Launching A BETA Program with Maura Joy Lustig

coaching, I taught the concept of launching a beta program. And from that coaching and from that training, Maura Lustig did something amazing. She's here today to tell us about this experience that she has been on in coaching 6 wonderful women over the course of 6 weeks in her Transform Your Potential course. But we're going to talk about it from the perspective of something that's really going to help you in terms of follow-up. So Maura, thank you so much for being here. I'm so excited first that you actioned what I taught. Not only did you generate some income, but you got 6 amazing women to join you on your transformational approach to helping them to really uncover their full potential. Tell us a little bit about the program before we get into the meat and potatoes of what you did to follow up, which I think is brilliant.

Thank you very much, Sheryl Plouffe. Yes, you inspired me to go ahead and create a beta program Over the past year, what had happened leading up to it is that I had developed an online course of all my different strategies for helping women hit the reset button. And then I— and I had incorporated that also into my private coaching program working with individual clients. But you made the suggestion of actually rolling out a group program. And at first I was, you know, I was scared to do that. And then I thought, geez, that totally makes sense. I mean, and so I put it to the test. I brainstormed over how I thought it should look, and I combined it with the modules of my pro— my course, and also tweaked it around different elements for my private coaching program so that I still provided a private discovery session. And then I had the 6 weeks with the 6 ladies each week rolling it out with, uh, you know, based on the modules as we worked through material. And then I added value in other ways to things that they weren't even expecting., from the modules. And just, I mean, my, the clients that I work with are go-getters. They are purpose-driven women, whether they're entrepreneurial or professionals. Um, maybe they're mid-sized business owners and they're successful in many ways. And unfortunately that can create its own challenges. That's where you can actually get into overwhelm. And what I do is I help them convert chaos to clarity, especially in this new world of working from home.. And so my course is really tailor-made for the woman who is a purpose-driven, intelligent, savvy woman who's not necessarily putting self-care first and is struggling to set boundaries and priorities. And in this day and age, many are— there's a loneliness epidemic. Yes. They're struggling with the environment of working from home and trying to juggle all the balls in the air being wife, mother, and everything else? And then do they have a separate space for their work? And what are their rituals and their habits for being able to create their state, manage it, and get back in the game? How do they punctuate their work throughout the day so that they have, they truly do create balance? So that's what I designed was this group program. And it was magic. You know the saying that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts? Well, that's actually what happens when you bring A group of women like this together, they innately support each other.

And you know what I love about it is that you launched it, you have 6 women, 6 weeks, and now you're moving into an 8-week program starting shortly. So if you're interested, you got to get in touch with Maura, um, which I love. And the thing that I, I love about your approach to this beta program is not only that you actioned what I taught, you actually did it, and you got out there and you taught, but But it's what you did in the follow-up during and after the beta program. And that's what I wanna dig into now because you've done some very smart things. Here's the thing. Sometimes people go out and they say they do action what I said and they do a beta program. And after the 6 weeks they go, okay, bye. Thanks for being here.

Bye.

It's a great bit. And it's like, there's a huge opportunity there for you to learn from and extract from the people who just spent 6 weeks with you on what worked, what could be improved, what were their takeaways, what were their results? And we miss that. And that is crucial to you being able to iterate this program and to make it profitable and purposeful and purpose-driven for people. So tell us, start with the follow-up during. So you did something specific at the end of each of your calls, and I'd love for you to share that with the audience.

Right after each weekly session. Well, first of all, I recorded the sessions for them. And then I sent out an email that same day, which I asked them to respond to within 24 hours while their memory was fresh, while the emotions were fresh from the experience on the call. So they had the replay to listen to, and I gave them a series of questions including, like, what was your takeaway? What was the focus of today's call? What did you find of most interest to you during it? As well as, What would you like to see more or less of? And so I really was being able to— it was possible to audit and improve each and every week. Some things I would go back and improve what was in that particular class, and then there would be value in it for what I would know for the next class going forward, the next session, right? And I was also continually adding to my own course material, fleshing it out, and then being able to invite the ladies to go back in and see what was new. So like, it was really exciting for me to see this thing that was already, you know, perfect and yet got even better. And then, so that was weekly over the 6 weeks. And then at the very end, and the last session was this week, was a debrief is going to be booked for each and every one of them privately. But an email went out just like it had in the previous weeks, but this time it's different. This one, uh, it's inviting— there's several pieces to it. One, it's inviting them to book a discovery call with me after. And, um, hold on one second. Okay, there we go. Um, and excuse me one sec. Can you— sorry, can I just have the remissa? Thank you. Thank you.

It happens to me all the time. It's all good.

It's all good. Yeah. So In this email, several things are happening. One is the final replay. Two is the fact that I surprised them by booking, by creating a workshop in the same time slot next week so that it would be convenient for them, that ties in with their goals around, you know, like I'm bringing in an image consultant. I'm bringing in someone to talk about our Live Inspired getaway in France to paint the picture of what's possible when we travel together after, you know, the pandemic allows us to travel again. All these different pieces, and I'm looking constantly for ways to add value value. They're members of a private Facebook group. So, you know, I'm asking them to contribute in there. I'm giving them homework and asking them to show it to everybody, not just, you know, for themselves. And it's, it's building this tribe of like-minded, purpose-driven women. So that homework, it's, it's got the call to actions around, please also give me a review on Google. In addition to having a follow-up call, private, to debrief, here are the other ways I could continue to support you if you'd like to have more of my, of my time. And one is private coaching, one is another group course. Uh, they will continue to have access to my online course, uh, which they can go back because sometimes people skip ahead or they miss something or they go through it, you know, quickly. This way they can go back and they can review and they can look for the pieces, the hidden nuggets that they didn't look at before. Just so many different things. You don't drop the ball on the last session. And that last one, I made a point of having finished the modules in the course the prior week. So that the last call was pure recap and then a surprise extra value. And it really came together at the very, very end. The last 10 minutes, I asked, what did each of you find was of most value to you in taking that course? And honest to God, I don't know if they were just saying things to be nice, but it really—

