Thinking about turning that brilliant idea in your head into something you can actually sell?
In this blog, our Founder Kim Ellis shares the behind-the-scenes story of how a passing thought is now on track to become the first-ever Free Spirits LIVE! conference. She unpacks the steps she’s taken so far and what to consider if you’re planning to launch your own ‘thing’. So whether you’re dreaming up a course, a toolkit, or something totally new, there’s plenty here to help you go from spark to launch — without winging it.
It might be bonkers…or it could be genius!
When you’re self-employed you might dream of having a ‘product’, something you can package for clients and sell time and time again. It might be a cracking framework, some off the shelf eLearning or a full-blown course. Whatever it is, the chances are you’ll be super excited to get it to market.
Since I became self-employed in 2017, I’ve had quite a few cunning plans…some of them successful, others not so much but all of them came with some cracking learning opportunities.
In late 2023 the cunning plan was to build a community…that has become L&D Free Spirits. And in the back of my mind, I knew I always wanted to put on a conference, but I didn’t allow the idea to mature or even form more that a passing ‘what if’ thought.
So, when I was on the virtual LnD CoWork with Fiona McBride and Liz Burkinshaw, I mentioned it – no idea why I mentioned it, maybe a musing, maybe my subconscious trying to get it out…I can’t even remember what led to me mentioning it.
But I did.
And the thought got legs.
We thought why the heck not.
It became a cunning plan.
2 weeks later, I had my main agenda speakers sorted, the following week the booking page went live, and I announced it to the world.
In the back of my mind, I’m half thinking it’s a bonkers idea, Free Spirits is still too new, new small, but then is that the wobble gremlin rearing its head?
No matter what your idea is, it can’t just be a whim, you can’t just throw the idea out into the world with no preparation and think people are going to buy into it…or actually buy it.
DO NOT JUST WING IT AND HOPE FOR THE BEST!
So, I’m going to use the Free Spirits LIVE! Conference as an example for how to bring your ‘product’ to life. Fair warning, this is just my experience (and I’ve never put on my own conference before), you need to do your own research what whatnot before launch.
The idea
Just because you think you have a good idea doesn’t mean it is actually a good idea. What you think is awesome might be absolutely bobbins. You need to bounce the idea around – maybe with a few people, ruminate, mind map, give it space to breathe.
Now you have your idea forming, you can start to break it down into its different components. Think of your ‘product’ like a car and all the idea bits are the engine, the interior, the wheels, the driving experience, the 0-60 speed. You need to know the ins and outs of every little part and how they connect together before you decide if your idea could be a viable product.
For Free Spirits LIVE! this whole process came together super quick, because once I’ve got the bit in my teeth then there’s no stopping me. I bounced the idea with Fiona and Liz, with my Wizards and with a few other people. I could visualise the high level of how it would work…there was quite a bit of back and forth with Chat GPT to flesh out the different components.
And this is the thing, when you’re working by yourself you don’t have someone sat next to you who you can just ask to take a peek at your screen. That is something I miss about working in an office.
Building the thing
You’ve gathered all the main parts, there might be the odd thing you haven’t thought of at this point and that ok – they’ll probably come out in the woodwork (and if they don’t are they really that important?)
First off you need to timeline the heck out of it all, when does X need to happen, does Y need to happen before Z and where the heck does P fit into it all – because you really want to include it.
This is going to be a big ‘curb your excitement’ time, because there’s no point rushing to launch if you haven’t got all your ducks in a row, such as planning in a marketing strategy and working out the financials.
How you do your timeline is up to you, some people like using online project management tools, some Excel, some people draw it out on a whiteboard or use Post-It notes….just do whatever works for you.
For Free Spirits LIVE! I didn’t have the luxury of a long lead time – in fact Hayley Maisey, my Wizard of Marketing, asked if a conference date of 1st October 2025 was too quick. Usually for normal webinars we like to have a 6-week lead time. This is so we can get it on the website and marketed a few times on social media and via email.
But we had about 10 weeks from the ‘I have a cunning plan’ moment to conference day and there’s a heck of a lot more that goes into putting on a conference than there is just one webinar.
So, the timeline came together super-fast, basically I have a list of target points but because everything is moving so quickly, I’m forgiving myself if things need to move a little. Or if things aren’t quite perfect when I want them.
And that’s another thing that you’ll need to keep an eye on – making sure you forgive yourself cause not everything will be exactly how you envision it or how you want it. And that’s ok, shifting the goal posts at this point is absolutely fine…trying to shift them after launch can be super difficult.
Now you’re ready for the pilot
You’ve fleshed out your idea, you’ve put your timeline together, you can visualise how it’s going to run…now it’s time to test it with a sample group. This isn’t a luxury I’ve got with the Free Spirit LIVE! conference, the timelines are too tight so I’m going all in… I’ staying positive, it will be awesome.
But I would implore you to test your idea before you launch. If it’s a cohort-based course, offer a pilot discount. If it’s an eLearning, ask for some testers. Whatever it is, reach out to your network and ask if people are willing to get involved and provide you with constructive feedback.
Another great benefit of running a pilot is that you’ll get testimonials, maybe even videos which you can use for marketing it. That is absolute gold dust and worth more than an extra few quid in the long run if you’re offering discounts for the pilot.
Get it out into the world
Inevitably, after your thing has bounced around a few people, you’re going to want to make a few tweaks – and that might affect your timeline.
Remember, tweaks are ok.
Adjustments are ok.
Don’t beat yourself up about it.
Things change, just go with it.
So, once you’ve rejigged things, you’ll be ready to start putting the word out there.
Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Don’t wait for the “right” moment (spoiler: it doesn’t exist). And don’t keep it hidden away while you faff with fonts or second-guess every detail.
Get it out there. Talk about it. Share your enthusiasm. Be proud of what you’ve built.
Because here’s the thing – your idea doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. It doesn’t have to be perfect to change somebodys life or career. It just needs to do what it needs to do.
So, whatever your ‘product’ is, a course, a framework, a community, a service, even a conference, give it the best shot you can. Plan, prep, pilot where possible, and then just launch it. YOU CAN DO IT!
If you fancy seeing how my bonkers plan turns out…and if I can pull it off, come along to Free Spirits LIVE! on 1st October.
