Andrea Mielke Schroer had been thinking about creating an online course for years. She ran Mielke's Fiber Arts with her sister, traveling the nation teaching at fiber festivals and conferences — spending almost half the year on the road. After marriage and children, that schedule wasn't sustainable. Here's how she finally made the leap, and the specific lessons she learned along the way.
The Problem: Expertise Without a Delivery System
Andrea had decades of teaching experience and a loyal audience at in-person events. But she was limited by geography — she could only reach students who could travel to her workshops. Meanwhile, students kept asking: "Do you teach online?"
The gap between "I should create an online course" and actually doing it lasted years. Sound familiar? Andrea described three fears that kept her stuck:
- Would this be good enough? — The quality bar felt impossibly high.
- Would the topic interest people? — Even with in-person demand, online felt like a different world.
- Was she organizing it the best way? — Analysis paralysis about curriculum structure.
"The biggest hurdle was to hold the fears at bay and just work on the course."
What Changed: Small Goals, Not Grand Plans
Andrea joined Ruzuku's 30 Day Course Creation Challenge, which gave her a structure of one small, achievable task per day. Instead of trying to build a complete online school, she focused on one course for one specific audience.
Her initial goal was modest: "Let's get to 6 participants." She didn't plan for 50 or 100 — she planned for a number that felt achievable and would give her real teaching experience in the online format. She reached that goal and eventually passed it.
Her longer-term plan was equally practical: run at least one class per quarter and give students a reason to come back for the next one. Not "build a course empire" — just establish a sustainable rhythm.
The Promotion Surprise: Half Your Students Register on the Last Day
Andrea's most valuable lesson came from promotion. She was shocked to discover that nearly half of her participants waited until the last day to register. If she had stopped promoting a week before the start date, she would have missed half her class.
Her approach: post about the course every three days across multiple platforms (her email list, Facebook, Instagram, craft community forums), changing up the images and text each time. This felt repetitive to her — but her audience wasn't seeing every post.
"If I had given up on publicizing a week before, I probably would have missed half of my students."
This insight applies to almost every course launch. Creators tend to announce once, feel awkward about repeating themselves, and then wonder why enrollment was low. The reality: your audience needs to see your offer multiple times before they act. Keep promoting until the deadline — especially in the final 48 hours.
The 7-email launch sequence that drives enrollment →
Andrea's 3 Tips for First-Time Course Creators
1. Keep It Simple
"What is the goal? Get the student from point A to point B as simply as possible. Less fluff, less distraction. If you have a ton to say, maybe it needs to be two lessons instead of one."
This is the number one piece of advice from experienced course creators. Your first course doesn't need 12 modules, bonus content, a private community, and weekly office hours. It needs to deliver one clear transformation. Everything else can be added in round two.
2. Schedule Creation Time Like a Job
"Write blocks of time on your calendar and stick to it. This is your business — treat it like any other job. Show up on time and work until quitting time."
The creators who finish their courses are the ones who protect their creation time. Not "I'll work on it when I have a free afternoon" — but "Tuesday and Thursday, 9-11am, the door is closed."
3. Launch Before You're Ready
Andrea launched her pilot before she felt 100% prepared. The result wasn't a disaster — it was a learning experience. Students gave her feedback on what worked, what was confusing, and what they wanted more of. That feedback shaped her second offering, which was significantly better than her first.
Waiting until you feel "ready" is a trap. You'll never feel ready. Launch with your best effort, learn from real students, and improve.
How to run your first pilot course →
Collecting Feedback That Improves Your Course
After her first course, Andrea used a simple feedback survey to learn what to keep and what to change. She asked participants three questions: What was most valuable? What was confusing or unclear? What would you add or change?
This lightweight approach gave her specific, actionable feedback without overwhelming students with a long questionnaire. The answers directly shaped her curriculum for the next offering.
How to collect student feedback that improves your course →
The Takeaway
Andrea's story isn't about scaling to thousands of students or building a six-figure course business. It's about a skilled teacher who stopped waiting for the perfect moment and started with what she had: expertise, a small audience, and the willingness to launch before everything felt ready.
One small achievable task at a time. That's how courses get built.