Reached the 2 Comma Club, 1 Million in Lifetime Earnings on Udemy

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I achieved an amazing milestone on Udemy this week.

I launched my first course on Udemy in January 2016. That month I did about $750 in sales.

Since then I've launched 16 additional courses. A lot of nights, weekends, and holidays have gone into course creation. Today, I'll see single days greater than my first month.

It's been a journey. The quality of my first course was awful. I recorded dreey lectures against a grey backdrop. And used a Blue Yeti that picked up EVERYTHING. You could hear planes flying overhead, my dog crying... Yeah, it was that awful! LOL

But I've learned a lot along the way. The organization and quality of my recent courses has significantly improved. Each course I created, I reflected on what I could do to improve. Some came from student feedback. Some came from learning from other successful instructors. The important part is to always be learning and improving.

I know when I was starting out, this level of success seemed unattainable. I hope newer instructors find inspiration from this post. There is no easy button. It takes work and time. Every lecture you create, grows your content. Every day that passes, more students will find you. Until someday, you look back and say wow!

To steal a slogan from the folks at ConvertKit - "Create Everyday!"

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Comments

  • But you're taking that first step! Good luck with the launch!

  • SAPBuddy
    SAPBuddy Posts: 207 specialist rank

    Thanks for sharing, congratulation

  • Thanks John. If nothing else it's my first real step forwards

  • Congrats John! That's aWeSoMe!

    What were the biggest lessons you learned along the way that might be helpful

    for a newcomer to Udemy like myself and others?

    What would you do differently in the early stages looking back from where you are now?

    All the best,

    Rodney

  • Congrats @JohnThompson
    ! That's aWeSoMe!

    What were the biggest lessons you learned along the way that might be helpful

    for a newcomer to Udemy like myself and others?

    What would you do differently in the early stages looking back from where you are now?

    All the best,

    Rodney

  • Monica2021
    Monica2021 Posts: 211 specialist rank

    Congrats

  • Amazing well done

  • I would have hired help sooner. I have an assistant, a video editor, and couple of teacher assistants for helping with student questions. Helps me stay focused on content creation.

  • TrevoirWill
    TrevoirWill Posts: 140 specialist rank

    Wow. $1M in 6 years is no laughing matter. I am happy for you and this is very inspiring.

    Congrats!

  • This is a great inspiration, congratulations.

  • Hi @JohnThompson, congratulations.


    Thank you so much for sharing your story; it is undoubtedly a source of inspiration for all of us instructors.
    I wish you even more success.

  • Rahul Iyer
    Rahul Iyer Posts: 399 visionary rank

    Congratulations @JohnThompson
    Very well deserved and inspiring! Well done!

  • Thanks!

  • Congrats!

  • Congratulations and hope to join your club soon

  • Jotivity
    Jotivity Posts: 13 traveler rank

    The best part is about how getting supported by students, I hope I can publish my 1st course

  • Congratulations John, great achievement!

  • DaniloMota
    DaniloMota Posts: 441 mentor rank

    Wow, you are a sales monster!

  • Love reading stories like this!! Congratulations !!

  • Congrats, John. Very impressive. I am curious to know what mic you recommend. Thanks

  • Hi @JohnThompson
    yours's got an inspirational journey. I just joined this Udemy instructor's community and this is my first post to read and like.

    I'm happy and truly delighted to be a part of this huge Udemy family and wish one day I get the eligibility to write a post like this.

  • SoyMarketer
    SoyMarketer Posts: 326 specialist rank

    Hey @JohnThompson
    . May I know your strategy with free courses? I noticed you have three of them...

  • Elostrated
    Elostrated Posts: 1 observer rank

    @JohnThompson
    CONGRATULATIONS! I've just signed up as an instructor, so this really does inspire me! Thank you for posting!

  • I use the Rode Podcaster & very happy with it

  • Basic sales funnel strategy. Just trying to grow my audience. I know I have free students converting, but there's no good way of tracking this. The majority of free students never start the course. But a % of students will, and a % of those will enroll in a paid course.

  • SoyMarketer
    SoyMarketer Posts: 326 specialist rank

    Thanks!

  • And I believe that the best is yet to come!!! Thanks so much for the inspiration. I have been reading these threads to get hopeful and pumped up and it's working. LOL And to just think we can tell others " I know him!"

  • WOW , that’s really inspiring