Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/ en 2026 The course creation industry is drowning in crap, and Dr. Catrina Mitchum has zero patience for it and the knowledge and experience to fix it.   Every other week, she troubleshoots real course creation problems with real business owners who are genuinely stuck, using actual learning science. Because your people deserve better than a folder of videos they'll never finish. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f2eef8ba-11f2-11f1-a7e7-bb4625c26966/image/80932164eb03f98b2f111abf0fabe682.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/ episodic Dr. Catrina Mitchum The course creation industry is drowning in crap, and Dr. Catrina Mitchum has zero patience for it and the knowledge and experience to fix it.   Every other week, she troubleshoots real course creation problems with real business owners who are genuinely stuck, using actual learning science. Because your people deserve better than a folder of videos they'll never finish. The course creation industry is drowning in crap, and Dr. Catrina Mitchum has zero patience for it and the knowledge and experience to fix it.  


Every other week, she troubleshoots real course creation problems with real business owners who are genuinely stuck, using actual learning science. Because your people deserve better than a folder of videos they'll never finish.

]]> Dr. Catrina Mitchum coursecreationcrappodcast@gmail.com 16: BS Breakthrough: What If Support Is the Thing You're Actually Selling? You sell a course, people buy it, and then it just sits there. Sound familiar? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum pulls the lessons out of her conversation with Brenda Brusegard of Informed Tech Solutions, whose good, well-built course still wasn't getting finished. The problem wasn't the content. It was everything wrapped around it, and the fix says a lot about why so many self-paced courses aren't getting people results. What We Work Through Why "add more content" is almost never the answer when buyers go quiet, and how to figure out whether you have a content problem or an offer problem What it looks like when support becomes the product: leading with a membership and letting the course ride along inside it, instead of selling a self-paced course and sneaking in the calls Why some topics, like AI, simply need ongoing support because self-paced learning alone can't keep up with a moving target The expectation wall: having buyers write down what they expect before they get access, so you can meet the mismatch head on instead of losing people to it How to make mini lessons about the learner: swapping "talking at them" for assessment questions that get people looking at their own business Your homework: ask your buyers what they expected and what got in the way, then rewrite your next live teaching segment as an assessment If your buyers keep telling you, in words or in silence, that they can't get to your course, this episode gives you a way to hear what they're actually saying. Course support isn't a consolation prize for a broken course. Sometimes it is the offer. Referenced in This Episode Episode 15 with Brenda Brusegard Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: What If Support Is the Thing You're Actually Selling? full 1 16 Dr. Catrina Mitchum You sell a course, people buy it, and then it just sits there. Sound familiar? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum pulls the lessons out of her conversation with Brenda Brusegard of Informed Tech Solutions, whose good, well-built course still wasn't getting finished. The problem wasn't the content. It was everything wrapped around it, and the fix says a lot about why so many self-paced courses aren't getting people results. You sell a course, people buy it, and then it just sits there. Sound familiar? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum pulls the lessons out of her conversation with Brenda Brusegard of Informed Tech Solutions, whose good, well-built course still wasn't getting finished. The problem wasn't the content. It was everything wrapped around it, and the fix says a lot about why so many self-paced courses aren't getting people results. What We Work Through Why "add more content" is almost never the answer when buyers go quiet, and how to figure out whether you have a content problem or an offer problem What it looks like when support becomes the product: leading with a membership and letting the course ride along inside it, instead of selling a self-paced course and sneaking in the calls Why some topics, like AI, simply need ongoing support because self-paced learning alone can't keep up with a moving target The expectation wall: having buyers write down what they expect before they get access, so you can meet the mismatch head on instead of losing people to it How to make mini lessons about the learner: swapping "talking at them" for assessment questions that get people looking at their own business Your homework: ask your buyers what they expected and what got in the way, then rewrite your next live teaching segment as an assessment If your buyers keep telling you, in words or in silence, that they can't get to your course, this episode gives you a way to hear what they're actually saying. Course support isn't a consolation prize for a broken course. Sometimes it is the offer. Referenced in This Episode Episode 15 with Brenda Brusegard Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 You sell a course, people buy it, and then it just sits there. Sound familiar? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum pulls the lessons out of her conversation with Brenda Brusegard of Informed Tech Solutions, whose good, well-built course still wasn't getting finished. The problem wasn't the content. It was everything wrapped around it, and the fix says a lot about why so many self-paced courses aren't getting people results.


What We Work Through

  • Why "add more content" is almost never the answer when buyers go quiet, and how to figure out whether you have a content problem or an offer problem
  • What it looks like when support becomes the product: leading with a membership and letting the course ride along inside it, instead of selling a self-paced course and sneaking in the calls
  • Why some topics, like AI, simply need ongoing support because self-paced learning alone can't keep up with a moving target
  • The expectation wall: having buyers write down what they expect before they get access, so you can meet the mismatch head on instead of losing people to it
  • How to make mini lessons about the learner: swapping "talking at them" for assessment questions that get people looking at their own business
  • Your homework: ask your buyers what they expected and what got in the way, then rewrite your next live teaching segment as an assessment

If your buyers keep telling you, in words or in silence, that they can't get to your course, this episode gives you a way to hear what they're actually saying. Course support isn't a consolation prize for a broken course. Sometimes it is the offer.


