Amy Porterfield retired Digital Course Academy—so are online courses dead? 🚀

Here's my full-body, gut-level answer: absolutely not. But when someone as established as Amy pivots, I get why course creators everywhere started spiraling. So let's break down what's actually happening.

Amy's move is a personal lifestyle decision, not a market verdict. She's been doing this for 15+ years and can afford to cut off a revenue stream. Most of us can't—and shouldn't try to copy that move. Your course is likely the front door to your business, and closing that door doesn't magically send more people to your coaching or mastermind.

The real story? Some launches are struggling—but that's not because courses are over. It's because generic positioning, information-only offers, and 2018 marketing strategies don't cut it anymore. Trust is more expensive. Attention is fractured. And people want transformation with support, not just another course to watch "someday."

I'm sharing exactly what's changed since 2022 and giving you my complete 2026 playbook to make this your most profitable year yet.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Why Amy retiring DCA is NOT proof online courses are dead

• The real reasons some launches are dying (and it's fixable)

• Five market shifts every course creator needs to understand

• Your 2026 playbook: four steps to your best year yet

• How to build trust before you ask for the sale

✨ Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your own growth? We're accepting 2 agency applications for course creators, coach or online expert doing 10K+ monthly. We're not just your ad team - we're growth partners who optimize your funnel, customer journey & scaling roadmap. Apply at thelaunchlounge.com/agency 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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The Only 2 Things That Matter if You Want to Nail Your Marketing

What if everything overwhelming you about marketing right now could be stripped down to just two things? 🚀

If you're posting, emailing, launching, and rebuilding—but still wondering why nothing's clicking—I'm about to make your life way simpler. Most course creators think they have a marketing problem when they actually have a traffic problem, a conversion problem, or both.

Instead of diagnosing it properly, they pivot. They rebuild. They burn everything down. But here's the truth: your marketing isn't broken. It's just unfocused. Today I'm sharing the uncomfortable math about your email list, why your launches might be shrinking even with more ads, and the one thing that shocked me when I unpacked a $500K business owner's data.

🔥 In This Episode:

• The simple math that reveals how big your list actually needs to be

• Why chasing new strategies keeps you spinning your wheels

• The real reason warm traffic converts but cold traffic doesn't

• How to ask for the sale without feeling pushy or weird

• One traffic source + one conversion process = everything you need

Ready to get your offers in front of people who actually want to buy from you (even If you've never touched Ads Manager)? Launch your First List-Building Ad in 5 Days - No Money Wasted, No Tech Headaches - Get the FREE Training HERE.💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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What if the smartest content strategy isn't about reaching more people—but going deeper with the ones already here? 🚀

I'm shaking things up in 2026. After an email list disaster cut my podcast downloads in half overnight, I learned something powerful: you're not random strangers scrolling Spotify. You're my people—course creators who've been in my world for months or even years.

So I'm done chasing podcast algorithms. This show is becoming my cozy living room—a space for real conversations about what's actually happening in your business. YouTube will handle the reaching. This podcast? It's all about the deepening.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Why batching content is the ultimate freedom hack for course creators

• The surprising link between your email list and podcast downloads

• How separating "reach content" from "nurture content" transforms your marketing

• The real story behind my ActiveCampaign disaster and what it taught me

• Permission to stop being everywhere and start building momentum instead of noise

Ready to create an irresistible offer that aligns with your perfect business model? Join my free 5-day Facebook and Instagram ads training to build the audience that will buy your offer. Get lifetime access at thelaunchlounge.com/getmyadup 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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If your version of "time off" is scrolling on the couch while mentally auditing your funnel, this episode is your intervention. 🚀

Let's be honest—most course creators have mastered the art of fake rest. You know the kind: laptop at every family gathering "just in case," mentally planning your January launch over Christmas lunch, checking your Stripe account while pretending to watch holiday movies. But here's what I learned the hard way: fake rest doesn't refill your tank. It just makes everything feel heavier when January hits.

Today I'm walking you through my Clock Out CEO Checklist so you can actually put your business to bed for a few weeks. We're covering money, marketing, operations, and boundaries—plus a tiny reflection ritual to help you walk into 2026 with more clarity than most people have all year.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Discover why rest is a business strategy, not a reward you earn

• Spot the sneaky signs of "fake rest" draining your creativity

• Walk through the Clock Out CEO Checklist step-by-step

• Use three reflection prompts to set powerful intentions for 2026

✨ Make 2026 your breakthrough year! One-on-one mentoring spots open - we go deep on your offers, funnels & numbers using my 7-year scaling framework + AI system. Includes Scale with Ads ($5K value). Super high-touch, very limited spots. Apply now at thelaunchlounge.com/mentorme 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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What if you never make the "quit my job" money you've been dreaming about? 🚀

If that thought has been quietly haunting you, I need you to hear this: the problem isn't your work ethic or that you're not cut out for this. The problem is you might be running a business model that was never designed for YOUR life, audience, or strengths.

