How to Choose the Right Course Type for Your Business: Lessons from a Classic TV Series
Who’d have thunk binge-watching TV could spark a business revelation?!
Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of a classic movie obsession … but TV shows don’t get much of a look in around here. I'm pretty selective. So when I came down with COVID a few months ago, I knew I needed something substantial to tide me over while I was stuck without great mental of physical capacity. That's when I saw ER on my streaming service. yes - that 90s show!
I couldn't resist. Not for the storylines (honestly, one more romance and I’m gunna ….. ), or George Clooney's puppy-dog head tilt (though it didn’t go completely unappreciated) …
Not even for River Song showing up as an actual doctor instead of the wife of the timey-wimey one.
No - I remembered that this show was revolutionary back in the day for its production style and I wanted to see if it still held up. I didn’t watch it when it first screened … so I was a bit late to the party … but grateful for the chance to finally tune in.
Six months later, I've almost made it through 15 series!!! Crazy! And that magic? Well … it didn’t quite make it over the finish line, but they maintained that sense of being there for the best part of 16 years worth of episodes!
The Single Revolution That Changed Television
Here's what fascinates me: whilst most TV shows use multiple static cameras and edit between them to capture all the action, ER broke all the rules with a single steadicam (a camera stabilizing system worn by the operator that makes you feel like you're right there in the room) flowing through those hospital corridors.
This wasn't just a technical choice. It was a complete reimagining of how to create engaging television. The steadicam had been invented over 20 years earlier … but using it in this show was motivated by what could be communicated by it, like nothing else could.
The camera follows the action everywhere, catching fragments of conversation as it circumnavigates the chaos of emergency surgeries and personal dramas. In one fluid take, you're swept from a trauma case in one room, past a quiet moment between colleagues at reception, and into another space entirely.
And somehow it all feels real. Urgent. Alive.
When Style Perfectly Serves Story
ER's approach wasn't just about innovation or using the latest gadget to be contemporary - it was how perfectly the production style served the story they needed to tell. That fluid camera movement created exactly the sense of urgency and immediacy the show required.
The technique matched the tale. Like the Bauhaus architecture and design movement principle of “form follows function” - ideal design for purpose rather than art for art’s sake.
This got me thinking about course creation. Too often, we try to squeeze our expertise into someone else's course template. Six modules because that's what everyone does. Pre-recorded videos because that's what the 'experts' recommend. Worksheets because, well, aren't we supposed to have worksheets?
But what if we took a different approach? What if we designed our courses around what feels natural to us. What lights us up. What makes us excited to show up and teach.
When we create from that place? Magic happens. Our teaching flows. Our students get it.
Just as ER's producers chose their approach based on what the story needed, we can design our courses around what feels natural to us. What lights us up. What makes us excited to show up and teach.
When we create from that place? Magic happens. Our teaching flows. Our students get it.
And we get to run our businesses in a way that actually feels good.
After all, isn't that why we're in business for ourselves? To do things our way? When we stay true to what works for us, we end up creating something better than any trend could offer: a business we genuinely love.
Breaking Free From Static Business Models
Most business advice feels like those old multi-camera setups - static, controlled, everything in its predetermined place. But real business isn't like that.
It's fluid. Dynamic. Multiple stories unfold simultaneously.
When we try to force everything into rigid, traditional models, we end up with something that looks technically correct but feels somehow lifeless. Just like those old TV shows with their perfectly staged but disconnected scenes (and canned laughter to rub it in).
The Art of Flow
Think about how ER's camera work guides you through each scene, making complex action feel clear and engaging. Sometimes it follows the main action. Other times it catches quiet moments or parallel storylines.
There's a natural rhythm to it all.
This is exactly what we need in our course creation. Your course needs that same kind of intentional flow. Whether it's drip-fed content that builds week by week, or a self-paced journey that lets people discover at their own rhythm - the delivery format needs to match how your audience best absorbs and implements what you're teaching.
