Peek Behind My Biz Model and Sustainable Choices

written by Bari Tessler January 31, 2022
Dear Money Adventurer, The journey of growth is rarely a straightforward path. Sometimes it looks like a Cha Cha. You embark on a new direction, follow the rhythm with a sway of your hips, and, in the end, find yourself back where you started. Please know that it is totally normal and okay if this happens to you. We’ve all been there. In fact, I recently found myself doing the Cha Cha with the Art of Money. So, when I was asked why I stopped offering my Art of Money program in an Evergreen format, I wanted to share my story. Why DID I go back to our traditional launch model? My simple answer…because human nature likes a deadline. At the end of 2020, I was done with launching. I didn't like the pace, the intensity, or the energy. I had been doing it for many years and needed a break. So, I decided I would move to an Evergreen/On-demand model where folks could join The Art of Money whenever they were ready. I imagined that would be more in alignment with my business and teaching philosophy. It was working great for a while. I was running FB ads to the program, and folks were signing up directly from that one link. Then the Apple algorithm changed in late February/March 2021, and my FB ads stopped working, and my Evergreen basically stopped working for my business to run well. We still got students signing up during the evergreen but not sustainable numbers in comparison to launch numbers. So, at the end of last year, with some surrender, I decided to go back to a launch model with an open/close registration period. I accepted human nature, and my team put together a simple email series that I felt really good about giving to the world. I told my husband “no” when he recommended I do a FB live or Kickstarter call because I wanted to keep the energy simple and calm. And those calls can be really intense for me. We decided not to use FB ads (and save those resources) which was my first launch without them in years. We created a very simple email series (a new money mocha series) and put that out into the world, mostly my email list but on socials as well. And we opened registration for 12 days. We met our 2nd big goal for the registration period. Not the top goal (which usually happened in our October launch) but my 2nd tiered goal, and I'm super grateful for this. The open/close registration did better than my January registration in the last two years. And yes, the sign-ups followed a similar predictable launch pattern (even though you never know the final numbers), with a spike at the beginning, trickles coming in daily, and then a big spike at the end. We got more than half our sign-ups in the last 48 hours (especially the last 24 hours). There are always unknowns in a launch. This round, we were in the middle of a big covid spike around the country and in Europe. Also, Forest and I both had Omicron during the launch, so we were horizontal a lot of the time (and Forest was even writing some of the final launch emails this way). So, huge props to my amazing V.A. Ali The Happy VA and incredible alumni guides who were helping support the community behind the scenes and in the program. I was able to check in daily with Ali throughout the registration and then went back to sleep (or ate more chicken soup). So, while I would have loved for the Evergreen model to have worked for my business and community, it didn't. I had to adapt my thinking, surrender to the reality of human nature, and go back to a launch model - but make sure to do it in a way that was in alignment with my values and how I want to support and grow my community. That's why I had to pivot in my program registration model. For me, running a business has its ebbs and flows. It's not always a growth year. I love growth years, but some years are maintenance years or dip years due to life, health, pandemics, and changing priorities. But we always have to adapt, fine-tune, learn, and grow from it all. Thanks to everyone who helped with this Art of Money registration period. We are welcoming in a wonderful new crew of students and I'm incredibly grateful to do the work that I do. If you missed your chance to join the Art of Money, don’t sweat it! We’ll be opening registration one or two more times this year, so stay tuned! And you get on the waitlist here. Sending dear wishes,

Dear Money Adventurer,

The journey of growth is rarely a straightforward path.

Sometimes it looks like a Cha Cha. You embark on a new direction, follow the rhythm with a sway of your hips, and, in the end, find yourself back where you started.

Please know that it is totally normal and okay if this happens to you. We’ve all been there. In fact, I recently found myself doing the Cha Cha with the Art of Money.

So, when I was asked why I stopped offering my Art of Money program in an Evergreen format, I wanted to share my story.

Why DID I go back to our traditional launch model?

My simple answer…because human nature likes a deadline.

At the end of 2020, I was done with launching. I didn’t like the pace, the intensity, or the energy. I had been doing it for many years and needed a break.

So, I decided I would move to an Evergreen/On-demand model where folks could join The Art of Money whenever they were ready. I imagined that would be more in alignment with my business and teaching philosophy.

It was working great for a while. I was running FB ads to the program, and folks were signing up directly from that one link.

Then the Apple algorithm changed in late February/March 2021, and my FB ads stopped working, and my Evergreen basically stopped working for my business to run well. We still got students signing up during the evergreen but not sustainable numbers in comparison to launch numbers.

So, at the end of last year, with some surrender, I decided to go back to a launch model with an open/close registration period.

I accepted human nature, and my team put together a simple email series that I felt really good about giving to the world. I told my husband “no” when he recommended I do a FB live or Kickstarter call because I wanted to keep the energy simple and calm. And those calls can be really intense for me.

We decided not to use FB ads (and save those resources) which was my first launch without them in years.

We created a very simple email series (a new money mocha series) and put that out into the world, mostly my email list but on socials as well. And we opened registration for 12 days.

We met our 2nd big goal for the registration period. Not the top goal (which usually happened in our October launch) but my 2nd tiered goal, and I’m super grateful for this. The open/close registration did better than my January registration in the last two years.

And yes, the sign-ups followed a similar predictable launch pattern (even though you never know the final numbers), with a spike at the beginning, trickles coming in daily, and then a big spike at the end. We got more than half our sign-ups in the last 48 hours (especially the last 24 hours).

There are always unknowns in a launch. This round, we were in the middle of a big covid spike around the country and in Europe. Also, Forest and I both had Omicron during the launch, so we were horizontal a lot of the time (and Forest was even writing some of the final launch emails this way).

So, huge props to my amazing V.A. Ali The Happy VA and incredible alumni guides who were helping support the community behind the scenes and in the program. I was able to check in daily with Ali throughout the registration and then went back to sleep (or ate more chicken soup). And, huge props to my husband, Forest Linden, who helped design + oversee this launch and even wrote some new sales emails at the last minute.

So, while I would have loved for the Evergreen model to have worked for my business and community, it didn’t.

I had to adapt my thinking, surrender to the reality of human nature, and go back to a launch model – but make sure to do it in a way that was in alignment with my values and how I want to support and grow my community.

That’s why I had to pivot in my program registration model.

For me, running a business has its ebbs and flows. It’s not always a growth year. I love growth years, but some years are maintenance years or dip years due to life, health, pandemics, and changing priorities. But we always have to adapt, fine-tune, learn, and grow from it all.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this Art of Money registration period. We are welcoming in a wonderful new crew of students and I’m incredibly grateful to do the work that I do.

If you missed your chance to join the Art of Money, don’t sweat it! We’ll be opening registration one or two more times this year, so stay tuned! You can get on the waitlist here.

Sending dear wishes,

P.S. The Art of Money Workbook is coming June 7!

Pre-order your copy now.

Hi, I'm Bari Tessler. I am a Somatic-Trained, Financial Therapist and a pioneer in the Financial Therapy field. I have a Masters degree in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University, 1998. I am also the founder of The Art of Money, a year-long money school. Then I ran a bookkeeping business for therapists and artists. In 2001, I merged all my training and created a somatic-based Financial Therapy methodology that I’ve been teaching for 20+ years. I am also the Author of The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness and The Art of Money Workbook. In my group programs and private financial therapy, I’ve guided thousands of people to new, more loving, and refreshingly honest relationships with money. And, I’m on a mission to bring healing, un-shaming, and empowerment to our money relationships and all that it touches. I live in Boulder, Colorado with my husband, son, many cats + large puppy.

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