Referenced in This Episode


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 987 yes 15: When a Standalone Course Isn't Enough: Adding the Support Layer with Brenda Brusegard You built the course. People bought it. And then nobody did anything with it. That's exactly where Brenda Brusegard found herself, and in this episode, she and Dr. Catrina Mitchum work through what's actually missing and what it looks like to add the support layer that makes a course worth buying in the first place. Topics covered in this episode: Why people buy self-paced courses with every intention of doing them and then don't — and what course designers can do about it on the front end The difference between accountability support and Q&A support, and why a single well-designed session can deliver both at once How setting expectations before learners get access can prevent the gap between what they signed up for and what the course actually asks of them Why "course burnout" is real, why learners are tired of being left alone with a video library, and why adding support changes the value proposition entirely The research behind why feeling supported matters as much as content quality when it comes to whether adults actually finish what they start What 90-minute co-working and question sessions can do that asynchronous content simply cannot The case for leading with a membership instead of a standalone course — and how to make that pivot without starting from scratch How to use feedback you've already collected from existing learners to build out your first three months of programming If you've got a course that people are buying but not finishing, this one is going to hit close to home. Brenda came in with a real problem and left with a real plan, and there's plenty in here for you to take and apply today. About Brenda Brusegard Brenda Brusegard is the founder of Informed Tech Solutions, where she helps small business owners cut through the noise and actually use technology to run better businesses. A former science teacher turned tech strategist, she specializes in making AI and business systems accessible, practical, and worth the time investment. Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0000 When a Standalone Course Isn't Enough: Adding the Support Layer with Brenda Brusegard full 1 15 Dr. Catrina Mitchum You built the course. People bought it. And then nobody did anything with it. That's exactly where Brenda Brusegard found herself, and in this episode, she and Dr. Catrina Mitchum work through what's actually missing and what it looks like to add the support layer that makes a course worth buying in the first place. You built the course. People bought it. And then nobody did anything with it. That's exactly where Brenda Brusegard found herself, and in this episode, she and Dr. Catrina Mitchum work through what's actually missing and what it looks like to add the support layer that makes a course worth buying in the first place. Topics covered in this episode: Why people buy self-paced courses with every intention of doing them and then don't — and what course designers can do about it on the front end The difference between accountability support and Q&A support, and why a single well-designed session can deliver both at once How setting expectations before learners get access can prevent the gap between what they signed up for and what the course actually asks of them Why "course burnout" is real, why learners are tired of being left alone with a video library, and why adding support changes the value proposition entirely The research behind why feeling supported matters as much as content quality when it comes to whether adults actually finish what they start What 90-minute co-working and question sessions can do that asynchronous content simply cannot The case for leading with a membership instead of a standalone course — and how to make that pivot without starting from scratch How to use feedback you've already collected from existing learners to build out your first three months of programming If you've got a course that people are buying but not finishing, this one is going to hit close to home. Brenda came in with a real problem and left with a real plan, and there's plenty in here for you to take and apply today. About Brenda Brusegard Brenda Brusegard is the founder of Informed Tech Solutions, where she helps small business owners cut through the noise and actually use technology to run better businesses. A former science teacher turned tech strategist, she specializes in making AI and business systems accessible, practical, and worth the time investment. Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 You built the course. People bought it. And then nobody did anything with it. That's exactly where Brenda Brusegard found herself, and in this episode, she and Dr. Catrina Mitchum work through what's actually missing and what it looks like to add the support layer that makes a course worth buying in the first place.


Topics covered in this episode:

  • Why people buy self-paced courses with every intention of doing them and then don't — and what course designers can do about it on the front end
  • The difference between accountability support and Q&A support, and why a single well-designed session can deliver both at once
  • How setting expectations before learners get access can prevent the gap between what they signed up for and what the course actually asks of them
  • Why "course burnout" is real, why learners are tired of being left alone with a video library, and why adding support changes the value proposition entirely
  • The research behind why feeling supported matters as much as content quality when it comes to whether adults actually finish what they start
  • What 90-minute co-working and question sessions can do that asynchronous content simply cannot
  • The case for leading with a membership instead of a standalone course — and how to make that pivot without starting from scratch
  • How to use feedback you've already collected from existing learners to build out your first three months of programming


If you've got a course that people are buying but not finishing, this one is going to hit close to home. Brenda came in with a real problem and left with a real plan, and there's plenty in here for you to take and apply today.


About Brenda Brusegard

Brenda Brusegard is the founder of Informed Tech Solutions, where she helps small business owners cut through the noise and actually use technology to run better businesses. A former science teacher turned tech strategist, she specializes in making AI and business systems accessible, practical, and worth the time investment.


