STC Elite Mastermind Sales Page

STC Elite

Where Therapists Come Together To Build And Grow Their Online Course

You can be a therapist AND grow multiple income streams. A wise clinical supervisor shared this tip with me back in 2010 when I was on my postdoc at Vanderbilt University. And it’s true now more than ever.

If you’re like me, you’ve thought long and hard during this pandemic about your business and how it weaves through your life. Have you been asking questions like:

I’m super busy in my private practice but it’s not fulfilling. How can I use my knowledge to create online income with my online course?
How can I reduce seeing clients so I can focus on growing my additional stream of income?
How can I grow my other income without sacrificing time with my family?

If so, you might also be imagining a better life. Imagine...

Having online income streams that consistently bring you money and fulfillment
Impacting others AND making money without having to be physically present
Having the freedom to spend more time with loved ones, resting, or snuggling into a cozy chair enjoying a book (instead of being in back-to-back sessions all day)

You want that ease, flow, and freedom and it’s possible.

However, I must warn you that the journey is not easy.

Why Do Some Therapists Flourish In Creating Significant Online Course Income While Others Struggle?

Over the past 7 years, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to build a successful 100% online business powered by online courses. My online course started with 8 initial students and has grown to 275+, passing the $300k revenue mark in 2021.

During this time, I’ve also spend over $25,000 in courses, masterminds, and coaching to try to unlock that secret formula of why some therapists successful transition “out of the chair” to online income while others flounder and struggle.

Can I share what I learned? There’s no “secret sauce.” It’s mainly a few key insights.

Taking the time to validate your online course to make sure you’re going into a space where there’s significant income + growth potential.
Surrounding yourself with positive others who are on the same career trajectory, strengthen your blind spots, and have an abundance mindset.
Focusing on a single scalable flagship offer vs. launching product or service after product or service.
Making strategic hires so that you move from a “Swiss army knife” business owner to a CEO that works in your zone of genius.

I’m confident that if you follow this framework, your life and career will change in ways that you and I can’t even imagine.

Your mind will unlock to new creative possibilities for your life and career. You’ll have a “passive income” channel.

And you’ll be able to scale sharing your knowledge so that your time commitment doesn’t change significantly whether you have 1 student or 1000 students enrolled in your online course.

And, if you’re sappy like me, you’ll cry in front of your keyboard when people message you to share how your online course has changed their life 🥲 .

The Challenges Of Growing A Successful Online Course

It’s a lot for most of us to take our online course from an idea, to launch, to creating, to having the fortitude to grow it as the years pass.
You’ll have to work through your inner critic who will show up at the worst possible times.
You may have colleagues and loved ones who will deter you with “well intentioned” sayings: “So...you’re not going to see clients anymore?” or “I don’t think you can ethically do that.”
You’ll have to work through money and mindset stuff as you price + scale your flagship offer.
In a way weird, it feels more and more isolating the greater success you have.

And you’ll have to do all of this while juggling your busy practice, time with loved ones, and a host of other responsibilities. As a colleague, I can tell you this is hard. It takes commitment and hard work.

But creating online course income is also life-changing. It gives you a life of ease and flow, where self care + family time are prioritized.

If I Have Achieved This Life, You Can Too

Our family immigrated from India to the U.S. in 1989.

My father’s law degree didn’t transfer over so he worked two jobs: unpacking boxes in the warehouse at our local Walmart and cleaning dirty bed linens at the county hospital.

We started by living in a government-funded apartment.

As a young boy, I saw my parents struggle and, through sheer hard work, unbelievable grace, and grit, succeed.

But I also learned an unfortunate lesson: That the only way to truly achieve success was to “stay in your lane,” and trade time for income.

But I felt like I was meant to do so much more.

The supervisor that I mentioned at the start of this page changed my life.

I began to see that our clinical skills could be translated beyond the therapy room.

And, in doing so, we could enter this online realm with courage and hope because we had a competitive advantage.

But, like most of us, when we get great advice, I didn’t listen... 😅

My Story - From Burnt Out To A Life I Love

My partner and I got married and we moved to Philadelphia from Nashville in 2012.

I left behind a stable clinical job offer at Vanderbilt.

Being too scared and having a 0 professional network, I joined a group practice.

I love clinical work and had wonderful clients.

With 90% show rates + a five-week wait list, I looked successful on the outside. But on the inside, I was unfulfilled.

I hated the crisis calls, the loads and loads of paperwork, and the cumulative toll on my own mental health of hearing heart breaking story after story.

I also hated how all of my income was from a single income source, one that required me to trade my time for money.

A nor'easter that slammed the Northeast in Jan 2015 confirmed this for me.

It ended up dumping 20 inches of snow in a matter of hours, leading to me canceling over 20 clients due to downed power lines, spotty cell service, and icy roads.

