337. Amy Porterfield Retired DCA… So Are Online Courses Dead?
Release Date: 01/20/2026
350. Passive Income Isn't Passive. Here's the Truth.
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Ever daydream about Stripe notifications rolling in while you sip a latte and never touch another funnel? 🚀 Here's the truth no one wants to say out loud: passive income is never actually passive. There's still a funnel to watch, numbers to track, messaging to fix, and platforms that keep shifting the goal posts on you. In this episode of The Good Advice Trap series, I'm pulling back the curtain on why evergreen funnels aren't the magical freedom pill we've been sold, why every online course business needs recurring revenue (and why that's NOT the same thing as passive income), and the...
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349. The Launch Mistake That's Costing You the Most
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Your last launch underperformed — and there's a very good chance you've been fixing the wrong thing. 🚀 Misdiagnosing a launch is one of the most expensive mistakes a course creator can make. In this episode, I'm walking you through the four launch mistakes that cost online course creators the most — the big, sneaky ones that make everything feel harder than it should and leave you questioning your offer when the real problem is the strategy underneath. We're talking about skipping your pre-launch runway, scrapping an offer that was actually closer to working than you think, overfeeding...
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348. More Followers Won't Make You More Money
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Your follower count is growing. Your revenue isn't. And Instagram couldn't care less. 🚀 Here's the uncomfortable truth most online marketing gurus won't tell you: followers on Instagram are borrowed. The algorithm decides every single day how many of your own audience actually sees what you post. For course creators and coaches trying to build a real business, that is a dangerously shaky foundation. In Part 4 of The Good Advice Trap series, I'm showing you what to build instead — a deliberate content system with three clear jobs, a follower-to-subscriber path you actually own, and a...
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347. Content Is Not a Growth Strategy
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Your content is getting love — but your business still isn't growing, and it's starting to feel personal. 🚀 Here's what nobody tells you: content is not a growth strategy. It's evidence. It proves you exist, you know your stuff, and you show up consistently. But a menu doesn't feed anyone — someone still has to order. In this episode, I share a real email from Gareth, a listener who has generated £50K through word of mouth, built 15 podcast episodes, and shows up across multiple platforms. Engaged audience. Zero sales from any of it. His story reveals the single most common mistake...
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346. Why Your Offer Isn't Selling (It's Not What You Think)
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Your offer isn't selling — and I'd bet it's not for the reason you think. 🚀 The standard online business advice says build your list, run a live launch, create urgency, cart closes Friday. That advice isn't wrong. It's just built for a very specific type of buyer — one person, one credit card, one Friday deadline. If that's not your buyer, the whole playbook quietly falls apart. In this episode, I share Laura's story. She has 35,000 subscribers and her audience is not buying. Not because her offer is bad. Not because her content is weak. But because every piece of advice she followed...
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345. Your Email List Is Rotting. Here's the Fix.
The Launch Lounge Podcast
Your email list isn't dead — it just doesn't have a job description yet. 🚀 You're showing up, emailing consistently, doing everything right. And yet nobody's clicking, nobody's buying, and the silence is starting to feel personal. Before you clean your list, grow your list, or change your subject lines — there's one question you need to ask first: what is my list actually for right now? In this episode, I share how I accidentally halved my own list (and my podcast downloads in the same week) by following list-cleaning best practices a little too literally. I also read out a real email...
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344. "I've Wasted Money on Ads Before" — How to Make Paid Traffic Actually Work This Time.
The Launch Lounge Podcast
If ads have burned you before, this episode will change how you think about paid traffic forever. 🚀 Here's something surprising coming from someone who runs a Meta Ads Agency: if your funnel isn't converting without ads, ads are not going to fix it. Ads are an accelerant — they amplify whatever is already happening in your business. If it's working, they'll pour petrol on that fire. If it's broken, they'll just drain your budget faster than you can say "cost per click." So if you've ever whispered the words "I've wasted money on ads," this one's for you. I'm walking you through the four...
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343. How to Get Out of the 1:1 Trap (And Into a Scalable Offer)
The Launch Lounge Podcast
If you stopped working tomorrow — no calls, no sessions, no emails — how long would money keep coming in? If that question made your stomach drop, keep listening. 🚀 Here's what nobody tells you about running a one-on-one coaching or consulting business: there's a hard ceiling on your income, and it's called your calendar. You can raise your prices, sure. But you can't clone yourself (yet). And if you're so busy delivering that you never have time to build anything else? That's the trap. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how to escape the one-on-one model and build a scalable...
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342. You Don't Need More Content, You Need a Traffic System
The Launch Lounge Podcast
What if the reason your online course business isn't growing has nothing to do with how much content you're creating? 🚀 If you're spending hours every week on Instagram posts, reels, and captions only to watch your email list flatline and your course sales stay stuck at launch week — I've got news for you. You don't need more content. You need a traffic system. In this episode, I'm breaking down the three pillars every course creator needs to stop feeding the content monster and start turning the content you already have into leads, customers, and consistent revenue. I'm also sharing why...
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341. Stop Doing 5-Figure Things If You Want a 6-Figure Course Business
The Launch Lounge Podcast
You've launched, you've made sales, you've proven your course works — so why does your business still feel like it's hitting a ceiling? 🚀 Here's the thing nobody tells you: the hustle-and-create-everything energy that got you to five figures is probably the exact thing keeping you there. After nearly 10 years behind the scenes of course creator businesses at every stage, I've spotted four patterns that quietly separate those who stay stuck from those who scale — and I have a feeling at least one of them is going to feel very familiar. Today I'm walking you through each shift with real...
info_outlineAmy 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:
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Why Amy retiring DCA is NOT proof online courses are dead
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The real reasons some launches are dying (and it's fixable)
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Five market shifts every course creator needs to understand
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Your 2026 playbook: four steps to your best year yet
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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 💫
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