Drew made his first online course sales while walking on the beach
Drew’s accredited online courses empower teachers and school counselors to level up their education so they can grow their salaries and help students thrive.
1k+
Teachers impacted
30+
Accredited courses
3
Grad credits per course
2016
Partnerships established
Highlights
A few takeaways from Drew’s success:
- Even if technology isn't your strong suit, you can still start and grow a successful online business.
- Creating your first few pieces of content may seem like a heavy lift, but the benefits can far outweigh any struggles.
- Don't wait for the "perfect" setup or circumstances to get started. You can create content and start earning from practically anywhere!
- Showing your customers respect and appreciation will help them feel valued and can keep them around longer.
Meet the founder
Drew Schwartz is the founder of Credit4teachers, an online resource helping educators from across the U.S. with professional development.
After working as a School Improvement Director, Drew decided to channel his expertise to create online book and video courses for educators to expand their skills and knowledge in a non-traditional way. In doing so, thousands of teachers have been given the opportunity of salary advancement and are better equipped to impact their students’ lives and help them succeed.
Interview
Drew shared his membership journey with us. Find out what he had to say in our Q&A.
Which digital products do you sell?
What is the pain point you solve for your customers?
We help teachers and school counselors to bypass boring and ineffective professional development. With our courses, they learn and earn graduate credit from top universities to help their students thrive while increasing their salaries.
What were you doing before your membership business?
School Improvement Director
What challenges did you have in the early stages of your business? How did you solve those challenges?
I am an idea person. I used to feel intimidated or overwhelmed by technology. Initially, I didn’t know how to take my ideas, which I had been presenting in person via workshops, and translate them into an online business with a partially “passive income” model. MemberSpace has helped me to package and sell the video and book courses offered on our website in a way that is clean and user-friendly.
Were there any keys to success, or big "a-ha!" moments that really elevated the growth of your business?
The first month, I uploaded 2 video courses that I’d filmed on an iPhone while visiting different sites in Europe — the Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, Amsterdam canals, etc. I came back to the U.S., had the videos edited, and created workbooks for each course. The initial work of creating these video courses was substantial. That said, once the courses went online, 30 courses were bought in the first month. The first key to success was to do the hard work to create the courses and get them online. The first “aha” moment happened when I was in San Diego the first week, checked my email and people had purchased courses while I was walking on the beach. I realized how exciting it was to be helping people and growing the business with sand on my toes.
Now, we have 8 video courses and 24 book courses online. Over 1,000 teachers have purchased our courses. We hear stories about how they are benefiting students across the country regularly. Knowing we are making a big impact in schools is a key to success because it taps into our larger “why”. Our courses are now geared towards everyone — not just educators! For example, our W.I.N.S. Communication course and 1-2-3 Wellness courses are slowly becoming popular among people from all walks of life: C.E.O.s, stay-at-home parents, and the like. Our next focus will be on how to market to non-educators.
Did you have a social media following or large email list before you started your membership?
No.
How do you market your membership and find new members?
Our primary means of finding new members stems from our partnerships with universities. We are fortunate to partner with world-renowned universities Lindenwood and UCSD so that people who take our courses can earn university graduate credit as part of their experience. We also have a talented team led by Kristen and Brittany who send emails and provide unparalleled customer service. People tend to recommend our courses to others after their positive experiences. Plus, we have a special for groups who sign up with 4 or more people.
Do you spend any money on paid advertisements? Which platform(s) do you advertise on, and how helpful is this in finding new members?
Yes; we dabbled with Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads years ago. They were not helpful at the time so we stopped. We may revisit this option in the future.
Have you done anything to focus on retention and reduce canceled members?
Our customer service is positive and helpful. Since our primary customers are incredibly busy, hard-working, talented educators, we focus on showing them respect and appreciation for helping to make the world a better place. Appreciation is a superpower.
What are some of your favorite online tools for running your business?
MemberSpace, Fiverr, Canva, Squarespace, Zoom
Do you have a team helping with your membership business? What does your team help with, and are they full-time, or independent contractors?
Yes, I have a team; they are part-time. About 2 years ago, I got very lucky to hire Kristen, a talented teacher during the day, to manage the day-to-day operations of the emails that we receive as well as video call support as needed. She is awesome! I was also lucky to hire Brittany recently to help with outreach.
What's your source of inspiration?
My grandfather used to ask me “How do you spend your days?”. The businesses we have created are attempting to do great work that helps people in life-changing ways. (I say businesses, plural, because 1-2-3 Wellness is another, related business). We focus on empowering people to tap into their potential. We provide tools related to wellness, communication, nervous system regulation, growth mindset, self-care, goal-setting, and more. They are research-based tools that flow from neurological research: as humans, our brains are structured to require safety and connection in order to move up to the prefrontal cortex to access creativity, problem-solving, and more. So I am inspired by the idea that we are, one “small” step at a time, helping to make the world a better place.
If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
Take it easy and be kind to yourself.