How to create a free email course
Free for you and your community
In my journey to become the best version of myself daily, I have found solace in God's teachings on embracing change as a woman in transition. Change is inevitable, and the only constant in life is God. We learn to find peace and make small adjustments as we navigate changes.
I value authenticity and vulnerability in myself and others. Fortitude is a crucial trait to cultivate in life. We need courage to face the challenges, pain, and adversity that come our way. Life can be tough and frustrating, especially in a world with hardships and struggles. Our desire to serve the community is intensified by our need for financial support. We trust that God knows what we need as we create to connect, not just sell.
Selling has its place.
Our audience lets us know when it craves more.
Using substack, we can create an incentive for exclusivity if desired. When I started, my motive was wrong. I made it from a place of comparison, not my lane. I saw how other women could garner thousands of dollars and hundreds of followers with a simple launch.
It seemed easy.
Yet, in my desire to duplicate, I always fell flat on my face.
I learned the lesson of God’s timing.
Their formula will give you clarity and insight into the importance of processes and systems. However, results aren’t guaranteed without intentional work. If it’s outside of God's timing for elevation or promotion, you’ll feel disappointed because of your unmet expectation to see a monetary increase with their methods.
If you’re an exclusive subscriber, continue reading for a step-by-step guide on creating a free email course for your community.
Disappointment can be a harrowing experience on our journey, but it's important to remember that God's truth about us can help us overcome it.
I have experienced disappointment in my journey, too.
However, after I corrected my heart posture, I saw increased followers in the digital space. My 9-5 job helped me pursue the dream God had planted in my heart, similar to Joseph from the Bible. God used Joseph's challenges to shape his character and prepare him for fulfilling his dream.
I have learned to value my 9-5 job and the secular skills that I have acquired. These skills have opened doors for me that I never knew to pray for and provided financial stability.
In obscurity, I found my voice by embracing my unique qualities and ignoring comparisons that attempted to make me feel "not enough." I am composed of all my experiences up until this point, and I have learned to create without the sole motivation of monetary gain because my secular skills keep the bills paid.
Don’t leave your 9-5 unless God says too. If you do, seek clarity on how to become a 1099 and the freelance projects you can provide in the meantime.
I encourage you to find your authentic voice as you fine-tune your secular skillsets.
So, I created the Authentic Brand Crash Course. It’s a seven-day email course that teaches you how to build a brand without compromising your authentic voice.
This is how I built it. If you want to make your own, follow these steps.
Step 1: What discovery journey do you want to take your audience on? How many days? What will the topics be? Create an outline.
I used Notion to create an email outline. I started writing the emails in Notion before switching to Step 2: Organize and revise your emails for each topic inside Google Docs.
Email #1
Subject: You get what you put into it
Hey [Name]!
Welcome to the Authentic Brand Crash Course – your go-to guide for building a brand that reflects the true you!
Over the next seven days, I aim to lay a foundation for growing an authentic brand without any unnecessary exaggeration or fiction, just as God intended.
No need to fake it.
You learn the most about yourself while waiting and have everything you need at your fingertips. The results will depend on your efforts and God's timing, which trumps everything.
It takes fortitude and decisiveness on your part.
Building an authentic brand takes time to happen.
I'm here to assist YOU in executing ideas that require the best version of yourself. Anyone can grow a following and sell products, but authenticity is key.
This email course is designed to hold you accountable, providing an outline for customization to keep you integral and authentic on your journey.
Let's simplify the terms – defining branding, marketing, and strategy.
Branding is about how people feel (core values) about you, your products, or services when you're not around. Marketing connects you, your products, and your services to the right people. Meanwhile, strategy is your plan to show up on and offline to connect to the right people, making a lasting impression that resonates with core values.
We solve the problems of those we are called to help. Money follows when you align with your purpose. Never chase money – let God take care of that part.
Over the next few days, we'll delve deeper into specifics like releasing unmet expectations, showing up daily, and creating from what your younger self needed. We'll tackle the most crucial step (often skipped) when building an authentic brand tomorrow.
If you want to do extra credit and get a head start, read this and watch the video.
Your accountability partner,
Janae Carlee
As an email marketer, I include links within the body of my emails to facilitate a conversation with my subscribers. Although I offer products for purchase, I never push them on anyone. I want my subscribers to feel like they have the option to buy, not an obligation. Before Step 3: setting up an automated workflow using MailerLite, I always use Grammarly to ensure proper punctuation and sentence structure in my emails.
This automation is activated when a subscriber joins the group for branding or business purposes. When setting up the workflow, please name it and include delays of either one day or 24 hours for the following emails to trigger consecutively. Inside each email for the corresponding day, add the content that you previously wrote in Google Docs.
Step 4: Create a landing page using Tally.
I came across Tally accidentally, and I like it here because I can create low-stress pages without worrying about building a website. Don't forget to toggle on the “Thank You Page” option. Have fun experimenting with different elements, and I recommend establishing a consistent visual brand to ensure a uniform output.
Step 5: Use Zapier to connect submissions from Tally to MailerLite.
When a user enrolls in the course, Zapier automatically adds the appropriate tag in MailerLite to trigger the previously set-up automation.
Step 6: Ask friends to test the course and provide feedback.
I used Instagram to ask participants for feedback before I released it to the world. At the end of the seven days, I will create a Tally form to gather their feedback and make adjustments.
Now it’s your turn to build.
If you need help planning your course, feel free to ask me any questions in the comments, and I'll be happy to assist you. I create content to build a community without any monetary incentive for myself. Instead of creating to provide, it is important to focus on upskilling yourself by refining your skill sets.
Don’t neglect your 9-5 job or consulting opportunities this season.
Leave the rest to God's will.
Your accountability partner,
Janae Carlee