What if the thing missing from your course launch isn't another email sequence but something your student can hold in their hands?
In this episode, Shannon sits down with merch strategist Barbara Hobart, whose accidental invention of the world's first no-rewire decorative light switch cover (yes, really) launched a career that's since taken her from Hollywood writers' rooms to helping course creators, coaches, and membership owners turn branded products into real business tools.
Barbara breaks down why "merch" doesn't mean cheap pens and mugs from a trade show tote bag — it means a physical brand touchpoint that welcomes new clients, reinforces your method, rewards milestones, and keeps your name on someone's desk long after your last email got buried in their inbox. If you've ever wondered whether a $27 course or a $3,000 program actually needs merch, whether international shipping kills the idea before it starts, or how to ask for a student's mailing address without it feeling weird — this conversation covers it.
Whether your course is a standalone business or a small offer inside something bigger, this episode will change how you think about the physical side of your brand.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- Why "merch" isn't a category of objects — it's a strategy, and how that shift changes what you create
- The real business problems merch solves that most course creators don't realize are merch problems
- Whether your price point should actually change what kind of merch you send (a $27 course vs. a $3,000 cohort program)
- How to ask a student or client for their mailing address without it feeling awkward
- Why physical products can outlast and out-remember a digital lead magnet or PDF
About Barbara Hobart
Barbara Hobart spent 25 years as a television writer and producer in Hollywood before an accident with a can of sponge paint led her to invent the world's first decorative light switch plate cover that required no rewiring — launching a product company in England before she even knew the term "injection molding." Today, Barbara helps course creators, coaches, and businesses of every budget turn branded merchandise into strategic brand assets, guiding clients from concept through sourcing, production, and delivery.
Connect with Barbara
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense. Click here. 😊
