
Course business tactics from the operating room.
The gist
The Online Course Show follows Jacques Hopkins through solo lessons and creator interviews about building successful online courses. Recent episodes lean into AI operators, evergreen video systems, premium programs, niche positioning, and business models that keep selling without constant manual effort.
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About The Online Course Show
The Online Course Show is a practical business podcast about turning knowledge, content, and specialized skill into online course revenue. It is led in the episodes by Jacques Hopkins, who repeatedly anchors the advice in his own experience building a piano course business. The show is not abstract entrepreneurship chatter. It keeps returning to offers, funnels, launches, content systems, pricing, student fit, and the daily operations behind a course business that lasts. Recent episodes show a clear shift toward AI as an operating layer. Jacques describes Rocky, an AI operator that drafts support replies, triages email, prepares briefs, and handles SEO tasks while keeping a human review step in place. That detail captures the show's larger point of view. Automation is useful when it removes drag, but it still has to protect trust, quality, and the creator's voice. Guest conversations widen that frame. Lauren Bateman's return focuses on consistency, one-video-a-week marketing, and systems that keep selling when the creator is busy. John Meese brings the go wide, go deep, go long model for choosing the right growth layer at the right stage. Stephanie Gaffney explains how live wedding painting experience became a premium program, including structure, pricing, and launch choices. Julian Goldie talks about AI avatar content and why disclosure matters. Dan Cumberland's conversation centers on using AI to capture ideas and create content that still sounds like the creator. Benny Lewis brings a long-view example of a global brand that began with a simple PDF and a specific promise. Mike Pacchione pushes the conversation toward program design that fits both students and the person running it. Across these examples, the show favors clear models over hype. It suits course creators who want grounded tactics, candid business mechanics, and enough strategic context to decide what to build next.
Made for: For course creators, coaches, educators, and content entrepreneurs who want practical guidance on building, marketing, and improving paid online programs. It especially fits listeners who care about systems, funnels, AI workflows, and sustainable offers.
What sets it apart: The show mixes Jacques Hopkins' own course-business experiments with interviews built around specific creator case studies. Its edge is the operational detail: what gets automated, what stays human, how offers are structured, and why a model fits a particular stage.
In their own words
The Online Course Show is all about exchanging knowledge and helping course creators succeed. I LOVE going straight to the source and hearing people’s firsthand knowledge about what has worked for their business. And it’s always great to share my own observations and bounce ideas off other people in the same entrepreneurial space.There is something for everyone on the show. Funnel hacking, high level strategy, nitty gritty processes, book reviews, productivity tips… the list goes on.My guests and our discussions run the gamut: we leave no niche uncovered and no online course topic unexplored!Maybe you’re just starting to think about creating an online course. Or maybe you’re 15 years in with…
As heard by us
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Jacques Hopkins turns course-business ideas into concrete decisions about pricing, sales, content systems and AI-assisted operations.
The Online Course Show treats course creation as an operating business, with Jacques Hopkins moving between guest interviews and solo accounts of his own systems.
Why you'd press play
A self-storage operator made six figures from 300 subscribers; Jacques Hopkins wants you to know how.
Press play if you want
- to hear how a scrappy PDF became a starting point for a course business
- to use AI for marketing without making your writing sound like everyone else's
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Episodes
- 1
246: Creating a Certification Program to Grow Your Business (Featuring Sahara Rose De Vore)
·56m - 2
An AI Now Runs My Business (Full Story)
·19m - 3
