For Edupreneurs
Exciting News!
We are transitioning to a new website: www.AntiBoringLearningLab.com. The new training for Edupreneurs will eventually be housed inside the new Anti-Boring Learning Lab community. It will re-open in January 2025 (and perhaps earlier!). Please explore the new website to find out how to get started RIGHT NOW learning the Anti-Boring Toolkit, or read on to learn more about Rock Your Biz.
Read on to learn more about Rock Your Biz
Have you been dreaming of starting your own practice … as an academic life coach, executive function coach, or adhd coach for students?
Maybe you’ve already started your practice but are having trouble growing it?
If so, you’re part of the growing “Edupreneur” movement: educators with the courage to question the dominant paradigm about how students can learn and how educators earn.
I’m guessing you’re here because you’re feeling hopeful…
…about an inspired vision for change you want to make, in your students’ lives as well as your own.
However, I bet you’re ALSO overwhelmed…
…with where to start to put that inspired vision into action and build, or grow, your biz?
I get it. That’s how it was for me, too.
When I first started by academic coaching practice, I felt trapped in a constant cycle of hope and overwhelm, hope and overwhelm.
My solution: Register in a top-end marketing training, hoping it would help me break this cycle.
My problem: These high-end marketing trainings are generic, geared for coaching businesses in general. Not all their guidance was relevant to me, an academic coach with the challenge of inspiring students AND parents to use my services.
I had to work hard to translate the cutting edge lessons from others’ marketing trainings to our unique world of academic coaching. I did it, though! Through lots of trial and error.
I hope to save you from suffering the way I did in the early days of my biz.
I’m here to tell you that creating a sustainable practice as an academic life coach is possible. It changed my life, and I’ve seen the same positive results with countless other coaches who’ve completed my training program.
Possibilities for your life as an academic life coach include:
- Deeper relationships with students,
- Freedom to teach only the skills you’re passionate about and only the type of student you enjoy working with,
- More flexibility in your work schedule,
- Ability to work around family responsibilities, chronic pain issues, and other limitations,
- The opportunity to deeply live your values without institutional pushback,
- And so much more!
Are you ready to change your life?
I’ve put together a training program that is guaranteed to get you up and running within a year, if you follow my two main simple instructions:
First, learn the THREE SYSTEMS that jumpstart inevitable success for your biz:
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- systems for COACHING AND TEACHING academic and life skills to students
- systems for DELIVERING seamless services to individuals and families
- systems for ATTRACTING a steady flow of clients
Second, immerse yourself in AN INSPIRING COMMUNITY of other academic coaches:
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- coaches AHEAD of you in their biz-building (who you can “draft behind;” no need to recreate the wheel)
- coaches BEHIND you on the journey (who you will eventually mentor; we learn best when we teach others)
- coaches ALONGSIDE you (your special cohort, partners for celebration, commiseration, cheerleading)
Seriously, I’m a big believer in my courses and instructions. But I’ve learned to humble myself and recognize that the most valuable part of this anti-boring biz-building training is the community.
If you commit to this learning community, they will commit right back to you. And voila! You’ll walk away from this training, not only with the foundations of a thriving business, but with a long-term support (and referral!) network for you, too. Total. Gold.
Are you ready to launch and/or rock your academic coaching biz? Read on. Here’s what you’ll learn on this page:
- Overview of the ROCK YOUR BIZ Training
- Make Sure ROCK YOUR BIZ is Right for You
- Sign Up and Get Started
- Praise from Alumni
- Frequently Asked Questions
The ROCK YOUR BIZ Training
A new cohort of ROCK YOUR BIZ starts January 2024 if not sooner. Start or grow your biz in a year!
In this unique training program for Edupreneurs, learn both academic coaching and biz-building basics at the same time. You won’t find a more comprehensive training program anywhere else.
In just a year, we’ll introduce you to the basics to create strong and sturdy business foundations while also helping you hone your academic coaching skill set, so your dream can easily become a reality.
I’ve bundled together my best academic coaching & biz-building resources to help you get your new coaching practice off the ground:
- The Art of Inspiring Students and Anti-Boring Approach self-guided course (your coaching toolkit)
- Launch Your Biz self-guided course (your biz-building toolkit)
- The Anti-Boring Educators’ Community (one stop shop for inspiration, mentoring, troubleshooting, referrals and more)
Let’s take a look at each of these one-by-one:
1. Art of Inspiring Students & the Anti-Boring Approach
A few years ago, I learned some basic brain facts that forever changed the way I work with students, to help them become independent, motivated, self-starting learners.
