Well, folks, we did it! Trans Vocal Exploration is out in the world and available now! It's kind of hard to believe that only four months ago, this course was just an idea I had and now it's a full-fledged trans resource that anyone can access, from anywhere in the world. And there were over 100 people who registered!! I'm really over the moon.

The process of actually making and launching my first e-course was a major learning experience. I had never done anything like this before. However, I know that this isn't going to be my last course because I've already got a bunch of ideas for future ones!! (I'll talk about those ideas in a future blog post...)

In case you're thinking about making your own e-course, or you're just curious about insights I learned during this process, here are five surprising things I learned while launching my first e-course.

1. You don't have to be the top person in your field to be a contributor 

This one goes out to my imposter syndrome. I really really struggled at the beginning of creating this course because I didn't feel like I was enough of an expert to deserve to create this resource. Everything I've learned about this field, I've learned from incredible authors, creators, and teachers who have come before me. It took a long time to realize that what I have to offer is my take on this information and the dissemination of this information. The way I explain these concepts resonates with some students, and that's extremely valuable. The more contributors there are in a field, the more learning styles are covered. It's win win win.

2. There is no one perfect way to create your course (a.k.a. "great is the enemy of good")

A.k.a. "start where you are". When I first started writing Trans Vocal Exploration, I had ideas about hiring a professional videographer and including motion graphics and basically putting out the slickest product that I could. It became quickly apparent that there was no way I would be able to get this done in a reasonable amount of time if I tried to be a perfectionist about it. I had a good webcam, a decent microphone, and an Adobe CC subscription and that is GOOD ENOUGH. At the end of the day, motion graphics aren't going to affect the quality of the information I'm sharing. 

3. Your course won't be for everyone, and that's good!

I really struggle with this one y'all! I'm not a people pleaser in my personal life, but in my professional life, I really want my students to be happy. Something I had to learn over and over again is that it's not possible to create a resource that speaks to EVERYONE'S needs. A better strategy is to develop a really strong understanding of who you are making your course for and do everything to speak to them, even if that means alienating some people. Not everyone is going to want what you have, but some people will really want it. That's just how it is.

4. Email is still the best way to communicate with your audience

This may come as a surprise to some, especially those of us who are chronically online (guilty!) and love social media. My launch strategy was largely based on email campaigns sent to my mailing list. With social media, you just can't guarantee that those who follow you will see what you post, but with email, it's a lot more likely. If you are building an audience on social media, find a way to start collecting email addresses! (Ethically!)

5. It takes as much time to plan a good launch as it does to create the actual course

This one was the real shock! I thought for sure I would have this course out by August 1st. What I didn't know was just how much time it was going to take to create a course landing page, plan out the email campaign content, write all those emails, create all the social media posts for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok... It was all so much work!! So however much time you leave yourself for launch planning and prep, trust me, you'll want to double it!

So there you have it! This is only a small selection of the MANY lessons I learned on this journey. I'm so excited to create my next course and keep learning!