277: The “One Video a Week” System That Built a Million-Dollar Course Business (Featuring Lauren Bateman)
·1h 2m - 4
276: The “Go Wide, Go Deep, Go Long” Model for Course Creators (Featuring John Meese)
·1h 5m - 5
275: Live Launch vs Evergreen: The Real Decision Behind High Results (Featuring Stephanie Gaffney)
·52m - 6
274: Create Videos WHILE YOU SLEEP… Using Your AI Avatar (Featuring Julian Goldie)
·59m - 7
273: How to Use AI WITHOUT Losing YOUR Voice (Featuring Dan Cumberland)
·1h 7m - 8
272: The Simple PDF That Built a Global Brand (Featuring Benny Lewis)
·1h 9m - 9
185: Increase Email Deliverability & Open Rates, Automate More (featuring Lisa Catto)
·1h 8m - 10
271: Designing the Perfect Program for YOU (Featuring Mike Pacchione)
·1h 4m - 11
270: Course Creation in a Post-AI World (Featuring Panos Siozos)
·46m - 12
269: From Bust to 6-Figure Months (Featuring Rick Howard)
·49m - 13
268: The Minimum Legal Setup Every Course Creator Needs (Featuring Bobby Klinck)
·1h 7m - 14
267: He Tested Every Funnel: The 3 That Sell Courses Today (Featuring John Ainsworth)
·1h 1m - 15
266: From Solo Course to Enterprise Clients like NASA & Apple (Featuring Tom Geiss)
·1h 15m - 16
265: Online Course Platform Tier List (Teachable vs Kajabi vs Thinkific vs Udemy vs Skool)
·45m - 17
Genesis Courses 2.0 (You're Invited)
·20m - 18
264: $10k/mo Teaching Dog Training Online (Featuring Mark Taylor)
·1h 1m - 19
263: How To Do AI SEO In 2025 (Featuring Caleb Ulku)
·1h 8m - 20
OCG Coaching Now Available (Jacques' 12-month mentorship experience)
·29m - 21
262: How Systems Can SAVE Your Business (Featuring Jordan Gill)
·1h 7m - 22
261: 4-Month RV Trip Recap - Life, Business, & Family on the Road
·39m - 23
260: Unlocking LinkedIn’s Potential for Course Creators (Featuring Richard Van Der Blom)
·56m - 24
259: Validating Your Online Course Idea – Pre-Sell, Bootcamp & Beyond
·9m - 25
258: The YouTube Strategy Behind a 7-Figure Course Business (Featuring Gillian Perkins)
·1h 9m - 26
257: Top 8 Critical Mistakes by Online Course Creators (each one more severe than the next)
·14m - 27
256: $40k Monthly from a Simple $9 Membership (Featuring Liz Wilcox from Survivor)
·50m - 28
255: How I Increased Revenue by 26.7% Automatically (Introducing Relaunch Magic)
·10m - 29
254: Master Your Time Management & Productivity (Featuring Alexis Haselberger)
·1h 13m - 30
253: The Overlooked Revenue Stream Every Course Creator Needs
·8m - 31
252: Turn Your Course Into a Marketing Powerhouse, Not Just a Product (Featuring Itai Nusbaum)
·1h 3m - 32
251: Starting an Online Course Business? Expect This…
·14m - 33
250: The Secret to Building the Go-To Course in Any Niche (Featuring Jasmine Jonte)
·53m - 34
249: Maximize Productivity & Ditch Stress: My 7 Rules That Work Every Time
·12m - 35
248: Transforming an Architecture Career into a Thriving Online Course Business (Featuring Amelia Lee)
·1h 8m - 36
247: Is My 7-Figure Piano Course Business FAILING?
·6m - 37
278: Meet the AI Operator That Runs My Business
·30m - 38
245: Here’s How I’m Taking The Next 5 Months Off in My Business
·11m - 39
244: Mid 6-Figures Teaching Harp (featuring Sisters Christy-Lyn & Megan)
·1h 18m - 40
OCG Coaching Now Available (Jacques' 12-month mentorship experience)
·29m - 41
243: If I Were Starting an Online Course Business in 2025, Here's Exactly What I Would Do
·21m - 42
242: 6-Figures In Course Sales with Just 300 Subscribers (Featuring Dean Booty)
·1h 13m - 43
241: How To Have a Killer LOGO For Your Brand
·6m - 44
240: The Secret to Consistent Sales WITHOUT Live Launches (Featuring Abi Prendergast)
·50m - 45
239: The ONE Book That Changed Everything For Me
·19m - 46
238: How She Built a 6-Figure Course Business With Only 3k IG Followers (Featuring Claire Ellerbrock)
·1h 1m - 47
50% Off Kajabi (limited time)
·5m - 48
237: Facebook Ads - What's Working RIGHT NOW (Featuring Kwadwo Sampany-Kessie)
·1h 10m - 49
236: 6-Figures From a $47 Course (Featuring Logan Grimé)
·1h 8m - 50
235: YouTube - What’s Working RIGHT NOW (Featuring Marley Jaxx)
·1h 3m - 51
234: Detailed Case Study: From 0 to 5-Figures/Month (featuring Hugo Ortega)
·1h 13m - 52
233: The Underrated Strategy to Explode Your Audience WITHOUT Ads or Social Media (featuring Bryan Harris)
·1h 14m - 53
232: 7-Figures Per Year Teaching Tennis Online (Featuring Florian Meier)
·58m - 54
231: The Crazy Difference In Free Courses vs. Charging a Premium (Featuring Mark Smith)
·1h 15m - 55
230: $3 Million Per Year with Excel Courses (Featuring Leila Gharani)
·55m - 56