Since then, I’ve been perfecting my Anti-Boring Toolkit for inspiring students how to study, and manage their time, strategically… and therefore effectively.
Even better, I’ve turned it into a training for educators, to help you achieve similar success with your students.
Highlights of this 8-module, self-guided course include:
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- A simple system that turns disorganized students into expert time managers, test-takers, and critical thinkers
- 7 academic toolkits that every teacher, tutor, and coach and should master––and how to efficiently teach them to students so they stick for good…whether you’re in a classroom or 1:1 coaching sessions
- 7+ transformative mini-conversations grounded in brain science that turn teens into test-taking powerhouses, and how to weave those conversations repeatedly into your work with students until they totally get it
- 41+ concrete tools to have in your back pocket to help teens tackle procrastination, disorganization, weak note-taking, and haphazard studying
- And more!
This course is your one-stop-shop for learning evidence-based academic success and executive function strategies that actually improve student and educator outcomes!! For detailed information about each module, check out the course syllabus.
2. Launch Your Biz
See exactly how I run my coaching business and receive step-by-step instructions for how to get your new academic coaching business off the ground.
Whereas most coach training programs teach you coaching skills first, and provide marketing training as an afterthought (or not at all), I teach it all at once.
In this 8-module self-guided course you receive:
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- Specific guidelines for how to deliver maximum results during and in-between coaching sessions
- A unique, efficient, and free system for keeping students actively engaged, tracking progress, and communicating with parents (folks rave about this Anti-Boring™ Habits and Grades Tracking System)
- Technology tricks and tools (including instructions for how to use them) that keep the student staying focused on their goals and consistently improving their habits, even when motivation lags
- The most effective ways to price, package, & market coaching services to appeal to parent and teen
- Tools to attract motivated students who want to learn, and not just placate their parents
- 10+ simple marketing actions unique to this field that will help you attract your first clients
- How to inspire potential clients (both teens and their parents) to say yes to your packages
3. The Anti-Boring Educators’ Community
Although the above courses are top-notch, nothing beats learning in a cohort of inspiring
educators under the guidance of an experienced mentor.
That’s what the Anti-Boring Educators’ Club is all about!
Every month you receive up to two live community calls led by Gretchen and/or a Teaching Assistant from her licensed Anti-Boring Approach coaches.These calls are a great time to:
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- ask questions that have come up as you implement the Anti-Boring Approach or Biz Launch tools
- hear stories from teachers and coaches ahead of you on the journey
- get out of the silo of alone-ness that comes with being a classroom teacher or academic coach, and enjoy community and fellowship with other like-minded educators
- receive some extra inspiration “goodies” made by Gretchen every month
- 12 short executive function trainings, with instructions how to apply the Anti-Boring Toolkit to support students with specific EF challenges
- and more!
If you can’t attend the calls live, you can submit questions and comments ahead of time, watch the recordings, and engage in discussion with Gretchen on an online discussion forum.
The Google Calendar below contains the most up-to-date schedule of both levels of Anti-Boring Educators’ Club calls. Members of ROCK YOUR BIZ have access to all the calls on this calendar (with the exception of the “Circle of Licensed Coaches” calls, which become available when you graduate from Rock Your Biz), whereas members of ROCK YOUR COACHING only have access to the ones marked “All.”
A Few More Things to Know
The ROCK YOUR BIZ program is structured as a full year of training.
Why? In my 7+ years training edupreurs to start their businesses, I’ve found most people need a minimum of a year to get everything up and running. Although you can go faster than that, a year gives most folks enough time to set up the basics and troubleshoot surprises and difficulties.
One of my specialties as an academic coach and teacher-trainer is my ability to identify the least you need to know to get the most powerful results. Therefore, the training is structured to keep you focused on the minimum actions that are most likely to set your biz up for inevitable success.
Here’s a nice chart that summarizes what you get during your year in ROCK YOUR BIZ:
If you have additional questions about the ROCK YOUR BIZ training program, please keep reading and also visit the Frequently Asked Questions below. Make sure to also sign up for one of the FREEBIES mentioned below, as they contain a host of additional information as well.
