Episode 41. How I Had a 10k Group Program Launch (Without an Actual Launch)

Today, we’ll be taking a look at my most recent launch for my signature group coaching program, where we enrolled 4 amazing members before we even officially “launched”! Honestly, it blew my mind. I really want to break down my most recent launch for my group coaching program, which officially starts on the week of July 19, 2021 and will run for 4 months. But guess what, we sold out the program by July 1, and the launch was supposed to take place between June 28 up to July 18.

I want to break down what I did and what worked well, because I think the way I approached this launch is very different from what other business coaches do or teach. Please also bear in mind that I created a 10k+ launch while being a full time PhD student with other responsibilities to attend to offline. So, I hope that this is a reminder of what’s possible for you as well.

In This Episode:

Why I decided to create a group program

The group program’s main focus is to help you land high-ticket clients for your coaching or service-based business while teaching you how to consistently and sustainably grow your business in the long run. 

We will be working on developing a content and marketing strategy that builds your authority and creates demand for your offer. 

More importantly, my goal is to help you develop your unique approach to running your business, rather than modeling it after someone else’s successful coaching business.

This program is tailored to coaches and service-based entrepreneurs who are yet to sign their first paying client. If you have already signed high-ticket clients but struggle to sign them consistently or have not yet hit your first 5k month, my one-on-one program would be a better fit for you.

Additionally, I have made it clear in the application form that to join this group program, you must be willing to dedicate around 8 hours a week to work on your business. 

My aim is to ensure that building your business does not feel like a second full-time job, and you are willing to implement what you learn inside the program while being open to coaching and new perspectives.

Back in mid-November 2020 or early December 2020, I started noticing a significant increase in the number of one-on-one clients that I was booking. 

For me, having around ten one-to-one clients is my sweet spot, and adding 2 more clients would max out my capacity.

As I started getting booked out with more one-to-one clients, I began to gather a wealth of data from my clients. 

This enabled me to observe common themes, questions, and challenges that my clients were experiencing. 

The more I coached my clients and saw results in their business journeys, the more confident I became in my ability to hold space for them in a group container. 

I knew that I could coach and guide them to see results, which is why I decided to expand into a group program.

My group program is not your typical cookie-cutter curriculum that takes all clients through the same weekly sequence, doing the same tasks.

If that’s what you’re after, then a digital course with a step-by-step guide but no personalized coaching or high-touch support may be a better fit for you.

In my program, I offer coaching that is tailored to your business, goals, and current position, providing a personalized approach to help you achieve success.

To support my clients, I created a client portal in January 2021 that includes almost 30 video trainings, numerous step-by-step worksheets, and bonus guest expert trainings. 

I continue to add to this portal by hosting quarterly workshops for my clients and inviting guest experts who specialize in specific areas.

By creating a significant amount of content upfront, I ensured that I had strategies and information that I knew would apply to many of my clients at some point in their journey.

Creating these videos allowed me to maximize our coaching calls by focusing on personalized strategies and intensive coaching, which is where the real work happens. I have updated some of these videos since January to reflect my newest approaches to business as I evolve and level up my own business. 

My goal is to ensure that my clients always have the most relevant information and strategies that I personally implement in my own business.

Now, let’s talk about the group program.

I intentionally limited the number of participants to only four in this round of the program because I want to ensure that I can facilitate transformative experiences within a small group before expanding to eight people in the next round.

Speaking of which, the group program will come back in October 2021, and we’ll also have amazing bonuses for those who join early.

We had people joining the program as early as mid-May for this round! 

The first member joined in mid-May, while the second and third members joined in June, and the final person joined on July 1st. 

It honestly blew my mind because our official launch wasn’t scheduled until June 28th. 

We didn’t even “launch”, and we were able to generate over $10,000 USD in sales. 

For full transparency, the investment for the group program is $2,500 USD pay in full, or 3 payments of $900 USD. 

If you’re interested in joining the next round of the group program, please send me a DM on Instagram @cheryltheory.

