Help Wanted – “How Much Am I Worth? Help!”

Podcast by Money News Network, hosted by Jason Feifer and Nicole Lapin
Episode Date: February 24, 2026

Overview

This episode of Help Wanted tackles one of the most pressing issues for solopreneurs and creators in the digital product space: how to price yourself and your offerings in a changing market. The hosts, Entrepreneur magazine’s Jason Feifer and money expert Nicole Lapin, invite special guest Matt Gartland (CEO of SPI Media) and listener Kelsey (copywriter and digital course creator) to explore:

• The evolving landscape of digital product sales post-pandemic,
• The art and science behind pricing digital courses, memberships, and downloadable products,
• How to balance value, accessibility, and business sustainability as a creator.

The episode dives deep into practical frameworks, current market trends, the emotional side of pricing your work, and offers concrete recommendations for moving forward.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kelsey's Business & Pricing Journey

• Background: Kelsey, a copywriter, created a suite of digital offerings including a flagship course, mini-products, templates, and a membership.
• Market Shift: She’s seen demand and buying behavior change dramatically since 2020.
• Pricing Evolution: Her main course launched at $297, with steep discounts during initial bundles, and is now priced at $997 following multiple relaunches and upgrades.
• Key Challenge: Finding the right price—balancing value and accessibility amid economic and attention-span changes.

Quote:

“I've had that course for a few years now, as well as other products like templates and digital downloads. But I feel like the market has changed so much since I launched that course in 2020 … I would really love guidance from you all on how to price digital products and services for the current market.”
— Kelsey (05:30)

2. The Current State of Creator Businesses

The Digital Course Dilemma: Profitability, Value, and Buyer Motivation

• Matt Gartland (SPI Media): Shares that the digital course business has become more challenging post-pandemic due to changing customer expectations and demand.
• Pricing as Positioning: It's not just what you charge—it's how price communicates value, relative to your other offerings and the current market landscape.
• The Value Stream: Creators should view their offerings as a suite (low, medium, high price points), not as isolated products.

Quote:

“You don't price products individually, you price them in context of your other offerings. The juxtaposition of your products, from low to high, helps to inform the perceived value in terms of your brand reputation and addressable market.”
— Matt Gartland (15:53)

Cost Structures & Investment

• Digital = Lower Margins, but not ‘Zero Cost’: While digital creators don’t face physical “cost of goods sold,” ongoing reinvestment (updating materials, customer service, platform fees) and self-compensation are real factors.

Quote:

“...Some of that profit will need to be reinvested as a cost back into other things. Kelsey has even said at least once you have redone the course or reinvested and updated it, right? ...Costs change; your budgets should, in fact, grow if you want to pay yourself more.”
— Matt Gartland (18:13)

3. Pricing Strategy Recommendations

Multiple Tiers Are Good, But Context is Key

• Bundling and Tiers: Kelsey’s approach of having low, mid, and high ticket offerings sets her up for success, but pricing should be adjusted based on where demand is strongest.
• Subscription/Recurring Models: Matt highlights a market shift away from ‘big launch’ one-time sales toward subscriptions or memberships, which provide more predictable, stable income for both creators and customers.

Quote:

“There's increasingly a shift away from the one-time product sale... more into recurring revenue models. It brings that much more predictability into a small business, especially one that is bootstrapped.”
— Matt Gartland (21:15)

Cohort-Based Courses: The Next Frontier

• Concept: Instead of lowering your price, increase your offer’s perceived value by adding live, guided elements—charging a premium for hands-on, high-accountability experiences.
• Completion & Value: Cohort models massively increase course completion rates, which in turn increases perceived and actual value.

