An “expert in creating experts,” Dorie Clark discusses the evolution of her flagship course, strategies that have enabled her to build a robust online educational presence, and the importance of community and support along the way.

Dorie Clark is a renowned branding expert, keynote speaker, business school lecturer, and bestselling author of multiple books.

In this episode, Ari, Abe, and Dorie discuss:

• Balancing production quality with iteration speed in online courses
• Dorie’s career trajectory, including early setbacks and transition into self-employment and online education
• The development and growth of her “Recognized Expert” course, emphasizing its long-term orientation and community success stories
• Offering both self-paced and structured learning, along with mechanisms for ongoing participant engagement
• Managing courses primarily solo, with minimal assistance, highlighting scalability and hands-on engagement
• The importance of content quality over high production values, with practical tips for budget-friendly content development
• Strategies on leveraging third-party platforms like LinkedIn Learning for marketing and increasing course visibility and student enrollment
• Advice for new course creators on achieving success through community building, iterative development, and alignment with market needs

“We didn’t start out having a community element. But it turns out, this is one of the crucial elements that people love as a way of connecting with one another. So the community element became really big over time.”

— Dorie Clark

Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She has been named three times as one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. She was honored as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards and as one of the Top 5 Communication Professionals in the World by Global Gurus.

She is a keynote speaker and teaches executive education for Columbia Business School. She is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine.

Clark has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” She is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and you can download her free “Long Game Strategic Thinking Self-Assessment” at dorieclark.com/thelonggame.

Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Ruzuku
Dorie’s website: DorieClark.com

Credits:
Hosts: Ari Iny and Abe Crystal
Producer: Cynthia Lamb
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

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Music credits:
Track Title: Bossa BB
Artist Name: Marie
Writer Name: Chelsea McGough
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist Name: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Grace
Artist Name: Shimmer
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

Track Title: Carousel Lights
Artist Name: Chelsea McGough
Writer Name: Chelsea McGough
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

Episode transcript: Expanding Your Influence (Dorie Clark).