How Brian Kouhi built a 6-figure business on Teachable (9 actionable strategies)

Brian Kouhi spent $40,000 and four years on an animation degree that taught him absolutely nothing about actually working as an animator.

After graduating from what he calls "a very well-known university in Toronto," Brian couldn't even get an entry-level animation job. The program that promised to prepare him for the industry had left him completely unprepared, leading to heated conversations with the very professors who had sold him on the program.

"Four years in, $40,000 in debt, I ended up knowing absolutely nothing. I didn't know anything by the end of the program. There was no way I could get a job as an animator." -- Brian Kouhi, Co-founder of ToAnimate Academy

Desperate to actually learn animation, Brian enrolled in a one-year postgraduate program at Sheridan College, considered Canada's top animation school. The difference was night and day. After one intensive year of 60-70 hour weeks, Brian finally had the skills to work as a professional animator.

Within a week of graduating from Sheridan, he landed his first job animating on PAW Patrol.

But Brian's frustrating educational journey sparked a bigger realization: if one of Canada's "top" universities could fail so spectacularly at teaching animation, how many other aspiring animators were getting ripped off by inadequate programs?

That question would eventually lead Brian and his co-founders to build ToAnimate Academy on Teachable, transforming their industry experience into a 6-figure online education business serving over 1,700 students worldwide.

Brian's Teachable journey at a glance

The turning point

Brian's transformation from frustrated student to successful educator began while working at Tangent Studios on Maya and The Three - what would become the biggest Blender production ever made, with over 400 artists.

Brian and his two co-founders (including his now-wife) all expected to hate working in Blender, the free 3D animation software. They were used to Maya, the industry-standard paid software. But something unexpected happened: they actually preferred Blender.

"We were working on this huge production using Blender and we were actually liking it over time more than we were liking Maya which was a paid software. At the time there wasn't a lot of educational content on Blender and specifically on animation." -Brian Kouhi

The three animators realized they'd stumbled onto a massive educational gap. Here was powerful, free software that could create Netflix-quality animation, but virtually no one was teaching people how to use it professionally.

When Tangent Studios suddenly shut down - going from 400 employees to zero in a single week when Netflix pulled their projects - Brian and his co-founders had their catalyst moment.

"We just decided to come together and put our knowledge of school and our experience in the industry and just combine it all into a laser-focused curriculum for other aspiring animators." -Brian Kouhi

They chose Teachable because they needed to focus on creating great content, not managing technology. The platform would handle everything from course delivery to payments while they concentrated on solving the animation education problem they'd identified.

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Nine strategies for hitting six figures as a creator

Brian Kouhi, co-founder of TOAnimate Academy, transformed his passion for animation into a six-figure business. From working with over 400 artists on a Netflix top 10 animation, he identified a gap in Blender education and turned it into a thriving venture. Here are nine strategies he used to hit six figures, packed with actionable steps to help you turn your skills into a successful online course business.

Strategy 1: Identify an obstacle you’ve overcome had and build a business around it

Identifying a gap in the market allows you to provide a unique solution that meets an unmet need and positions you as a leader in your niche.

Brian Kouhi's journey started with a deep love for animation, working with software like Blender and Maya. His work on productions such as "Maya and the Three" showcased his ability to adapt to different animation software. 

Despite initial challenges, he found Blender surprisingly powerful and user-friendly compared to its paid counterpart, Maya. The idea for TOAnimate Academy emerged from a clear market gap: A lack of quality educational content around Blender.

Brian’s frustration with his formal education, which left him $40,000 in debt and without industry-ready skills, fueled his desire to create a better solution for aspiring animators. 

“There wasn't a lot of educational content on Blender... so we decided to put our knowledge into a laser-focused curriculum for aspiring animators.” -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Identify a unique challenge you've overcome and create a course to help others overcome the same obstacles and achieve a similar transformation as you already have.

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2. Validate your business idea with crowdfunding

Crowdfunding can provide the necessary funds to start your business and help you validate your ideas by showing that there is a demand for your product. Pre-sales are also a great way to do this.

Brian and his team used a Kickstarter campaign to validate TOAnimate Academy. It helped them test the market and gather initial funds, achieving their funding goal within minutes. This approach allowed Brian and his team to gauge interest and validate their business idea before fully committing to its development. 

“We reached 1400% funded on Kickstarter... 100% funded in two minutes of launching.” –Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Use crowdfunding platforms to gauge interest and secure funds for your course idea. Integrate Teachable’s payment system to transition from funding to enrollment seamlessly.

3. Create a laser-focused outline for your digital product

A well-structured and focused curriculum will help you serve your students at the highest level.

TOAnimate Academy’s curriculum blends industry experience with solid educational principles. It offers practical, hands-on learning with Blender, providing a strong animation foundation while encouraging creativity. 

Beyond the initial course offerings, TOAnimate Academy continuously sought to add value based on student feedback. This commitment to ongoing improvement led to introducing new lessons and assets. Developing specialized courses, such as rigging and character creation, further enriched the academy’s educational offerings.

