Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum

You've got college students who can scroll TikTok in their sleep but cannot attach a file to an email. You've got semi-retired folks who want to pay their gas bill online without bugging the grandkids. The gut reaction when your students look this different from each other is to build different tracks for different levels. This BS Breakthrough makes the case for a very different read on the situation, and a much simpler course structure on the other side of it. What We Work Through Why "different starting points" and "different knowledge levels" are not the same thing, and why mixing them up sends you down a structural rabbit hole you do not actually need to go down How to spot when your students share one skill gap, even if their tech, jobs, and ages look nothing alike, and what that means for the way you build the course The case for letting learners pick their own technology and their own task, and why giving up that bit of control is what makes the course usable for everyone in the room How to build troubleshooting into the course structure itself, instead of telling people to "email when you get stuck" and putting the work back on them Two different kinds of stuck (your steps did not work vs. the technology changed on you), and why each one needs its own decision tree A three-step gut check for figuring out whether your own course is solving for the right kind of variation in your audience If you have been trying to design a course for students who feel like they are all over the map, the takeaway is not always more tracks, more pathways, or more content. Sometimes it is one course, one skill, and a structure that lets each person plug in their own context. Press play, see if Tim's situation sounds like yours, and steal what works. Go back and listen to the full episode with Tim Maile, the live course design consultation this BS Breakthrough is pulled from. Listen there for Tim's links and the original troubleshoot. About Tim Maile Tim Maile is the owner and operator of TKM PM and IT Solutions, where he makes IT work for people, not the other way around. With over 20 years of on-the-ground experience as the unofficial IT person in the room, Tim specializes in solving tech problems and building genuine confidence in the people who use technology every day. Website: www.tkmitpm.uk Facebook: TKM PM and IT Solutions LinkedIn: TKM PM and IT Solutions Book an appointment: calendly.com/tkmitpm YouTube: The Human Side of Tech: A No Jargon Zone Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

If your course students keep coming back to you every time they hit a wall, the problem probably isn't them. In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through a live course design consultation with Tim Maile, an IT solutions specialist building a course to help people stop fearing technology and start actually using it. What unfolds is a masterclass in the difference between teaching a tool and teaching someone how to learn. What We Work Through The reframe that changes everything: why "different knowledge levels" is probably not the real problem your course needs to solve Why confidence is a learning variable, not a bonus outcome, and how to design for it on purpose How letting learners choose their own technology and mini task is not chaos but actually good course design Why the "why" behind a learner's goal matters more than the skill itself, and the case for a journaling component in a tech course How to build troubleshooting directly into your course structure so learners can work through friction without defaulting to you The two types of troubleshooting that need two different responses: task-level roadblocks versus system-level disruption Why naming technology realities out loud (software changes, buttons move, two-factor authentication is not going away) protects learner confidence instead of undermining it If you've been trying to figure out how to design a course that works for learners at wildly different starting points, this episode gives you a real working example of how to think through that problem without just building more content. About Tim Maile Tim Maile is the owner and operator of TKM PM and IT Solutions, where he makes IT work for people, not the other way around. With over 20 years of on-the-ground experience as the unofficial IT person in the room, Tim specializes in solving tech problems and building genuine confidence in the people who use technology every day. Website: www.tkmitpm.uk Facebook: TKM PM and IT Solutions LinkedIn: TKM PM and IT Solutions Book an appointment: calendly.com/tkmitpm YouTube: The Human Side of Tech: A No Jargon Zone Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

If you've ever looked at your course or membership and thought, "I should probably add more," this one's for you. Dr. Catrina Mitchum breaks down a real design conversation with Amber Cherelle, founder of the Everevolution™ collective, and the counterintuitive lesson that came out of it: more options don't create more engagement. They create more ways to avoid the work. What We Work Through Why giving learners too many ways to engage actually reduces participation and what decision fatigue has to do with it How to identify the one thing in your learning experience that's actually creating transformation, and build around that instead of on top of it The difference between live elements that earn their place and live elements that just add pressure without adding value Why some of the best support structures are the ones that get out of the way A two-step audit you can run on your own course today: map every engagement option, then ask whether each one supports the main thing or competes with it If your course or program is starting to feel like a pile of good ideas that somehow isn't working, this episode gets at why that happens and what to actually do about it. Go back and listen to the full episode with Amber Cherelle if you haven't, especially if you're building something live and experiential. About Amber Cherelle Amber is a serial business owner, founder of Everevolution™, and someone who's asking big questions about how we grow, lead, and show up in life. Amber's work sits at the intersection of personal development, leadership, and real-world application, and this work isn't about learning more stuff, it's about becoming different. She creates Living Experiments: immersive, real-life growth experiences designed to move people from insight into embodied change. Her mission? Help people become the change they wish to see — and experience the richness of life that follows. Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore⁠ Podcast: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj⁠ Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

