You don’t need a million followers to have a successful online course. That’s the message of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Paul Thomson. Paul is the Founder of the Online Course Creators Hub and has coached online course creators to bring in millions in sales. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.
What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?
Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.
Episode #119: Paul Thomson – Online Course Creators Hub, Digital Nomad
Paul Thomson, the Founder of the Online Course Creators Hub, joins the show to share his journey from nearly becoming a school principal to coaching online course creators to bring in millions in sales. Hear how to create a successful online course, validate your online course idea, market your online course, stick to your calendar, and the longest flight he’s ever been on. This episode covers everything from course creation tips to Paul’s favorite part of living in Edinburg. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- How did Paul almost become a school principal
- What did he do at Buffer
- How do you create an online course
- How do you make your online course more engaging
- How do you market your online course
- How do you validate your online course idea
- How do you become a digital nomad
- Why is Burger King celebrating their competitors
Connect with Paul at @ThePaulThomson on Instagram and Facebook and at ThePaulThomson.com.
Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- Intro & Buffer
- [0:47] Connect with Paul at @ThePaulThomson on Instagram and Facebook and at ThePaulThomson.com
- [1:10] Forbes, Thrive Global
- [1:25] Check out the Dorm app
- [1:52] Sir Paul
- [2:16] Edinburgh, Scotland
- [2:30] Stephanie Liu on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
- [2:46] How did Paul almost become a school principal
- [3:26] Education Industry
- [3:39] Google, Microsoft
- [3:53] Why was Paul given so much responsibility in school
- [4:49] Tech (Technology)
- [5:02] Content Marketing, Social Media
- [5:05] How was Paul’s experience working at Buffer
- [5:29] Blogging, EdTech (Education Technology)
- [5:45] Unlimited Vacation, MacBook, Transparent Salary
- [6:08] Time Zones in Australia
- [6:45] Remote Working, Company Culture, Marketing
- [6:57] API (Application Programming Interface), Engineering
- [7:18] Digital Nomad
- [7:21] Bali
- [7:43] What was the school staff’s reaction when Paul chose social media over the principal job
- [8:07] SaaS (Software as a Service), Startups, Peter Thiel, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, Silicon Valley
- How do you create an Online Course
- [10:07] Online Course Creators Hub
- [10:09] Where was Paul first exposed to online courses
- [10:32] What is a Business Coach
- [11:26] Agency Model
- [11:33] Thinkific, Point-and-Click
- [12:03] Podcast, Video Series
- [12:17] How do you create your first online course
- [12:30] Bob’s your uncle!
- [13:45] Live Video, Audience Feedback
- [14:15] 93% of people won’t finish an online course
- [14:42] How do you create an online course
- [15:13] Thinkific Studio for Online Course Creators
- [16:14] How do you validate your online course
- [16:21] Email, Waitlist
- [17:12] Beta Launch Model
- [17:45] Flagship Course, Testimonials, Case Studies
- [18:14] Website, Social Proof
- [18:24] What are best practices for creating an online course
- [18:56] Online Education
- [19:21] Museum Curator
- [19:40] Bonus Content, Lead Generator, Mini-Course
- [20:28] What equipment do you need for an online course
- [20:58] Frame Rate, DPI (Dots Per Inch), Nanometer
- [21:33] Talking Head, Slides
- [22:23] Multiple Camera Angles (Multi-cam)
- [23:04] iPhone Camera, DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex), 4K
- [23:27] Pat Flynn’s keynote at Podcast Movement Virtual aka #PMvirtual
- [24:09] How detailed should your online course slides be
- [25:15] In Fake Life
- [26:33] How do you create an engaging online course
- [26:59] Gamification
- [27:42] Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, Jenna Kutcher & Russell Brunson
- [30:00] How do you market an online course
- [30:50] YouTube, Travel Vlogger, Instagram
- [31:16] Superfans by Pat Flynn
- [31:30] eBooks
- [32:12] DM (Direct Messages)
- [32:40] Profitability, Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), Paid Acquisition
- [33:04] Facebook Ads
- [33:24] Masterclass
- [33:33] Hot Leads
- [34:07] Can you create a successful online course without a large following
- [34:21] Of course! Nice pun, Paul
- [34:39] Podcasting, LinkedIn
- [34:54] Holy Grail
- [35:08] Advertising
- [35:43] Here’s a microphone for $49 at the time of posting this
- [35:54] Amazon
- [37:24] Infrastructure
- [37:54] Evangelists
- [38:01] Proof of Concept
- [38:12] Copywriter, Graphic Design, Sales
- [38:40] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
- Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
- [39:32] How do you become a digital nomad
- [39:41] Financial Security
- [39:58] Remote Company
- [40:27] Calendar
- [40:50] Expenses
- [41:00] Content Plan
- [41:52] What hobbies does Paul have regardless of where he’s located
- [42:35] Remote Personal Trainer
- [43:50] Hidden Gem about being a Podcast Producer
- Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
- [44:13] Burger King
- [44:23] Why does Burger King want you to eat at its competitors
- [44:28] Tweet
- [44:45] McDonald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut, Five Guys
- [45:14] Retweet
- [45:51] Rob & Kennedy on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
- [46:08] Fast Food
- Rapid-Fire Q&A
- [46:34] What is the longest flight Paul has ever been on
- [46:49] What is the biggest adjustment from growing up in a small town to visiting the biggest cities in the world
- [47:19] Incisors, Bicuspids, Wisdom Teeth
- [47:24] What weird talents does Paul have
- [48:04] Connect with Paul at @ThePaulThomson on Instagram and Facebook and at ThePaulThomson.com
- [48:44] Voice Memos, “Down in the DM” by Yo Gotti
- [49:00] What are Paul’s final thoughts
- [49:35] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
- [49:38] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
- [49:43] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
- [49:47] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
- Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo
How do you start a podcast?
Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.
Thanks for listening to Paul Thomson on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!
