Share a hack or process that you use that embodies our value “Be able”
Each week, we’ll be showcasing one of our 5 community values to celebrate what makes our community of instructors unique. This week’s value is “Be able.”
Udemy instructors are passionate about teaching, so we put in the effort it takes to learn, grow, and create. We know nothing worth doing is easy, and we persevere.
“Teaching others about health, fitness and nutrition, inspiring them to live their best lives and go for the best possible outcomes is part of my purpose. I was born with a blood disorder and with spina bifida and I have been told from early age that I would never be able to exercise or dance. Later on, I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been told how I will have to take the thyroid medication for the rest of my life.
Despite all that, I always had this determination to learn more about everything; therefore I started reading books about my conditions, about life... and the more I read, the more I realized that what I eat, if I exercise or not and how often, can have a great impact on my health and my quality of life. Therefore, just 6 years after the diagnosis, not only that I didn't need thyroid hormones anymore, but I also became a dancer, a fitness instructor and a health coach so I can help and inspire people to go beyond their so-called limitations.” - Sandra (USA)
Share a hack or process that you use that embodies “Be able.”
Comments
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Wow, I mean there is no way anyone can match a story like that. That is awesome.
But it's definitely true that one key to success on Udemy is persistence, and not being afraid to teach yourself before teaching others.
See this huge stack of books?
Before I so much as wrote an outline for one of my courses, I read every one of these books cover to cover to ensure I was up to date on all of the latest technologies related to what I was teaching. It took a month to get through it all.
Then I spent another month playing with these technologies hands-on to get a better feel of how they really work.
By doing it, I was able to create a course that was more comprehensive and more current than the other offerings on the platform - and the result was a course that's earned almost $300,000 over the past two years.
Sometimes, it's just about being willing to put in more effort than everyone else - and convincing yourself you can "be able" to do it.8 -
For me, be able means several things. Be able to teach efficiently. Be able to provide students with the highest quality. Be able to learn throughout the entire process of making a course.
I've been teaching aviation for 15 years and preparing my course for Udemy has forced me to dig even deeper into the knowledge to ensure that anyone would get it, regardless of their background. When you teach in person, it's easy to see if they get it or not, and then you can adapt and reexplain. Not so much with videos, so I had to go back and study some more for certain topic.
In terms of providing great quality courses, I figured out what I was unhappy with in terms of my course creation skills, and I looked for tutorials, bought Udemy courses and became a better editor/course creator. I learned more about lighting, about green screening, about audio, and then I learned how to better use my editing software so I would be more efficient. In the end, I have learned as much about editing and course creation as my students are learning about aviation.
I would say, in short, you gotta be able to learn new skills, whether it is in your area of expertise or in creating your courses.
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When it comes to "Be Able", I like to think about the relatively low barrier to entry we have these days to build our businesses online.
What I mean by this is that in the old days, if I wanted to hold a training course on a topic, I would have to rent a conference room or classroom, I would have to advertise in the newspaper, I would have to find all the students, get them all together, and handle every piece of the customer service and sales aspect, all before I even got the opportunity to teach something.
But, with the new online world we have and with sites like Udemy, I am able to record myself teaching, post those videos, and reach students all over the world with my messages and training.
The internet has really helped me to Be Able in reaching over 100,000 students through Udemy and beyond!
Jason Dion
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