Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum

The course creation industry is drowning in crap, and Dr. Catrina Mitchum has zero patience for it and the knowledge and experience to fix it. Every other week, she troubleshoots real course creation problems with real business owners who are genuinely stuck, using actual learning science. Because your people deserve better than a folder of videos they'll never finish.

Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum is a business podcast hosted by Dr. Catrina Mitchum, with 17 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dr. Catrina Mitchum hosts Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum, a business show with 17 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #16

  16: BS Breakthrough: What If Support Is the Thing You're Actually Selling?

  Sep 3, 202616 minS1

  You sell a course, people buy it, and then it just sits there. Sound familiar? In this BS Breakthrough, Dr. Catrina Mitchum pulls the lessons out of her conversation with Brenda Brusegard of Informed Tech Solutions, whose good, well-built course still wasn't getting finished. The problem wasn't the content. It was everything wrapped around it, and the fix says a lot about why so many self-paced courses aren't getting people results. What We Work Through Why "add more content" is almost never the answer when buyers go quiet, and how to figure out whether you have a content problem or an offer problem What it looks like when support becomes the product: leading with a membership and letting the course ride along inside it, instead of selling a self-paced course and sneaking in the calls Why some topics, like AI, simply need ongoing support because self-paced learning alone can't keep up with a moving target The expectation wall: having buyers write down what they expect before they get access, so you can meet the mismatch head on instead of losing people to it How to make mini lessons about the learner: swapping "talking at them" for assessment questions that get people looking at their own business Your homework: ask your buyers what they expected and what got in the way, then rewrite your next live teaching segment as an assessment If your buyers keep telling you, in words or in silence, that they can't get to your course, this episode gives you a way to hear what they're actually saying. Course support isn't a consolation prize for a broken course. Sometimes it is the offer. Referenced in This Episode Episode 15 with Brenda Brusegard Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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  Episode #15

  15: When a Standalone Course Isn't Enough: Adding the Support Layer with Brenda Brusegard

  Aug 20, 202634 minS1

  You built the course. People bought it. And then nobody did anything with it. That's exactly where Brenda Brusegard found herself, and in this episode, she and Dr. Catrina Mitchum work through what's actually missing and what it looks like to add the support layer that makes a course worth buying in the first place. Topics covered in this episode: Why people buy self-paced courses with every intention of doing them and then don't — and what course designers can do about it on the front end The difference between accountability support and Q&A support, and why a single well-designed session can deliver both at once How setting expectations before learners get access can prevent the gap between what they signed up for and what the course actually asks of them Why "course burnout" is real, why learners are tired of being left alone with a video library, and why adding support changes the value proposition entirely The research behind why feeling supported matters as much as content quality when it comes to whether adults actually finish what they start What 90-minute co-working and question sessions can do that asynchronous content simply cannot The case for leading with a membership instead of a standalone course — and how to make that pivot without starting from scratch How to use feedback you've already collected from existing learners to build out your first three months of programming If you've got a course that people are buying but not finishing, this one is going to hit close to home. Brenda came in with a real problem and left with a real plan, and there's plenty in here for you to take and apply today. About Brenda Brusegard Brenda Brusegard is the founder of Informed Tech Solutions, where she helps small business owners cut through the noise and actually use technology to run better businesses. A former science teacher turned tech strategist, she specializes in making AI and business systems accessible, practical, and worth the time investment. Informed Tech Solutions The AI Lab If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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  Episode #14

  14: BS Breakthrough: Does Your Course Need to Be Redesigned, Not Just Adapted?

  Aug 6, 202615 minS1

  When you move your live coaching or teaching into a self-paced course, the instinct is to take what already works and translate it. Same content, same order, same structure. But what if the thing that makes it work when you're in the room is you? This bite-sized BS Breakthrough pulls from Dr. Catrina Mitchum's recent live course design consultation with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin, and the three design shifts that came out of it apply well beyond ADHD coaching. Topics Covered Why "creating access" through a course means more than lowering the price or removing the waitlist, and what it actually requires you to redesign How to identify what you're providing in a live setting that needs to be built directly into your course structure when you're not there Why some foundational content doesn't belong in a module at all, and what to do with it instead The difference between linear and cyclical learning progressions, and how spaced repetition applies to everyone (not just learners who struggle) Why "bite-sized" means something different depending on who your learner is, and the case for building integration lessons so people connect concepts before piling on more content If you're in the middle of building a course to reach people who can't work with you live, this episode gives you three concrete things to look at before you finalize your structure. The question isn't whether your content is good. It's whether the way you've organized it can actually hold up without you in the room. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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  Episode #13