How to Make Sure ROCK YOUR BIZ Is Right For You
Yay! You’re considering joining us?! This program is especially ideal for the following kinds of folks:
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- educators who want to supplement their teaching income
- classroom teachers craving more meaningful and long-term interactions with students,
- educators making a career change and/or transition to retirement
- parents of kids with learning differences who are ready to do this work for pay
- folks who’ve already started their businesses but are having trouble making it sustainable
- edupreneurs curious about receiving the perks of being a licensed Anti-Boring Approach Coach, which includes a number of goodies including being listed on my website
If you identify with one of these statements, the next step is to get more information and have a conversation directly with me or another licensed Anti-Boring Approach coach. We are aware that the investment is a big one (even though, quite frankly, ROCK YOUR BIZ is one of the most cost-effective programs around! see the FAQ’s for more about that), and we’ve created a number of complimentary options to help you give ROCK YOUR BIZ and the ANTI-BORING TOOLKIT a test drive.
Here are some next steps that won’t cost you a dime:
TAKE THE FREE “SHOULD I GROW MY BIZ?” COURSE.
Craving a transparent “behind the scenes tour” about what it’s like to start your biz? In 10 emails over 10 days, you’ll learn all about what to consider in regards to how much to charge, how to find clients, how I structure my work day, and more. Bonus: Interviews with training alum too! Click here to get started.
ATTEND FREE MONTHLY OFFICE HOURS.
Attend Gretchen’s free monthly Q&A session. Talk about anti-boring! This is a fun, free way to get your questions answered AND experience the lively virtual space Gretchen is so skilled at cultivating. Click here for more info.
SIGN UP FOR A COMPLIMENTARY STRATEGY SESSION.
Let’s meet one-on-one to create a back-of-the-napkin business plan tailored to your life circumastances, answer questions, and dig into concerns. Click here and get on my calendar for a free Educator Strategy session.
DOWNLOAD THE “7 DO’S & 3 DONT’S OF INEVITABLE SUCCESS” FREE CHECKLIST.
Need some oomph to get started? After 7+ years of teaching edupreneurs, I’ve seen the common mindset mistakes new biz builders make. Here’s printable inspiration for your refrigerator to remind you to ditch perfection, be yourself, and take small actions. Click here to download instant relief and inspiration.
Once you’ve done your due diligence and are absolutely certain this is the right program for you, the links below will help you jump into the option that’s right for you.
How to Sign Up and Get Started
Yay! You’re ready. I can’t wait to help you make your dream a reality! Please choose from the following options:
Option 1: THE FULL ROCK YOUR BIZ TOOLKIT
If you have not yet taken any of my courses, please choose the full ROCK YOUR BIZ toolkit. You have two payment options:
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- Pay in installments (12 payments of $499). Click here to purchase.
- Pay in full (1 payment of $4995). Click here to purchase.
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Option 2: THE PARTIAL ROCK YOUR BIZ TOOLKIT (WITHOUT ART OF INSPIRING STUDENTS):
If you’ve already purchased the Art of Inspiring Students, no need to pay for that course again. Please choose the partial ROCK YOUR BIZ toolkit. You have two payment options.
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- Pay in installments (12 payments of $450). Click here to purchase.
- Pay in full (1 payment of $4500). Click here to purchase.
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Are all these options too much of a financial heavy lift right now? Check out the FAQ’s below for more information about how to afford this training.
Once you’re in, do a little happy dance! Then please save about thirty minutes to work through the Welcome section and organize yourself for the journey.
There is a LOT here, and the more you invest now in understanding the wealth of resources and learning tools at your finger tips, the faster you will be able to hit the ground running.
Praise from ROCK YOUR BIZ Alumni & Anti-Boring Colleagues
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Your self-study marketing course was beyond fantastic and has really helped me. When I compare my knowledge to my classmates [in another coach training I’m in], and even other coaches I’ve met, I am so far ahead, it’s crazy!” ~ Joy Gandell, Executive Function Life Coach
I’m a long-time educator transitioning from classroom and adjunct positions. When I ended the training, I had ten of my own clients and was able to pay myself back for the full cost with the second client. I’m a happy guy. It was well worth the investment! If you want a program that talks about nuts and bolts, the reality of what it’s like in the field, and want the infrastructure, systems, and practice that go into it, you couldn’t find a better one. I got strong support for launching into this new career. ~ Rich Brown, Academic Life Coach
Only two months after finishing the training, I’m pleased to report I’ve worked with 3 clients, received multiple referrals (including 3 inquiries within four days!), and have several consultations set up for new clients. Gretchen is clear and systematic in explaining her system, without being dogmatic. She’s compassionate and creative as well as grounded and structured. And she’s generous with her time and feedback, too! ~ Sarah Weidman, Academic Life Coach.
