Create Transformative Learning Journeys (Mel Stanley)

Course Lab: Lessons from Successful Online Course Creators

Mel Stanley, founder of FirstWoman.rocks, knew that she had to pivot really quickly when her revenue streams dried up due to the pandemic. When she stopped panicking, she successfully created her virtual coaching practice.

Mel is the creator of the course, Brand for Success, which is designed to create meaningful transformation for her clients, who are exclusively women. In her course and coaching practice, she aims a hammer at the glass ceiling. Not only that, but the hammer is aimed at the concept of “online courses” itself. Listen in as Abe and Danny coin a new term.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How using free 20-minute speed coaching sessions is a wonderful tool to create course content—and fill your pilot.
• Using polls on LinkedIn to distill what problems women have stepping up into leadership positions.
• Using coaching as an approach to help students get results.
• What a playbook is and how Mel uses it in her course.
• A new term for online courses!
• Danny and Abe’s debrief after the interview.

“I thought I was doing everybody a favor by making it shorter. In fact, what they wanted was longer so they could have more chats.”

– Mel Stanley

Guest Bio: Mel Stanley is a Personal Branding and Marketing Strategist, CMO, and Board Director and the founder of FirstWoman, a consulting and coaching firm helping ambitious, professional women and Founders achieve success and recognition. She works exclusively with aspiring women who want to be successful on their terms without compromising who they are or their values and principles.

“There’s always a woman before you who was the first to achieve something. You can be ‘a first,’ too. Nothing is unreachable,” says Mel. She’s a firm believer that women have all the necessary talent, but sometimes lack the clarity, confidence, and visibility required to compete effectively, to stand out from the crowd and become instantly recognizable in a way that articulates their unique strengths and qualities.

She feels that the world needs more senior females, especially, to be around the Board table when decisions are being made that impact women--especially decisions concerning issues such as equal opportunity, the pay gap, flexible working options, and maternity leave.

Follow Mel and follow her hashtag, #successwithoutcompromise for discussions on these topics:

• Personal Branding Strategy for women
• Gender inequality
• Cats!! But only on a Friday
• The FirstWoman page

• Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:

1. Mirasee
2. Mel's website
3. Mel's LinkedIn
4. FirstWoman.Rocks LinkTr.ee
5. Mel’s Twitter
6. Mel's Instagram

• Credits:

• Guest: Mel Stanley
• Hosts: Danny Iny & Abe Crystal
• Producer: Cynthia Lamb
• Executive producer: Danny Iny
• Assembled by: Geoff Govertsen
• Audio Post Supervisor: Evan Miles, Christopher Martin
• Audio Post Production: Post Office Sound
• Music soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely

If you don't want to miss future episodes of Course Lab, please subscribe to Apple podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're listening right now. And if you liked the show, please leave us a starred review. It's the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

• Music and SFX credits:

Track Title: Bossa BB

Artist Name(s): Marie

Writer Name: Chelsea McGough

Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

• Track Title: Grace

Artist Name(s): Shimmer

Writer Name: Matthew Wigton

Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

• Track Title: Carousel Lights

Artist Name(s): Chelsea McGough

Writer Name: Chelsea McGough

Writer Name: Matthew Wigton

Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

• Track Title: Coo Coos

Artist Name(s): Dresden, The Flamingo

Writer Name: Matthew Wigton

Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

• Episode transcript: Create Transformative Learning Journeys. coming soon

~~~~~