The Amy Porterfield Show
Episode: Launch Diaries: AI, Trends & The Truth About Selling Courses in 2025
Air Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Amy Porterfield
Featured Guests: Jenna Kutcher, Kathy Heller, Stu McLaren, Hadar, Pete Vargas, Susie Moore
Episode Overview
This episode is a behind-the-scenes “mastermind” discussion from Amy’s Live Event, Launch Diaries, focused on what it really takes to create and sell digital courses in 2025. Amy invites several respected experts and successful entrepreneurs to answer one question:
“If you were starting over today, what would you do to create and launch a course that actually sells?”
Listeners are given a “pull up a chair” experience, hearing candid insights, hard-earned truths, and highly actionable advice — all tailored to 2025’s rapidly evolving landscape.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Shift to Simpler, Faster Wins (Jenna Kutcher)
[03:23 - 07:38]
- Forget Big Signature Courses: Jenna stresses that the era of the massive, all-in-one course is over — at least for beginners. Instead, new course creators should focus on a “quick win” for a very specific pain point.
- Validation through Launching: Using smaller courses allows you to build trust, income, and momentum, while also co-creating with your audience.
- Iterative Learning: Launching compact solutions helps creators get “reps” — building skills in selling, teaching, and supporting students.
- Fast Results Matter: “Solve your clients’ Tuesday problem by Thursday.” — Jenna Kutcher (04:57)
- No Dead Ends Philosophy: Always show students what’s next to keep them engaged.
Notable Quote:
“What is working now are simple and clean offers that solve a specific pain point quickly. No fluff, no overwhelm. I am talking about clarity and a path forward.” — Jenna Kutcher [03:15]
Memorable Moment:
Jenna reveals she made $35,000 on her first launch because she invested in learning from Amy, while Amy made $267 — underlining the value of mentorship and learning from others’ mistakes.
2. Human Connection & Authenticity Over Perfection (Kathy Heller)
[07:40 - 11:24]
- Sell the Transformation, Not Information: Kathy highlights that information is free everywhere now (thanks to AI and Google), but people pay for the experience of walking through transformation with someone.
- Realness is Relatable: Sharing your imperfections makes audiences root for you. Authenticity trumps professionalism.
- Permission to Be Messy: “Be a C student. Make something messy.” — Kathy Heller ([09:38])
- Facilitate Community: Coaches and course creators should walk alongside their students and show up live, making the experience personal.
Notable Quote:
“If you can give people connection, you change their life.” — Kathy Heller [07:47]
Top Takeaway:
“We don’t need the perfect course, we need a human. Show up as you — that’s the asset.”
3. Focused Solutions Win in an AI World (Stu McLaren)
[11:24 - 16:14]
- Three Keys to Profitable Courses: Every great idea solves a problem, teaches a skill, or provides convenience.
- Courses must target a specific pain, not broad topics (“not ‘get healthy’ but ‘lose your last ten pounds before summer’”).
- Why People Still Pay: Information is abundant, but facilitated results are rare. People pay for coaching, feedback, and accountability.
- AI is No Threat: The gap between knowledge and implementation is where course creators shine. “Information is the base, but facilitation is the bridge to results.” — Stu McLaren [14:10]
- Less is More: Cutting down lessons increased completion and student success (“core four lessons”).
Notable Quote:
“People don’t pay for information. They pay for solutions to specific problems.” — Stu McLaren [12:00]
Memorable Moment:
Example of reducing course material from 8-12 lessons per module to just 4 core lessons, with better results.
4. The Power of Relaunching and Iteration (Hadar)
[16:14 - 18:55]
- Refining Over Multiple Launches: Repeatedly launching the same course enables creators to refine content, structure, and student experience.
- Data-Driven Improvements: Surveys and engagement analysis after each launch lead to improvements that benefit future iterations.
- Efficiency & Growth: Relaunching builds a well-oiled system, freeing up time to work on bigger business objectives.
- Team Impact: With smoother processes, the team operates more effectively, and the business can scale.
Notable Quote:
“The real magic happens when you have a well-oiled machine…then you can actually focus on other things in your business.” — Hadar [18:12]
5. Turn Your “Common Sense” Into a Movement (Pete Vargas)
[18:58 - 23:29]
- Your Unique Skills = Others’ Pain Points: What seems easy or obvious to you is not for someone else — turn that into a course.
- Scale Your Expertise: Pete shares how helping a client get on stages was scaled into a multi-million dollar program, using courses to teach others his unique skill.
- Digital Products Create Impact and Income: Moving 1:1 services into digital courses/memberships enabled transformed lives and businesses, at scale.
Memorable Moment:
Pete’s behind-the-scenes story of turning speaking bookings into a $40 million impact with schools, and then into his own scalable course via Amy’s teachings.
Notable Quote:
“What you think is common sense, other people don’t know how to figure out… You can help people win in that.” — Pete Vargas [19:55]
6. Your Story Is Your Credential (Susie Moore)
[23:33 - 27:47]
- Stories Make Courses Memorable and Inspirational: The journey you’ve lived IS your credibility. No additional certification required.
- Helping Others Go Further, Faster: Your path and struggles serve as the bridge for others to reach their goals faster.
- Everyone Has Valuable IP: Even small wins (keeping houseplants alive!) can become impactful courses if you share the journey.
- Generosity in Storytelling: Sharing how you succeeded helps others believe it’s possible for them (“Your life is your cred. Say it with me!” — Susie Moore [25:28]).
Notable Quote:
“Your life itself today is enough… Your story is that powerful bridge.” — Susie Moore [25:12]
Memorable Moment:
Susie calls listeners to say aloud: “My life is my cred.”
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- [03:15] Jenna Kutcher: “What is working now are simple and clean offers that solve a specific pain point quickly. No fluff, no overwhelm. I am talking about clarity and a path forward.”
- [07:47] Kathy Heller: “If you can give people connection, you change their life.”
- [09:38] Kathy Heller: “Be a C student. Make something messy.”
- [12:00] Stu McLaren: “People don’t pay for information. They pay for solutions to specific problems.”
- [14:10] Stu McLaren: “Information is the base, but facilitation is the bridge to results.”
- [18:12] Hadar: “The real magic happens when you have a well-oiled machine…then you can actually focus on other things in your business.”
- [19:55] Pete Vargas: “What you think is common sense, other people don’t know how to figure out… You can help people win in that.”
- [25:12] Susie Moore: “Your life itself today is enough… Your story is that powerful bridge.”
Key Segments & Timestamps
- [01:36] Amy frames the episode question and brings in her guests
- [03:23] Jenna Kutcher: Start small, focus on a single quick win
- [07:40] Kathy Heller: Sell connection; imperfection is relatable
- [11:24] Stu McLaren: Three keys — solve problems, teach skills, provide convenience
- [16:14] Hadar: The power and process of relaunching
- [18:58] Pete Vargas: Turn your unique expertise into scalable impact
- [23:33] Susie Moore: The power of your own story as a credential
Final Takeaways
- Simple, specific, and outcomes-driven courses are thriving in 2025
- Facilitated transformation and community are irreplaceable, even in the AI era
- Relaunching and refining is critical—don’t expect perfection on round one
- What you know, even if it’s obvious to you, is valuable to others
- Share your story — it’s your most powerful asset
The landscape has changed, but the path to success is doable, personal, and more accessible than ever.
For action steps, course creation support, and live guidance, Amy invites interested listeners to her $47 Bootcamp to validate and shape their next digital course idea.