I learned this the hard way chasing other people's membership models. They had huge audiences and years of platform-building behind them—I was trying to copy their playbook and wondering why the math didn't math. The day I stopped building their business and started building mine? Everything clicked.

In this episode, I'm walking you through my "deborrow your business" exercise so you can finally stop copy-and-pasting strategies that don't fit and start designing a freedom empire that actually works for you in 2026.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Uncover the real reason your business isn't hitting freedom numbers (hint: it's not you)

• Spot the four signs you're running a "borrowed" business model

• Align your business with the life you actually want to live

• Create your personal Freedom Empire Rules for 2026

✨ Just a handful of spots for one-on-one mentoring with me in 2026! Get my deep scaling framework + AI system to fix why customers aren't buying and clean up your funnels so you always know what's working. Includes $5K Scale with Ads course. High-touch, very limited. Apply at thelaunchlounge.com/mentorme 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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Scaling your course too early is one of the fastest ways to burn cash and accidentally build a business you hate. 🚀

Everyone's screaming "scale, scale, scale" online — but nobody mentions that scaling doesn't magically create more profit. It increases revenue at a higher cost, with more complexity, and usually a lower ROAS. Ouch.

So how do you know if you're actually ready? In this episode, I'm giving you three green lights that say "go for it" and three red flags that say "hang on, let's stabilize first." No more guessing, no more gambling with your ad spend.

Whether you're a course creator dreaming of consistent $10K months or you've already had successful launches but feel stuck, this honest mirror will help you make smart scaling decisions for 2026.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Discover why "scaling on vibes" is a recipe for expensive disaster

• Learn the three signs your online course business is truly ready to grow

• Recognize the red flags that mean you need to stabilize before scaling

• Get a practical checklist to assess your scale-readiness right now

✨ Stop working harder without seeing results! My one-on-one mentoring uses the deep scaling framework to fix what's broken - your offers, messaging, funnels and numbers. Scale wider by going deeper, not burning out. Includes Scale with Ads course. Very limited spots at thelaunchlounge.com/mentorme 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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What if you could keep all your skills and lessons but rebuild your business the smarter way? 🚀

I've been playing with a fantasy lately: burning it all down and starting fresh. Because if I had to rebuild my online courses business from scratch in 2026, I absolutely would not do it the same way I did in 2016. The market has changed. Launches have changed. People have changed.

In this episode, I'm sharing the exact five pillars I'd focus on if I were starting over today. The best part? You don't have to torch your business to use this. Think of it as a lens for seeing what's working, what's dragging you down, and where a few strategic shifts could change everything for your course creator business.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Get painfully specific about who you help (vague doesn't sell anymore)

• Flip the script on list building so it's your focus, not an afterthought

• Build a simple evergreen funnel before relying on big live launches

• Use paid traffic like a calculator, not a casino

• Create support and systems early so you're not the entire business forever

✨ Ready to get my brain + my AI system (built from 7 years of scaling knowledge) in YOUR business? One-on-one mentoring spots just opened - we'll fix your funnels, stop ad costs eating profit, and make AI work FOR you. Includes Scale with Ads course ($5K value). Apply at thelaunchlounge.com/mentorme 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

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What if that "one more launch will save me" energy is actually the thing keeping you stuck? 🚀

I'm seeing it everywhere right now—smart course creators pouring everything into one more webinar, one more challenge, hoping it'll rescue their business. I get it because I've been there. In 2023, I ran four launches in one year, each born from that same desperate prayer. Spoiler: it didn't work.

Here's the truth nobody wants to admit. Cold traffic converts less reliably now. Buyers need 27 touch points instead of 7. That Hail Mary launch strategy? It's working less and stressing you out more. Your real safety isn't in a fancier launch—it's in consistent, strategic list building that gives you breathing room instead of panic.

🔥 In This Episode:

• Uncover why "one more launch" desperation shows up so strongly right now

• Learn what consistent list building gives you that launches simply can't

• Discover three concrete shifts to move from launch-dependent to list-first

• Get a simple 90-day roadmap for your most stable year yet

✨ Want 2026 to be your most profitable AND joyful year? Apply for one-on-one mentoring with me! We'll use my deep scaling framework to fix why customers aren't buying, stop ad costs eating profit, and get AI actually working for you. Includes Scale with Ads course ($5K value). Limited spots at thelaunchlounge.com/mentorme 💫

💚 💚 💚

Salome

Get full show notes here

Follow The Launch Lounge on Instagram.