Example Pricing Move:

“You could move down the DIY price point... and at the same time introduce a cohort-based version at, say, $2,000. DIY learning is becoming more of a luxury … but connection provides necessity-level value.”
— Matt Gartland (31:21)

4. Quantifying Success & Personal Goals

Revenue Distribution & Business Sustainability

• Kelsey’s Revenue:
  • Fixed costs: ~$700/month
  • Main course launches: $8,000–20,000 per launch, twice yearly
  • Total revenue over 3 years: ~$60,000 from 8,000 customers (heavily weighted toward initial “bundle” sales; current price point much higher)
• Transition: Kelsey aims to shift from majority one-on-one work toward a 50/50 split with recurring, productized income—prioritizing life quality and sustainability.

Quote:

“I want to build a business that supports my life goals, not just revenue goals... I would like the recurring revenue to take over... moving from there.”
— Kelsey (34:11)

5. Actionable Advice for Kelsey (and Other Creators)

• Validate with Your Audience: Instead of guessing, survey past and current students about what they want more of (e.g., live workshops, cohort-based experience, ongoing membership).
• Experiment with Pricing: Don’t treat initial prices as fixed; assess how changes impact conversion and retention.
• Prioritize Sustainable Growth: Match business goals (personal time, income, fulfillment) with model structure; higher-priced, higher-engagement products might allow for both revenue and connection.
• Leverage Existing Customers: Upsell/cross-sell to those who’ve already bought from you—they represent latent demand for deeper/different experiences.
• Timebox Experiments: Set a timeline (e.g., 6 months) to test new models, allowing for responsive iteration.

Notable Quote:

“So as a CEO, especially with the traction you have and a lot of great success, I would strongly consider that, especially maybe over the next six months… have not only a better revenue composition set going into the new year, but also potentially another product, right, that you're selling.”
— Matt Gartland (36:14)

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Pricing as Language:

  “How are we using pricing as a language to talk about value, to try to connect with them in a market-based relationship? There's both a science side... but there's an art... that even probably marries up quite nicely with copywriting.”
  — Matt Gartland (09:41)

• Raising Prices, Creating Urgency:

  “When I launched it, I let the entire internet know this is launch pricing… of course created a sense of urgency which resulted in sales…”
  — Kelsey (13:59)

• The Power of Cohorts:

  “Cohort-based courses… I have seen statistics… of 50, 60, 70% completion rates because of that interconnected peer group, because they have access to you…”
  — Matt Gartland (25:35)

• Life First, Revenue Follows:

  “I want to build a business that supports my life goals, not just revenue goals…”
  — Kelsey (34:11)

• Encouragement to Experiment:

  “That is my homework and I'm really nerdily excited to dive in.”
  — Kelsey (37:55)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-------------| | Intro of hosts & episode theme | 04:21–04:44 | | Kelsey’s call-in, describes her business | 05:25–08:25 | | Kelsey’s product/pricing evolution | 11:14–13:37 | | Main pricing theory & market insights | 15:53–18:14 | | Cost structure & paying yourself | 18:14–20:03 | | Shifting to recurring & cohort models | 21:15–26:29 | | Concrete pricing/mix recommendations | 31:21–33:17 | | Aligning business & life goals | 34:11–35:53 | | Action steps & final words of encouragement | 36:14–38:41 |

Tone and Style

• Conversational, supportive, and rooted in hard-won expertise from the world of entrepreneurship and digital education.
• Encourages an experimental, “beginner’s mind” approach—curiosity over rigidity.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Digital business is evolving: Big launches and high-priced “do it yourself” courses are losing steam; community and ongoing connection are the new premium.
• Pricing must match both value and market mood: Expect price sensitivity for one-time purchases; prioritize value-rich, ongoing experiences if you want to command higher prices.
• Your pathway is unique: Optimize for life goals and fulfillment, not just “vanity metrics” or what you see other creators doing.
• Survey your customers and iterate: The easiest sale is to people who already bought from you and trust you.
• Community and accountability drive real learning—and real revenue.

Closing Quote:

“We were going to charge you 297 for all the knowledge on the show, but I think we're raising it to 997 because it was so good.”
— Jason Feifer (38:50)

For creators and entrepreneurs struggling with pricing, this episode is a masterclass in adjusting your offers, mindset, and business model for a dynamic market—without sacrificing your life or your values.