ages! I talk fast, work hard and truly believe that everyone can love what they see when they look in the mirror.

What market does your online course serve?

I serve women of all ages who are frustrated with the typical “diet and exercise” program for losing weight and keeping it off.  These women have been told they need to workout to the point of exhaustion and eat very specific foods and that is the ONLY way that weight will come off.  That is simply not true.  Research shows that consistency is key and that consistency can only be found when someone makes these lifestyle changes routine.

Asking someone to go from sitting on a couch at night while binging on Netflix and ice cream to getting up at 5 am to do jumping jacks and make a smoothie without teaching them the necessary skills to gradually break into this kind… Click To Tweet

In The MiMo™ Method we take 12 weeks to gradually move into bigger and bigger changes all while focusing on putting the Mind into Motion first! (That’s where the name MiMo comes from).

What’s the biggest benefit of taking your course?

The biggest benefit is breaking out of the cycle of the typical self-hate and body-shaming that many diet and exercise programs are built on.  By learning to love ourselves first we will want nothing more than to take care of our one and only physical body!

How did you get into the market?

I’ve been in the health and fitness industry since I taught my first water aerobics class in 1999 at 19 years old.  Group fitness, personal training and yoga have been passions of mine for years.

Upon receiving my graduate degree in Kinesiology I was hired by Texas A&M University as a professor and spent over 9 years teaching college students about health, fitness and wellness. So I guess you could say I have never been OUT of the market.

However, it wasn’t until having my first child and struggling with PPD (post partum depression) while also trying to get stronger and lose excess body fat from pregnancy that I really realized women need MORE!  The mental health game behind weight gain and loss is overlooked more than we can imagine. So, I quit my full time job and became a full time work from home mom.

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

As an educator, an online course came naturally to me.  Having an online business is something that works with my schedule as a mom.

I want to be there for my children and husband first and foremost and online courses let me schedule my day without time restrictions. - Gretchen Gegg Click To Tweet

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

YES!!! Every doubting thought that you can imagine popped into my head.

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

I knew it was something that would benefit other women. Also I knew that I would always wonder “what if…” had I not launched.

What’s your online course like?

It is a 3 phase, 12 week course.  Each week’s lesson includes 1 video lesson with a notes pages.  There’s also text to enhance the lesson and a spot to do “homework” which allows users to comment and reply to other comments. It is all pre-recorded and do it yourself, on your own time.

How long did it take you to create your course?

All-in-all it took about a year, but I was working full time during that year and didn’t quit my job until the course launched.  During the year I did two trials of content to make sure I was giving helpful and useful information.  I also used this time to collect tutorials and build a client base.  To actually create the course itself probably took a month (including filming videos, writing text, creating notes pages, etc…).

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

As mentioned before, I spent a year building hype around the course, perfecting the course content and generally getting interest. So, I had a pre-launch special on Cyber Monday of 2018 and immediately sold 15 spots in the course.  During the lag between that time and the official launch (Jan 2019) I did more marketing and webinars and was able to sell quite a few more spots immediately upon launch.

To be honest, the launch felt anti-climactic because I had spent to much time envisioning and dreaming and believing that I just KNEW this would happen.  My coach tells me that is a good sign!

Do you have a lead magnet?

I do free webinars and use that as an opt-in for my email list.  I also have a free coaching group on Facebook that leads people into the course.

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

I get the most traction and increases in traffic after a speaking or teaching engagement.  Both from the people at the event and the people that saw evidence I was asked to the event on social media.

People buy from people they trust. Meeting you or seeing you associated with a trusted event builds that. - Gretchen Gegg Click To Tweet

What online course platform are you using?

Ruzuku, which I like. It doesn’t have a great lead page feature like other platforms do, but I have enjoyed using it.

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

I started out wanting to use my website and build my own course, but that was incredibly time-consuming.  I knew other people using different course platforms and had experience with Ruzuku from the student side so I went with it.  Also, I like that they do not charge a percentage of enrollment. Instead, it’s just a flat fee.

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

I use Calendly (a scheduling tool), Voxer and Facebook messaging.

Please share some idea of revenue.

This is incredibly variable because I run things quarterly and am still in my first year of business.  However, I think the biggest takeaway for me, at this point, is that I am in the black at least $1,700 after everything I did to start up my business (including creating LLC) this year.  It may look small, but I will NOT owe in my first year of ownership with 2 months left in the year.

In my 2^nd year of business, I will focus more on moving people into life coaching and other higher-revenue services and, if cost projections go as planned, I should start earning $3,500 a month.

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

Right now, it has meant more on a mental/emotional level to see that I can, indeed, make a profit when I am barely even out of the gate.  I have “proven” to myself and my family that I did not quit my job in vain.

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

I started the year with an email list of 0 and have over 400 people on it now so I think that is solid growth.

What has creating your course done for you personally?

It has proven to me that I am someone who can truly help people on my own right.  Unfortunately, when you are in the field of higher education you sometimes get a feeling that you can only function effectively in that kind of structured/tiered environment. I feel more accomplished in this last year than I have in the last 5.

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

Here are a couple of success stories from my clients …

1. “I have always hated exercise and was 250 pounds overweight, but had recently started working on my state of mind in Gretchen’s mentoring circle and was ready for more.   Gretchen never made me feel judged or stupid. She started out with exercises I could do sitting down. Just doing something felt amazing. I am 206 pounds lighter and I actually workout at the gym now 4 days a week.”
2. “Previously I been involved in fitness programs, but had become lax in my quest for personal wellness due in part to a family tragedy. I knew it was time for me to begin taking care of myself & I found MiMo at the perfect time. I would highly recommend this program to anyone. It is much more than a fitness/weight-loss program. It will prove to be a game changer for you physically & emotionally by working from the inside out; changing not only your body, but your life.”

What advice do you have for people just starting out?

Just do it.  Stop waiting for perfect because it will only paralyze you and make success impossible.  You really CAN always go back and fix it.

Learn more about Gretchen Gegg and the The MiMo™ Method:

• Website: gretchengegg.com
• Instagram
• Linkedin