There's No Perfect Way to Scale (Only Yours): Lessons from “My Octopus Teacher”
I know, at first glance, a documentary about a man befriending an octopus might seem worlds away from creating your online program. But stay with me - this unlikely parallel reveals something profound about finding your unique path to scale that most business advice misses entirely.
The first time I watched My Octopus Teacher, my heart raced. Not just from the stunning cinematography of the kelp forest undulating in the surge, but from a deep recognition of what it means to stand at the edge of something both terrifying and magnificent.
You know that feeling? When your body knows what you need before your mind catches up?
Every time I guide someone through discovering their path to scale, I see that same edge of hesitation. That catch of breath that comes right before diving into something that could change everything.
What lies beneath our resistance
I don't habitually watch documentaries. There's often that little voice warning they might be too heavy or too dry, a bit like how we sometimes approach scaling our business, isn't it?
But something about "My Octopus Teacher" pulled me in. Perhaps because I've always been fascinated by how humans position themselves as separate from nature, somehow superior to other creatures. I've never bought into that hierarchy.
The film takes place in a world I'm both fascinated by and slightly terrified of. (Thanks for nothing, Steven Spielberg—"Jaws" has made me eternally cautious of the ocean, though it's never stopped me from exploring the barrier reef, snorkelling off Vanuatu, Port Stephens, or the bay beaches of my own home town.) I even had a small octopus dart out at me once in Tathra when I was diving to pick up a shell, and it gave me the fright of my life! I screamed underwater and darted to the surface “like a polaris missile” as my partner exlaimed, laughing his head off! It probably meant to only warn me away. Effective strategy! But I digress…
There's magic under the surface. Yet it's so challenging to connect with what's there because of all the barriers to communication.
That's precisely what makes Foster's year-long journey so compelling. He pushed past those barriers—the cold, the discomfort, the unknown—to discover something extraordinary. Just as we must when we're ready to scale our expertise in a way that truly matters.
When being seen feels like the scariest dive
The first time I attempted to scale my business, my heart raced. Not from excitement, but from a visceral fear of increased visibility.
Truth be told, I've always found visibility challenging. Growing up, I often felt unseen for who I truly was. I questioned things differently, needed time to process deeply, and found last-minute changes utterly disorienting. These qualities that made me unique were sometimes treated as problems to be fixed rather than strengths to be nurtured.
As an adult, I realised that reaching an online audience - the very people who most needed my help - meant finding a way to be seen on my own terms.
For me, that first meant creating a membership where I could show up authentically. I could process and write at my pace, create pre-recorded videos when I felt most aligned, and build a website that reflected my vision perfectly. The platform felt safe because it gave me control over how and when I appeared.
Did it work perfectly right away? Not exactly. I didn't have the audience numbers initially to make it economically viable. But here's what matters: that experience wasn't a failure—it was data. Valuable information that continues to inform how I evolve my business.
We teach what we most need to learn, after all.
When shallow waters no longer serve
Craig Foster, the filmmaker behind My Octopus Teacher, didn't go into the ocean because he had it all figured out. He went because staying in the shallows - doing things the way he always had - was slowly drowning him.
Sound familiar?
Maybe you're there right now. Successfully serving your clients one-to-one, but feeling the undertow of exhaustion. Knowing you need to scale, but resisting the templates and formulas that promise 'proven' paths to success.
When Foster first dove into those cold waters, he didn't know he'd discover an octopus teacher. He just knew the surface wasn't enough anymore.
What are you really after?
Here's what Foster's journey taught me about finding your way to scale: The magic isn't in following someone else's method. It's in giving yourself permission to explore the depths of what's possible for you.
Just like each ocean holds different treasures, each expert's path to scale looks different. What matters isn't following a preset map, but having the right compass to guide you.
There's more than one way to package your brilliance
Let's pause here for a moment. When I say "scaling your expertise," your mind might immediately jump to traditional online courses - modules, PowerPoints, and rigid structures. But just as the ocean holds countless forms of life, your wisdom can find countless forms of expression.
Your scalable offer might be:
A series of intimate group experiences that create profound transformation
A carefully curated resource library that guides and empowers
A progressive skills framework that builds mastery
A transformative journey map that illuminates the path
A collaborative learning laboratory that sparks innovation
A creative mentorship circle that nurtures growth
The form it takes matters less than how naturally it flows from your expertise and resonates with your audience.