And the worst part? We were saving up for the down payment on our first home.

So, later that spring, I started to move away from 1:1 and towards online business.

It all started with the launch of the STC podcast, which is fulfilling, helps others, and makes money.

Other therapists started asking me to give them tips on how to start a successful podcast.

And so I started consulting and then launched a self-paced podcasting course for therapists too.

Over the past 7 years,

I went from working 35 hours a week over 5.5 days (including Tuesday nights + Saturday mornings) to working 4 days and 16 hours a week (with no weekends or nights).
I do deep, meaningful work in the mornings and spend my afternoons and evenings hiking, napping, doing “sacred learning” and “sacred writing” times, and hanging out with our friends, partner, and our daughter.
I get to work in my zone of genius, doing stuff I truly love (teaching, building, and mentoring) and helping the types of people I truly love.
My podcast has made an impact: 1.5 million downloads, listeners in 130 countries while commanding premium fees for sponsorships ($5k/month with plans to double that in the coming years)
My course has impacted the lives of over 275 colleagues and recently passed $300k in sales and currently brings in around $6k/month.

I've been through many of the same challenges that you're going through now as a course creator and have designed this mastermind to guide you through.

Meet STC Elite

STC Elite is a mastermind for therapists who want to build and scale their online course in a community.

This space is designed for us who are successful business owners but in a season where we either want to transition either partly or fully out of clinical work and toward more online income streams.

Our mastermind addresses 5 huge barriers that we therapists struggle with when creating an online income stream for your business:

A place for accountability and genuine connection as we deviate from the traditional therapist's path.
A place for to have a step by step roadmap to creating, launching, marketing, and scaling your online course from a fellow colleague who's a few chapters ahead.
A place to navigate the therapist + online income divide with ease (we have an attorney in the mastermind who specifically works with mental health practices).
Being able to get real-time feedback on your course build-out from smart, successful, and seasoned business owners (all members are 5+ years in business and clearing $100k in annual revenue).
A marketing team on demand to help you create graphics + video editing for your online course and course marketing (because who has time to fiddle around on Canva or on video editing software!).

STC Elite: What's Included

Weekly Live Gatherings (Thursdays from 11-12:50 PM EST | 8-9:50 AM PST).

We do something unique each week (see below) to build your online course and creator mindset.

1st and 3st Thursdays each month: Advanced Teaching Workshop

These workshops are lead by Mel, the STC team, and top experts.

We'll go step-by-step taking your course from idea to a successful launch.

Over 6 months, we'll have 8 core lessons and 4 brand new "flex" lessons.

Since the mastermind requires a 1 year commitment, you'll have the chance to go through the core lessons two times (our colleagues currently in the mastermind all share that this is really helpful to let ideas cement).

The core lessons are what we've seen as the most essential foundational pieces to have in place for a successful online course.

The flex lessons allow us to design specific lessons based on the needs of our group.

This also allows us to teach cutting edge concepts (e.g., best practices for a cohort-based course) since the world of online courses is quickly evolving.

We’ll do actual work so that you walk away from each workshop with tangible results vs. just head knowledge.

That allows us to stay focused on the core principals of building and not get distracted while also digging into the nuances of your unique situation as you grow.

2nd Thursday each month (1st Hour): Mindset Group Coaching

Mindset is perhaps the most important part of making the transition from therapist to therapist course creator.

It's so normal for all of "our stuff" to come up (e.g., pricing our course too low, fear of being seen in a new way, jumping from one thing to another as a form of avoidance, etc).

A trained coach who weaves in spirituality and holistic business building will lead the money mindset session.

Mineela Chand, MDiv, LMFT will be our mindset coach this year. Mineela is a therapist in private practice, trained in brainspotting, and also a corporate consultant for Fortune 50 companies where she works with senior leadership teams (e.g., Johnson & Johnson).

Mineela was our mindset coach previously, and colleagues have absolutely loved her.

2nd Thursday each month (2nd Hour): Hot Seats

Hot Seats (aka Warm and Fuzzy Seats) for 45 minutes where you'll be broken up into smaller groups of 5-7 colleagues and can give + get real-time feedback.

4th Thursday each month (1st Hour): Online Course Group + Scaling Coaching Call

Some combination of Mel and a trained coach will be joining us to help you think through how to market and scale your online course as well as expanding from your course to other offerings (e.g., a mastermind, retreat, etc).

4th Thursday each month (2nd Hour): Hot Seats

Hot Seats (aka Warm and Fuzzy Seats) for 45 minutes where you'll be broken up into smaller groups of 5-7 colleagues and can give + get real-time feedback.

Bonus Hours

We'll sprinkle in other experts (e.g., an intellectual property attorney, a podcast marketing consultant, etc) to make sure you have access to experts to help you as a therapist course creator.