I have some exciting bonuses and perks for early joiners, and I’d be happy to share more details with you if you send me a message on Instagram. 

With that said, let’s get into what I did to make this 10k launch happen now that we’ve covered all the background information.

How we created a 10k+ USD launch without doing a traditional launch

In terms of content and “launch” strategy, I stuck to what I know best and what I do best: Soft launching. 

And honestly, I broke a lot of so-called business marketing rules with this group program launch. 

First, some of you may have heard business coaches advise you to ONLY talk about one offer at a time.

But, clearly I didn’t listen.

Because starting in May, I felt compelled to talk about both my one-on-one and group coaching programs simultaneously. 

The reason why I started mentioning my group program even though my launch was still 1.5 months away was because that was my style of teasing out my offer. 

You might have heard business coaches or marketers talking about the typical phases of launching, such as the pre-launch phase where you create targeted content that highlights pain points, call out mistakes, and share educational tips that are supposedly relevant to what you’ll soon offer. 

Then, you start “teasing” your offer with statements like “something exciting is coming soon,” or “I have a very exciting announcement next week.”.

A lot of people will have a pre launch phase where they’ll create content that will supposedly naturally lead into the offer which they’ll announce at the end of the pre launch phase or the start of the launch phase. 

At the same time, they’re giving value, nurturing their audience, talking in direct messages (DMs), etc.

Honestly, I skipped the entire pre-launch step because all of my content on Instagram and the podcast can be considered pre-launch content. 

We discuss so many different topics on these platforms that could be classified as pre-launch content, so I didn’t see a need to schedule a specific time for it. 

I didn’t need to write down “Okay Cheryl, from this date to this date, you’re going to have a pre-launch phase with super targeted and strategic content that sets the stage for your offer announcement.” That just felt unnecessary to me.

If someone wants to do a deep dive analysis of my Instagram or podcast content, I believe that most of it is highly intentional and relevant to what I do as a coach. 

Everything ties back to the message of “I know how I can help you, I’m confident I can help you, and here’s how I can help you.” 

So, to me, all of my content serves as pre-launch content, and I didn’t feel like I needed to do anything extra or follow the traditional pre-launch process. I guess you can say I dove straight into a “launch”.

Instead of having a traditional launch period of two or three weeks with a pre-launch and an open cart to close cart period, I started talking about my group program in late May (May 23 to be exact), which was two months before the program officially started. 

This approach was effective for me because I was able to talk about my program with enthusiasm in May and early June, even though the launch period hadn’t started yet. 

I wasn’t stressed about the cart closing deadline because it was still a month or several weeks away! This allowed me to discuss my program with enthusiasm.

Because I started talking about my group program in May and June before the launch period, I was able to show up with genuine enthusiasm and clearly explain to my audience why I believed this program could change their lives. 

I didn’t feel rushed to promote the program because I was operating from a place of authentic excitement. 

When I said, “I know I can help you, and here’s how – come join me inside the group program if you’re keen,” I genuinely meant it. 

I think this approach helped my four group program clients sense that I really believed in what I was saying and that I was confident in my ability to help them. 

Overall, I was genuinely excited about the program, and this energy came through in my messaging.

The kinds of content I created for this launch

At this point in my business, I’ve moved past the experimental phase where I was trying different approaches to messaging and content. 

My messaging is now streamlined and consistently on brand, which makes it more compelling to my audience.

The more clear and consistent your messaging is, the more compelling your brand and offer will be.

Because people are hearing the same message over and over again. 

So, you may be wondering what kind of content I used to create a 10k launch.

I want to make it very clear that I did not repeat or regurgitate the typical information that you may have seen other coaches talk about during their own launches. 

I didn’t announce, “Something exciting is coming soon!” or give a list of reasons why a group program is better than a one-on-one program or a digital course.

I didn’t even intentionally dedicate specific days to busting myths, addressing common mistakes or misconceptions, or tackling limiting beliefs like other business coaches advise. 

