Why I Stand Behind My $2K Course Now More Than Ever

What a decade of investing in my own education has taught me.

This has been weighing on me for a while, and I finally decided to put it all out there.

There’s been a lot of conversation lately about online art licensing and surface pattern design courses - whether they’re worth it, whether they’re too expensive, whether they actually work.

And honestly, I get the skepticism.

One of the biggest issues is that courses are often over-marketed as big, life-changing transformations. As one-and-done solutions.

When that’s the expectation, disappointment is almost inevitable. If someone signs up for a $2,000+ course believing it will instantly replace their income or solve every uncertainty in their career, that expectation was never realistic to begin with.

And I think that’s where much of the disconnect lives.

Personally, I believe it’s far more ethical to market a course around what I have done - my strategies, my lessons, my framework - rather than promising specific outcomes for someone else.

Am I hopeful that what worked for me can work for others? Absolutely. I wouldn’t be teaching it if I didn’t believe that.

But I can’t promise someone they will replace their income.
I can’t guarantee they’ll land dream clients.
I can’t ensure they’ll build a six-figure business.

All I can do is show them how I approached it - and what I learned along the way.

And I think that honesty matters.

Because an online course was never meant to be the answer to everything.

It’s a stepping stone. A leg up. An accelerant.

It’s an infusion of perspective from someone who has already navigated part of the path.

We don’t take one college class and expect it to give us a career. We take many classes over time - and the aggregate effect shapes us in powerful ways.

And I also want to say clearly - no one needs a course to be successful.

No one needs my course to build a licensing career.

A course is a tool. A building block. Something that can ideally save you time, reduce frustration, and help you avoid unnecessary detours. But it’s not a requirement for success.

So why do I feel so strongly about this?

One of the most common adjectives students use to describe me is “wholesome.” Some people find that funny. Some probably think it’s soft.

I love it.

But being wholesome also means I hold myself to a very high ethical standard. I feel deeply responsible for the decisions I make - including what I charge and what I teach.

And the reason I stand behind my course and its price is simple:

Learning from others is how I got here.

Over the past ten years, I’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars in courses, consultants, and mentorship.

Not because I doubted my talent.
But because I value perspective.

I know I can’t see my own blind spots. I know structured learning compresses time. And I’m self-aware enough to know that I don’t know what I don’t know.

I’ve taken multiple art licensing courses, copyright courses, a course creation program, a manufacturing course, and countless marketing trainings. When I was building my previous business, I worked with a consultant for 18 months at $1,500 a month.

None of those investments magically built my business.

But they sharpened my thinking. They gave me frameworks. They helped me avoid costly mistakes. They guided me through difficult seasons.

Layered together, they significantly shaped the trajectory of my career - and I genuinely owe a lot to each of them.

So when I look at my own $2,000 course through that lens, the math makes sense. One or two well-structured licensing deals can cover that investment. The bigger cost, in my experience, is time spent guessing.

Add in the real results I see from my students, and I feel more confident than ever standing behind what I’ve built - and what I charge for it.

Online courses aren’t meant to save you. They’re meant to strengthen you.

P.S. - I just had someone ask me this question in my Facebook group , and I felt like it was such a good question that I wanted to include it here :) There is a really great discussion going on in the group if you are curious!

Q: Why, if you are having great success doing pattern design/illustration, why are you moving into teaching?

My Reply:

Hi! I can only speak for myself 🙂 That’s a great question.

I’m very business-minded, and I’ve always believed in building multiple revenue streams. Licensing is my core business and I've built a very strong core business there. Teaching is something I genuinely love. It allows me to share what I’ve learned and help other artists shortcut the trial-and-error phase. Literally ask ANY student in my ALU course and they will tell you that my #1 joy is being their cheerleader.

And yes, of course it brings in additional income. There’s nothing unusual or "wrong" with expanding a successful business. Most entrepreneurs do. If you have read anything about me you will see that I am extremely entrepreneurial. I love to challenge myself.

I think a really important key differentiator is that - for me, education is an extension of my art career, not a replacement for it.