Online course creation is about scaling to thousands of students, right?
Build it once, sell it endlessly, and watch the passive income roll in.
But what if the most profitable path forward isn’t about reaching more people, but rather serving the right people more deeply (and profitably)?
The Power of Premium Access
This strategy recognizes that in virtually any market, there’s a small percentage who want a platinum experience and are willing to pay for it. This observation cuts to the core of what makes masterminds so powerful: exclusivity creates both perceived and actual value.
The Velvet Rope model creates relatively small groups — anywhere from just a few participants to perhaps 50 or 60 members — who meet regularly for accountability and high-level instruction.
These aren’t casual gatherings. They’re focused sessions where members report on goals, share successes and failures, and receive personalized guidance from a recognized authority.
What makes these groups truly transformative isn’t just the expert guidance — it’s the power of association. Research consistently demonstrates that we adopt traits from those we spend significant time with, whether that’s wealth-building habits, healthy behaviors, or even happiness levels.
By curating a small group of motivated, like-minded individuals, you create an environment where success becomes contagious.
An Experience Beyond Online Courses
Let’s face it, there’s a reason the term “course collector” has entered our lexicon. Too many online learners purchase material they never complete, largely because traditional digital courses lack the accountability and personalization needed for true implementation.
The Velvet Rope model directly addresses this implementation gap. While you’ll still have lower-priced courses to elevate people to a certain level, your mastermind becomes the premium tier that transforms passive consumption into active achievement.
Of course, this approach requires more from you as an expert.
You must be able to think quickly, address virtually any question, and provide individualized feedback. That means pricing needs to reflect both your increased time investment and the superior results your members will achieve.
In fact, the premium pricing serves a dual purpose.
It ensures you’re compensated appropriately while simultaneously creating the self-selection process that builds your ideal group. The right financial commitment creates skin in the game, driving higher completion rates and better outcomes.
Structuring Your Velvet Rope Offering
The most effective mastermind programs share several key characteristics:
- They limit size to maintain quality. You must be able to provide meaningful attention to each participant, which becomes impossible at scale. Start small and grow cautiously.
- They create accountability through regular check-ins. Members typically report on progress toward previously stated goals, creating both social pressure and support.
- They focus on individual scenarios rather than general principles. While your foundational course materials provide the basic knowledge, the Velvet Rope sessions address specific applications and obstacles.
- They often incorporate luxury experiences. Some high-end masterminds meet in exotic destinations or include adventure activities, blending digital community with exclusive real-world experiences.
The structure creates natural and positive peer pressure that helps members achieve goals they might otherwise abandon. This accountability loop becomes self-reinforcing as members see others implementing and succeeding.
The Marie Forleo Case Study
To understand how this model works in practice, consider Marie Forleo’s “Rich, Happy & Hot Adventure Mastermind.” Forleo takes the familiar mastermind concept but adds her distinct personality-driven approach with a narrowed focus on women entrepreneurs.
Her six-month intensive combines three luxury retreats with ongoing digital support, blending business education with personal development and fitness. This approach resonates particularly with younger women entrepreneurs who may have achieved initial success but feel stuck on their path to greater impact.
Forleo’s marketing leverages high-quality video content and her charismatic presence to attract prospects who connect with her authentic authority. She embodies the qualities her clients aspire to develop—hence the “Rich, Happy & Hot” branding—while building strategic relationships with high-profile partners to expand her reach.
What makes her implementation particularly effective is how she combines elements of traditional course delivery with the high-touch mastermind approach, creating multiple revenue streams while maintaining the exclusivity that drives her premium pricing.
Is This Right For Your Education Business?
The Velvet Rope strategy isn’t for everyone. It requires significant ongoing commitment from you as the expert, plus the ability to provide spontaneous, high-quality guidance across a range of specific situations.
To offset the time commitment, consider structuring your program with a defined endpoint; perhaps 12 bi-weekly sessions over six months. This creates natural cohorts and prevents endless obligation while maintaining the essential group dynamics that make the model effective.
For the right expert with the right audience, this approach can dramatically increase revenue while simultaneously improving student outcomes. By combining elements of the Ghost Teaching model (your core content) with aspects of Generation A strategy (ongoing support), you create a premium offering that delivers exceptional value.
It’s clear that the right people will pay for this level of access and accountability, given the success of countless mastermind programs that proves they will. The question is whether you’re ready to step behind the velvet rope and create an experience worthy of premium pricing.