The joy of going deeper
Remember how Foster's daily practice began with simple observation and evolved into something extraordinary? That's what happens when we give ourselves permission to explore beneath the surface.
Each deep dive reveals new possibilities:
Patterns in how your clients best transform
The natural rhythm of your teaching style
The format that amplifies your impact
The approach that energises rather than depletes
Maya Angelou was right when she said people will forget what you said but remember how you made them feel. Though it's been ages since I first watched "My Octopus Teacher," the feeling lingers: Foster's experience made me feel seen. He lived out a dream experience (without me having to commit to diving every single day for a year, whatever the weather!).
He brought curiosity and heart. Created connection. Then transformed it into something beautiful that touched millions.
Isn't that what we're all here to do with our expertise? Create connection. Transform lives. Touch hearts. Scale our impact without losing the very essence that makes our work meaningful.
When technical skill meets creative flow
What strikes me most about Foster's film is how his technical expertise as a filmmaker found new life through his deep dives. The camera work becomes increasingly fluid, more intimate, as he surrenders to the ocean's rhythm.
This is what happens when we stop fighting our natural inclinations in business. Our professional skills don't disappear - they transform. They find new expression through the very thing we were resisting.
Navigating your own depths
Just as Foster's daily swims revealed the hidden life of the kelp forest, your exploration will uncover the perfect way for your wisdom to reach more people:
Read the Waters Like understanding ocean currents, notice:
Which client transformations create the biggest ripples
What teaching moments flow most naturally
Where your expertise finds its clearest expression
How your audience best absorbs your wisdom
Trust the Currents Just as different sea creatures thrive at different depths:
Some knowledge is best shared through intimate group experiences
Some transforms beautifully into self-paced exploration
Some comes alive through guided practice
Some flourishes in creative collaboration
Navigate by Feel Foster learned to read the ocean's moods. You'll learn to trust:
When to structure and when to flow
How to balance guidance with discovery
Where your audience needs more support
What format serves your message best
Embrace the Depths Like the changing tides:
Your offer will evolve as you do
Your approach will refine with experience
Your impact will deepen with time
Your joy will grow with practice
The hidden treasures of deep work
Creating something scalable isn't about skimming the surface. It's about diving deep enough to discover what makes your work uniquely transformative.
Think of it like Foster's camera work - technical skill in service of genuine connection. Your expertise finding new ways to touch lives, your wisdom reaching further without losing its essence.
What I've discovered is that scaling isn't about following someone else's blueprint for visibility. It's about honouring your natural way of connecting and then finding the format that amplifies that connection without draining you.
Sometimes the most brilliant course creators are the ones who once felt most challenged by traditional approaches to being seen.
Why most course creation feels heavy
Here's what I've noticed after years of helping experts scale: The resistance to creating courses often comes from trying to stay in the shallows. Following formulas. Copying templates. Staying safe.
But just as Foster had to leave the safety of the shore to find his story, your most aligned path to scale might require:
Questioning conventional course structures
Exploring unconventional formats
Trusting your intuitive teaching style
Creating from your zone of genius
The compass you've been seeking
This is why I've created The Course Compass Deep Dive - a focused exploration into discovering your natural path to scale. It's not about spending months planning. It's about diving deep enough to find clarity.
Through 5 intensive sessions and a comprehensive playbook, you'll:
Map your existing expertise in new ways
Uncover your natural teaching rhythm
Identify your perfect delivery format
Chart your “course” to sustainably scale (you don’t have to make a traditional course .. there are many ways to share your wisdom, and this is explored inside the deep dive.
What makes a deep dive different
Like Foster's focused time with the octopus, transformation doesn't always require lengthy programs. Sometimes, it's about:
The right guidance at the right depth
Clear tools for navigation
Space for discovery and processing at your own pace
Permission to trust your instincts
The Course Compass Deep Dive is now available as a self-paced experience. Because just like ocean exploration, this kind of discovery needs to happen at your natural rhythm.
Ready to find your own way forward?
When Foster first stepped into that cold ocean, he couldn't have imagined the masterpiece that would emerge. But he took that first dive, then another, and another.
Your perfect path to scale is waiting to be discovered. Not through following formulas, but through diving deep enough to find your true direction.
Ready to navigate your way forward?
Join The Course Compass Deep Dive - where scaling your expertise becomes a journey of discovery, not a checkbox exercise.
