Podcast Summary — The Amy Porterfield Show

Episode: The $15 Experiment That Generated 6-Figures with Sarah Williams
Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Amy Porterfield
Guest: Sarah Williams

Overview

This episode dives deep into the innovative “Coaching Week” strategy created by Sarah Williams, an entrepreneur who scaled her digital membership for subscription box businesses from 19 to over 1,400 members using an actionable, low-cost live week. Amy and Sarah break down how this $15 paid experience delivers real value, fosters community, and consistently converts a high percentage of prospects into paying members. The discussion explores every facet of Coaching Week—from the daily structure and upsells to maintaining authenticity and high engagement—all with practical tips for listeners eager to replicate the method for their own memberships, coaching programs, or even courses.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origin and Purpose of Coaching Week

• Sarah's Backstory [04:13–05:15]:
  • Sarah founded Launch Your Box in 2020 after running a successful subscription box business and receiving numerous DMs about how she did it.
  • Original membership launch: 19 members grew to 1,400+ in 10 months; a majority growth spike (1,100 members) directly attributed to first Coaching Week.
• Why Coaching Week Started [05:15–07:20]:
  • Sought a way to let prospects "hang out" with her for a week to see her expertise and style.
  • Created and launched Coaching Week within two weeks, inspired by a conversation with mentor Stu McLaren.

2. Coaching Week Structure & Daily Breakdown

• General Flow and Planning [07:48–13:42]:
  • Coaching Week compresses a month’s worth of membership content into one week.
  • Mostly run through a private Facebook group.
  • Daily Breakdown:
    • Day 1: Live training (1.5 hours)—high show-up rate; quick win focus.
    • Day 2: Time to consume, replay available.
    • Day 3: Follow-up training—rapid actionable plan tied directly to quick win.
    • Day 4: Live box openings (real feedback, fun, social proof).
    • Day 5: Live Q&A—addressing doubts and reinforcing community.
  • Member interviews (30 minutes) every day except Day 1 to ensure relatability; showcases diverse member stories and successes.
• Engagement Mechanics: Bonus offers every day that stack and expire, fostering urgency (e.g., "after-hours chats" via Zoom for immediate connection and long-term retention).

3. Launch and Post-Coaching Week Strategy

• Public Launch Window [13:42–15:40]:
  • Friday–Monday: Cart opens publicly; ads and emails to wider audience.
  • Engagement in Coaching Week group remains high until cart closes.
  • 95% of ad budget focused on getting people into Coaching Week itself (not directly into the membership)—results in much higher conversion (32–43%).
• No Webinars: Instead, Sarah streams live interviews publicly and leverages the momentum from Coaching Week grads.

4. Pricing Power and Psychology

• Why $15? [21:44–24:51]:
  • Charging, even a low amount, dramatically increases show-up and engagement rates (60–70% vs. much lower for free challenges).
  • "Even if they pay a small amount of money, they are likely to show up because they don’t want to waste it." —Sarah Williams [23:32]
  • Upsell offered on thank you page (e.g., $20 "Design Your Packaging the Easy Way" mini-course), almost always breaking even on ad spend through upsell plus registration.

5. Teaching vs. Selling: Authenticity & Balance

• Transparency About Sales [28:16–31:55]:
  • Prospects know from the outset it’s a preview and that the membership will be offered—no bait and switch.
  • Bonuses (not just the core membership) are the key conversion driver: "I’m selling the bonuses, not selling the membership." —Sarah Williams [29:23]
• Community Involvement: Members encourage prospects to join and share their stories, amplifying FOMO and authenticity.

6. Handling Objections & Cart Close

• Common Objections [32:50–33:07]:
  • "It's not the right time," "I don’t know if I can afford to," "I’m not smart enough for the tech." Sarah tackles these directly via Q&A and interviews.
• Logistics: [34:34–36:54]
  • Group stays open until cart closes, driving ongoing engagement and late conversions.
  • New members get digital assets immediately but enter the membership Facebook group only after Coaching Week concludes.

7. Adapting and Scaling Coaching Week

• Evolving the Offer [37:10–38:19]:
  • Sarah keeps the challenge format the same but tweaks bonuses, branding ("Subscription Box Week"), and adds timely training.
  • Other niches have adopted (e.g., “Watercolor Week,” “Paint Week,” “Meal Prep Week”) with equally strong results.
• Broad Applicability: [39:37–41:54]
  • Works for a range of topics: health, hobbies, creative arts, coaching, more.
  • Encouragement to go "all in" and block the week for maximum results and presence:
    • "If you could just go all in with one thing for seven or eight days, the results you’re going to have are ridiculous." —Sarah Williams [41:54]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• The Power of Human Connection
  • "People, especially in these times right now with, in our AI world, they want the human connection. And if you can provide that... they're going to want to join you, they're going to want to hang out with you more." —Sarah Williams [00:11], [41:54]
• Clarity of Intent
  • "It’s not a secret that you come to Subscription Box Week and I’m going to try to sell you Launch Your Box... I say it on day one." —Sarah Williams [11:47]
• Urgency Drives Results
  • "Show up rate is the best on day one and it kind of trickles off throughout the week... so they will get all the bonuses and I lay all the bonuses out. Here’s all the bonuses for the week. If you join now, you get all of them." —Sarah Williams [09:50]
• Quick Win as Conversion Key
  • "That quick win is so important... If they don’t do this, they are stuck and they don’t move forward with you. That’s your quick win in some way or another." —Amy Porterfield [20:02]
• Why Charge for the Experience?
  • "It does cost more money to get people to pay money. It doesn’t cost much to get a freebie. But the show up rate, the attention span, the want to be there is so much better than a bunch of free people that don’t show up and don’t respond." —Sarah Williams [22:24]
• Full Transparency and Service
  • "I hate being salesy. I try to flip it to this is going to help you by joining. And so it’s like a serving mentality and I don’t hesitate with that. And I do it every single day." —Sarah Williams [30:52]

Notable Timestamps

• [04:13] — Sarah’s intro and early results with Launch Your Box
• [05:35] — Inspiration and creation of Coaching Week
• [07:48] — In-depth daily structure and rationale
• [13:42] — Post-Coaching Week public launch mechanics
• [21:44] — Charging for access: The buyer psychology
• [24:51] — Upsell strategy aligned with coaching week
• [28:16] — Selling transparently from the start
• [32:50] — Objection handling and cart close
• [37:10] — Evolution and broadening the application of “week” models
• [41:54] — The power of going “all in” for a focused launch

Key Takeaways + Actionable Advice

• Structure an immersive, low-cost weeklong experience: Use your best content and facilitate quick, tangible wins that naturally lead prospects to crave your paid offer.
• Charge for access: Even a nominal fee increases engagement, commitment, and conversion, and can cover marketing costs with upsells.
• Stack and expire daily bonuses: Maintain urgency and give compelling reasons to join every day.
• Let members be your best salespeople: Showcase diverse success stories to build credibility and relatability.
• Communicate with clarity and transparency: Be up-front about your goals, what you’re offering, and the impending sales pitch—audiences appreciate honesty.
• Repurpose and evolve: Refresh bonuses and themes, adapt for any niche, and don’t be afraid to repeat what works.

Where to Find Sarah Williams

• Podcast: The Launch Your Box Podcast
• Website: LaunchYourBox.com