“We try to give a very strong animation foundation and let the students use their creativity throughout the lessons.” -Brian Kouhi

Beyond the initial course offerings, TOAnimate Academy continuously sought to add value based on student feedback. 

Action Step: Use Teachable’s AI curriculum generator to create a highly effective course curriculum in a matter of minutes.

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4. Use channels like YouTube and email to build an audience

Building an audience through platforms like YouTube and email marketing helps establish credibility and bring in top-of-funnel traffic for your offers.

Brian started sharing his animation knowledge through early YouTube videos, offering tutorials and industry insights. His approach was straightforward, providing value and building trust with his audience. 

Over time, his channel grew from 20,000 subscribers to becoming a significant marketing asset for TOAnimate Academy. 

Brian effectively used email marketing to build and nurture his audience. He attracted a steady flow of new subscribers by offering a free rig and animation lectures. He then used email sequences to nurture these leads with valuable content and gradual sales pitches. 

"We get emails through YouTube, social media, and ads... nurturing leads with valuable content and gradual sales pitches" -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Take the leap and start—or continue—to consistently publish content on YouTube. Keep your email list fresh by sending a weekly newsletter promoting your published YouTube videos.

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5. Use affiliate programs to drive sales

An affiliate program expands your reach and leverages the networks of others to drive sales, providing a powerful boost to your marketing efforts.

Brian capitalized on Teachable’s affiliate system to boost sales. Affiliates played a significant role in total sales. By creating custom links and effectively tracking sales, Brian made sure that affiliates were rewarded for their efforts.

"The affiliate system is a huge part of our sales... around 30% of our sales come through affiliates." -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Set up an affiliate program on Teachable to boost your sales and bring in a wave of raving fans.

6. Start and grow a supportive community

A strong community enhances the learning experience, provides ongoing support, and fosters a sense of belonging among students.

At TOAnimate Academy, building a supportive community is a priority. Active forums ensure that no question goes unanswered, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Partnerships with other companies provide students with discounts and additional resources, enhancing their learning experience.

"Our motto is no question goes unanswered... join the community where no question goes unanswered." -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Create a community space using Teachable’s community features to enhance student engagement and support.

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7. Maximize impact and income with Teachable

Using an all-in-one digital product platform like Teachable streamlines operations, allowing you to focus on creating quality content and engaging with your students.

Teachable has been a crucial tool for Brian, handling everything from the curriculum and payments to community engagement. Teachable helps Brian simplify many aspects of running an online academy, allowing Brian to focus on content creation and student interaction. Feedback is continuously used to improve and adapt the platform experience.

"Teachable handles 70% of the stuff we need... from curriculum to payments to community engagement." -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Start earning more with a free Teachable plan today!

8. Balance earnings and expenses with Teachable’s earning dashboards

Monitoring earnings and expenses is key to allowing your business to grow sustainably while creating opportunities for higher leverage in your business.

Brian and his team have achieved multiple-six-figures in sales in just two years.

This revenue generation has been balanced with careful reinvestment in content development for continuous growth and improvement. 

By using Teachable’s payment dashboards Brian and his team were able to easily track income, payouts, and taxes.

Looking ahead, TOAnimate Academy plans to introduce a digital asset marketplace and expand course offerings. Brian's plans to enhance marketing efforts will also help to reach a broader audience and increase revenue.

"We've achieved nearly $300,000 in sales... it's about balancing growth and expenses." -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Use Teachable’s earning dashboards to monitor your revenue and expenses, ensuring sustainable growth.

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9. Face challenges head on

Building TOAnimate Academy was no walk in the park. Brian Kouhi tackled piracy and content protection, keeping their educational material exclusive to paying students.

Piracy threatened their digital business, so they developed robust security measures and vigilant monitoring to combat unauthorized distribution. The aim was to create a secure learning environment for students.

Balancing personal and professional life as a business owner also posed challenges. Growing TOAnimate while maintaining personal relationships required clear boundaries, task prioritization, and delegation.

"The biggest challenge is balancing personal and professional life... but the freedom is worth it." -Brian Kouhi

Action Step: Use Teachable's secure platform to protect your course content from piracy. Focus on time management and set boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance as you scale your business.

Conclusion

Brian's journey is a powerful inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs. His key advice: don’t wait for the perfect moment—start now and refine as you go. The challenges are real, but the freedom and flexibility definitely pay off.

Brian’s success with TOAnimate Academy was powered by Teachable. Teachable handles everything from course curriculum building to payment processing and community engagement, letting creators focus on teaching and creating valuable content.

If you want to build a six-figure online business, you can take the first step by starting a free plan with Teachable. Whether you're an expert in animation, cooking, marketing, or any other field, Teachable provides the tools to turn your knowledge into a thriving online business.

Start your free plan with Teachable and begin building your six-figure business today.