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 2057 yes 14: BS Breakthrough: Does Your Course Need to Be Redesigned, Not Just Adapted? When you move your live coaching or teaching into a self-paced course, the instinct is to take what already works and translate it. Same content, same order, same structure. But what if the thing that makes it work when you're in the room is you? This bite-sized BS Breakthrough pulls from Dr. Catrina Mitchum's recent live course design consultation with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin, and the three design shifts that came out of it apply well beyond ADHD coaching. Topics Covered Why "creating access" through a course means more than lowering the price or removing the waitlist, and what it actually requires you to redesign How to identify what you're providing in a live setting that needs to be built directly into your course structure when you're not there Why some foundational content doesn't belong in a module at all, and what to do with it instead The difference between linear and cyclical learning progressions, and how spaced repetition applies to everyone (not just learners who struggle) Why "bite-sized" means something different depending on who your learner is, and the case for building integration lessons so people connect concepts before piling on more content If you're in the middle of building a course to reach people who can't work with you live, this episode gives you three concrete things to look at before you finalize your structure. The question isn't whether your content is good. It's whether the way you've organized it can actually hold up without you in the room. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: Does Your Course Need to Be Redesigned, Not Just Adapted? full 1 14 Dr. Catrina Mitchum When you move your live coaching or teaching into a self-paced course, the instinct is to take what already works and translate it. Same content, same order, same structure. But what if the thing that makes it work when you're in the room is you? This bite-sized BS Breakthrough pulls from Dr. Catrina Mitchum's recent live course design consultation with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin, and the three design shifts that came out of it apply well beyond ADHD coaching. When you move your live coaching or teaching into a self-paced course, the instinct is to take what already works and translate it. Same content, same order, same structure. But what if the thing that makes it work when you're in the room is you? This bite-sized BS Breakthrough pulls from Dr. Catrina Mitchum's recent live course design consultation with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin, and the three design shifts that came out of it apply well beyond ADHD coaching. Topics Covered Why "creating access" through a course means more than lowering the price or removing the waitlist, and what it actually requires you to redesign How to identify what you're providing in a live setting that needs to be built directly into your course structure when you're not there Why some foundational content doesn't belong in a module at all, and what to do with it instead The difference between linear and cyclical learning progressions, and how spaced repetition applies to everyone (not just learners who struggle) Why "bite-sized" means something different depending on who your learner is, and the case for building integration lessons so people connect concepts before piling on more content If you're in the middle of building a course to reach people who can't work with you live, this episode gives you three concrete things to look at before you finalize your structure. The question isn't whether your content is good. It's whether the way you've organized it can actually hold up without you in the room. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 When you move your live coaching or teaching into a self-paced course, the instinct is to take what already works and translate it. Same content, same order, same structure. But what if the thing that makes it work when you're in the room is you? This bite-sized BS Breakthrough pulls from Dr. Catrina Mitchum's recent live course design consultation with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin, and the three design shifts that came out of it apply well beyond ADHD coaching.


Topics Covered

  • Why "creating access" through a course means more than lowering the price or removing the waitlist, and what it actually requires you to redesign
  • How to identify what you're providing in a live setting that needs to be built directly into your course structure when you're not there
  • Why some foundational content doesn't belong in a module at all, and what to do with it instead
  • The difference between linear and cyclical learning progressions, and how spaced repetition applies to everyone (not just learners who struggle)
  • Why "bite-sized" means something different depending on who your learner is, and the case for building integration lessons so people connect concepts before piling on more content


If you're in the middle of building a course to reach people who can't work with you live, this episode gives you three concrete things to look at before you finalize your structure. The question isn't whether your content is good. It's whether the way you've organized it can actually hold up without you in the room.


About Corie Wightlin

Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services.


Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way.


