It’s one factor to show a toddler to learn; it’s one other factor completely to rework that talent right into a 7-figure enterprise.
Spencer Russell constructed Toddlers Can Read from the bottom up and achieved super success in simply 2 years.
Regardless of early setbacks with preliminary gross sales, he tailored by refining the course expertise and struck gold with viral content material on TikTok.
As Spencer innovates, scales, and plans a rebranding, he stays deeply dedicated to his mission—serving to kids in every single place unlock their studying potential.
Discover his methods, study from his experiences, and uncover why he believes in giving your aspect hustle full-time vitality.
Tune into episode 584 of The Facet Hustle Present to study:
- How Spencer Russell discovered his area of interest in early childhood schooling
- Methods for delivering worth and fascinating clients
- Leveraging social media for enterprise development
- Increasing attain by means of running a blog and paid promoting
Figuring out the Alternative
Spencer Russell is an award-winning teacher and dad who noticed a possibility to assist kids study to learn beginning at very younger ages.
When researching enterprise concepts, he was closely influenced by the ebook Good to Great by Jim Collins, which recommends focusing your efforts on the intersection of three standards:
- One thing you will be the most effective on this planet at
- One thing you’re excited to do
- One thing that may present for your loved ones
As Spencer shared:
“What are the roles, the occupations, the roles that I may fill that may hit these three standards? I had already taught my son to learn, he was two years outdated, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m fairly good at educating little youngsters methods to learn.’”
Spencer knew he had a pure talent set for this area of interest based mostly on his expertise as an educator.
He performed aggressive analysis and pored by means of the myriad on-line programs focused at normal parenting matters:
Nevertheless, he discovered only a few tailor-made particularly to constructing early studying expertise for the toddler demographic.
Regardless of the huge market of anxious mother and father keen to organize their kids for kindergarten and past, this slim sub-niche appeared large open.
Making ready for Launch
Armed with a enterprise thought he was assured may succeed, Spencer promptly entered an intensive studying section. Though educated about childhood schooling, he had restricted enterprise expertise past educating.
He absorbed on-line enterprise mannequin ideas from assets like The Online Course Guy, Russell Brunson, and StoryBrand.
After consuming content material voraciously for a number of weeks, Spencer pieced collectively a primary course and commenced accumulating pre-orders at $49 with a mid-June launch date. He promoted it verbally to his community of family and friends.
Nevertheless, Spencer shortly realized that most individuals who expressed curiosity didn’t find yourself buying. After an agonizing 3-4 days of zero gross sales, Spencer lastly made his first sale.
Whereas far under expectations, this response nonetheless offered sufficient validation to maneuver ahead and ended up with 31-32 pre-orders from preliminary customers.
Now it was time to double down heading in the right direction improvement and finalize the content material.
Optimizing the Buyer Expertise
Along with his “beta testers” granted entry, Spencer tracked their engagement to determine enhancements. He found most clients don’t truly end online courses.
Slightly than questioning his educating, Spencer concluded he wanted to optimize the supply for his target market. As he defined:
“My takeaway from that was I must make it extra partaking and make it simpler to entry. I assumed my takeaway was going to be I would like to show this lesson extra clear or clarify this idea higher.”
He transitioned the course onto the platform Kajabi, which allowed help for cellular and on-demand consumption.
This flexibility higher matched how his clients—busy mother and father—needed to study. Spencer additionally re-recorded increased high quality movies to spice up engagement.
Spencer created a high-value course tailor-made to his viewers by repeatedly refining the client expertise.
Gaining Social Media Traction
In parallel with finalizing his course, Spencer launched social media profiles to construct an viewers.
After months of constant value-focused content material, Spencer lastly struck gold. A January 2022 TikTok video about educating sight phrases went viral.
As he defined:
“Our first viral put up was on TikTok in January of 2022, and it was a sight phrase put up. And we realized from that put up—sight phrases as a subject is a giant factor. And so we began to do extra posts about sight phrases than a number of these posts picked up.”
