Creating an online course is exciting, but let’s be honest—it can also feel totally overwhelming. If you’re an expert in your field, you probably have so much knowledge to share that narrowing it down into a single, sellable course feels impossible.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone! One of the biggest struggles I see among new course creators is figuring out how to refine their ideas into one clear course concept—one that not only resonates with their audience but also delivers a meaningful transformation.

That’s exactly what we’re covering in this week’s episode of Teaching Mastery Academy!

By the time you finish listening, you’ll have a step-by-step process for getting all those ideas out of your head, identifying the one that will sell, and shaping it into a course that actually gets results for your students.

Let’s break it down.

Why So Many Course Creators Get Stuck

Before we talk about how to fix this, let’s talk about why narrowing down your course idea feels so hard in the first place.

1. The Curse of Expertise

The more you know, the harder it is to teach. Sounds backward, right? But this is something I see all the time. When you’ve spent years mastering your craft, it’s easy to forget what it feels like to be a beginner.

Here’s what happens:

• You feel like you need to cover everything because you want to provide value.
• You struggle to simplify concepts because they seem obvious to you.
• You end up overwhelming your audience with too much information.

But here’s the truth: Your audience doesn’t need to know everything. They just need to know the next step.

2. Fear of Choosing the “Wrong” Course Idea

What if you pick the wrong idea? What if no one buys it?

I get it—choosing a course topic can feel like a huge decision. But here’s the good news: Course creation is an iterative process. You don’t have to get it 100% perfect the first time. You just need to validate your idea before investing time and energy into building the course.

The Step-by-Step Framework for Choosing Your Course Idea

To move from overwhelm to clarity, follow these four steps:

1. Brain Dump Your Expertise
2. Identify Your Audience’s Biggest Pain Points
3. Validate Your Course Idea
4. Define the Transformation

Let’s go deeper into each step.

Step 1: Brain Dump Your Expertise

If you’ve got too many ideas floating around in your head, the first thing you need to do is get them all out of your brain and onto paper.

Here’s how to do it:

• Grab a notebook or open a blank document.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes.
• Write down every topic you could teach—big or small. Don’t filter or judge, just brain dump.

Example: If you’re a social media strategist, your list might include:

✅ How to create viral content
✅ Instagram growth strategies
✅ Facebook ad targeting
✅ Personal branding for entrepreneurs
✅ Writing captions that convert

Now you’ve got a full list of ideas—but instead of feeling overwhelmed, you’ve got a starting point.

Step 2: Identify Your Audience’s Biggest Pain Points

Now that you have all your ideas on paper, it’s time to narrow them down based on what your audience actually needs.

Ask yourself:

• What problems does my audience struggle with the most?
• What questions do people ask me all the time?
• Which of these ideas solves an urgent problem?

Your course shouldn’t just share knowledge—it should solve a problem your audience desperately wants to fix.

Example: Instead of a broad course on “Social Media Marketing,” focus on:

👉 "How to Create Viral Instagram Content That Grows Your Following (Without Spending Hours on Reels)"

See the difference? Instead of teaching everything, you’re solving one clear problem—and that makes your course way more appealing.

Step 3: Validate Your Course Idea

Before you spend weeks (or months) building a course, validate your idea to make sure people actually want it.

Here’s how:

1. Ask Your Audience

• Run a poll on Instagram or Facebook with 2-3 course topic options.
• Post in Facebook groups and ask, “Which of these would help you the most?”
• DM past clients or customers and ask what they’d love to learn from you.

2. Look for Market Demand

• Search your topic on Google Trends—is interest growing?
• Check Amazon book titles in your niche—what’s selling?
• Browse Reddit or Quora to see what people are asking about your topic.

3. Test with a Mini-Offer

• Run a live workshop on your course topic and see if people sign up.
• Offer a freebie (PDF, checklist, or mini-course) and track engagement.

If people show interest, you’ve got a winner! If not, tweak your idea and test again.

Step 4: Define the Transformation

This is where your course goes from “just another online program” to a must-have offer.

People don’t buy information. They buy transformation.

So, instead of saying:
❌ “This course teaches Instagram marketing.”

Say this:
✅ “By the end of this course, you’ll have a fully optimized Instagram strategy that attracts your ideal clients and generates leads on autopilot.”

Use this formula:
✨ “By the end of this course, you will [specific outcome] without [common frustration].” ✨

This makes your course feel like a clear solution instead of just more content.

Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Let’s talk about what not to do when narrowing down your course idea.

1. Trying to Teach Everything

A course that tries to solve every problem ends up solving none. Keep it focused!

2. Ignoring Validation

Assuming your idea will sell without testing it is a recipe for failure. Take the time to validate first!

3. Forgetting the Transformation

Your students don’t want more information. They want results. Make sure your course promise is crystal clear!

Success Story: The Freelance Photographer

To show you how this works in real life, let me tell you about one of my students—a freelance photographer named Sarah.

Sarah had so much knowledge about photography. She could teach:

• Lighting techniques
• Editing workflows
• Posing clients
• Camera settings

But when she tried to create a course, she felt stuck.

After following this process, she realized her audience’s biggest struggle wasn’t mastering photography—it was getting their first paying clients.

💡 So she launched a course called “How to Land Your First 3 Freelance Clients in 30 Days”—and guess what? It took off!

Because instead of trying to teach everything, she focused on solving one major problem—and her students got real results.

Your Next Steps: Get Clear on Your Course Idea

If you’re feeling stuck, here’s your action plan:

✅ Step 1: Brain dump every course idea you have.
✅ Step 2: Identify your audience’s biggest struggles.
✅ Step 3: Validate your top idea with a poll, mini-offer, or workshop.
✅ Step 4: Define the exact transformation your course delivers.

Clarity is the key to success in course creation. When you simplify your idea, you make it easier to sell and easier to deliver real results for your students.

Listen to the Full Episode!

This is just the beginning! We go even deeper into these strategies in this week’s episode of Teaching Mastery Academy.

👉 Click here to listen now!

And if you’re ready to take your course idea to the next level, join the waitlist for Teaching Mastery Academy—where I help course creators just like you turn expertise into transformation-packed online courses that sell.

🎉 Join the waitlist here!

Your course idea has the power to change lives—including yours. Let’s make it happen! 🚀