I mean, I'm more Yeah, I've had that experience. There isn't anything quite like that experience. I know exactly what you're talking about. You ask for feedback and then you get something so, so heartfelt and so mind-blowing that you read it and you go, wow, I did that for you? And then I'm often in tears. I'm often crying when I read those kind of comments. There isn't anything quite like that experience of knowing. And that's really why we all get into coaching and consulting. And we feel like we're on this path for a purpose. And then you all of a sudden, you get that feedback that the, that the purpose that you're here to serve is working, that you are making transformation, that you are helping people. I cannot explain that feeling. It is the best. It is the best. And so for those of you watching live, Welcome, ask your questions. We'd be happy to answer. If you're watching on LinkedIn or YouTube or Facebook, just ask away. Be happy to turn around and answer those questions. For those of you watching the replay, what we're really talking about here is when you and if you launch a beta program, don't let the opportunity at the end of that beta program go without follow-up. There needs to be, as Maura pointed out, follow-up during the beta program, because the whole point of it is that not only are you teaching and coaching and teaching, you know, through the, through the, of the sessions, you're learning too. Let's not forget, that is the point. You're learning and you're gaining intelligence from other people being in that program. That is essential to the success of that one, but also for future iterations. And that is the whole point. So Maura is already on track now to iterate this and move it to the next level and have a new group of women that she's going to coach. I'm so proud of you for taking the action necessary to make that happen, Maura. So, like, lots of follow-up. And a lot of people might be listening on the replay and going, I don't know, it sounds like a lot of work. Sounds like a lot of work. What would you say to respond to that?

I would say it is, but it's worth it because you're creating something that is scalable. You are not just doing a one-off. I mean, you need to have a vision of why you're doing this and ultimately where it's going to go. And then everything you do, I mean, all these different emails that I created, they're all templates so that as I go forward, I keep building on it and I can tag people with them. I can send it out to multiple people. I may customize and tweak it each week, but the template's already there. And I was looking for something while you were talking, just so when And you responded to what I said about how great it felt for the incredible feedback I got from the women that took the course. It reminded me of a line out of Think Like a Monk with Jay Shetty. I don't know if you're familiar with Jay Shetty, but when he talks about dharma, how you know when you've discovered your dharma, and that is where passion plus expertise plus usefulness come together. It's when you are already doing what you love and that you are skilled at. And that people truly value it, then you're in your zone. That's dharma. Anything else is a hobby. But when you get that feedback as well, then you need to stay in that zone.

Yeah, I know you're in your zone. There's no doubt about that. I see you, and you've been lit up now for quite several weeks as you've been— no, but I can see that you're lit up. This is your purpose. You're really living that. And I love that you followed up during your beta program. I love that you followed up after and providing more resources for people to give you intelligence around what they aspire to see more of, what it could, you know, what could have been. There's always room for improvement in any type of program. Google reviews, you're, you know, you're asking and you're also nurturing. You're saying, here's the next step. You know, I'm a big fan of the call to action. So you're giving them a next step. Okay, now we have another thing that we're doing. We've got two experts coming in and we're going to keep continue to support you. So it doesn't end at the beta program. It just, it's a beginning. And I think you even said that in your email to them, did you not?

I certainly did. I said it's an ending and a beginning. I would give two pieces of advice, one for the woman who's considering taking a course and the other for the woman who's considering giving one. For the woman who's considering taking a course, well, you're at a turning point. You're ready to grow. You know, there's more. And you either have the wisdom or the experience of knowing that having a coach at certain points in your life makes all the difference in the world. Someone who can show you the next step, hold you capable, cheer you on, hold you accountable, and really give you those, the support at the moments when you need it most to help you course correct and move further than you ever went before. That's when you're ready for a course, for a coach, and for someone who is a coach. And who is saying, "Oh, I love what I do. I want to show others the way," do it. Get your own mentors and coaches because that's what I did. And lock arms and follow their breadcrumbs, not cookie-cutter style, but taking from each trainer the elements that just ring true. I mean, I was doing a lot of things already, but then when Sheryl suggested a beta program at the right moment, again, turning point, right? At that turning point, it was like, well, yeah. And I instantly got into action. So, if you're at that stage, it's Mel Robbins. It's the 5-second rule. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, just do it. And you'll figure it out as you go. Say yes and figure it out as you go because we are always works in progress. Stop waiting. Yeah.

That's a great place to end this conversation because you have to start. And so, Maura, thank you so much for coming in. Sharing those nuggets of wisdom with us on how we can all do a better job of following up during and even after a beta program, or frankly, any program going forward. I really appreciate your time today. And how would people get in touch with you if they want to know more about your Transform Your Potential program?

Well, first of all, my website, morahjoylustig.com. Secondly, Connect with me on LinkedIn. That's one of my favorite places, as well as I enjoy Facebook and Instagram. And my email address, mjl@morajoylustig.com. And if you— but if you go to my LinkedIn page or my website, that's probably the best two places to find me and, and really investigate what's possible for you. I'd love to see how I can help you create a life you love while doing what you love.

All right, thank you so much, Maura, and I can't wait to talk to you next time. Have a great one.

Thank you, Sheryl Plouffe.