From Pura Vida to Profitable Courses: 5 Mistakes to Skip - 10

Unlock Course Creation: A millennial mom's approach to impactful online courses

Fresh off a two-week adventure in Central America, Cassandra Meszaros is back with valuable insights—not just from the trip, but from the world of course creation! 🌎 In this episode of Unlock Course Creation, she shares the five biggest mistakes new course creators make and how to avoid them.

From trying to teach everything to waiting for perfection before launching, Cassandra breaks down the common pitfalls that can slow down (or completely stall) your course progress. Plus, in this episode’s Instructional Design in the Real World segment, she dives into how learning Spanish on vacation revealed key insights about how we absorb new information.

If you want to build a course that actually sells and delivers results, this is a must-listen!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. The 5 most common mistakes new course creators make—and how to avoid them.
2. Why less is more when it comes to teaching (and how to keep learners engaged).
3. Why skipping research and diving straight into content can backfire.
4. The "If I build it, they will come" myth—and what to do instead.
5. Why done is better than perfect when launching your first course.
6. The importance of embracing selling as part of your course strategy.
7. Instructional Design in the Real World: How learning Spanish on vacation is a perfect example of effective instructional design.

Timestamps:

• [00:00] Intro: Why it's okay to disconnect (and what this trip taught me).
• [02:12] Celebrating podcast consistency & launching the email list.
• [04:14] Pura Vida & lessons from two weeks in Costa Rica & Nicaragua.
• [05:22] The 5 biggest mistakes new course creators make.
  • [06:08] Mistake #1: Trying to teach everything (aka overwhelming your learners).
  • [09:16] Mistake #2: Designing first, researching later (don't cook a 5-course meal without knowing your guests’ allergies!).
  • [12:57] Mistake #3: If I build it, they will come—why courses don't sell themselves.
  • [15:24] Mistake #4: 90% finished, but never launched—perfectionism paralysis.
  • [17:53] Mistake #5: Being too afraid to sell (you're actually helping your audience!).
• [21:42] Recap of the 5 mistakes & how to avoid them.
• [22:19] Instructional Design in the Real World: How learning Spanish in Costa Rica reinforced key adult learning principles.
• [27:39] Podcast updates & how to get course creation support.

Call to Action:

• 💌 Join the brand-new email list! Get podcast updates & exclusive extras: cassandrameszaros.ca/email
• 📲 Follow Cassandra on Instagram @cassandra.meszaros & tell her what song you instantly know all the lyrics to! 🎶
• 💻 Work with Cassandra:
  • Need help refining your course strategy? Book a discovery call.
  • Have burning questions? Schedule an "Ask an Instructional Designer Anything" session.