The truth is, I didn’t plan my content ahead of time at all for this launch.

Instead, I stuck to my usual content creation process.

This involved developing my own thought leadership, coming up with new ideas, sharing my own stories, and featuring my clients’ stories.

I talked about topics that I genuinely cared about, such as my clients’ progress, my personal lessons and learnings, my offline activities like my PhD research, my goals and vision for my business and life, and even my latest purchases

 In June, for instance, I was obsessed with clip-on earrings since I hadn’t had the time to get my ear piercings redone and they had closed up.

I didn’t force any specific launch-related content just for the sake of launching, but instead, I let my authentic voice and interests shine through.

Overall, I discussed a wide range of topics, but they all revolved around two key themes: 

1) They always demonstrated my thought leadership in some way shape or form. 

2) I genuinely meant everything I talked about in my content. I am genuinely excited about the topics I choose to talk about.

My content demonstrated my thought leadership, and I was genuinely excited about everything I talked about. These two factors combined, I believe, were the key reasons why my launch was successful.

Of course, I also made sure to highlight my clients and their successes, showcasing my ability to help others and build trust with my audience.

This is important because people need to see that you know what you’re doing and that you’re confident in your ability to help them. 

However, I also believe that your content should reflect your unique thought leadership and genuine enthusiasm for your work.

This is what really sets your content apart and establishes your authority, whether you’re creating educational, storytelling, or promotional content. 

It’s not just about providing value, but about going above and beyond by adding your own unique perspective and showing your audience that you truly care about what you do. 

If you’re just regurgitating what other coaches are saying without adding your own spin, or if you don’t seem genuinely excited about what you’re sharing, people will quickly lose interest and move on. 

Instagram and Podcast content I created for this launch

My content strategy during this launch did not change from what I was doing prior to this launch.

For Instagram posts, I only posted one post that is solely dedicated to talking about my group program.

Funnily enough, I posted it on June 28 because that was supposed to be the official first day of my launch. 

By the time I made that post, I already had 3 out of 4 spots filled.

Prior to that post on June 28, I had six other Instagram posts where I mentioned the group program in my caption. I actually wrote the same call-to-action (CTA) for those six posts, so here’s exactly what I wrote: 

My one-on-one Program is currently opening spots for June and July! 🎉 

This is for you if you want to get your coaching business to a point where you’re making a full-time income on part-time hours (even on top of a 9-5) AND become known for your thought leadership. 

➡️ LINK IN BIO for details + apply 

P.S. If you’re keen on joining the Group Program instead, send me a DM 🙂 We start in mid July AND we have only XXX spots left!

As you can see, I wasn’t even actively trying to sell the group program in those six captions. 

My focus was primarily on sharing about my one-on-one program, but I thought, “Forget all the marketing rules. Let me add a PS statement that quickly mentions the group program.” 

And surprisingly, I liked it! 

Throughout the soft launch of the group program, I felt light, excited, and not stressed or pressured to fill the four spots. 

As a result, I had a lot of fun filling those spots!

In terms of Instagram stories, I looked back at my archive to gather data for this episode.

The first time I mentioned this round of the group program was on May 23, when I shared that someone had found my group program application form on my website and applied for a discovery call. 

I hadn’t even mentioned the group program before that. This prompted me to introduce the group program even as early as May, and on May 23, I officially announced that the group program would be coming back in mid-July. 

Since then, I showed up on video on Instagram stories to talk about my group program only two more times: on June 25. 

So, in total, I shared about the group program on Instagram stories only three times and it still resulted in a 10k launch.

Now you may be wondering, “Don’t you have to talk about your program every day during a launch?”.

Well, apparently not! 

Okay, so I also had a four-part Canva template for Instagram stories that I posted several times a week. I shared these specific slides on May 25, 26, 28, 29, June 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 22. 

It’s worth noting that in these 12 days, I was also providing value, sharing my story, and talking about client wins on my stories. 