229: 6-Figures Teaching Asian Parents Not to Hit Their Kids (Featuring Kelly Tay)
·1h 4m - 57
228: $300k Per Year Teaching Public Speaking (Featuring Kit Pang)
·49m - 58
227: 7-Figures From Courses at 22 Years Old (Featuring Andrew Seguin)
·57m - 59
226: 5-Figures Monthly Teaching About Beer (Featuring Chris Cohen)
·1h 12m - 60
225: My Top 5 Strategies to 10x Your Course Sales
·42m - 61
224: Consistent $15k Months & Switching From Short-Form to YouTube (Featuring Christina Umerez)
·42m - 62
223: $30K/mo In Less Than A Year Teaching Bookkeeping (Featuring Susan Osborne)
·49m - 63
222: 4 Tips to Explode Course Sales with a Podcast (Featuring Kevin Chemidlin)
·1h 8m - 64
221: How She Earns $10k+ Per Month With a Super Tiny Email List (Featuring Aiko Hemingway)
·40m - 65
220: A 4 Part Framework for AI for Course Creators (Featuring Bryan McAnulty)
·52m - 66
What 7-figure course creators are doing that you're not (new free training)
·4m - 67
219: 6 Million Courses Sold (Featuring John Bura)
·51m - 68
218: A Beginner’s Story: Started 2 Months Ago - Her Incredible Success (Featuring Kate McKenzie)
·1h 6m - 69
217: Use a 5 Day Challenge Funnel to 10x Your Sales! (Featuring Michael Tucker)
·1h 1m - 70
216: Community 101: The Founder of Circle Joins the Show (Featuring Andy Guttormsen)
·37m - 71
215: Adding a Book Into a Successful Course Business (Featuring Tim Topham)
·52m - 72
214: Making More Money by REMOVING 18 Courses & Focusing on 1 (Featuring Michael Kilkelly)
·1h 1m - 73
213: Jeff Walker | $1 BILLION in Course Sales From THIS Launch Formula
·1h 10m - 74
212: 6 Figure Launches Selling Graphic Design Courses (Featuring Teela Cunningham)
·51m - 75
211: $17k/mo Selling Courses While Working Full-Time at Amazon (Featuring Jasmine Katatikarn)
·1h 3m - 76
210: The YouTube Playbook for Course Creators (Featuring Tim Schmoyer)
·1h 4m - 77
209: ENCORE: If I Were Starting an Online Course Business in 2023, Here's Exactly What I Would Do
·33m - 78
208: $20k/mo Teaching Army Soldiers to Get Promoted (Featuring Steven Foust)
·1h 23m - 79
207: How to SELL Your Course Business for 8 Figures (A Real World Case Study)
·2h 19m - 80
206: $10M Generated Over the Last 3 Years as a Brazilian Mentor (featuring Victor Damasio)
·1h 2m - 81
205: $50k Per Month From a Guitar Course (featuring Lauren Bateman)
·1h 2m - 82
204: Building a Sustainable Online Presence: Moving Beyond Social Media Dependence (featuring Kyler Nixon)
·48m - 83
203: From Canvas to Cash: Inside a Thriving Course Business Helping Artists Profit (featuring Cory Huff)
·1h 12m - 84
202: Email Deliverability, Email List Housekeeping, & More About Email! (featuring Kay Peacey)
·1h 13m - 85
201: How She Generated $1 Million in Course Sales in Less Than 2 Years (featuring Dr. Rachel Gainsbrugh)
·1h 1m - 86
200: Pat Flynn & Jacques Discuss a Revolutionary New Way to do Courses
·1h 2m - 87
199: 3 Ways to 2-5x Your Course Sales (featuring John Ainsworth)
·1h 23m - 88
198: Paid Ads 101 - How to Use Paid Advertising to Sell More Courses (featuring Brice Gump)
·1h 7m - 89
197: Why Webinars Are Still Crushing it in 2023 for Course Sales (featuring Paul the Trombonist)
·56m - 90
196: 7-Figures a Year Teaching Photography Online & Retiring to the Beach (featuring Brittany Bruce)
·1h 10m - 91
195: Sell Out Your Course Using Instagram & TikTok - The Master at Selling Courses with Short-Form Content Returns (featuring Spencer Russell)
·1h 55m - 92
194: If I Were Starting an Online Course Business in 2023, Here's Exactly What I Would Do (& Join Me While I Actually Do It This Year)
·33m - 93
193: $3 Million From One Simple Course in 2022... WOW! (featuring Matt Rudnitsky)
·1h 15m - 94
192: Overcome Procrastination & Perfectionism (featuring Grace Brodeur)
·1h 12m - 95
191: Hear From the #1 Person I've Wanted on This Podcast - He Started His Course in 2000 (Featuring Jermaine Griggs)
·1h 13m - 96
190: How Selling a $67 Product Can Be The Sweet Spot (featuring Will Hamilton of FuzzyYellowBalls.com)
·1h 9m - 97
189: Use Instagram to Drive $10k+ in Course Sales Each Month (featuring Allie Mason)
·1h 11m - 98
188: $0 to $50k in 5 Weeks (featuring Christina Umerez)
·1h 17m - 99
187: Lessons From 20 Years Running the Same Membership (featuring John Gallagher)
·1h 15m - 100
186: YouTube & Instagram - What's Crushing it in 2022 (featuring Elise Darma)
·1h 17m - 101
278: Meet the AI Operator That Runs My Business
Hidden gemJacques Hopkins shares how he built an AI operator named Rocky that transformed his business operations and brought him more enjoyment.