  13: From Live Coaching to Evergreen Course: An ADHD-Friendly Redesign

  Jul 23, 202650 minS1

  What happens when a coach who's brilliant in the room needs to build a course that works without her in it? Dr. Catrina Mitchum sits down with ADHD coach Corie Wightlin to redesign her group coaching program as a self-paced course, one that respects how ADHD brains actually learn instead of dumping content and hoping for the best. What We Work Through Why "access to you" means both time and affordability, and how a course can serve people before, during, and after 1:1 work Designing for self-paced learners when you can't control how often they show up Building frequent, low-lift check-ins (yes, even frowny-face-to-happy-face scales) so strategies don't disappear out of sight, out of mind Turning coaching moments into concrete course activities: examples, self-selection, and reflection instead of you reading the room Why market research questions like "if I wasn't here..." tell you what your self-directed learners actually need Letting learners choose tools they'll actually use instead of forcing a platform that becomes the whole struggle Removing barriers with asynchronous feedback: short, varied, and placed exactly where learners get sticky Why every platform is garbage, and why starting with what you already have (and works on a phone) beats spending gobs of money Corie walked in with workshops that only worked live and walked out with a structure, a mapping plan, and an "I can actually do this now." If you're trying to turn something that works because you're in the room into something that works without you, this one's your roadmap. About Corie Wightlin Corie Wightlin is an ADHD Coach for the whole family who helps all members find ease, confidence, and tools that actually work for their brain through her business, Wightlin Coaching Services. Website: https://wightlincoachingservices.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wightlincoachingservices/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wightlinadhdcoaching/ Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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  Episode #12

  12: BS Breakthrough: Stop creating new stuff, start using what you already have

  Jul 9, 202613 minS1

  If your course has a completion problem, the fix probably isn't the completion. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks what she learned working through Luna Muñoz's CV course for academics leaving higher ed, and lands on a diagnosis that catches a lot of course creators off guard: you might not have a completion problem. You might have half a course. What We Dig Into The "half course" trap. People weren't finishing Luna's course because it started at execution and skipped the discovery work that has to come first. If your learners are dropping off, the real question isn't how to boost completion, it's what they need to figure out before they can do the thing you're teaching. Why the messy figuring-out phase is the part you can't skip. Discovery is where people waffle, second-guess, and get overwhelmed by their own options. It's hard to teach, which is exactly why so many courses leave it out and quietly break. Stop creating, start integrating. Luna already had a quiz, an assessment, and a skills-translation freebie sitting unused. Before you build something new to fill a gap, audit what you've already got. Repurposing is less creative work, and it frees you up to actually design the experience. Coaching calls are a feature, not a failure. Adding live support at the stickiest point in a course doesn't mean the course is broken. It means you know where people get stuck and you built help right into the design instead of scrambling to react later. Your homework. Map the learning journey your course actually needs, back up to the discovery work that comes before execution, and pull in the assets you already have before making anything new. This one is for anyone sitting on a course people aren't finishing, whether that's half a course, a third, or two thirds. The completion number is a symptom. This episode is about finding the actual problem so you can fix the right thing. About Luna Muñoz Luna Muñoz helps early and mid-career academics transform and translate their skills for audiences outside academia through her business, Luna Leadership. Her work spans translating academic expertise into language the job market understands, helping people figure out where they actually want to go next, and building the kind of self-awareness work (strengths, values, and skills mapping) that has to happen before a CV ever gets written. She supports PhD students, postdocs, and researchers navigating the move beyond higher education. Find Luna: Website: lunaleadership.com Links: https://linktr.ee/lunacenti Course creation is complex, but you do not have to figure it out alone, and you definitely do not have to do it someone else's way. If your course exists but something feels off, nobody's finishing or it just isn't landing the way you know it could, grab the free Course Fixer Checklist at www.cmlearningdesign.com/free-stuff and start figuring out what to fix first. Not sure where you fit? Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call at tidycal.com/cmitchum/15-minute-consult. Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music credit: Alex Mitchum Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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