Now, let me share what exactly I included in these slides.

Slide 1: Ways we can work together in June and July – Option 1 – The one-on-one Program.

This is for coaches or service-based entrepreneurs who want to start making a full-time income on part-time hours (even as a side hustler), become known as a thought leader, and build their business in a way that does NOT feel like a second full-time job.

Note: This is ideal for those who have invested before but still aren’t hitting 5k+ months or seeing consistent clients.

Slide 2: Option 2 – The Group Program.

This is for coaches or service-based entrepreneurs who want to start signing consistent high ticket clients, build a solid strategy and mindset foundation for their business.

Note 1: This is ideal for those who have not yet signed any paying clients.

Note 2: The Group Program starts in mid-July, but we already have one spot taken! There are currently XXX spots left.

Slide 3: I listed several recent client wins.

Slide 4: LINK IN BIO for details, testimonials, and everything you need to know about the one-on-one program. Or send me a direct message (DM) if you want to know about the group program.

That is an overview of how often I talked about my group program on Instagram, and what I talked about.

As for the podcast, I mentioned my group program on Episodes 37, 38, and 39 of this podcast, which were published on June 15, June 22, and June 29, respectively. 

Similar to the Instagram post captions, for Episodes 37 and 38, I promoted both the one-on-one program and the group program, breaking many marketing rules.

It was only in Episode 39 that I promoted only the group program. 

That’s how I promoted my program – solely through Instagram and The Side Hustle Club Podcast.

I did not mention it anywhere else, no emails, no LinkedIn posts, no webinars, or masterclasses.

What I did and did not do for this launch

In terms of the things I created for this launch, I did not have a sales page.

Instead, I used a Google Form for the group program application and linked my one-on-one program’s sales page at the bottom of the form for testimonials and client wins.

I also made some Instagram story slides specifically for the group program, but I never got to post them.

These slides included an announcement of the program, who the program is for, what’s unique about it, recent client wins, what’s included, and miscellaneous information such as the program’s start date, bonuses for joining before July 5th, how many spots were left, and a call-to-action to check out my link in bio.

These slides were similar to my Instagram post on June 28, so you can check out that post on my Instagram feed if you’re interested.

Now I’m thinking when we open the group program again in October, we have to use these slides!

The application form and Canva slides for Instagram stories are the only things I created for this launch, besides my usual content on Instagram and The Side Hustle Podcast!

As you can see, that’s all I did for this launch. It was really simple and stress-free.

Launching can be easy, and you don’t have to follow exact blueprints or strategies that other coaches are selling as part of their expensive mini-courses on launching.

I’m adamant about helping my clients figure out an approach or strategy to their business that feels fun and doesn’t take up too much time.

Many of my clients are busy people with full-time commitments like a 9-5 job, being a parent, or being a full-time graduate student.

That’s why we work together to create a personalized plan of action that makes sense for them and their business.

We develop strategies that work in building their authority, creating demand for their offers, and, most importantly, in a way that feels simple, fun, and doesn’t feel like a second full-time job.

Why I did not need to plan out content specifically for this launch

And you know what else is fascinating? 

I didn’t plan out any content specifically for this launch. 

Planning my content weekly or monthly used to be something I adhered to very strictly. But over time, my style has evolved, and now I don’t resonate with planning my content.

As I mentioned earlier, I pay attention to what’s happening both online and offline, in my own life, my clients’ lives, and my audience’s lives as well.

That’s how I come up with new content ideas on a daily basis, because I’m constantly drawing inspiration from what I observe.

For me, that’s what I enjoy most about content now.

Even though I used to love planning content, I now also appreciate the beauty and fun of finding constant inspiration all around me.

However, some of my clients prefer a more intuitive approach to content creation like myself, while others resonate with my previous style of having a clear content plan and strategy in place ahead of time.

Regardless of their preferences, I work with each client individually to develop a business, content, marketing, and sales strategy that makes sense for them and their unique situation. 

