After completing the 2019 DO GOOD X accelerator program, this summer you successfully launched your online Soulpreneur course. Can you share what that experience was like and what you learned in the process?
During the accelerator program, I narrowed in on what my focus should be and who my target audience was for the course. At the suggestion of DO GOOD X, I took Danielle Leslie’s Course from Scratch to help me create the course I wanted to launch. It was a lot of hard work but in July I launched my six-week, online Soulpreneur course. I had 15 participants sign up and complete the course, and made about $20,000.
Initially, I thought I had to have an online platform for my education materials to go along with my weekly group coaching sessions. But I discovered with this first cohort that less is more. Most people didn’t use the education platform, they seemed to benefit more from the coaching sessions. What I learned was that my sweet spot was helping people develop the confidence to stand on their names as soulpreneurs. The group coaching sessions really helped them discover their purpose and identity and solidified that their life experiences can help them create a business.
What was one thing you learned during the DO GOOD X accelerator program that helped you launch your course?
As someone who started their entrepreneurial journey as a minister for almost 30 years, DO GOOD X really helped me develop a better business mindset. I have a spirit of generosity within me that always wants to help people. But if you don’t help yourself you can’t help everyone else. Prior to DO GOOD X, I was running my ministry and non-profit with an underfunded mindset because that was what I was used to. And while I was already making a shift in how I run my business, I still needed to get clear on how my work could be more sustainable.
Stephen Lewis, the founder of DO GOOD X, was my mentor and he would drill me on my customer journey to help me identify who my customers were. And because I like to help people, he would always remind me that, “customers pay!” At first, I was apprehensive because I didn’t think my audience would have the funds to pay for my services, but he kept pushing me to figure out how I could make that happen. And I’m glad he did because I was able to identify and implement a pricing strategy for my Soulpreneur course that allows me to help people and make a profit.
In your experience, what makes for a successful DO GOOD X Fellow? And what can a prospective Fellow expect out of the accelerator program?
For someone applying to DO GOOD X, I think they should have a sense of what their call is and the work they want to do through social entrepreneurship. They should also be clear and confident in their work, and have a lot of moxie because this accelerator does push you!
With the successful launch of your Soulpreneur course are there plans for another course? And when will the next Soulprenuer course start?
I was tempted to create another course but for right now, I’m going to keep perfecting the Soulpreneur course. There will be different iterations of the course so I’m working on that now. This fall I’ll be teaching a course at Hartford Seminary in the Black ministry certificate program so people will get a taste of my Soulpreneur course. The next Soulprenuer course starts on November 17, 2020!
Want to get connected? You can keep up with Shelley Best on Instagram @revdrshelley and at revdrshelley.com.