My Path to Entrepreneurship
I'll admit to you that I didn't start my business to change peoples lives, at least not consciously. Seven years ago, I was homeschooling my 7-yr old twins and thought it would be fun to start a business. I had dabbled in a few ventures before, but the timing seemed more doable now they were older. I wanted to help add some income to our family so we could take trips and afford those music lessons.
I was very passionate about our Waldorf-inspired homeschooling! It was such fun bringing nature and the arts to my girls, that I decided to start a website to help other families who were using the Waldorf method.
Reaching out to authors, experts and teachers in the industry, I become the "Oprah" of the Waldorf Homeschool world. I would interview the speaker to help my community (and myself) learn what to do and how to do it.
After packaging these talks into bundles, I sold them as "the fall series" or "spring learning sessions". I began receiving emails from other moms telling me how awesome it was for them to get the training they needed right from home, wherever they lived.
When the recession hit and my husband was laid off his sales job in the building industry, my little side business became more important.
With no prospect of any job and quickly depleting savings, I knew I had to step it up.
I jumped into action. I borrowed money from a friend to invest in an online course to help me create a teleseminar series- and prayed it would work.
It did. I launched my online course a few, short weeks later and I generated $7455.
3 months later, I re-launched the program and made $8479.
It wasn't tons of money, or a 6-figure launch, but it saved our home from foreclosure. That had serious impact. Plus, I learned that online programs would give me reliable, passive income.
My work quickly turned into a course-based business where I created dozens of homeschool courses – touching the lives of over 6000 families all over the world who bought my trainings!
I receive emails frequently from moms thanking me for changing the way they homeschool. It's humbling and quite amazing to think how I was able to help people across the globe, as well as, right at home.
Last year I added teaching my Course Creation system to other entrepreneurs so they can
have a passive income stream and touch lives in a bigger way.
Who can create a course?
Coaches, consultants, teachers, healers, trainers, anyone who teaches a process, class or system
Here's an example of some of the course I've helped to build:
a photographer is teaching how to use a real camera to get the best photos.
a social media teacher is teaching restaurants to use Instagram to build business.
a sales expert is teaching how to close phone sales conversations.
a healer is teaching how to ground yourself through the chakras.
a hypnotist is teaching her system for sugar-free living.
a networking guru is teaching how to deliver the best elevator pitch to get referrals and clients.
A channeler of the akashic records is teaching others how to access their higher self.
An author is teaching others to create their book proposal to get published.
Your next step: take a look into your business and see where you can pull your knowledge together into an online course.
BIO: Donna Ashton is a speaker, author, online program expert & launch strategist. She built her lifestyle business while homeschooling her daughters using the power of online courses. She now teaches others how to create profitable online programs that allow time for family, travel and that impact the world.
Grab her “Create Your Profitable Program Checklist” here. (http://donna-ashton.com/checklistgift)
She happily thrives in a seaside town in Coastal SC with her husband, twin daughters, twin dogs and magical black cat.
Website URL: www.donna-ashton.com
Social Media urls: https://www.facebook.com/createonlinecourse/