What does it actually look like to design a learning experience around lifelong growth instead of a single outcome? Amber Cherelle, founder of Everevolution™, brings Dr. Catrina Mitchum a real design challenge: how to structure the EverEvolution Collective, an ongoing membership built around immersive Living Experiments. This one gets into the weeds on live vs. async, cognitive load, and what learners actually need to make change stick. What We Work Through Why the dialogue calls have to stay live, and what gets lost when you try to replace real-time conversation with a chat platform How to use asynchronous options strategically so they support the live calls instead of competing with them Why giving learners too many access points can actually reduce engagement, not increase it The case for a simple, password-protected hub over a full course portal when the experience is relationship-driven How a living impact mission journal can give learners a through line across every experiment and something concrete to bring to each dialogue call Why concept calls that cover too much ground are a cognitive load problem, not a content problem How spaced recall and drawing connections between chunks helps learners actually retain what they're being taught What to do when your audience spans from "first personal development experience" to "been doing this work for years" Why getting feedback early, while you're still running things live, is one of the most useful design moves you can make Amber came in with a big vision and some real design questions. She leaves with a clearer structure, a concrete plan for the impact mission piece, and a much better sense of where live interaction is non-negotiable and where async can actually serve her learners better. If you're building something that's meant to create lasting change rather than just deliver content, this episode is worth your time. About Amber Cherelle Amber is a serial business owner, founder of Everevolution™, and someone who's asking big questions about how we grow, lead, and show up in life. Amber's work sits at the intersection of personal development, leadership, and real-world application, and this work isn't about learning more stuff, it's about becoming different. She creates Living Experiments: immersive, real-life growth experiences designed to move people from insight into embodied change. Her mission? Help people become the change they wish to see — and experience the richness of life that follows. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

Sometimes the question you've been stuck on isn't actually the problem. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with speaking coach Mike McQuillan, who came in asking about video production quality and walked out building an entirely different course for a brand new audience. If your course isn't doing what you hoped it would, this one is worth your time. What We Work Through Why the question you're asking about your course might be a symptom, not the real problem What it looks like when one course is trying to do three different jobs at once, and why that's a losing situation for everyone How drastically different audiences (think: busy gym owners vs. college athletes with zero margin for error) require courses built from scratch, not retrofitted versions of something that already exists Why designing around learner constraints, specifically time, energy, and competing priorities, matters more than how much content you can fit into a module Two concrete steps to figure out whether your course has an audience problem, a design problem, or both If you've ever felt like your course isn't working but couldn't quite put your finger on why, Dr. Catrina's breakdown of Mike's situation is probably going to feel familiar. Go back and listen to the full episode with Mike first if you haven't yet, then come back here. The link is in the show notes. Referenced in This Episode Episode 3: Mike McQuillan on speaking, storytelling, and presentation skills for solopreneurs Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@coursecreatorplaybook Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through a live troubleshoot with Mike McQuillan, speaking coach and owner of Fit Presenter. Mike built a course for one audience, but his business has grown in a different direction and the course hasn't caught up. The conversation turns into a practical lesson in one of the most common course creation problems: what to do when the course you built is no longer for the people you thought you were serving. What We Work Through Why a course that isn't working might be a content problem, an audience problem, or both... and how to tell the difference What to do when your course is trying to serve multiple audiences at the same time How to write feedback questions that actually tell you what you need to know Why you should design for the time your learners actually have, and then cut that number in half Why surveying your new audience before you rebuild anything is non-negotiable Mike came in with a course that had drifted from its original purpose and left with a clearer picture of what to keep, a smarter approach to gathering feedback, and a roadmap for rebuilding around the people who are actually showing up. About the Guest Mike McQuillan is a speaking coach and the owner of Fit Presenter, where he helps solopreneurs develop their storytelling and presentation skills. Connect with Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mcquillan-fitpresenter/ Website: https://fit-presenter.com Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

