Amplify Client Story: Mark Topley
Name: Mark Topley
Business: Great Boss Academy: Helps Dental owners & managers who want a team that works together like clockwork
Website: https://marktopley.co.uk/
Problem: A cohort programme with stressful launches, and live teaching.
Result: An Evergreen programme, with pre-recorded material, coaching calls and a slick marketing process.
“I now have a grown-up programme which connects with people.
I'm getting messages pinging in saying, 'Oh, I read that email and it really made sense to me. Can we have a chat?”
Before working with Gemma…
I had been running a cohort-based leadership program for about three and a half years, teaching business owners how to become better leaders. While the program was successful, with cohorts of 15-25 people, it was becoming unsustainable.
The launch model was particularly challenging - it required intense effort, and if we didn't hit our numbers, we'd have to wait three months before people could join again. I also found myself dreading the live delivery aspect; I'd essentially kiss goodbye to Wednesdays for 12 weeks at a time. It wasn't efficient, and the whole launch process was pretty stressful.
I had misconceptions about evergreen programs. I thought they had to be "no-touch" courses where you just put content online and let people dive in. That's why I initially shied away from them. Evergreen was almost a dirty word in my vocabulary because I'd seen some bad examples of it.
Mark’s Key Points
I had been looking for a better way of delivering the programme. I was apprehensive about the Evergreen model as I didn’t want to just put a course online and have people dive into it. When I came across Gemma I found a way of doing Evergreen that was a perfect blend of content, community and support.
Doing the program in the cohort model was a little bit like drinking from a fire hose - so much content coming to people and they didn't have time to implement it. Now it's longer, it's easier to digest and the content is all in little five to ten minute blocks. They can do bite sized chunks."
I shifted from a cohort to an evergreen model. I redesigned the syllabus completely, then built the modules around the framework Gemma teaches. When I explain the programme to clients, it makes a lot more sense to them.
My live calls now become the coaching call, which is more fun now because we can build a community around it rather than me talking to people for 45 minutes and then asking if there's any questions, which was a bit rubbish.
I’ve also shifted my marketing, and the biggest change has been the way the message is put together. I’m connecting with the client rather than me talking about how big the program is. The first thing was to get the messaging really clear and that then becomes the foundation for everything else.
There’s now a rhythm to my marketing rather than stressful launches. I'm getting messages pinging in saying, 'Oh, I read that email and it really made sense to me. Can we have a chat?'"
I would say I now have a grown-up programme and a grown-up system, and the programme makes sense and connects with people. It feels much better and freer.
What should others know about working with Gemma?
I've learned as much from who Gemma is as a person as from the material itself. I love her authenticity and how she shows up as herself in everything she does. She creates a very trusting relationship where you can bring any challenge to her. When people come with roadblocks, she's excellent at helping them get unblocked - not by saying "don't be so daft, just do it this way," but by helping us think through solutions. That's the best kind of teacher skill.
The community she attracts is special too. Many of us have come from corporate careers and are saying "No, I've done that, been there, not doing all that bullshit anymore." We want to do it right and do it well, and Gemma gives us the confidence that we can succeed in this arena. The vibe of the community helps everyone tackle challenges and rebuild their programs in a way that works for them.
What are you excited for next?
I'm excited about getting my leadership bootcamp fully operational and seeing clients increase from 2-3 to 4-5 a month and upwards. I'm also working on a sustainability program specifically for veterinary and dental businesses. Having a "grown-up program" now gives me the freedom to focus on these new creative projects while knowing my core business is running smoothly.
