• Who: Tara Simon
• Website: tarasimonstudios.com
• Course Topic: Singing
• Interesting Stats: Went 9k a month to over 20k/month with YouTube ads

Who are you and what course have you created?

I created Sing Smarter Not Harder and Riffs and Runs.

I’m a professional singer, songwriter, and celebrity vocal coach.

What market does your online course serve?

We serve singers, performers, entertainers, songwriters, and recording artists of all ages and levels.

What’s the biggest benefit of taking your course?

There is no other course on the market with as much value packed inside of 8 weeks for the price. We have purchased other courses and have seen what’s inside to verify. The amount of content we provide is by far superior.

How did you get into the market?

I have been in the music business since I was 3 and studied with a large variety of coaches. Since so many were wanting in my schedule for private lessons, I decided to create a course so that anyone anywhere in the world could also benefit from what I was offering.

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

It’s funny. I recorded the first version of my course on my old iPhone in my parent’s living room. I honestly wasn’t sure it would even work, let alone if people were going to buy it. But I always finish what I start so I pushed through the doubt and kept filming.

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

I come from a family of “get stuff done” people. We don’t quit and we’re always asking “what if?” So I would ask myself when it seemed impossible, “yeah, but what if it works?”

What’s your online course like?

My course is 56 video modules averaging about 15-20 minutes each day. There are also MP3s for practice guidance as well as assignments to complete.

How long did it take you to create your course?

It took me about 4 weeks to complete filming.

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

I got my first sales by hiring some digital marketing people to create a funnel for me and a sales landing page. I already have a large following on YouTube so advertising there was a no-brainer.

Do you have a lead magnet?

I had a 3-day free trial at one point but I found that to be a pain on the back end. So up until a week ago, we didn’t. But just recently we are trying a free vocal exercise PDF and trying that out as we speak.

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

For me, it’s YouTube. People are nurtured through watching my content and eventually trust my authority enough to purchase.

What online course platform are you using?

Kajabi is the course platform I use.

Kajabi is the All-In-One Course Platform

Kajabi is one of the top online course platforms used by successful course creators interviewed on coursemethod.com. Kajabi includes email marketing and other tools that make it easy to run your entire business from their platform.

• Price Range: $149 to $399/month
• Most Popular Plan: Growth Plan at $199/month
• Annual Discount: Yes, take 20% off!
• Free Trial: Get a 14-day free trial (credit card required)

Try Kajabi!

Do you like it?

It does the job.

Are there any features you wish it had?

I wish there was an all-in-one sales and course software. But I haven’t found one yet that does it all.

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

Kajabi is just the one I saw first and started with and now I’m honestly just not motivated to switch.

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

Ontraport, we are starting to use High Level, Zapier, and Calendly.

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

LOVE Primal Branding, Grace over Grind, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Atomic Habits

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

I made some pretty big mistakes in trying to sell to cold traffic last year without a free offer.

Please share some idea of revenue.

Going back to how I made the course on my iPhone….even at that low quality, not only did people buy it, they were raving about how much their voices improved.

I made 6 figures in my first year of selling Sing Smarter Not Harder. No one was asking me to upgrade the quality, but I wanted to on my own. My YouTube videos were high quality, and here I am selling this course that I edited myself on iMovie. (And I am NOT an editor).

So, I  refilmed and even added more modules and value. I grandfathered the members into the new course and still sold the upgraded course at the same price for a limited time.

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

I am grateful and am living proof that hard work always pays off.

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

YouTube ads were a big deal for course sales. When we started running those to a target audience that was like the avatar of one of my subscribers, I went from about 9k a month to over 20k/month.

What has creating your course done for you personally?

It was like writing a song. I created something that was just an idea in my head (one that I could have easily pushed away and moved on from) to something tangible, something helpful, something of high value.  From that experience, I learned to trust my ideas and instincts much more and take them seriously.

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

The success of Loren Lott and Angelica Hale are definitely ones that stick out to me. They studied my Sing Smarter Not Harder methodology and are now doing amazing things: Broadway, singing and acting in major motion pictures, America’s Got Talent, American  Idol…etc. Just google them, and you’ll see.

What advice do you have for people just starting out?

Done is better than perfect. Just get it done.

Learn more about Tara Simon of tarasimonstudios.com:

• Website: tarasimonstudios.com
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram@tarasimonstudios
• Twitter@tarasimonstudio
• Tiktok@tarasimonstudios