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 889 no 13: From Live Coaching to Evergreen Course: An ADHD-Friendly Redesign What happens when a coach who's brilliant in the room needs to build a course that works without her in it? Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin to redesign her group coaching program as a self-paced course, one that respects how ADHD brains actually learn instead of dumping content and hoping for the best. What We Work Through Why "access to you" means both time and affordability, and how a course can serve people before, during, and after 1:1 work Designing for self-paced learners when you can't control how often they show up Building frequent, low-lift check-ins (yes, even frowny-face-to-happy-face scales) so strategies don't disappear out of sight, out of mind Turning coaching moments into concrete course activities: examples, self-selection, and reflection instead of you reading the room Why market research questions like "if I wasn't here..." tell you what your self-directed learners actually need Letting learners choose tools they'll actually use instead of forcing a platform that becomes the whole struggle Removing barriers with asynchronous feedback: short, varied, and placed exactly where learners get sticky Why every platform is garbage, and why starting with what you already have (and works on a phone) beats spending gobs of money Corie walked in with workshops that only worked live and walked out with a structure, a mapping plan, and an "I can actually do this now." If you're trying to turn something that works because you're in the room into something that works without you, this one's your roadmap. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0000 From Live Coaching to Evergreen Course: An ADHD-Friendly Redesign full 1 13 Dr. Catrina Mitchum What happens when a coach who's brilliant in the room needs to build a course that works without her in it? Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin to redesign her group coaching program as a self-paced course, one that respects how ADHD brains actually learn instead of dumping content and hoping for the best. What happens when a coach who's brilliant in the room needs to build a course that works without her in it? Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin to redesign her group coaching program as a self-paced course, one that respects how ADHD brains actually learn instead of dumping content and hoping for the best. What We Work Through Why "access to you" means both time and affordability, and how a course can serve people before, during, and after 1:1 work Designing for self-paced learners when you can't control how often they show up Building frequent, low-lift check-ins (yes, even frowny-face-to-happy-face scales) so strategies don't disappear out of sight, out of mind Turning coaching moments into concrete course activities: examples, self-selection, and reflection instead of you reading the room Why market research questions like "if I wasn't here..." tell you what your self-directed learners actually need Letting learners choose tools they'll actually use instead of forcing a platform that becomes the whole struggle Removing barriers with asynchronous feedback: short, varied, and placed exactly where learners get sticky Why every platform is garbage, and why starting with what you already have (and works on a phone) beats spending gobs of money Corie walked in with workshops that only worked live and walked out with a structure, a mapping plan, and an "I can actually do this now." If you're trying to turn something that works because you're in the room into something that works without you, this one's your roadmap. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 happens when a coach who's brilliant in the room needs to build a course that works without her in it? Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin to redesign her group coaching program as a self-paced course, one that respects how ADHD brains actually learn instead of dumping content and hoping for the best.


What We Work Through

  • Why "access to you" means both time and affordability, and how a course can serve people before, during, and after 1:1 work
  • Designing for self-paced learners when you can't control how often they show up
  • Building frequent, low-lift check-ins (yes, even frowny-face-to-happy-face scales) so strategies don't disappear out of sight, out of mind
  • Turning coaching moments into concrete course activities: examples, self-selection, and reflection instead of you reading the room
  • Why market research questions like "if I wasn't here..." tell you what your self-directed learners actually need
  • Letting learners choose tools they'll actually use instead of forcing a platform that becomes the whole struggle
  • Removing barriers with asynchronous feedback: short, varied, and placed exactly where learners get sticky
  • Why every platform is garbage, and why starting with what you already have (and works on a phone) beats spending gobs of money


Corie walked in with workshops that only worked live and walked out with a structure, a mapping plan, and an "I can actually do this now." If you're trying to turn something that works because you're in the room into something that works without you, this one's your roadmap.


About Corie Wightlin

Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services.


Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way.


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 3023 yes 12: BS Breakthrough: Stop creating new stuff, start using what you already have If your course has a completion problem, the fix probably isn't the completion. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks what she learned working through Luna Muñoz's CV course for academics leaving higher ed, and lands on a diagnosis that catches a lot of course creators off guard: you might not have a completion problem. You might have half a course. What We Dig Into The "half course" trap. People weren't finishing Luna's course because it started at execution and skipped the discovery work that has to come first. If your learners are dropping off, the real question isn't how to boost completion, it's what they need to figure out before they can do the thing you're teaching. Why the messy figuring-out phase is the part you can't skip. Discovery is where people waffle, second-guess, and get overwhelmed by their own options. It's hard to teach, which is exactly why so many courses leave it out and quietly break. Stop creating, start integrating. Luna already had a quiz, an assessment, and a skills-translation freebie sitting unused. Before you build something new to fill a gap, audit what you've already got. Repurposing is less creative work, and it frees you up to actually design the experience. Coaching calls are a feature, not a failure. Adding live support at the stickiest point in a course doesn't mean the course is broken. It means you know where people get stuck and you built help right into the design instead of scrambling to react later. Your homework. Map the learning journey your course actually needs, back up to the discovery work that comes before execution, and pull in the assets you already have before making anything new. This one is for anyone sitting on a course people aren't finishing, whether that's half a course, a third, or two thirds. The completion number is a symptom. This episode is about finding the actual problem so you can fix the right thing. About Luna Muñoz Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education. Find Luna: Website: lunaleadership.com Links: https://linktr.ee/lunacenti Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: Stop creating new stuff, start using what you already have full 1 12 Dr. Catrina Mitchum If your course has a completion problem, the fix probably isn't the completion. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks what she learned working through Luna Muñoz's CV course for academics leaving higher ed, and lands on a diagnosis that catches a lot of course creators off guard: you might not have a completion problem. You might have half a course. If your course has a completion problem, the fix probably isn't the completion. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks what she learned working through Luna Muñoz's CV course for academics leaving higher ed, and lands on a diagnosis that catches a lot of course creators off guard: you might not have a completion problem. You might have half a course. What We Dig Into The "half course" trap. People weren't finishing Luna's course because it started at execution and skipped the discovery work that has to come first. If your learners are dropping off, the real question isn't how to boost completion, it's what they need to figure out before they can do the thing you're teaching. Why the messy figuring-out phase is the part you can't skip. Discovery is where people waffle, second-guess, and get overwhelmed by their own options. It's hard to teach, which is exactly why so many courses leave it out and quietly break. Stop creating, start integrating. Luna already had a quiz, an assessment, and a skills-translation freebie sitting unused. Before you build something new to fill a gap, audit what you've already got. Repurposing is less creative work, and it frees you up to actually design the experience. Coaching calls are a feature, not a failure. Adding live support at the stickiest point in a course doesn't mean the course is broken. It means you know where people get stuck and you built help right into the design instead of scrambling to react later. Your homework. Map the learning journey your course actually needs, back up to the discovery work that comes before execution, and pull in the assets you already have before making anything new. This one is for anyone sitting on a course people aren't finishing, whether that's half a course, a third, or two thirds. The completion number is a symptom. This episode is about finding the actual problem so you can fix the right thing. About Luna Muñoz Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education. Find Luna: Website: lunaleadership.com Links: https://linktr.ee/lunacenti Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 has a completion problem, the fix probably isn't the completion. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks what she learned working through Luna Muñoz's CV course for academics leaving higher ed, and lands on a diagnosis that catches a lot of course creators off guard: you might not have a completion problem. You might have half a course.