This preliminary increase offered momentum to optimize future movies utilizing knowledge analytics. He would diligently take a look at totally different variables like captions, visuals, video fashion, prompts, and extra to pinpoint what resonated greatest together with his viewers.
If a selected video underperformed, Spencer broke down the info to find out precisely why.
“How many individuals had been nonetheless watching after one second? What was the angle? Was there a child within the shot? The place had been the captions? Was it a damaging hook?” he shared.
Diversifying Site visitors Sources
Whereas vastly reliant on social media, Spencer understood the necessity to diversify channels. He began blogging weekly, optimizing articles round focused key phrases.
He additionally started experimenting with paid promoting on Google and Fb, driving visitors to a free on-line workshop funnel.
Whereas new to paid advertisements, Spencer takes a data-driven method to iterate towards worthwhile campaigns.
Maximizing Buyer Lifetime Worth
Guests who make it by means of Spencer’s funnel can enroll in his studying curriculum—three programs obtainable individually at $99 every or discounted as a bundle for $249.
He follows up over e-mail with buy incentives and delivers an automatic nurture sequence, offering supplemental content material to previous consumers.
Though a one-time buy mannequin served him properly initially, Spencer shared his regrets about not incorporating a subscription mannequin from the beginning:
“Not having a subscription mannequin … is my greatest mistake. And that construction could be what I’d shift my enterprise to if I may begin over.”
He has expanded into bodily merchandise like workbooks and flashcards based mostly instantly on buyer suggestions. Spencer additionally envisions including a paid membership program sooner or later.
Instruments and Expertise
Spencer constructed his course supply on Kajabi however quickly included specialised instruments like ActiveCampaign for e-mail and eWebinar for his on-line workshop.
He accepts the excessive prices and complexity of migrating off built-in platforms in favor of best-in-class options.
Day-to-Day Operations
To handle all the pieces easily day-to-day, Spencer divides his time into structured “success blocks” targeted on priorities:
- Morning ritual – Cardio, stretch, chilly bathe, cleansing
- Studying – studying, journal, meditation
- PQO: Prolific High quality Output from 8-11am with none distractions
- Fast test on stats/dashboard from 11 am-12 pm
- Content material creation – Filming movies, ideating new classes, designing graphics from 12pm-4pm
- Understanding and household time from 4pm-8pm
- Night catch-up – Processing emails, messages, and misc. to-do gadgets from 8pm-10pm
He additionally adheres strictly to the “11am rule” the place he ignores messages earlier than 11:00am to order mornings for strategic work. This self-discipline allows him to successfully scale the enterprise.
Wanting Forward
Given his success up to now, Spencer plans on persevering with to widen his course curriculum, bodily product line, and even contemplating an organization rebrand to serve a broader viewers.
He plans to launch in extra worldwide markets, localizing content material the place wanted.
Whereas his model has a really broad world enchantment, Spencer sees large potential in tailor-made messaging and translations based mostly on components that differ throughout nations.
He additionally plans to rebrand. As he put it:
“The largest factor that’s on the horizon that we haven’t talked about a lot publicly is a rebrand away from the title Toddlers Can Learn in the direction of a extra common and inclusive title with packages focused for various ages from toddlers to greater youngsters to adults.”
He continues to pay attention carefully to buyer suggestions to make sure his firm path stays aligned with their evolving wants. However he by no means loses sight of the core goal—empowering mother and father to maximise their youngsters’ studying potential.
Spencer’s mixture of real look after his viewers and strategic innovation positions him for development.
Key Takeaways
- Embrace a blue ocean technique. Completely analyze rivals and buyer must determine large open niches price pursuing.
- Give attention to fast wins on social media to get consideration and clear up issues. Adapt content material on your viewers, leverage social media for viral development, and diversify visitors sources to keep away from sole reliance on exterior platforms.
- Take heed to buyer suggestions and adapt accordingly. Buyer enter guided Spencer’s growth into bodily merchandise and potential subscription mannequin. Construct what folks need.
Spencer’s #1 Tip for Facet Hustle Nation
“Don’t be afraid to go all in. Take a giant step. Give it full-time vitality, even when not full-time hours.”
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