Buddy Pods

You’ll be assigned 5-7 other buddies within our mastermind based on similar interests and goals.

These colleagues will help you stay accountable, and you can stay in touch with your group during the week via Voxer.

We’ll switch groups every 6 months so that you can maximize your connections.

Private Online Community

An distraction-free online community off of Facebook (on Circle) gather with other therapists and online income creators.

This allows us to have more in-depth conversations.

Access To Our Team M-Thu Via Voxer

Voxer is walkie talkie app. The benefit is that you can simply send a voice memo in between sessions, on a hike, or while cooking a meal.

You'll have a private 1 on 1 channel with Mel + the STC team where you can ask questions Mon-Thur (except holidays, planned vacations, etc).

Voxer Group Chats

We also have some smaller Voxer group chats based on interest.

The ones we're envisioning are:

•All Group Chat For Course Questions

•Podcasters Who Are Creating Online Courses

•Therapists Active On LinkedIn And Marketing Their Course Via LinkedIn

Access to Our Premium Flocksy Account

This is a brand new feature we're rolling out based on feedback from our colleagues who struggled to find video editors, graphic designers, etc.

Flocksy allows you to have STC's video and graphic editors on demand.

You'll have your own private channel where you can directly communicate with your editor and/or designer (vs. waiting for us).

This makes things like social media posts, video editing for your course or sales page, and marketing assets so much easier to create.

Our premium accounts (normally $997/month) allow the team to take 2 projects at one time (across all members) with a 48 hour turnaround on Mon-Fri.

We will be proactive with this account and add more spots so that you're not waiting too long.

Start making money from your online course

Take your idea from a concept to reality and learn the basics of what you need to generate revenue with your idea.

Get off the hamster wheel

Stop overthinking about what to do and how to do it and instead just get it done

Accountability

Get accountability with regular weekly gatherings and support through Voxer when we don’t meet live to ensure that you apply what you learn and reach your goals

Get foresight

Save time by avoiding the mistakes that I made in 6+ years of trial and error. I've done the hard work for you and will share my lessons learned.

Community Support

Get community support helping you gain insights from like-minded therapists who walk alongside you

Safe Space

Grow your income in a safe, heart-centered space where you don’t have to be scared of the therapy “ethics police”

Benefits of Joining STC Elite

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." ~ African Proverbs

Over the years, I've learned that, in order to grow a business outside of the therapy room, community support is vital. In STC Elite, you'll get the support you need in all the avenues of growing your online income stream.

IS STC ELITE RIGHT FOR YOU?

🚀STC Elite Is A Great Fit If:

You get things done when you can get it done alongside others.
You have a heart to learn and get helpful feedback from others.
You’re open to learning and geeking out with some tech.
You’ve been a business owner for at least 5 years AND have a successful business (most of us are $100k-$1.5 million per year revenue bracket).
You have fear and anxiety about creating online income but have done or are doing the work (e.g., therapy, EDMR, brain spotting, etc) to be able to walk through it together with you fellow mastermind members.
You can block out Thursdays from 11 AM-12:50 PM EST | 8- 9:50 AM PST.
You’re emotionally and financially in a season to invest.

🛑 Who Is STC Elite Not For?

You have a hard time setting small, incremental goals and getting them done.
You don’t have an active social media platform (e.g., a podcast, Instagram, FB group, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.
You shut down or are not open to helpful feedback from others.
You're a “know it all.” In that case, there’s probably nothing we can help you with beyond what you know.
You've been a business owner for less than 5 years AND don’t have a successful business. We have this criteria to set your online course up for success.
You’re burnt out and looking to create online income to remedy the burnout.
Your schedule is packed to the point where it would be hard for you to show up on Thursdays at 11 AM EST | 8 AM PST.
You have outstanding credit card debt (i.e., it's not paid off monthly).

All of this being said, I can guarantee you that if you are committed to creating your online course, open to feedback, and do well in community of other heart-centered, mission-driven therapists, I think STC Elite would be a great fit.

Concrete Results

Where You Will Be After Our Year In Elite

A Developed Online Course

You'll have a working online income stream (our goal is that the income you generate exceeds the investment in the mastermind).
An Evergreen Webinar Set Up for Your Course

We'll give you the steps and feedback you need to as you develop your Evergreen webinar that leads to your online course.
Fast Tracked

You’ll have saved a ton of money and time with guidance from an online course expert and other successful online business creators.
Like-minded Friends

You’ll have lifelong friendships with other therapists + therapists-turned-coaches.
Confidence

You’ll have complete confidence in how to launch and grow further income streams
Positive Reflection and Momentum

You’ll look back in and think, “man…I’m so glad I did that mastermind."😀
Option To Continue Beyond The Year

About 50% of our members continue year after year (mainly b/c it's hard to find a community of like-minded therapists moving from clinical to online income).