What We Dig Into

  • The "half course" trap. People weren't finishing Luna's course because it started at execution and skipped the discovery work that has to come first. If your learners are dropping off, the real question isn't how to boost completion, it's what they need to figure out before they can do the thing you're teaching.
  • Why the messy figuring-out phase is the part you can't skip. Discovery is where people waffle, second-guess, and get overwhelmed by their own options. It's hard to teach, which is exactly why so many courses leave it out and quietly break.
  • Stop creating, start integrating. Luna already had a quiz, an assessment, and a skills-translation freebie sitting unused. Before you build something new to fill a gap, audit what you've already got. Repurposing is less creative work, and it frees you up to actually design the experience.
  • Coaching calls are a feature, not a failure. Adding live support at the stickiest point in a course doesn't mean the course is broken. It means you know where people get stuck and you built help right into the design instead of scrambling to react later.
  • Your homework. Map the learning journey your course actually needs, back up to the discovery work that comes before execution, and pull in the assets you already have before making anything new.


This one is for anyone sitting on a course people aren't finishing, whether that's half a course, a third, or two thirds. The completion number is a symptom. This episode is about finding the actual problem so you can fix the right thing.


About Luna Muñoz

Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education.


Find Luna:


Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way.


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 761 no 11: You Already Built the Course: Reorganizing What You Have Instead of Starting Over You built the thing. You actually finished it. And then it just... sat there as a bonus inside your one-on-one work while the version you imagined selling never quite happened. This week Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Luna Muñoz of Luna Leadership to take apart a CV course that was quietly working as a supplement and figure out what it would take to make it stand on its own. What starts as a "why won't people finish this course" problem turns into something much more useful: a real-time reorganization of an entire course, built almost entirely from materials Luna already had sitting in folders, unsold and unconnected. What We Work Through Why "nobody finishes my course" often isn't a completion problem at all, but a sign the course is doing a different job than you think it is How to read your own learner data honestly, and what to do when your platform charges you extra just to see how your students are actually moving through your material The difference between a course that needs discovery built into it and one that assumes people already know where they are headed, and why skipping discovery quietly kills completion Why pulling people backward through earlier work is not failure or filler, and how to design that re-entry on purpose so it does not feel like starting over How giving learners options in how they complete an activity, not what the activity is, can do real work for completion without watering anything down Why naming the "why" behind every step matters, especially for adult learners who will absolutely opt out of anything that smells like busy work Where a short, well-placed call belongs in a mostly self-paced course, and how to use it without chaining yourself back to weekly Zoom By the end, Luna walks away with homework, a reordered course outline, and a stack of things she already made that finally have somewhere to live. If you have ever created something good and then let it gather dust, this one is going to feel familiar. About Luna Muñoz Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education. Find Luna: Website: lunaleadership.com Links: https://linktr.ee/lunacenti Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0000 You Already Built the Course: Reorganizing What You Have Instead of Starting Over full 1 11 Dr. Catrina Mitchum You built the thing. You actually finished it. And then it just... sat there as a bonus inside your one-on-one work while the version you imagined selling never quite happened. This week Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Luna Muñoz of Luna Leadership to take apart a CV course that was quietly working as a supplement and figure out what it would take to make it stand on its own. You built the thing. You actually finished it. And then it just... sat there as a bonus inside your one-on-one work while the version you imagined selling never quite happened. This week Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Luna Muñoz of Luna Leadership to take apart a CV course that was quietly working as a supplement and figure out what it would take to make it stand on its own. What starts as a "why won't people finish this course" problem turns into something much more useful: a real-time reorganization of an entire course, built almost entirely from materials Luna already had sitting in folders, unsold and unconnected. What We Work Through Why "nobody finishes my course" often isn't a completion problem at all, but a sign the course is doing a different job than you think it is How to read your own learner data honestly, and what to do when your platform charges you extra just to see how your students are actually moving through your material The difference between a course that needs discovery built into it and one that assumes people already know where they are headed, and why skipping discovery quietly kills completion Why pulling people backward through earlier work is not failure or filler, and how to design that re-entry on purpose so it does not feel like starting over How giving learners options in how they complete an activity, not what the activity is, can do real work for completion without watering anything down Why naming the "why" behind every step matters, especially for adult learners who will absolutely opt out of anything that smells like busy work Where a short, well-placed call belongs in a mostly self-paced course, and how to use it without chaining yourself back to weekly Zoom By the end, Luna walks away with homework, a reordered course outline, and a stack of things she already made that finally have somewhere to live. If you have ever created something good and then let it gather dust, this one is going to feel familiar. About Luna Muñoz Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education. Find Luna: Website: lunaleadership.com Links: https://linktr.ee/lunacenti Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. 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 You built the thing. You actually finished it. And then it just... sat there as a bonus inside your one-on-one work while the version you imagined selling never quite happened. This week Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Luna Muñoz of Luna Leadership to take apart a CV course that was quietly working as a supplement and figure out what it would take to make it stand on its own.


