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Case study 04 · Early childhood educator
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Case study 04 · Early childhood educator

The side project that became the business.

Prepared by Ruby Lee · Client details changed for privacy

Summary

My client is an early childhood educator who creates playful language-learning resources for young children and their parents. When she started working with me, this part of her business was barely monetised. We weren’t even meant to be working on it. We had a different business in mind.

Now her list is growing, her YouTube channel has passed 3,000 subscribers, and she’s seeing sparks of daily sales and steady weekly sales.

When we startedBarely monetised, and not the business we planned to focus on
In 12 weeksA high-ticket offer built and launched from scratch
Email list221 subscribers and growing, even in quiet weeks
Email open rate45–50%
YouTube3,000+ subscribers
SalesSparks of daily sales, and sales every week

1. Where she started

She had beautiful resources, a community of parents who loved them, and no real way to earn from it. It was the passion project sitting next to the “real” business.

If your side project lights you up more than your main business, this one’s for you.

2. Building what parents actually wanted

Instead of guessing, we asked. Polls showed parents’ biggest struggle wasn’t resources. It was finding someone for their child to practise with.

  1. A practice-buddy offer. We reshaped her coaching into a personal language buddy for children, built around short daily voice notes.
  2. Names that feel like her. We swapped standard industry terms for playful product names that sound like her brand.
  3. Everything in one place. Visual cards and audio now sit together, so children can play and learn on their own, screen-free.

3. Selling through conversation

“I actually like the DM side of things because I get to talk to them. People tell me about their child, what they love about it. It’s how I’ve been getting conversations going.”
  • Personal replies, not cold links. She answers each enquiry with an outcome-focused reply instead of sending a landing page, and fewer people ghost.
  • Real questions as social proof. Anonymised DM questions get answered in her emails, which clears objections for everyone else reading.
  • A script written live on our call. Line by line, built around daily accountability and the confidence parents want for their child.
  • A founding offer. 5 spots at $97 a month, locked in for good, instead of the regular $197.

4. Her offer rhythm

LevelOfferPrice
FreeWord of the week, with short videosFree
EntryAudio bundle for little learners$7
PhysicalColouring books and in-person eventsVaries
RecurringMonthly low-ticket memberships$47–97
Voice-note coachingA daily practice buddy for their child$197/mo
High ticketMentoring for parentsLaunched in 12 weeks

Her year now alternates between high-ticket launches and low-ticket recurring offers, so families at every budget feel supported.

5. Taking the pressure off

Before a big in-person event she was stressing about creating a whole new colouring book on a tight deadline. Instead, we refreshed the copy on an existing book as “newly released”, and added a simple P.S. to her event emails to sell extra tickets.

“Take the pressure off. Yeah. Thanks. That’s good.”

6. Growing beyond social media

  • Libraries, childcare centres and community groups
  • Markets and local shops that serve her community
  • Physical products that open the door to wholesale partnerships

To keep families coming back, we added reward charts for the fridge, everyday audio cues for routines like mealtimes, and a special reward at the three-month mark.

7. In her words

“I’m an overthinker. When I look at one of your emails, I just go, okay, I can adapt that. It’s so much easier than starting from scratch.”
“I like your explanation, because one is free and one is not. It makes my brain a bit easier to understand what I’m doing.”

Messages she sent me

RUBY! I GOT MY FIRST SALE TODAY 😭 After coming across what you do, I created my digital products but I decided to focus on growing my YT channel and haven’t actively promoted my digital products much. But, I woke up with a sale today 🙌 I can get used to this. Thank youuuuu!
Just wanted to say that you made me excited to post on socials again, Ruby! It doesn’t feel like a dread. I didn’t use social for the longest time because it feels temporary, and saturated. But, you shifted something in me and now I can’t wait to put something up. Thanks to you, I see social media as an evergreen platform where I can serve and educate my clients. It doesn’t matter about the likes and comments but the fact that I’m putting something up that will help my clients move forward with their journey. This is such a powerful mindshift. Thank youuuuu 🥰💜
I just wanted to say thank you! You’re one of the best things that happened to me, Ruby 😭 I’m keen to dive in and apply the things I’ve learned from you. There’s still so much more to come and I know it! 🎉 Thank you so much for showing up and giving us what we didn’t even realise we needed (the safe space, the permission to try…) Forever grateful x

8. The takeaway

The business you’re meant to build might be the one you keep calling a side project.

Want this for your business?