Where to turn in the age of online education

And because we’re in an age of online education, there are options (seemingly everywhere) to choose from when it comes time to invest in your creative business. Sometimes, those options can feel overwhelming.

Well, we took one for the team and spent some time scoping out and learning from quite a few educational resources. Of course, we wanted to give you a few options (from $0 to $$$$), while also divulging why we chose what we chose. 

And don’t worry, we’ll make sure to tell you our likes and dislikes - just make sure to sip a cup of tea for us.

Because you already know that investing in your business and continuing to expand in your personal and creative growth is important, right? Now it’s our turn to help you choose the right resource and method for you.

$$$$  

Before you get sticker shock, just remember: we’re sharing courses and resources at all price ranges. To kick things off, let’s chat about two of the more expensive educational resources we’ve had the chance to learn from.

KBB by Dean Graziosi and Tony Robbins

We know, we know. The level of cheese here is unmatched. However, the KBB (Knowledge Broker Blueprint) course actually offers a ton of value, too. 

From our experience, KBB inspired us to take action in our internal business, while actually guiding us through a strategy to implement in real-time. Dean and Tony shared tools and tips they’ve practiced for years, while forcing us to dig deep on the “why” behind our brand. We also found that KBB gave us the confidence and motivation to launch products and continue to grow our business and brand. If we’re talking about a return on investment, that alone pays dividends.

Because of KBB’s comprehensive overview of the essentials of launching, marketing and operating a business, we actually recommend the course for anyone, in any stage of their business’ growth. Whether you’re newly launched (or launching), or have been in business for the last 5 years, everyone can find value in learning and relearning the basics. We actually ended up learning quite a few things that typical books or business classes don’t teach, which was a nice surprise.

Now of course, let’s circle back to the one downside: the cheesiness. Being that we’re creatives (have we said that enough lately?) we tend to pay a little bit of attention to the branding and overall visual effect of course materials and resources. Disclaimer: the KBB branding is not the modern, minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing vibe we’re known to love. We also noticed that there weren’t a ton of other creative business owners in the community to learn and collaborate with. 

But that’s okay.

Again, this isn’t necessarily the course to boost your creativity and take your art to new heights. KBB will give you the framework and strategy you need to run a successful and solid business, so you can stop expelling your creative energy in the wrong places. 

So, if you have the ability to invest in a high-ticket course, we recommend KBB!

Sophia Amoruso’s Business Class

The juxtaposition of these two courses is slightly humorous, but hey, we’re here for solid business education - no matter the type. Marketed as “your passport to a high-flying business,” Sophia’s course has an edgy, fun and modern feel.

While we’re currently working our way through Business Class, we’ve had a chance to identify some things we love. Personally, we found the Business Class experience more enjoyable because of Sophia’s focus on of-the-moment brands like Glossier, and Fenty Beauty. In the past, we had not seen or experienced educational courses that took current case studies of the brands we all know and love. 

It’s also been great to hop on weekly calls with Sophia, where she hosts live Q&A sessions with each of our fellow “passengers” (again, A+ on the branding). Business Class also offers The Lounge, a social app where you can mingle with your fellow passengers, and chat through learnings.

The one downside? The price tag. $2,000 is not a small price to pay for a business course, and we completely understand any initial hesitancy to invest. But, we will say that thus far, we’ve found that our investment was absolutely worth it. Business Class teaches the fundamentals of building a smart and profitable business, while creating an iconic brand. What more could we want?

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Let’s all breathe a collective “ahhhh” as we work our way down the cost ladder, into our less expensive educational tier. 

Creative Live

To be fair, we haven’t had the chance to explore this platform in as much detail as we’d like to, but we will say that we’ve heard great things. After taking some time to peruse the Creative Live site, we were super impressed with the options (and prices) for each individual course. 

Creative Live is a great resource to utilize if you’re wanting to pick and choose what to learn, rather than purchasing a full course with multiple modules. Give it a try with the free trial, and let us know what you think!

Moodelier

Now, we’d be bereft if we didn’t make sure to mention our own courses in a blog all about educational courses, right?

We’ll keep it short and sweet: earlier this year, we launched our Moodelier Photography Course, which featured educational modules from 8 of the most exciting creatives of our time.

Because the course was available for a limited time, we decided to re-release the Photography Course, while launching our brand new Creative Course, coming this November.

Both courses were intended for anyone with an appetite for creating stunning visuals. All 15 modules hone in on the mechanics, practice and strategy behind ideating, producing and shooting scroll-stopping imagery. So, whether you’re a budding creative entrepreneur, or a photographer with over 10 years of experience, our Photography and Creative courses are for you. 

Depending on when you purchase (ahem: early bird rates!), and which course or bundle you choose, pricing can range between $117 to $237. 

The early bird price will drop really soon, make sure to sign up for the waitlist.

See? We promised to share the details without going on a tangent. Now let’s move on to our next favorite topic - free resources.

$0‍

If you’ve read thus far with a knot in your stomach the size of a golf ball, we understand. Investing in your business, especially at an early stage, can feel terrifying. The good news? There is a ton of free educational content for you to explore - and we’ve included one of our favorites below.‍

Adobe Live‍

Yes, you read that right. Adobe regularly hosts some of the most well-known and revolutionary creative entrepreneurs of our time for weekly and monthly livestreams that allow you to learn and hone your craft for free. 

From shooting and editing, to graphic design and illustration, we’ve learned some amazing things through these Adobe Live sessions, and couldn’t recommend them more. To check out past and future livesteams, just click here. ‍

Blogs‍

Believe it or not, there are countless business owners and creative entrepreneurs who serve up helpful tips and education through their blog on a weekly and monthly basis! We recommend identifying a handful of fellow business owners whose work you respect, and then exploring their site. 

If you’re looking for a few recommendations, we love the blogs we’ve read from Weekend Creative, Freelancer’s Union, Ascent with Sophia and Rising Tide Society.

Who knows, you may even find enough content to binge and create your own self-paced educational experience. 

And that level of resourcefulness is a 2020 mood.

Photo credit: The blog cover photo from @dianewithonen for Kinside First blog photo from Business Class by Sophia Amoruso