What starts as a "why won't people finish this course" problem turns into something much more useful: a real-time reorganization of an entire course, built almost entirely from materials Luna already had sitting in folders, unsold and unconnected.


What We Work Through

  • Why "nobody finishes my course" often isn't a completion problem at all, but a sign the course is doing a different job than you think it is
  • How to read your own learner data honestly, and what to do when your platform charges you extra just to see how your students are actually moving through your material
  • The difference between a course that needs discovery built into it and one that assumes people already know where they are headed, and why skipping discovery quietly kills completion
  • Why pulling people backward through earlier work is not failure or filler, and how to design that re-entry on purpose so it does not feel like starting over
  • How giving learners options in how they complete an activity, not what the activity is, can do real work for completion without watering anything down
  • Why naming the "why" behind every step matters, especially for adult learners who will absolutely opt out of anything that smells like busy work
  • Where a short, well-placed call belongs in a mostly self-paced course, and how to use it without chaining yourself back to weekly Zoom


By the end, Luna walks away with homework, a reordered course outline, and a stack of things she already made that finally have somewhere to live. If you have ever created something good and then let it gather dust, this one is going to feel familiar.


About Luna Muñoz

Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education.


Find Luna:


Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way.


If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first.


Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult.


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

]]> 2991 yes 10: BS Breakthrough: Build the foundation before the castle You have a course idea you can see in full. Every phase, every module, the whole beautiful thing. So why does building it feel impossible? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with Danielle Smith and digs into why being able to see the whole vision is exactly what trips so many course creators up. What We Work Through Why seeing the entire course in your head doesn't mean you should build all of it right now How to find the one foundational piece everything else depends on, and let the rest wait Why "not everyone needs your course" is good news, not a problem to fix How trying to serve everyone quietly waters the thing down for the people who actually need it Why the platform question is the last question, never the first What to organize and get clear on before you ever go platform shopping Most course creators don't get stuck because they lack expertise. They get stuck because they try to build everything at once instead of laying the one piece that makes everything else possible. If your course feels too big, too sprawling, or like it's trying to do everything everywhere all at once, this episode hands you the question that gets you moving again. About Danielle Smith Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta. ⁠Danielle Smith⁠ Instagram: ⁠@danielle_elemental_delta⁠ Referenced In This Episode: Full conversation with Danielle Smith: Listen here Dr. Catrina's YouTube series on course platforms: Watch the playlist 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 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Dr. Catrina Mitchum You have a course idea you can see in full. Every phase, every module, the whole beautiful thing. So why does building it feel impossible? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with Danielle Smith and digs into why being able to see the whole vision is exactly what trips so many course creators up. What We Work Through Why seeing the entire course in your head doesn't mean you should build all of it right now How to find the one foundational piece everything else depends on, and let the rest wait Why "not everyone needs your course" is good news, not a problem to fix How trying to serve everyone quietly waters the thing down for the people who actually need it Why the platform question is the last question, never the first What to organize and get clear on before you ever go platform shopping Most course creators don't get stuck because they lack expertise. They get stuck because they try to build everything at once instead of laying the one piece that makes everything else possible. If your course feels too big, too sprawling, or like it's trying to do everything everywhere all at once, this episode hands you the question that gets you moving again. About Danielle Smith Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta. ⁠Danielle Smith⁠ Instagram: ⁠@danielle_elemental_delta⁠ Referenced In This Episode: Full conversation with Danielle Smith: Listen here Dr. Catrina's YouTube series on course platforms: Watch the playlist 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 You have a course idea you can see in full. Every phase, every module, the whole beautiful thing. So why does building it feel impossible? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with Danielle Smith and digs into why being able to see the whole vision is exactly what trips so many course creators up.