The biggest benefits of the training were getting a broad overview of the field of academic coaching and learning best practices. I appreciated the concrete guidance on building my business with specific and motivating marketing actions that actually work. Because Gretchen is so tapped into cutting-edge thinking about both learning and entrepreneurship, I had a sense of trust. This training is a must-have program for anyone who wants to build a successful academic coaching practice. ~ Eve Chosak, Academic Coach and Tutor
As her business coach, I think the world of Gretchen. She has a super amount of energy and passion for helping other academic coaches get started on that path. I’ve seen her trainees benefit greatly from her hard work. Why recreate the wheel and work with other biz coaches who don’t now the field as well as Gretchen does? ~ Bill Silverman, Business Coach with the Big Shift Coaching Program
I couldn’t imagine someone better with whom to walk through business processes and strategies. With Gretchen you get the perfect blend of caring, fun and depth. Some people have lots of knowledge but they are boring. Others are fun but have little substance. Gretchen manages to inhabit the unique territory of being anti-boring and wise! ~ Jo Ilfeld, PhD., Executive leadership coaching and consulting.
I was feeling overwhelmed in my business, and Gretchen had the perfect suggestion adapted to my unique needs. She was spot on! Gretchen helps me stay strong in my inner guidance and respects my own unique way of building my business, while also providing insightful suggestions I hadn’t thought of. I wholeheartedly recommend her as a business mentor for aspiring academic coaches. If you are wondering whether or not to work with her, go for it! You won’t be disappointed! ~ Isabelle Peyrichoux, CEO and Career Reinvention Coach
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my time will this training take?
ROCK YOUR BIZ is designed to be a year-long training. You’ll want to reserve 4-6 hours a month to attend community calls and/or watch the videos, if you can’t come live.
In addition to attending calls, each course takes a specific amount of time to work through. Art of Inspiring Students takes about 3 hours a week over 8 weeks, or a total of 24-ish hours. However, I’ve known some educators to finish it in an entire weekend, or in a couple weeks, if they really pushed. Launch Your Biz takes only about 5-10 hours to read through, but you’ll want to spend much more time on all the homework.
It’s a great rule of thumb to anticipate spending 5-10 hours a week on business building activities. You can do it in less, but the more time you’re able to to invest, the more quickly you will be able to set up a solid foundation. Keep in mind that once you start getting your first clients, you’ll be spending more time in service delivery on top of working through the material.
There are also additional goodies inside the Anti-Boring Educators’ Club, including a monthly Executive Function video. I recommend that ROCK YOUR BIZZERS wait to take these in until after they have worked through the two main courses of Art of Inspiring Students and Launch Your Biz.
Can I start anytime? What if I learn better with a dedicated cohort?
Both! Many educators learn better in the context of a community of peers, and so we gather together a cohort a couple times a year to begin their learning side-by-side. Typically there is a summer cohort, a fall cohort, and a spring cohort. That said, we also acknowledge that sometimes aspiring academic coaches, depending on their work and life context, need to learn at their own time and pace. To that end, you are welcome to join us for ROCK YOUR BIZ on a rolling basis, whenever the time is right for you. Your year in the program starts the day you register.
What if training calls are scheduled at times that I can’t attend?
Yes, that happens from time to time. I’ve structured the program so that hopefully there’s at least one call a month you can attend live. However, if not, here are a few things to keep in mind:
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- The ROCK YOUR COACHING and ROCK YOUR BIZ calls are at a consistent time each month. I hope you’ll be able to plan ahead, and adjust your schedule accordingly for at least one of these calls.
- Most calls are recorded. If you can’t make them, you can send your questions in ahead of time, and then watch the recording to hear the community discussing your situation.
- Please also know there is an extra monthly “Need a Boost” call that bounces around to a variety of times. This is our attempt to be as accessible to as many different locations and schedules as possible. I hope you can catch that call from time to time.
- Although it’s always inspiring and refreshing to attend a live call, many educators report feeling just as connected to the community when they watch and respond to the recordings. I’ve been amazed at how many alum say that the investment and support was well worth it, even if they couldn’t come live.
- I also recommend that you find other ways to be present in the community, even if you can’t come live. For example, send emails via the ROCK YOUR BIZ Google address, and reach out to individuals for co-working sessions and support. The more you’re able to connect deeply with community members, regardless of attending the calls live, the more powerful referral network you will be able to create for yourself.