It’s crucial to ensure that these strategies are effective and work for each client, and that’s where my expertise comes in.

The reason why I didn’t continue my launch and sign more clients

Some of my peers also asked me, “Cheryl, why didn’t you continue your launch until July 18 and sign more than four clients?”.

Well, the honest answer is that I said I was only going to have four people. 

Let me backtrack a bit. I totally understand why people would want to go above what they state their target number of clients or students are.

I know some of my peers with group programs do that, whether it’s publicly stating they only have X number of spots open but then letting more people in if they have more interest and demand than expected, or they just don’t publicly state the max capacity of the program and keep enrolling until the launch is over.

For me, I intentionally stated that this would be a small, intimate container of four awesome people, not including myself.

I very clearly said it on my Instagram stories and on my Google application form.

For me, it was really important to keep my word, especially to the four people who joined the program.

During our discovery calls, I told them very clearly that I purposely wanted to create a small and intimate container of four people so that everyone gets ample opportunity to get coached, receive personalized feedback and strategy, and build a strong relationship with each member of the group.

As an introvert, I personally don’t feel ready to hold space for more than four people at a time.

However, for the next round of the group program, I plan to create a space for a maximum of eight people, splitting the calls into two groups.

This means there will be two group calls instead of one specific time that members HAVE to attend.

Currently, we have members from Australia, Canada, Kuwait, and the US, which means we have a very international group.

I was worried that we wouldn’t find a single time that works for everyone, but luckily, we have one time slot on Mondays that works for all of us.

For the next round, I plan to offer two group call times to make it less intense for my introvertedness and offer two possible time slots for clients to choose from, as I’m confident we will have a very international group again in October.

Know that you CAN do things differently

I deeply believe that here is always another way.

There’s no one truth in business or in life. It’s not like we can or we can’t. You can always do things differently. You can always choose to think differently. 

Many coaches and entrepreneurs struggle to make their business work because they see others implementing certain strategies, and they feel like they should do the same to be successful.

What usually happens is that you may be implementing a strategy that does work theoretically, because let’s be real, there’s a reason why each strategy exists.

This is something I emphasize with my own clients because we don’t want to build a business that feels like a second full-time job. Instead, we want to create a business that aligns with our values and feels enjoyable to work on.

However, not every strategy may be aligned with you, your time capacity, goals, personality, and so on.

It’s important to understand why a particular strategy works and determine if it’s a good fit for your business before implementing it. 

You need to know if implementing this strategy will benefit your business or derail you.

This is something I emphasize with my own clients because we don’t want to build a business that feels like a second full-time job.

Instead, we want to create a business that aligns with our values and feels enjoyable to work on.

That’s why it is so important to know that you can do things differently. 

For example, for me in this situation, I decided it is okay if I didn’t want to do a traditional launch with a pre launch and launch. I decided that it was okay that I didn’t want to plan out my content ahead of time. 

I decided it was ok that I didn’t want a webinar funnel or emails for this launch. 

I decided it was okay to sell two offers at once. 

I simply decided and I backed up my decision, and that energy and excitement for what I was saying and doing really carried me through.

Remember, entrepreneurship is the opposite of school and work, where you were told you needed a certain GPA to get into college and specific degrees and internships to get a job. 

Checklists were created to keep things in order within the system. 

But in your own business, those checklists don’t exist. No one says you HAVE to do XYZ in order to have a 6-figure business. 

You get to choose what to do and what to think. 

And let’s be honest, if there was a checklist, there would probably be a $97 ebook out there that everyone would buy, and thus everyone would have a 6-figure business by now.

But that’s not how it works.

As you prepare for your next launch, whether it’s a soft launch, traditional launch, or something in between, I encourage you to make business decisions without seeking validation from others.

Think outside the box and come up with your own solutions.

In business, you don’t need approval from anyone else. What do you want to do, and what do you want to think?

Take charge and make informed decisions, but make sure you like your reasons for those decisions.

Sounds good? Awesome. Let’s get to work.

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