On Course Projects

This weekend I went to a retreat that gave me a few things I don't get enough of in normal business life.

Coworking Friday afternoon and Saturday, with free time built in around it. Space to actually work on my business, not just in it. But also, space to step back, have some laughs with people who get it, and recentre. No one needing anything from me.

I don't do it often enough, if I'm honest. It's easy to talk about clarity and space for everyone else and forget to give myself any.

I loved that there was no pretense, nothing to perform (which can be rare for retreats). Just room to think properly, breathe, and recentre alongside people doing the same thing.

I came home a bit slower, a bit clearer, and reminded that stepping back isn't wasted time - it's often where the next right step actually comes from.

Thank you Tammy’s Table Business Community for creating a special space like that.

So...When did you last give yourself real space to think, not just do?

The thing almost every client gets wrong before they come to me? ...They think the problem is the platform.

Which tool. Which tech. Which button to click. They arrive convinced they need someone to help them build.

Here’s the thing - the platform was never actually the problem. It’s just the first place the confusion becomes visible. You open the platform and suddenly you’re staring at blank module titles, and it feels like a tech problem. It isn’t.

Fix the thinking first – the why, outcome, audience, scope – and the platform decision really becomes secondary.
In the best way.

I sometimes get asked how I came up with the name On Course Projects.

When I sat down to start this business, one image came to mind almost straight away: a boat, out on the water, trying to reach its destination.

It’s got a path to navigate. Obstacles along the way. And sometimes it drifts off course and needs to be brought back on.

That’s basically what building a course feels like. You’ve got a destination in mind, but the path there isn’t always clear, and it’s easy to drift.

And what I saw, is that this is exactly what I’m here to do.

Be the person who helps you map and navigate that path, so you’re not out there trying to find your own way alone. Someone to help bring it back on course when it drifts, so you can actually reach the goal: a course that’s real, not just an idea.

That’s where the name comes from.

Got an idea, and feeling a bit lost with it? A free Connection Call is a great, low-key place to start. Link in bio.

A client call last week reconfirmed something I see constantly.

When you know your subject really well, the instinct is to include everything. Every angle, every nuance, every bit of knowledge you've built up over years.

But more information isn't always more helpful. Sometimes it's just more overwhelming.

The tactic I keep coming back to: picture your ideal client. Not in general - specifically.

Where are they at right now?
What do they actually need at this stage?

Because what they need is rarely all the information. It's the right information.

Knowing what's in scope (and what's intentionally left out) is what makes a course feel doable instead of overwhelming.

If you're sitting on an idea and it feels bigger or messier than it should - that's usually a sign it just needs a bit more clarity✨️

These are the conversations I love to have - my DMs are always open if you want to talk it through.

I had a client come into a session recently, and she was just… flat.

Tired. A bit disconnected from her work.

And while I could have just opened up her project plan, ticked things off and figured out what was next - I've learned that when someone shows up like that, that is the information.

Something I see time and time again is that our capacity to create as business owners is directly linked to how we're doing as a person.

When energy is low, creativity is low.
When mental load is high, decision fatigue kicks in - and there's no planning system that's going to get us through that.

So when someone comes into a session feeling flat and disconnected, I'm asking: is the scope too big? Is the structure not quite right? Or is there something happening underneath it - in their personal life or their mental load - that's just making the creative work too hard to access right now?

Because putting more planning on top of that isn't going to fix it.

This isn't therapy - I'm really clear about that, and I always encourage people to seek professional support if needed.

But I do look at the whole picture. The course, the business, and the person sitting underneath all of it. Because really, they are all connected.

And really, it's just a check-in. On the whole person, not just the project. 💙

I'd love to know if this resonates 👇

I notice this pattern on almost every connection call.

People come in thinking they need help with the tech.
- Which platform should I use?
- Should I go with Kajabi or something cheaper?
- How do I actually get this online?

And these are important questions - they matter.

But they’re almost never the real starting point.

Somewhere in the conversation, something else usually surfaces.
And the real questions come forward:

✨️ What is this program, actually?
✨️ Who is it really for?
✨️ What do I want someone to walk away with?

Once those answers are clear, everything else becomes easier.
Even the platform decision.

Not because the tech doesn’t matter - it does.
But because it’s not usually the thing that’s been holding you back.

The stuck feeling almost always sits somewhere else.
Usually it's in the thinking that hasn't quite been worked through yet.

A client said it to me beautifully recently:
"I didn't realise I needed someone to help me create a full strategy around it."

Most people don't realise that's the missing piece - until they're in the conversation that brings it out.

If you’ve been stuck in the platform comparison spiral…
it might not be a tech problem at all.

And that’s actually good news.

Because that’s a much more solvable place to be.

If this is hitting a bit close to home, feel free to send me a message - or there's a link in my bio if you'd rather book in a connection call.