Why Pre-Selling Nearly Broke Me: A Gentler Path to Validating Your Creative Ideas

What happens when the business advice that everyone swears by nearly breaks you?

In this vulnerable solo episode, Kaylie shares the honest truth behind her attempt to pre-sell a course while juggling a toddler, client work, and chronic illness. 

Spoiler: it didn’t go to plan—and it left her questioning everything.

You’ll learn why traditional validation advice often fails creatives in messy life seasons, and how to test your course or product ideas in a gentler, more sustainable way. 

Kaylie walks you through her 5-step approach to idea validation that actually fits real life—and gives you permission to build in a way that works for you.

If you’re a creative educator, digital product maker, or aspiring course creator who’s tired of hustle culture and ready to do things differently—this episode is for you.

🎧 What Kaylie Covers:

• The real risks of pre-selling when life is unpredictable
• Alternative ways to validate your ideas without pressure
• How to build a content buffer so you’re not scrambling
• Practical steps to find out what your audience actually needs
• A permission slip for sustainable, joyful business growth

💬 Connect with Kaylie:
Instagram: @spellweavercreativestudio

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Transcript

Kaylie Edwards (00:05)
Hey, lovely creative. Welcome back to the Creative Juggle Joy podcast. I'm Kaylie Edwards and today I want to have a proper heart to heart about something that nearly broke me in my business. Pre-selling a course before I was truly ready.

If you've been told just launch fast, sell it before you build it, this one's for you. Because here's the truth, that advice isn't built for people juggling toddlers, chronic illness, clients and life. It's not built for us and that's okay. Today I'm going to walk you through happened when I followed that classic validate by pre-selling advice and what I wish I'd done instead.

This is especially for anyone building digital products or courses in a messy season of life.

in a messy season of life.

what everyone tells you in the marketing world. Let's start with the expert advice you've probably heard a hundred times. Don't wait, sell your course now. You don't need to make the content yet. Just validate the idea and build it as you go. And in theory, that sounds smart, right? You sell it, you get paid, then create the content. Logical. Here's what no one tells you. If life happens and it always will,

If your kid gets sick, your energy tanks, your clients have emergencies or your family needs you, you're stuck. You've sold something and now you can't finish it on time. That's what happened to me. And let me tell you, it was bloody soul crushing.

Right before Christmas, my son caught a cold, then conjunctivitis, then the cold came back. And he had conjunctivitis through like most of January as well. And I was trying to record course modules at 2 a.m. while naptrapped the next day, barely functioning. I live with fibromyalgia, joint Hypermobility syndrome, scoliosis and asthma. So any extra stress shows up in my body.

really fast. And at the same time, I had multiple client fires to deal with, platform migrations, tech breakdowns, affiliate launches, all while trying to finish a course I'd already sold to some students on beta. It was chaos. And the worst part, I felt like I was failing before I even got a chance to succeed. I was writing apology emails every other week.

patching lessons together, working against the clock while feeling like a bloody fraud. And that's when I realised this model was not built for people like me.

That advice may work for some people who possibly don't have kids and are more likely men who go to work and their wife looks after their kids. And maybe, just maybe, it's not built for you either.

Here's what I wish I'd done. If I could rewind, this is how I'd approach validating a course or workshop idea. That's all even a digital product, especially when life is so unpredictable. Step one, talk to real people. Message three past customers or supportive followers and ask, would you jump on quick Zoom call with me?

I'd love your feedback on a course or a workshop idea. 15 minutes, that's it. You'll get golden insights. Step two, lurk helpfully in communities. Spend 15 to 20 minutes in a Facebook group or Reddit thread, Discord server, wherever your people hang out. Look for patterns. What are they struggling with? What keeps coming up again and again? Write down three recurring problems. Step three.

Scope out reviews. Hop over to Etsy, Skillshare, Domestika. Look at courses and product reviews. What are people praising? What are they wishing for? That gap, that's your idea seed. Step four, run a mini test workshop. Before you go all in, try a mini offer, a live demo.

a paid masterclass, a 90 minute mini course. Watch what people resonate with. That is your real world validation. Step five, build a content buffer. Before you open the cart, record your first five lessons or modules if it's a longer course, because I decided to go all in with a signature course, which is like nine modules long.

Even just a head start gives you breathing room if life throws you a curveball. You can drip the content out if it's a longer course. You don't need to build the entire thing, just enough that you're not scrambling from day one.

I made the mistake of only creating one module.

And then I obviously struggled with the rest to keep up. I thought having two weeks between each release was good, was going to be good enough and give me enough buffer. It really isn't. Our brains trick us into thinking that the deadline that we've put down is enough. It's really not. It doesn't work like that. So here's your gentle permission slip. You don't need to build your business like someone with no kids, no illness, no caregiving load and 24 seven to work.

You get to do it your way, slowly, intentionally and sustainably. I promise your audience will wait if you're real with them. I'm lucky that my students have been so lovely and so kind with their feedback and with their patience.

You don't need to be perfect. Just be honest and committed. We need more creative educators who lead with care. That might be you. So your action steps this week. Just pick one. Message three people and float your idea. Screenshot a post or review that inspires your next mini offer. Start outlining your first module or tutorial. No pressure to sell it yet. And remember...

Gentle progress is still progress. Your story matters. The way you build it becomes the way you live it. If this resonated, I'd love to connect with you on Instagram. I'm at Spellweaver Creative Studio. Or come listen to more behind the scenes creative talks over on our podcast feed at the Creative Juggle Joy. Until next time, keep creating, keep juggling.

and most importantly, keep finding joy in the process.