Can I take each component one at a time? Do I have to do the full training as a bundle?
You sure can! I don’t always recommend it because starting your own business can be a grueling process, and bring up a long list of unconscious emotional blocks. It can be super helpful to be immersed in community to support you through those burdens, and to give you a reality check before you go down a rabbit hole that will only waste time, attention, and often money. Also, it’s more expensive to do each component one at a time.
That said, I’m a big believer in each student organizing their learning in a way that makes sense for them. I’m an academic coach after all! 😉 So feel free to take the courses one at a time. The self-guided courses are available alacarte over at the courses page on this website. When you are ready to layer in the community you can follow the links given to you inside the self-guided courses.
What is the difference between an academic coach, an academic life coach, an executive function coach, and adhd coach? Is this training relevant for all these job titles?
Phew! In the fifteen years that I’ve been doing this work, there are more and more types of coaches who work with students. I originally chose the phrase “academic coach” because that’s the job title I was given when I got my first “academic coaching” job. However, I started adding the word “life” when I realized that so many of my clients are actually struggling with life-related issues. The academic struggles are the most frustrating and visible of their symptoms (especially to their parents, who are the ones willing to pay), but actually there is more going on – learning how to advocate for themselves, sleeping and exercise routines, making and sustaining friendships, communicating better with families, mindset and motivation, and more.
This is why I like to use the phrase “academic life coach” – because it clues the parents AND students into the fact that, although we might START with academic-related problems, our work will eventually reach other aspects of their life, as well. However, it’s important to say that I’m not a trained life coach, and I don’t pretend to work in that capacity; I’m a skilled teacher and brain nerd with my Masters in Education, and I’m most interested in helping students become passionate, skilled, life-long learners who know how to rock school…AND have a satisfying life, too.
These days there are a plethora of programs that allow coaches who work with students to specialize — in adhd, executive functions, life coaching, wellness, and more. As long as you are working one-to-one with students, and include academic skills in the work you do with them, this training is relevant for you. I have found that many people who go through official certification programs (as a certified adhd coach, for example) still need to come to me to learn the academic skill component of their coaching and also to get a solid foundation in how to start their own business.
Many aspiring coaches think they need to get an official “certification” first, before they can start building their business. Because I’m passionate about questioning dominant paradigms, I suggest you do it in the opposite way. Follow my instructions to understand the least you need to do to get maximum results — for your students, for your business. Then, layer in additional trainings later, once you know for sure what kind of training will feel most fun and useful to you! A certification in adhd coaching or executive function coaching can come later, and improve upon your work in ROCK YOUR BIZ, if you decide you want to! Warning, though: the track record I’ve seen in graduates from my program is that most folks do not feel the need for major certifications. Instead, they take smaller courses that help add to their toolbox over time.
I’ve seen you suggest that other academic coaches are our best referral partners. But why is this? Aren’t they our competitors?
I get this question a lot. First of all, I don’t believe in competition. Instead, I believe in standing firmly in an understanding of your own value while you do your very best to be uniquely yourself.
What I love SO MUCH about the Anti-Boring Educators’ Community is that everyone does exactly this. We all have a common toolkit — The Anti-Boring Approach — but we each fully inhabit what I like to call our “special sauce.” We are a growing and increasingly diverse community of colleagues, each of us with our own niche, or serving our perfect client.
For example, I love working with juniors and seniors in high school who are creative but scatter-brained; maybe you love working with middle school students, students in online schools, students with a specific learning difference like autism, junior college students, etc. Perhaps you want to serve first generation college students, or students of color hoping to attend HBCU’s. When a client comes to me or another Anti-Boring Licensed Coach, and they match your niche perfectly, I want to refer them to you. Why? You’ll be a better coach for them! It pays to be generous. There are so many students in need, it doesn’t make sense to compete against each other for them.
Also, keep in mind that often academic coaches stop working from time to time. I got my first private clients from another coach who went on sabbatical and needed someone trustworthy to whom to pass her clients. In 2022 one of our Anti-Boring Coaches decided that, now that her kids were more grown, she was ready to get a job in her dream field which had nothing to do with academic coaching. She had 20 clients to pass along, most of which were referred to other members of our community.
So, no. I don’t believe we are in competition with each other, but rather, we get to help each other have the most joyful businesses possible, and share resources and clients with each other.
