Meet Sharon Ramel - Community Champion Spotlight

[Bella]

Hello Instructor Community!

We are excited to bring you our first Community Champion Spotlight of 2022. Each month we’re helping you get to know some of the community’s most active instructors on a more professional and personal level.

This week we are putting the spotlight on a familiar face in the Instructor Community, Sharon Ramel. She has been teaching Shamanism & Spirituality on Udemy for 8 years and has been a part of the community for 6 years.

Get to know more about Sharon in our interview below:

Who is Sharon Ramel? 

My passion is to make shamanism practical and accessible to everyone. I like to use down-to-earth practical spiritual ways to weave ancient techniques alive in order to solve modern problems. It was not always easy - I was the first to bring shamanism alive online in video format and was often sneered and jeered by my peers. Who now..... all teach online.

I currently live in Orchid Valley, Western Australia - a small remote rural farming community 40 kilometers from the nearest town. However, from February 1 we move to the coast to a township called Yallingup. I am looking forward to not being so isolated. 

What is your teaching style?

Engaged and eclectic - I am here for my students. It is a very practical style interspersed with the nuts and bolts of knowledge to deepen the learning.

What is one thing you wish that every NEW Udemy Instructor knew?

To teach to the best of your emerging ability only what you are genuinely an expert in.

Can you share your favorite experience/interaction with a student?

One of my students who had a few physical disabilities became my PA. She loved the work and was very good at it. It worked well for her as it was task, not time orientated. She was fun, not afraid to tell me what she thought, an amazing woman. Sadly Covid claimed her last year.

If you didn't teach on Udemy what would you be doing?

I am in my 63rd year - probably even more community work than I currently do!

What is your favorite thing about being an online instructor?

The aliveness of the body of work I have created and continue to do so. I am the pioneer of teaching shamanism online, it is now commonplace and valued. I smile inside when I see others who once knocked me fervently for undermining the practices now embracing it. 

Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island?

My dear partner, Jorn.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?

I am a superhero, I am an ecstatic, intuitive lover of life.

Have a question for Sharon? Ask her in the comments below!

[SoyMarketer]

"What is your favorite thing about being an online instructor?

The aliveness of the body of work I have created and continue to do so. I am the pioneer of teaching shamanism online, it is now commonplace and valued. I smile inside when I see others who once knocked me fervently for undermining the practices now embracing it."

Awesome!

There will always be doubters. I´m glad you stuck to it and made it happen while others doubted and criticized.

My question would be:

At course # what did you begin doing your own promotion? I´ve seen your screenshots, and I see that your promotions are even higher than Udemy´s. I don´t know if I should begin promotion simultanously as I produce courses... Having four already, not sure if I should begin to build my audience outside of Udemy or continue to build courses inside of Udemy.

Thanks Sharon!

[SharonRamel]

Hi @SoyMarketer I had to do my own promotions, there were no keywords for spirituality, shamanism etc when I started. You would type in shamanism in the Udemy search and be directed to some random computer-style course. Even if you went to Religion & Spirituality (there were 14 courses back then - I was number 14 - the only one on the spirituality side) - it was dominated by software instructors simply flooding any and everywhere with their courses. I started my promotion through Udemy via the educational announcements - giving more value, talking about the benefits. It was just as difficult to stand out then as it is now. I messaged students to see how they were going (rarely got a response) - that didn't matter to me - I had to be a different instructor - one that they would come to know and trust. I did have luck - as the great reviews started flowing Udemy would mix up their promotional board and place a random non-core course into the mix and The Munay Ki was one of those courses. This certainly helped sales. It intrigued people.

As you are producing a course - if it builds on the knowledge of your previous courses then talk about it in your educational announcements - what they are going to learn to improve xyz.... My students like to know what I am working on. Use your social media channels to build excitement about your upcoming course. A Facebook live event is a great way to push some coupons sales out to help augment sales from your internal promotion. I will random FB lives in my group - they are always well received - plus it helps with that "she really is here for me".

Many instructors dislike offering feedback to students - they only see the $$$ they make - however for me - it is answering those assignment questions (a few minutes a day) that adds to the value for them. I never focus on how much per sale I make. I only see the big picture.

Building an audience outside of Udemy is a long haul game - we should never have our eggs in one basket.

[SoyMarketer]

What a journey! And very inspiring, that you could start a new market inside of Udemy by doing your own promotion. So, I am wondering, the educational announcements that you sent, are those only emails? I mean, is the content all inside the email? Or did you use a blog or YouTube to get people to click on something inside those educational announcments hence building your own audience outside of Udemy??

[SharonRamel]

Hi @SoyMarketer  - mostly it is all within the Udemy educational announcement - one of my friends describes them and a lunch box full of goodies. I do have links to more free material to help their journeys on YouTube, Instagram and the group as I mentioned on FB. That announcement becomes my blog, which is broken down further to YT Scripts and Instagram posts that all click back to the website ... that yes... has my courses with a discount code on them. It brings in enough money to make it worth my effort.

The great advantage of the FB group is they all help each other - it was originally set up by one of my students (with my permission). Rather than just me - they have a great many students at differing points in their journey helping them.

[RobinHills]

No question from me for @SharonRamel  just a big thumbs up and thanks from me for her inspiration.  It was delightful to finally meet her at Udemy Live in Berlin. Many happy memories. 

[Bella]

That's so nice, Robin! Sharon is a ray of sunshine to all of us here in the community too! 😊

[SharonRamel]

Thank you @RobinHills - yes it was fun - our first meeting near our accommodation - you and your dear wife were looking for it. UdemyLive is always amazing. I am hoping they resume once Covid settles.