My Giant Waitlist Mistake

+ why I'm soooo glad it happened

Issue #110

Subscriber count: 11,416+

Summer-long waitlist nurture

I started a waitlist for my premium program: Launch, Community in May.

I emailed the growing list (220+ people) every single week.

In those emails I shared:

  • The details of the $997 cohort program

  • Why I’m building it

  • Hard-learned business lessons from my past

Everything was going great.

I was doing everything right according to the textbook.

✔️ Create momentum

✔️ Teach and give a ton of value

✔️ Repeat the offer a few times so everyone is clear

So, what was the problem, Jamie?

The time (12-week cohort), the complexity (a fully interactive private community + accountability + live teaching), and the cost ($997) just didn’t sit right with me.

This didn’t feel like the right solution for my hungry group of PharmDs eager to build a strong, profitable brand online.

It felt like something only a small percentage could easily afford. It also felt too complicated + advanced for my audience who are just getting started getting online. I want this to be my Build Your Brand 101 resource for the industry. I don’t know about you, but my favorite first resources aren’t nearly $1K.

It felt like I was making this group go from 0 to 100mph in <5 seconds. By offering such a high-ticket, high-action solution I knew I was alienating a lot of people who were interested in learning this skill….but not interested in going all-in from day one.

That didn’t feel right.

But, I was almost to launch date (August 23). So, I had to decide. Do I keep just pressing on and figure it out? Or simplify the offering?

I hashed it all out in my journal:

Yep, that’s right.

🪓 I’m whacking the complexity and the high price point of my program.

Those just didn’t ever sit well with me for a new product release.

I really really want this to be accessible to you to implement in your career without such a high financial, time, and energy cost. I hate stupid expensive programs that take a big commitment. So why did I try to make one!? 🤦🏼‍♀️

What’s The Updated Offer?

My goal it to take you go from lurking online to owning a strong personal brand in 90 days without being an extrovert so you can transform your career.

I know I can do that with a streamlined training + templates that you can access anytime in the future. So, that’s what I’m going to do.

  • I’m swallowing my pride

  • Taking a big risk here by looking stupid in front of you all

  • Cutting 80% of the price from my program $997 to $197

  • Doing what I feel in my bones is right

I’ll condense all of my training into a workshop + templates. This workshop will be broken into bite-sized pieces so it’ll be easy for you to refer to the exact point you need help with into the future. Plus, you’ll have my templates to make it easy to stay on track.

You’re going to learn:

  1. How to pick a niche

  2. How to own that niche on social media

  3. How to gather a list of raving fans

  4. How to sell your first digital product to that list

  5. Pro tips for introverts who are scared out of their mind to do this

  6. [ + ] Templates for successful social media posts

  7. [ + ] Systems to simplify showing up online every week

Wow! Plot Twist. What are the Pros and Cons?

Pros:

  • Better price point for an introduction offer

  • I can now upgrade the students who loved this workshop into a simple accountability + networking group

  • It easier to say yes to this on-demand training

  • [Possible] I shared honestly how this came to be. The candor will resonate with people and I’ll get more sales

Cons:

  • I changed my offer. I just confused my waitlist. That was super risky.

  • My most-interested students will now have to wait longer for accountability

  • [Possible] Sales may tank because I made this switch way too late in the game

*And if you’re wondering if this was some sort of publicity stunt I assure you it was not. The honest truth is that last week my 4 wild boys went back to school and I had my first day of peace & quiet all summer. Silence, long walks, and journaling brings me a lot of clarity.

What Did the Waitlist Think of This Whopper Change?

The results have been mixed, but overwhelmingly positive!

Here are a few quotes:

”Your recent experiences and the way you've navigated your decisions, especially that story about the $20k mentor, really resonated with me. It's made me reflect on the value of following one's instincts. I must admit, knowing your process made investing in your project easier for me. I have a good feeling about the outcomes of your approach— entrepreneurial karma seems to be on our side!”

”I appreciate your vulnerability and transparency in sharing your new offer. Admittedly, I’m excited for a lower price point but I was reallyyy looking forward to the accountability aspect and meeting other like-minded Misfit PharmDs.”

“10 —  brilliant” â€ťI'm here for all of it - so I vote for whatever feels best for you!”

It was really encouraging to get such positive feedback. It made me excited to be able to teach all PharmDs at a low price point. With plans to very soon build the next level of accountability + support for a portion of my students who want even more help.

It just feels right to build this way.

  • Start small

  • Validate, validate, validate

  • Overdeliver

  • Create the next step my students want

I know in the past I was guilty of building a big, expensive product as my only offering. I always hated that I left so many people out (and that those who were in were sooo committed). I also wished I built past products up step-by-step rather than offering only the whole, expensive, intensive enchilada at once.

I almost made the same mistake again. Whew! That was a close one.

How Are You Going to Launch This?

I’m still staying on my original timeline: August 23 is the open cart date.

Everyone on my waitlist will get the link to buy on 8/23 at 6am ET.

I won’t share the link anywhere else online. I only want a small, eager group to have access to this training.

I’ll release the full workshop + accompanying templates in early September to all those who have purchased.

Then, I’ll gather feedback and build the next level resource for those forward-thinking PharmDs who loved it and want the next layer of accountability + feedback as they build every week. It is going to be so fun.

You guys, I wish you knew this group. They are such great humans with such a strong desire to take control of their future and build something they love online. I’m so proud of them already.

Whew! Well, there’s the full story of my big, last-minute change.

If you’re interested in getting this training please hop on my waitlist today.

I hope it either gives you something ridiculous to laugh at. Or, the courage to follow you gut, too.

👋🏻 Jamie

PS-Whenever you're ready, there are 2 more ways Jamie can help you:

  • 👉🏻 I'm building a waitlist of 220+ PharmD’s for my private training that takes you go from lurking online to owning a strong personal brand in 90 days without being an extrovert. Join here (the training I described in this email)

  • Hit reply to this email with a problem you’re facing as you navigate exiting pharmacy. Chances are I’ll write a newsletter to solve your problem if it applies to others.

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