Your students think they are telling you what they need. But what if the problem they're naming isn't actually the problem? In this BS Breakthrough episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks a real conversation from Episode 1 and pulls out three takeaways you can apply to your course right now, whether you're just starting or stuck somewhere in the middle. Topics Covered The stated problem is rarely the whole problem. Your students say they need X. But X is often a symptom. The real work is figuring out what's underneath it, and whether your course is actually built to solve that deeper thing. Logistics questions can be a sneaky way to avoid the foundational ones. Platform, pricing, tech setup -- these feel productive. But if you don't yet know what transformation your course is supposed to create, you're building on sand. Dr. Catrina gives you a one-question gut check for this. Live does not automatically translate to async. If you've been running live sessions and recorded them to make a "course," this one's for you. What works in a Zoom room doesn't work on demand, and Dr. Catrina explains exactly what's missing and what to build instead. The stepping stone course. Sometimes the course your students need first is smaller and different from the one you planned. Dr. Catrina walks through how identifying that foundational gap can actually open up your offer suite and serve more people. Two concrete action steps. Not concepts to think about. Not frameworks to research. Two things you can do today to figure out whether your course is solving the right problem and whether you actually know what you're building yet. This episode is bite-sized on purpose. If you've been spinning on the wrong questions, or building something that feels off but you can't name why, this is the reset you need. Go back and listen to the full Episode 1 conversation with Suzanne Pugh if you haven't yet -- this BS Breakthrough hits differently once you do. Referenced in This Episode Episode 1 with Suzanne Pugh (freediving instructor and nervous system regulation teacher) Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠ Check out the membership: ⁠https://www.cmlearningdesign.com/course-maker-membership⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

In Episode 1, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through Suzanne's real course challenge live and the conversation turns into a masterclass in what it actually means to build a learning experience from scratch. Not a content dump. Not a manual. An experience that prepares a student to actually learn. What We Work Through Why giving students a 117-page manual is not a preparation strategy, and what to build instead The three goals Suzanne and Dr. Catrina map out together for that mini-course Why breaking a practice-based course into smaller chunks might feel ridiculous to the expert, and why that is exactly right How to use features like self-recorded video, audio, and journaling to let students teach themselves The before-and-after artifact: why self-paced students cannot see their own incremental change and how to build in moments that show it to them Why students do not ask for help in online courses and how to build for that Why explaining the "why" behind each step is not optional if you want students to keep going Accessibility as a real design consideration - leveraging different modes of participation for each step Closing Suzanne came in with a real course problem and left with a three-goal curriculum framework, a clearer picture of her mini-course structure, and homework she is genuinely excited to do. Suzanne's Homework Map out the specific exercises to lead students through in phase 2 of the mini-course. Write out how each one connects to the goal of the module and the course overall. First, articulate the connection for yourself. Then figure out how you would explain it to a student. About the Guest Suzanne Pugh is a Freediving Hypnotist with over 25 years of teaching experience. She teaches people how to calm their nervous system and their mind so they can have freediving adventures around the world. She is also a yoga teacher, energy healer, and hypnotherapist, and runs Freedive Egypt, where her instructors guide students through in-water training. Website: www.suzannepugh.com Freedive Egypt: www.freediveegypt.com Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠ Check out the membership: https://www.cmlearningdesign.com/course-maker-membership Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design Subscribe to my ⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship

If you've been trying to turn what you know into a course and keep getting stuck, you found the right place. Every episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through a real course creation problem with a real guest who's genuinely stuck on something. No guru frameworks, no scripted success stories. Just honest troubleshooting using actual learning science from someone who's been designing and teaching online courses since 2009. The goal: one "oh, THAT'S how I do this" moment you can apply to your course immediately. First three episodes drop March 5th. New episodes every other week. Real problems, real solutions, no fluff. Apply to be a guest: ⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship