I'm still working out how to balance being spontaneous with consistently creating and serving people. My freedom would be traveling wherever I want whenever I want.... or just staying home and having a craft day

@Samantha Francis Yes, I think you're right. For me, I don't worry about all the in-between levels, I just focus on Level 1, Level 5, and Level 10. For you, I do agree that Level 1 is a beginner in business. Or maybe they have a couple of clients but they're not well-organized, they don't have systems in place, and they're still kind-of making it up as they go. Level 5 could be someone who has clients but is looking into courses for the FIRST time: - She's making good money and is fulfilled with her interactions with her clients. However, she wants to be able to have a bigger impact and reach more people at a time. Or maybe she's feeling a little stressed about how much time her 1:1 services are taking. Or maybe her client load has had fluctuations and she wants to diversify her income into more sources so she's not solely dependent on clients. Whatever the reason, she knows somehow she's incorporating courses as a way to supplement her business. - She has clients, and she has other streams of income (affiliate marketing, ad revenue, maybe other digital products like workbooks and ebooks, etc.) but hasn't yet tried out creating courses. (Maybe it seems scary? Maybe it seems like soooooo much work?) Level 10 is a person who has a smoothly running client-based business AND has tried to make courses (or even has a few courses). BUT, for whatever reason she feels like her efforts failed or maybe she just doesn't know how to fit it into her business overall. - She has clients, she's tried making a single course, but it bombed or maybe she never finished and now she's not sure it's right for her...but she sees other people doing it successfully so she feels left behind. - Or maybe she has clients, she made courses, but it felt like the courses were eating up her time and energy from serving clients. They were a distraction and the end result was serving clients worse. - She has clients, got burned out, went too far the other way, made only digital products, and now wants a mix. - She has clients, made courses, but doesn't yet know how to fit them into her funnel. (How does the course work in the overall strategy of her business? Does she use the course as a way to pre-qualify clients? Does she use the course as a 1 to many end result? Does she use the course as a lead magnet to give away in bundles?) So many choices, so many options, it's so overwhelming! Maybe she should just quit on the course idea. Or maybe just have two disjointed parts of her business that run separately in parallel.

@Samantha Francis Well, and that's the point. When you speak to Level 10 (or even Level 5), then you *also* speak to Level 1. Also, if you start with Level 10, then you'll be in a less-crowded area because everyone starts with creating content for Level 1s. But you can always go back and create content for Level 1s later if you want. And people become Level 11 after they work with you, so you'll be speaking with them too. :-)

@Jenn Zellers Hello! I'm currently in Everett, but I grew up in Bellevue/Eastgate area before it got so posh and ritzy. I wish I had time to sew again! It's been a long time. Have you ever read the Anne McCaffery Dragonriders of Pern series? It's from the 70s and 80s but I love all her books. I also read a fun steampunk novel called Boneshaker by Cherie Priest that's set in an alternative world late 1800's Seattle. My boys were into the Wings of Fire series a few years ago. What are some of your favorites? How fun to connect. :-)

@Christel Hughes Hello! I'm out by Everett and went to Orcas a few weeks ago for a quick weekend getaway. How fun!