Mar 26, 2026·30m·2 clips - 102
An AI Now Runs My Business (Full Story)
Mar 11, 2026·19m - 103
277: The “One Video a Week” System That Built a Million-Dollar Course Business (Featuring Lauren Bateman)
Jacques Hopkins interviews Lauren Bateman about her system of posting one video per week that built a million-dollar course business, focusing on consistency, funnel tightening, and sustainable growth.
Mar 5, 2026·1h 2m - 104
276: The “Go Wide, Go Deep, Go Long” Model for Course Creators (Featuring John Meese)
John Meese shares his 'Go Wide, Go Deep, Go Long' model for building a course business, emphasizing that starting wide is often the slowest path to momentum.
Feb 19, 2026·1h 5m - 105
275: Live Launch vs Evergreen: The Real Decision Behind High Results (Featuring Stephanie Gaffney)
Jacques Hopkins interviews Stephanie Gaffney about structuring, pricing, and launching her premium online course for wedding painters.
Feb 5, 2026·52m - 106
274: Create Videos WHILE YOU SLEEP… Using Your AI Avatar (Featuring Julian Goldie)
Hidden gemJulian Goldie says he uses Claude, 11 Labs, and HeyGen to create AI avatar videos and voice clones for YouTube and course content.
Jan 8, 2026·59m·2 clips - 107
273: How to Use AI WITHOUT Losing YOUR Voice (Featuring Dan Cumberland)
Hidden gemThe Online Course Show with Jacques Hopkins focuses on Dan Cumberland's approach to using AI without losing a creator's voice or authenticity.
Dec 18, 2025·1h 7m·2 clips - 108
272: The Simple PDF That Built a Global Brand (Featuring Benny Lewis)
Hidden gemThe Online Course Show episode with Benny Lewis focuses on how Fluent in Three Months grew from a 2009 blog into a 2010 PDF business.
Dec 4, 2025·1h 9m·5 clips - 109
271: Designing the Perfect Program for YOU (Featuring Mike Pacchione)
Hidden gemJacques Hopkins interviews speech coach Mike Pacchione about designing Speech Club around student feedback, personal fit, and a four-times-a-year cohort of eight to ten people.
Nov 20, 2025·1h 4m·5 clips - 110
270: Course Creation in a Post-AI World (Featuring Panos Siozos)
Nov 6, 2025·46m - 111
269: From Bust to 6-Figure Months (Featuring Rick Howard)
Oct 23, 2025·49m - 112
268: The Minimum Legal Setup Every Course Creator Needs (Featuring Bobby Klinck)
Oct 9, 2025·1h 7m - 113
267: He Tested Every Funnel: The 3 That Sell Courses Today (Featuring John Ainsworth)
Sep 25, 2025·1h 1m - 114
266: From Solo Course to Enterprise Clients like NASA & Apple (Featuring Tom Geiss)
Aug 28, 2025·1h 15m - 115
265: Online Course Platform Tier List (Teachable vs Kajabi vs Thinkific vs Udemy vs Skool)
Jacques Hopkins ranks 20 online course platforms from best to worst, sharing insights from his experience and client work.
Aug 26, 2025·45m - 116
Genesis Courses 2.0 (You're Invited)
Jul 14, 2025·20m - 117
264: $10k/mo Teaching Dog Training Online (Featuring Mark Taylor)
Jun 26, 2025·1h 1m - 118
263: How To Do AI SEO In 2025 (Featuring Caleb Ulku)
Jacques Hopkins interviews SEO expert Caleb Ulku about adapting SEO strategies for 2025, including AI tools and ChatGPT, to help online course creators drive traffic and sales.
