Triathlete's knowledge commerce journey goes from coaching to courses and membership communities

The doctorate he holds in exercise physiology, doing research that is peer-reviewed, as well as instructing Olympians and pro Ironman athletes was not enough for Dr. Dan Plews. Additionally, he is a triathlete himself and is the 2018 Ironman Age Group World Championship Course Winner record holder, with an 8:24:36 time.
As a result of his win, and his extensive education in the field He was able to answer a lot of questions - especially surrounding his lower carbohydrate diet and how to apply it to long-distance triathlons.

Thus the it was that Dr. Plews decided to monetize his skills by launching Endure IQ, adding 'knowledge creator among his many occupations. Let's explore his journey.

This interview has been slightly edited to improve clarity.

Coaching rapidly led to courses

Originally, initially, Dr. Plews started out with direct coaching. He acknowledged that there was the amount he could accomplish in one-on-one consultations.

In 2019, Endure IQ got its launch. "I received so many questions] that I said I'll create a course. In the beginning, I thought, "Oh, I'll just build the course in a white format that you can put on PowerPoint'. However, after I had spoken to one of my friends who suggested, "Well it's your decision to build it, you may as well make it a proper job.'"

There are now four core courses as well as other mini-courses. The doctor. Plews says, "Our classes are 10 modules in length and take ten to fifteen hours of education. The students have access to the course for a period of ten to 12 weeks, and have access to teachers." Courses are accredited through affiliations with those of the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association and USA Triathlon.

Courses begin

EndureIQ launched a pre-launch of their course, LDT One-on-One. "We told them we'd like be limiting it to only the first fifty people, and it went on sale in just three minutes." Dr. Plews recalls.

The classes were extremely popular! The response, however, was massive. Professor. Plews quickly learned his course students were interested in having access to the course materials and the instructor-led webinars even after they had completed the course.

This presented him with the problem of having to continue providing assistance. The following is his thoughts regarding this issue:

"I did not want to keep the course open indefinitely because it just gave people the opportunity to ask questions all the time that you're at the at your fingertips however that's not how education works. When you're an undergraduate student taking a class and you're enrolled, you're able to access the expert, your teachers for that period, but you're not able to have them answer your questions all the time throughout your lifetime."

Responding to customer demands and creating revenues

Then, Professor. Plews discovered a way to satisfy the demand of customers while generating recurring revenue through the same materials used in courses. His solution: a $5 per week subscription for access to course material as well as webinars for those who finish the course.

"I joined this program quickly. It works well because there are a lot of customers who have returned," the man says.

The price is $5 per week to have the privilege of accessing every course that the student ever took, as a loyalty perk for those who take multiple classes. Dan said he had 175 students in that education membership group during our discussion. So, he can bring in a substantial amount of revenue each week simply by providing access to content of the course, and also being willing to reply to inquiries.

Subscription revenue opens doors

In the present, subscriptions bring in revenue, and the revenue in turn facilitates other possibilities for the business.

Dr. Plews says, "The most significant benefit of the subscription model is that it allows you to plan your business better. If you can be certain of additional revenue and you're able to become a bit savvy with who you're employing and where you're putting your money since there's a lot less risk. In contrast, when you're 100 percent dependent on new revenue, you're never sure the month that is likely to provide."

The author also pointed out that the existence of an active community also has a benefit in that it provides a pool of engaged people who he can survey for any new course offerings or for other pertinent comments.

But, Dan is realistic about what it takes to maintain the success of a membership-based community. "The disadvantages of it is that it's never off," he says, "There is a significant amount of support for customers that is part of subscriptions because customers constantly have questions."

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