What We Work Through

  • Why seeing the entire course in your head doesn't mean you should build all of it right now
  • How to find the one foundational piece everything else depends on, and let the rest wait
  • Why "not everyone needs your course" is good news, not a problem to fix
  • How trying to serve everyone quietly waters the thing down for the people who actually need it
  • Why the platform question is the last question, never the first
  • What to organize and get clear on before you ever go platform shopping


Most course creators don't get stuck because they lack expertise. They get stuck because they try to build everything at once instead of laying the one piece that makes everything else possible. If your course feels too big, too sprawling, or like it's trying to do everything everywhere all at once, this episode hands you the question that gets you moving again.


About Danielle Smith

Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta.


Referenced In This Episode:


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

]]> 737 no 09: Why Your Course Platform Doesn't Matter (Yet) Most course platforms are garbage. There, we said it. In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Danielle Smith, mindset and movement coach and owner of Elemental Delta, to untangle a problem a lot of course creators hit: you have a massive, beautiful body of work, and now you have to figure out what is actually the course and what is everything else. What follows is a real-time consultation on scoping a course down, choosing platforms without losing your mind, and designing for how people actually do the work. What We Work Through Finding the real boundary of your course. Danielle's original program ran clients through four phases in twelve weeks, and it was a lot. Catrina helps her see that the first phase, the identity-shift foundation, is the course, and the rest can become a resource library to pull from later. If you've ever felt like your course is trying to do everything, this is the conversation for you. Why "what's the goal?" comes before "what platform?" Danielle came in asking about tech. Catrina makes her back all the way up to the learning first, so the platform decision actually serves the work instead of dictating it. This is the reframe that changes how you build. Designing around the work, not the video. A lot of this course is reflection, journaling, movement experiments, and a clean-slate pantry exercise. Catrina walks through how to give learners real ways to capture and reflect, whether that's a folder, a notebook-style doc, audio prompts they can listen to on a walk, or fillable options for the people who do not own a printer. The platform reality check. From System.io and Teachery to Circle, Thinkific, and even Google Classroom, Catrina lays out the honest tradeoffs, plus why starting in a simple organized folder protects you from a painful platform migration down the road. Cutting video down to size. Danielle used to record ten to twenty minutes per module. Catrina makes the case for three to five minutes per task instead, and explains when an audio-only prompt actually serves the learner better than another talking-head video. Knowing when "the foundation" ends. The course ends where the learner has a plan they have to go implement on their own. That hand-off point is also where Danielle will learn the most about what her people need next. If you're sitting on a big, sprawling body of expertise and you cannot figure out where the course starts and stops, this episode is a permission slip and a roadmap. It's about scoping down without losing the magic, picking tools that don't trap you, and building for the human who's actually going to do the work. Press play, then go look at your own outline with fresh eyes. About Danielle Smith Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta. Danielle Smith Instagram: @danielle_elemental_delta Danielle is one of the DIY warriors inside the Course Maker Membership, which is exactly what this episode sounds like in action: real feedback, a process that fits your life, and a community of people who actually give a shit about their learners. Course Maker Membership Website: cmlearningdesign.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 Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:00 -0000 Why Your Course Platform Doesn't Matter (Yet) full 1 9 Dr. Catrina Mitchum n this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Danielle Smith, mindset and movement coach and owner of Elemental Delta, to untangle a problem a lot of course creators hit: you have a massive, beautiful body of work, and now you have to figure out what is actually the course and what is everything else. What follows is a real-time consultation on scoping a course down, choosing platforms without losing your mind, and designing for how people actually do the work. Most course platforms are garbage. There, we said it. In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Danielle Smith, mindset and movement coach and owner of Elemental Delta, to untangle a problem a lot of course creators hit: you have a massive, beautiful body of work, and now you have to figure out what is actually the course and what is everything else. What follows is a real-time consultation on scoping a course down, choosing platforms without losing your mind, and designing for how people actually do the work. What We Work Through Finding the real boundary of your course. Danielle's original program ran clients through four phases in twelve weeks, and it was a lot. Catrina helps her see that the first phase, the identity-shift foundation, is the course, and the rest can become a resource library to pull from later. If you've ever felt like your course is trying to do everything, this is the conversation for you. Why "what's the goal?" comes before "what platform?" Danielle came in asking about tech. Catrina makes her back all the way up to the learning first, so the platform decision actually serves the work instead of dictating it. This is the reframe that changes how you build. Designing around the work, not the video. A lot of this course is reflection, journaling, movement experiments, and a clean-slate pantry exercise. Catrina walks through how to give learners real ways to capture and reflect, whether that's a folder, a notebook-style doc, audio prompts they can listen to on a walk, or fillable options for the people who do not own a printer. The platform reality check. From System.io and Teachery to Circle, Thinkific, and even Google Classroom, Catrina lays out the honest tradeoffs, plus why starting in a simple organized folder protects you from a painful platform migration down the road. Cutting video down to size. Danielle used to record ten to twenty minutes per module. Catrina makes the case for three to five minutes per task instead, and explains when an audio-only prompt actually serves the learner better than another talking-head video. Knowing when "the foundation" ends. The course ends where the learner has a plan they have to go implement on their own. That hand-off point is also where Danielle will learn the most about what her people need next. If you're sitting on a big, sprawling body of expertise and you cannot figure out where the course starts and stops, this episode is a permission slip and a roadmap. It's about scoping down without losing the magic, picking tools that don't trap you, and building for the human who's actually going to do the work. Press play, then go look at your own outline with fresh eyes. About Danielle Smith Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta. Danielle Smith Instagram: @danielle_elemental_delta Danielle is one of the DIY warriors inside the Course Maker Membership, which is exactly what this episode sounds like in action: real feedback, a process that fits your life, and a community of people who actually give a shit about their learners. Course Maker Membership Website: cmlearningdesign.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 Most course platforms are garbage. There, we said it. In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with Danielle Smith, mindset and movement coach and owner of Elemental Delta, to untangle a problem a lot of course creators hit: you have a massive, beautiful body of work, and now you have to figure out what is actually the course and what is everything else. What follows is a real-time consultation on scoping a course down, choosing platforms without losing your mind, and designing for how people actually do the work.