STC Elite Advanced Teaching Workshops: Core Lessons

1. How To Validate Your Online Course Idea

You’ll learn how to "stress test" your online course idea and "build in public" to have future students co-create your course.

Mel and the STC team will share exact templates + frameworks to have authentic, non-salesy conversations with potential students so that you have interested buyers before your course is even live.

2. How To Nail Your Niche

We'll use this gathering to focus on an idea that niche course creators know: "the riches are in the niches."

We'll walk through multiple exercises to help you get uber-clear on your niche while getting helpful feedback from cohort members.

3. How To Create An Irresistible Course Title + Subtitle

In this workshop, we'll do a series of exercises to craft + iterate your course title and subtitle.

After this workshop, you'll have a title and subtitle that provides a clear map of what your course is about + and who it's for and not for.

4. How To Design Effective Modules, Lessons, and Bonuses

In this workshop, we'll use good ole-fashioned post-it notes + some tech to actually outline your course.

You'll learn the method we use to plan every online course + will have the opportunity to brainstorm course bonuses with your fellow cohort members.

5. How To Craft An Engaging Course Lesson

In this workshop, you'll learn some of the best practices when it comes to crafting lessons for your online course, get a "behind the scenes" at the template we use here at STC, and craft your first lesson!

After today, you'll feel more confident and have a template to make your course lessons.

6. How To Record Your Online Course

Recording and uploading a course is completely overwhelming for most of us. There are 8 million different options, and it’s really easy to get stuck.

To help, you’ll learn how to record a “more than good enough” first recording + higher priced tools. You’ll receive a custom course lesson tracker that we developed for STC to stay organized.

7. How To Get Your First Paying Students

Getting those first few paying students is super intimidating for all of us.

To help, you’ll dissect how other successful course creators get their first students (whether they had an existing audience or not) and get the exact tools and scripts others have used. You’ll develop a concrete plan to get your first 3-5 paying students.

8. How To Craft A Free Webinar That Gets Paying Students

90% of our Healthcasters course sales have come through live and pre-recorded webinars. You'll get access to our slide deck and work alongside your colleagues and our team to create an outstanding (and authentic, non-salesly/slimy type) webinar.

What Our Members Have to Say

Wall of Love

Brian Mayer, LCSW

Biz Cush, LCPC

Kristen Boice is a group practice owner in Noblesville, IN, podcaster, online course creator, and future author. Kristen + Melvin sat down for a quick conversation to help you understand why a mastermind like this is so powerful.

Your Investment

STC Elite

(Paid Monthly At $750 or Single Payment)

$9000/year

Weekly gatherings on Thursdays

1 on 1 Voxer Chat with the STC Team Mon-Thur + Voxer Group Chats

Private Community

2x Month Advance Teaching Workshops focused on online courses

2x per month Hot Seats

1x Creator Mindset group coaching

1x Course Growth + Scaling Group Coaching

Flocksy Video Editing and Graphic Design Support

Because we teach lessons live, we welcome new colleagues into our mastermind each March and Sept.

Our next group starts on September 7, 2023 (Thursday).

Our goal is to focus on quality vs. quantity and to create a space where genuine connections and support are formed.

For this reason, we'll be capping our mastermind at 35 members.

We're currently at 17 members or just under 50% filled.

If you're seriously interested in being part of our next cohort, please schedule a time to chat below (and hold a spot).

Would love to partner together <3.

Mel, I'm So Excited And Would Love To Chat!

What Members Say

Even More Love...

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Mel, I know this requires a 1 year commitment. What if something happens and I need to take a pause.

Unless something is a life-altering emergency i.e., death of a spouse, parents, or child), we do ask that you commit for the year. This is so that we can build a cohesive, warm, and safe community.

If there's a life-altering emergency, we can offer a 2 month pause. You will still be responsible for payment but the 2 months will be added to the end of the contract.

We know there may be things that we're not thinking about (such is life, right?). So please know we will work with you in unusual circumstances.

Mel, can you list 2-3 colleagues who've worked with you and launched successful courses?

I'm so glad you asked =).

•Dr. Heather England (ED Course For Couples)

•Heather McKenzie (DBT Course For Anxiety)

•Nikki Sewell, LCSW (Grief Course For Therapists)

Mel, do you have a webinar or workshop that I can watch to get an idea of how you teach?

100%. Sign up and Watch HERE.

You can also follow me on LinkedIn (would love to connect!), where I regularly post lessons I'm learning as a course creator.

Mel, I have another question not answered here. How can I get in touch?

We totally get it (our goal is to help you give you all the information you need to make an informed decision). You can email melvin@sellingthecouch.com.