Dr. Sara Wickham, a self-employed midwife and researcher with over 20 years of experience, sold out her first online course within hours by doing three things right: she identified a niche topic from recurring audience requests, she beta-launched to her existing newsletter subscribers, and she built the course around discussion and reflection rather than passive lectures. Her story is a masterclass in listening to your audience and starting before you feel ready.
The Background: Decades of Expertise, A Growing Demand
Sara Wickham is a midwife, educator, writer, and researcher who has spent her career at the intersection of clinical practice and education. Her PhD research focused on post-term pregnancy management — a specialized but critically important topic in maternity care where evidence-based approaches are often at odds with institutional protocols.
Over the years, Sara had built a reputation through books, articles, and in-person speaking engagements. She maintained a twice-weekly newsletter that reached midwives, doulas, and maternity care professionals around the world. And increasingly, those subscribers were asking the same question: "Can you teach this online?"
The requests came for webinars, online lectures, and digital versions of her workshops. Sara was interested but uncertain. She'd never created an online course before. She didn't know what platform to use, how to price it, or whether an online format could replicate the deep learning that happened in her face-to-face teaching.
The Pivotal Week: When the Topic Chose Her
Course creators often agonize over topic selection, researching and analyzing for weeks or months. For Sara, the topic arrived through a convergence of signals that was impossible to ignore.
During a single week, multiple independent contacts reached out about the same subject: managing post-term pregnancy. A colleague asked for her thoughts on new research. A student requested resources. A midwife in another country emailed about a case. The topic aligned perfectly with Sara's PhD research — the area where she had the deepest expertise and the most to contribute.
"It was one of those weeks where the universe seems to be pointing you in one direction. The same topic kept coming up from completely unrelated people. At some point, I had to pay attention."
This is a pattern we see repeatedly in successful course launches: the topic emerges from the audience, not from the creator's brainstorming session. The creator's job isn't to invent a topic — it's to notice the one their audience is already asking for.
For a systematic approach to identifying your course topic from audience signals, see our guide on the five key components of a successful course →
The Beta Launch: "Intrepid Explorers" Welcome
Rather than spending months building a polished course, Sara took a beta-first approach. She posted a message in her twice-weekly newsletter asking for "intrepid explorers" — people willing to join a first-run course and help shape it through their feedback.
The response was immediate. Approximately 30 people expressed interest. 23 enrolled. The course filled within hours of the announcement.
Several elements made this possible:
- An existing relationship — Sara had been delivering value through her newsletter for years. Her subscribers already trusted her expertise.
- Low-pressure framing — Calling it a beta and inviting "intrepid explorers" set expectations appropriately. Students knew they were joining a first run and their feedback would shape future iterations.
- A specific, urgent topic — Post-term pregnancy management is a real-world clinical challenge that maternity professionals face regularly and need evidence-based guidance on.
- Small, manageable cohort — 23 students was large enough to create community dynamics but small enough to provide personal attention.
Sara didn't have a fancy sales page. She didn't run a webinar funnel. She didn't use paid advertising. She simply told her engaged audience about something they'd been asking for and invited them to join.
This approach — the pilot course model — is one of the most reliable ways to launch a first course. For a complete framework on structuring your own pilot, see our guide on how to structure a pilot course →
The Course Design: Connection Over Consumption
Sara's course was deliberately designed around engagement, not content delivery. As an experienced educator, she knew that simply recording lectures and posting them online wouldn't create the kind of deep learning she valued.
Instead, she built the course around three pillars:
1. Discussion as the Core Activity
Rather than making video the centerpiece, Sara made discussion forums the heart of the learning experience. Each module included prompts that asked students to reflect on how the material connected to their clinical practice. Students shared cases (anonymized, of course), debated approaches, and challenged each other's thinking.
2. Reflection Before Content
Before presenting new material, Sara would pose questions that asked students to examine their existing beliefs and practices. This priming technique — having students articulate what they currently think before encountering new information — makes learning significantly more effective because it creates cognitive hooks for new knowledge.
3. Peer Learning Across Geographies
Because the course attracted midwives from multiple countries, the discussions naturally incorporated diverse perspectives on maternity care. A midwife in the UK might approach a clinical scenario very differently from one in Australia or the Netherlands. These cross-cultural exchanges became one of the most valued aspects of the course.
"I was skeptical that an online course could create real connections between students. But what happened in the discussion forums was deeper than what I'd seen in many in-person workshops. People were more willing to be vulnerable and reflective when they had time to think before responding."
The beta testers — including several who had been openly skeptical about online learning — were surprised by the depth of connection that formed. This is a finding we see across the Ruzuku platform: well-designed online courses can foster community bonds that rival or exceed in-person experiences, particularly when the course design prioritizes interaction over passive content consumption.
Lessons for Healthcare and Professional Educators
Sara's experience carries specific lessons for professionals in healthcare, clinical practice, and other expertise-driven fields:
Your Expertise Is Your Unfair Advantage
In 2026, AI can generate content about nearly any topic. But it can't replicate 20 years of clinical experience, peer-reviewed research, and professional judgment. If you're a healthcare professional, your deep expertise is more valuable than ever as a differentiator in online education.
Continuing Education Is a Growing Market
Many healthcare professionals need continuing education credits, and the demand for specialized, evidence-based online learning continues to grow. If your topic aligns with professional development requirements, you have a built-in audience with a recurring need.
Start with Your Niche Within the Niche
Sara didn't create a general midwifery course. She created a course on one specific clinical scenario — post-term pregnancy management. This specificity made her course immediately relevant to the people who needed it and differentiated it from broader offerings.
Discussion Is Non-Negotiable
For professional education, passive content delivery falls short. Practitioners need to discuss, debate, and apply concepts to real scenarios. Build your course around discussion from the start, not as an afterthought.
Sara's Advice for First-Time Course Creators
When asked what advice she'd give to professionals considering their first online course, Sara's guidance was characteristically practical:
Pick One Focused Topic
Don't try to teach everything you know. Choose the topic where you have the deepest expertise and the strongest audience demand. You can always create more courses later.
Embrace Uncertainty
You won't have everything figured out before you start. That's normal and expected. The beta model exists precisely because the first version is supposed to be imperfect. Your students' feedback is what shapes the final product.
Don't Get Stuck on Pricing
Sara's advice on pricing was refreshingly simple: make an educated guess based on what similar professional development costs in your field, launch at that price, and adjust based on demand and feedback. Don't let pricing analysis become a reason not to launch.
"I spent about 20 minutes on pricing. Some people spend 20 weeks. The difference in outcomes probably isn't that significant. Just pick a number that feels fair and start."
The Bigger Picture: What Sara's Story Teaches Everyone
You don't need Sara's specific background to apply her approach. The principles are universal:
- Listen for recurring requests — When your audience keeps asking for the same thing, that's your course topic.
- Start with people who already trust you — Your first students should come from your existing audience, not cold traffic.
- Beta-launch fast, refine later — A good-enough first version launched this month beats a perfect version launched next year.
- Design for interaction, not just information — The courses that create the deepest impact and strongest testimonials are built around discussion and action, not passive content.
- Don't let uncertainty stop you — Every successful course creator launched before they felt fully ready.
Sara's first course led to additional offerings, a growing community of maternity care professionals, and a sustainable online education practice that complemented her clinical work and writing. It started with 23 intrepid explorers and a willingness to begin.
Ready to follow Sara's lead? Start with our guide on running your first pilot course →, or explore real examples of course creators who've built successful businesses on our examples page →