Understanding What Your Audience Really Needs
ER's producers understood something crucial about their audience - people wanted to feel like they were right there in that hospital, experiencing the intensity and emotion of each moment. The steadicam approach wasn't just a technical choice - it was about creating that immersive experience viewers craved.
In the same way, choosing your course type isn't just about what's easiest to deliver or what everyone else is doing. It's about deeply understanding how and where and when your audience needs to receive your wisdom.
Do they need the motivation of a live group experience?
The flexibility of self-paced modules?
The accountability of regular assessments?
… Everything Connects
Just as ER's revolutionary approach influenced how other shows were made, your course should influence how your audience engages with the rest of your offerings.
Maybe it's an introductory course that gives people a taste of your teaching style. Perhaps it's a deep-dive that builds on the foundation you've already created through your other content. The key is making sure your course type creates natural pathways - both into and out of the experience.
Your Moment to Create Something Different
I see so many brilliant women in business facing this choice. There's this hunger in their audiences for something more engaging, more dynamic, more real. Yet we often find ourselves stuck following someone else's template, trying to force our unique expertise into predetermined frameworks that just don't flow.
Let's Get Practical About Your Course Design
Start with what lights you up.
Scroll through your social media comments and direct messages. Which questions make you want to grab your mic or camera immediately? Like a book doula who gets absolutely fired up talking about story structure and the hero's journey - how changing just one scene can transform the entire emotional impact of a memoir. When someone asks about narrative arcs, she's already reaching for her whiteboard markers, ready to map out the possibilities.
Track your audience signals carefully.
Beyond the basic engagement metrics, look for the comments that spawn rich discussions. Those lengthy response threads where everyone starts sharing their struggles? They're pure gold - revealing exactly where your people are stuck and hungry for guidance.
Now think bigger picture.
What annual income would make this course a success for you? Rather than getting stuck in hourly-rate thinking, consider what's possible through different delivery models. An evergreen course at AUD997 needs very different conversion numbers than a premium group program at AUD5,000. This is exactly why I created the Mindful Money Mapper tool - it lets you play with these scenarios until you find your sweet spot.
Look at your natural teaching rhythm.
When you're explaining concepts to clients, do you find yourself sketching diagrams? Creating impromptu demonstrations? Building frameworks? Your instinctive teaching style often points to your most effective course format.
Here's a practical insight that might surprise you: Courses with built-in implementation weeks - breathing room for actual practice - see significantly higher completion and satisfaction rates.
It's not about how much content you can pack in, but how effectively people can absorb and apply it.
Consider your ideal delivery tempo.
An evergreen course might give you the freedom to reach more people while maintaining your energy. A high-touch group program might create deeper transformation but require more focused delivery periods. Both can work brilliantly - it's about matching the format to your goals and energy.
Here's where it gets interesting: Look for the overlap between your expertise and persistent market problems.
A different example might help here: Consider a book doula who notices her audience consistently asking questions like "How do I write when I'm afraid of judgment?" or "How do I know which parts of my story matter?" The intersection between her understanding of story structure and these emotional blocks - that's the sweet spot for course creation.
What if, like those revolutionary TV producers, we tuned into what our audiences really need? What if we designed courses that moved as naturally as that steadicam through the hospital corridors - but in a way that's uniquely ours?
This is exactly why I've created the
FREE 5-day "Discover Your Right Course" Facebook Challenge,
starting February 2025.
In just 5 days, you'll:
Break free from cookie-cutter course templates that never quite fit
Discover the course type that flows naturally with your business rhythm
Visualise the kind of program that actually excites you to deliver
Design an experience that keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more
Be clear on what to create that stands out because it's authentically yours
Just like ER's producers chose their revolutionary approach because it was exactly right for the story they needed to tell, your course needs to be exactly right for your vision and your audience.
Ready to create something different?
This coming February, while others are busy copying last year's formulas, you'll be pioneering something new - something that's exactly right for you and your audience. Join the free 5-day challenge, and let's create something that moves people - in all the right ways.
P.S. Just like ER transformed television production, your unique approach to course creation could transform your corner of the business world. I’d love youto join me to discover exactly what that looks like for you.