Will I get referrals from you? How do we get our bios listed on your website?
I do get a steady stream of parents and students reaching out to me for academic coaching, and as of 2022 I have decided to no longer take 1:1 clients. That means there are many potential students available for referral! You may be invited to join the other coaches on my website once three pre-requisites have been met:
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- You’ve worked through the entire Art of Inspiring Students curriculum, posting all the homework online and engaging in discussion with me via the comments,
- You’ve practiced sharing the Anti-Boring toolkit with at least two student clients, and
- You’ve participated actively in the training calls live or via recording for at least six months.
Usually at this point in the training, I feel confident in the way you represent the Anti-Boring toolkit and am happy to add you to my website. Many ROCK YOUR BIZZERS end up getting referrals from me that pay off their investment in the program!
Can you tell me more about how to become a Licensed Anti-Boring Approach Coach and join your Circle of Licensed Coaches?
Yes! The Circle of Licensed Coaches is a group of educators all of whom:
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- have been trained in the Anti-Boring Approach toolkit
- are committed to using the Anti-Boring Approach in our ongoing work with students, either by teaching the mini-lectures, by sharing the actual course with our students, or both
- crave an ongoing community of support with like-minded and like-hearted educators who are similar stages of business development
- enjoy sharing referrals for clients with each other
- thrive in a context of collaboration, support, and sharing our gifts with each other.
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Most Circle members complete a year or more of ROCK YOUR BIZ as their prerequisite to joining the Circle. In some unique cases, it’s possible to join the Circle after completing a year in ROCK YOUR COACHING (if you already have an established and thriving business prior to joining the community, and simply needed to add the Anti-Boring Toolkit to your roster).
When you join the Circle, you have access to the following:
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- All the resources you enjoyed in your ROCK YOUR BIZ membership, plus
- A listing on my website and the opportunity to receive referrals from me
- The opportunity to give the Anti-Boring Approach online course to all your student clients at no additional fee (thus increasing the value of your packages and allowing you to increase pricing).
- A weekly collaboration call with other members of the Circle, to discuss client cases and receive cheerleading and support around biz-building pain-points.
- Access to all the Educators’ Club calls, for ongoing support and professional development (I’ve noticed that most people seem to like to stay in my community for about three years. It seems like three years is the right amount of time to get a solid biz going).
- Access to leadership opportunities by TA’ing and/or leading training calls (you learn something way better when you teach it, right?!).
- A Google group, where you can immediately email all Inner Circle members any questions, comments, referral needs, etc.
- Quicker access to Gretchen for collaboration conversations and advice.
- Get out of the isolation so common to being a self-employed academic coach.
- A discount on The Art of Inspiring Students for any coaches or tutors you bring into your practice, as your business grows (let Gretchen be the one to train your new coaches!)
- And more!
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If you have more questions about what it means to be a licensed Anti-Boring Approach Coach, please feel free to come to Gretchen’s monthly office hours to ask (www.gretchenwegner.com/live), or email us at officewiz@gretchenwegner.com.
What if I already work with a business coach around business development?
I get it! If you’ve immersed yourself in the world of entrepreneurship, you’ve likely found yourself a number of great resources for growing your marketing.
In fact, a couple of my past trainees have come to me AFTER spending tens of thousands of dollars (literally!) in other people’s business development programs. They discovered with some chagrin that ROCK YOUR BIZ took them farther faster (including getting them more clients, making more money, and seeing a bigger difference in their clients’ lives).
Why? I’m not exactly sure, but my hypothesis so far is that other coaches/trainers understand the GENERAL tenets of how to market, but they don’t have the intimate knowledge of the peculiarities of this market in particular. Also, there’s nothing like getting to learn from other coaches who are also doing the same work and encountering the same challenges that you are.
The systems I’ve created — both to deliver coaching AND to market to and enroll both parents and teenagers — are actually part of what sells my work. I’ve not seen anyone teach what I teach.
How does this training differ from other people who train academic coaches?
I don’t know the complete ins and outs of what the other programs offer, but here’s what I DO know. The two most common trainings I know — JST ADHD Coaching and Coach Training EDU — focus mostly on how to coach students through goal-setting, time management, organization, and focus.
There is a little emphasis on study skills, but not to the degree I think is necessary to create life-long, passionate learners who can learn anything they are taught, no matter how good or bad they think their teacher is.