What We Work Through

  • Finding the real boundary of your course. Danielle's original program ran clients through four phases in twelve weeks, and it was a lot. Catrina helps her see that the first phase, the identity-shift foundation, is the course, and the rest can become a resource library to pull from later. If you've ever felt like your course is trying to do everything, this is the conversation for you.
  • Why "what's the goal?" comes before "what platform?" Danielle came in asking about tech. Catrina makes her back all the way up to the learning first, so the platform decision actually serves the work instead of dictating it. This is the reframe that changes how you build.
  • Designing around the work, not the video. A lot of this course is reflection, journaling, movement experiments, and a clean-slate pantry exercise. Catrina walks through how to give learners real ways to capture and reflect, whether that's a folder, a notebook-style doc, audio prompts they can listen to on a walk, or fillable options for the people who do not own a printer.
  • The platform reality check. From System.io and Teachery to Circle, Thinkific, and even Google Classroom, Catrina lays out the honest tradeoffs, plus why starting in a simple organized folder protects you from a painful platform migration down the road.
  • Cutting video down to size. Danielle used to record ten to twenty minutes per module. Catrina makes the case for three to five minutes per task instead, and explains when an audio-only prompt actually serves the learner better than another talking-head video.
  • Knowing when "the foundation" ends. The course ends where the learner has a plan they have to go implement on their own. That hand-off point is also where Danielle will learn the most about what her people need next.


If you're sitting on a big, sprawling body of expertise and you cannot figure out where the course starts and stops, this episode is a permission slip and a roadmap. It's about scoping down without losing the magic, picking tools that don't trap you, and building for the human who's actually going to do the work. Press play, then go look at your own outline with fresh eyes.


About Danielle Smith

Danielle is a mindset and movement coach collaborating with women to create sustainable health and wellness for themselves across every phase and stage of life. She is the owner of Elemental Delta.


Danielle is one of the DIY warriors inside the Course Maker Membership, which is exactly what this episode sounds like in action: real feedback, a process that fits your life, and a community of people who actually give a shit about their learners.


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

]]> 2811 no 08: BS Breakthrough: Are your students really at different levels, or just starting from different places? 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 Thu, 14 May 2026 06:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: Are your students really at different levels, or just starting from different places? full 1 8 Dr. Catrina Mitchum he 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. 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 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.


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

]]> 710 no 07: Are Your Learners at Different Levels? Build in Choices 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 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0000 Are Your Learners at Different Levels? Build in Choices full 1 7 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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

]]> 2385 yes 06: BS Breakthrough: 3 Signs It's Time to Cut the Crap from Your Course 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 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: 3 Signs It's Time to Cut the Crap from Your Course full 1 6 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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.


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

]]> 758 yes 05: The Course Has to Work Without You in the Room: Designing for Embodied Learning 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 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 5 Dr. Catrina Mitchum This one gets into the weeds on live vs. async, cognitive load, and what learners actually need to make change stick. 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 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.


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

]]> 3309 no 04: BS Breakthrough: Do you need to re-record your videos, or is there a deeper problem? 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 Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0000 BS Breakthrough: Do you need to re-record your videos, or is there a deeper problem? full 1 4 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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

]]> 768 no 03: What to Do When Your Course Serves Multiple Audiences 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 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:03:00 -0000 full 1 3 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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:


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

]]> 2937 yes 02: BS Breakthrough: Why Your Course Might Be Solving the Wrong Problem 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 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0000 full 1 2 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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

]]> 642 yes 01: You Know Your Shit. Let's Turn It into a Course That Proves It. 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 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:50:00 -0000 full 1 1 Dr. Catrina Mitchum 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. 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 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

]]> 2192 yes If you're sick of crap advice about digital courses, start here 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 Wed, 25 Feb 2026 02:39:00 -0000 trailer 1 Dr. Catrina Mitchum If you've been trying to turn what you know into a course and keep getting stuck, you found the right place. 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 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

]]> 189 no