Biscuits. If I had to sum up the ethos of the business coaching program Wandering Aimfully (WAIM), in a word, it would be biscuits. I know that biscuits have nothing to do with running a successful business, but it has everything to do with who Caroline & Jason Zook, the couple behind WAIM, are. Bear with me and keep reading. I promise I’ll get you to biscuits.
Let’s start with what WAIM actually is. WAIM Unlimited is a comprehensive, un-boring coaching program that helps solopreneur creators build a calm business — aka a business that offers them financial freedom without sacrificing their well-being. The Zooks’ goal is to help WAIM members make their businesses more predictable, profitable, and peaceful. Jason and Caroline have been in this game for over 15 years. And, when they say “un-boring,” they mean it. It’s the only coaching program where I spend more time laughing than wondering how soon the session is going to end.
When I first heard about WAIM Unlimited, I was completely overwhelmed in my business. It felt like a beast I couldn't tame, and I was desperate for a solution. Enter Ali Hooten, who introduced me to WAIM. I subscribe to her newsletter. She mentioned WAIM and how she had made the decision to slow her business down so that she would not succumb to overwhelm.
When I received Ali’s email, I was at a crossroads in my business. I was tired of sacrificing my sanity on the altar of grind culture. I wanted to grow my business, but I didn’t want to keep killing myself to do it. So, when I read about WAIM’s goal to help people build peaceful and calm businesses, I was sold.
My Business Transformation
I’ve been in WAIM for a year now, and three key changes have occurred in my business.
Clarity: I started with the “Un-Boring Business Roadmap,” and it immediately helped me clarify my niches, my call to action, and my vision for my business. Everything else has flowed from that. I started Owl Medicine the way so many of us do, with good intentions and a box of darts to throw at the wall. Needless to say, it wasn’t getting me anywhere. WAIM changed that.
A Plan: Every single thing the Zooks put into WAIM has a resource attached to it. Do I want to launch a new product? Get the Calm Launch template. Want to establish a solid system for tracking business activities? Grab the Notion Starter Pack. Want to learn about Marketing? Go grab the Marketing Bridge Framework. These resources are in addition to monthly coachings, the Slack community, weekly briefings, and a podcast. There’s a plan and a resource for every aspect of your business.
Ease and Calm: The biggest surprise was the immediate sense of ease and calm that WAIM brought into my life. Jason and Caroline are the antithesis of grind culture. I knew I was burnt out; I knew I needed help, but I was hesitant to commit to a coaching program. I’d done them before, and I got tired of the “shaming” that came with not being constantly on the grind.
How WAIM is Different
Every coaching program says they’re different. Most, however, are just different flavors of the same ice cream. WAIM, however, really is a whole different beast. The things that sold me were:
One-time fee: Unlike other coaching memberships that require an ongoing (and exorbitant) investment, WAIM is a one-time fee. You can pay all at once upfront, or they offer payment plans. But, once you pay the fee, you never have to pay again, and you continue to get all the content and resources.
Teachery: WAIM Unlimited includes lifetime access to Teachery, a course hosting platform for designers, so there’s no need to pay for an additional subscription. If you've ever shopped course platforms, you know what a huge savings this is.
Building you up, not grinding you down: Jason and Caroline are the opposite of everything you associate with grind culture. Their approach is gentle and supportive, making it easier to stay focused without feeling pressured to hustle endlessly. They encourage you to take time off. To determine your life non-negotiables. I’ve seen them pivot their own business goals in real time because Caroline’s anxiety was creeping back in. She wasn’t brushing all of her teeth, y’all. Yes, she told us that. I related. I know I’m overwhelmed when I stop flossing 🤷🏻♀️. They live what they are selling, and they do it in real-time in front of us.
Fun: Caroline and Jason are hilarious. Every podcast and coaching session makes me laugh out loud at some point. They don’t take themselves too seriously, which makes learning and growing enjoyable. After one podcast episode, I can’t see anyone leave a room without thinking, “Going to do some pooping?” If you get to know Jason, you’ll know why this makes total sense.
Connection: This is the first coaching program I've done where I have actual access to the "talent," not just their team. I’ve been in several other coaching programs/memberships, and I canceled all of them. Mainly because I was tired of being force-fed all of their offers and feeling like nothing more than a cog in their personal money-making machines. In each of these programs, there came a moment when I reached out with a specific question and got some generic answer from one of the team rather than the person whose program it was. And, inevitably, those generic answers were unhelpful. With Jason and Caroline, I asked a question in a coaching session one month and got a 10-minute answer specific to my business, along with a lot of encouragement to keep going.
This brings us to biscuits. Connection is probably the most important thing we need as digital product solopreneurs. We are on our own, creating our virtual products, and it can get lonely, so we search for community. As part of a business coaching community, we are looking to the founders, the experts, to help us. We signed up for them and their knowledge, not their “team.”
Caroline and Jason are extremely accessible. And it goes beyond business questions. I was listening to a podcast episode recently, and Jason mentioned a recipe for their favorite gluten-free biscuits. I eat gluten-free to manage an autoimmune disease. I have been searching for a good biscuit recipe, so I messaged Jason and asked if he’d be willing to send me the recipe. A few hours later, I got not just the recipe but also some tips and gotchas to look out for.
This is why I say that if I had to sum up the ethos of WAIM in one word, it would be biscuits. Jason didn’t have to do that, and he didn’t have to go above and beyond. But he did. They both do. And they do it again and again in everything they do in WAIM. And, that, dear reader, is why I choose to Wander Aimfully and will continue to do so.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase.
Janet “Toni” Federico, PMP, MBA, MFA, is an illustrator, surface designer, writer, and curriculum from Washington, DC, now based in the Midwest. Toni helps online course creators optimize their content to ensure students learn what is being taught. Toni’s courses have been used by the State of Texas, major insurance companies, and in her own work as a teaching artist.
Are you an online course creator looking to optimize your courses to set your students up for success? Get Toni in your inbox.
Comments