Also, although the other programs do have business building components, they are not nearly as thorough as mine is. Most teach you how to get clients after you have finished a few levels of their coach training. Often this training is an overview of suggestions and not the in-depth support I provide.
I’ve invested over $25,000 learning how to market myself and build a sustainable business. My main teachers have been Bill Baren, Marie Forleo, Rachel Rodgers, and Michelle Warner. I’ve ALSO done the hard work of translating those trainings into the peculiar field of education, during which you’re needing to sell to both the parent and the student. The primary client who is receiving your services (the student) is NOT the person paying for the services (the parent), which poses some unique challenges other trainings don’t address.
I’m excited I get to teach you what I’ve learned, so you don’t need to re-invent the wheel yourself.
What if I can’t afford the cost of the training, but I know this will really help me?
I absolutely understand the financial quandary, as I ran up against the same problem when I realized I needed marketing training. As a result of my own experiences, I’ve designed ROCK YOUR BIZ to maximize the possibility that you might earn back the cost of the program quickly… perhaps before it’s even finished.
To that end, let me explain more about when and how you might be able to reimburse yourself for paying for the program:
Throughout your year in the community, I’ll ask you to find a minimum of 3 paying practice clients. I recommend that you charge these practice clients a minimum of $1000 (for a half-semester package), and $2000 for a full semester package. This means that three clients will earn you approximately $3000 if they pay the half-semester package. Also, it’s common that some clients will re-up for the next full semester. That will bring in an additional $2000, putting your gross income at $5000. Voila! Program more than paid off.
Here’s something else to think about:
When I first attended a weekend training on how to market my services, the coach asked us to raise our hands if we work as coaches. Almost the entire room raised their hand! Then he said, “Please keep your hand up if you have a coach,” and more than half the arms – including my own! – went down. The trainer then challenged us, “How do you expect people to pay you top dollar for being a coach, if you don’t find it a valuable enough service to invest in it yourself?” That point hit me in my core.
Twenty-five thousand dollars later (that’s how much I ended up paying for 3 years in that marketing program, gaining a wealth of marketing wisdom that I hope to pass on to you), I’m a transformed edupreneur charging more for my coaching services than I thought possible. I attribute this confidence to at least two things:
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- After receiving coaching for the first time in my life, I suddenly understood the true value of the service I was giving my clients, and
- Investing top dollar for a premium coaching program gave me the confidence to ask my clients to invest top dollar, too. This choice changed my life, and I wish the same confidence boost for you.
Additionally, here’s a mantra I told myself when I became stressed about the first $10,000 I put on a 0% interest credit card to pay for my first marketing training: “It’s cheaper than grad school! It’s cheaper than grad school!” Although I originally said this in jest, I quickly realized the power of this mantra. Many people go thousands of dollars into debt to pay for MBA programs, and here I was getting the equivalent of that training for significantly less…. AND I was able to pay it all off before I’d finished my training.
Finally, I heard somewhere that it is customary for business training programs to charge at least 5% of the trainee’s earning potential. If you commit yourself to practicing the marketing techniques I will teach you, here is a model for what you could earn if you decided to devote yourself full-time to this work and got a little more experience under your belt:
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- 4 clients/day for 4 days = 16 client hours/week
- Each client invests $2500/semester (which you can easily raise your prices to)
- 16 clients x $2500/semester = $40,000/semester
- $40,000 x 2 semesters = $80,000/year gross income
- 5% of $80,000=$4000, which is slightly under what I charge for a year in my ROCK YOUR BIZ program! Right on target for what is customary.
So, there you go. I hope you see I’ve done my best to create a high value and also affordable program.
If you’re still concerned about the cost of the training, I have two more suggestions for you.
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- I certainly didn’t have the cash to pay $10k when I registered for my first marketing program. So I got myself a credit card that would be 0% interest for 16 months. That way I could receive the full price discount for the trainings by paying in full. Because my training helped me attract new clients quickly, I was able to earn enough money to pay off each of these credit cards before the interest was due. Although I know credit card debt isn’t for everyone, this process has worked well for me.
- We have sliding scale and scholarship options for folks who need extra support. Perhaps you live in a country with lower GDP’s, and American rates are simply out of the question. Maybe you are experiencing financial hardship because of particularly difficult life circumstances related to health, family responsibilities, and/or historical marginalization because of your race, class, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, and/or other oppressions. Please simply email my office team to tell us as much as you are comfortable about your circumstances, and to request more information about pricing options.