Jun 12, 2025·1h 8m - 119
262: How Systems Can SAVE Your Business (Featuring Jordan Gill)
May 29, 2025·1h 7m - 120
261: 4-Month RV Trip Recap - Life, Business, & Family on the Road
May 22, 2025·39m - 121
260: Unlocking LinkedIn’s Potential for Course Creators (Featuring Richard Van Der Blom)
May 15, 2025·56m - 122
259: Validating Your Online Course Idea – Pre-Sell, Bootcamp & Beyond
May 8, 2025·9m - 123
258: The YouTube Strategy Behind a 7-Figure Course Business (Featuring Gillian Perkins)
May 1, 2025·1h 9m - 124
257: Top 8 Critical Mistakes by Online Course Creators (each one more severe than the next)
Apr 24, 2025·14m - 125
256: $40k Monthly from a Simple $9 Membership (Featuring Liz Wilcox from Survivor)
Apr 17, 2025·50m - 126
255: How I Increased Revenue by 26.7% Automatically (Introducing Relaunch Magic)
Apr 10, 2025·10m - 127
254: Master Your Time Management & Productivity (Featuring Alexis Haselberger)
Apr 3, 2025·1h 13m - 128
OCG Coaching Now Available (Jacques' 12-month mentorship experience)
Mar 23, 2025·29m - 129
253: The Overlooked Revenue Stream Every Course Creator Needs
Mar 13, 2025·8m - 130
252: Turn Your Course Into a Marketing Powerhouse, Not Just a Product (Featuring Itai Nusbaum)
Mar 6, 2025·1h 3m - 131
251: Starting an Online Course Business? Expect This…
Feb 27, 2025·14m - 132
250: The Secret to Building the Go-To Course in Any Niche (Featuring Jasmine Jonte)
Feb 20, 2025·53m - 133
249: Maximize Productivity & Ditch Stress: My 7 Rules That Work Every Time
Feb 13, 2025·12m - 134
248: Transforming an Architecture Career into a Thriving Online Course Business (Featuring Amelia Lee)
Feb 6, 2025·1h 8m - 135
247: Is My 7-Figure Piano Course Business FAILING?
Jan 30, 2025·6m - 136
246: Creating a Certification Program to Grow Your Business (Featuring Sahara Rose De Vore)
Jan 23, 2025·56m - 137
245: Here’s How I’m Taking The Next 5 Months Off in My Business
Jan 16, 2025·11m - 138
244: Mid 6-Figures Teaching Harp (featuring Sisters Christy-Lyn & Megan)
Jan 9, 2025·1h 18m - 139
OCG Coaching Now Available (Jacques' 12-month mentorship experience)
Dec 31, 2024·29m - 140
243: If I Were Starting an Online Course Business in 2025, Here's Exactly What I Would Do
Dec 19, 2024·21m - 141
242: 6-Figures In Course Sales with Just 300 Subscribers (Featuring Dean Booty)
Hidden gemJacques Hopkins interviews Dean Booty, who made six figures in course sales with just 300 subscribers by launching a course in the self-storage niche.
Dec 12, 2024·1h 13m·2 clips - 142
241: How To Have a Killer LOGO For Your Brand
Dec 5, 2024·6m - 143
240: The Secret to Consistent Sales WITHOUT Live Launches (Featuring Abi Prendergast)
Jacques Hopkins interviews Abi Prendergast about building evergreen sales systems for online courses to replace reliance on live launches.
Nov 28, 2024·50m - 144
239: The ONE Book That Changed Everything For Me
Nov 21, 2024·19m - 145
238: How She Built a 6-Figure Course Business With Only 3k IG Followers (Featuring Claire Ellerbrock)
Claire Ellerbrock shares how she built a six-figure online course business with only 3,000 Instagram followers while paying off student loans.
Nov 14, 2024·1h 1m - 146
50% Off Kajabi (limited time)
Oct 31, 2024·5m - 147
237: Facebook Ads - What's Working RIGHT NOW (Featuring Kwadwo Sampany-Kessie)
Oct 29, 2024·1h 10m - 148
236: 6-Figures From a $47 Course (Featuring Logan Grimé)
Oct 15, 2024·1h 8m - 149
235: YouTube - What’s Working RIGHT NOW (Featuring Marley Jaxx)
Oct 1, 2024·1h 3m - 150
234: Detailed Case Study: From 0 to 5-Figures/Month (featuring Hugo Ortega)
Sep 17, 2024·1h 13m