Review of John Lee Dumas’ Free Podcast Course  

An Unbiased Review of John Lee Dumas' Podcast Course

In case you didn't know, IFB is running a series titled “Start Your Own Podcast: A How-To for Fashion Bloggers”. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about podcasting: what you should consider before you begin, what equipment you need to purchase, and how to get your followers to tune into your podcast. In this week's instalment, we're doing an in-depth review of John Lee Dumas’ free email podcast course.  

Our goal with this series is to help fashion bloggers make the jump from blogging to producing audio content. It's also worth noting, this series is not specifically tailored for individuals in the fashion industry. Whether you’re a fashion blogger or are just curious about podcasting courses, check out “Start Your Own Podcast, Part III: The Best Podcasting Courses for Bloggers”. And while you're at it, check out “Part I: A How-To for Fashion Bloggers”, “Part II: What Your Need Before Your Begin” and our roundup of the best podcasts for fashion bloggers.

In this week’s instalment, IFB’s Laura Kell will be reviewing John Lee Dumas’ free email Podcast Course. Dumas is the mastermind behind Entrepreneurs on Fire and Podcasters’ Paradise. He offers his followers a free email course on how to start your own podcast, in exchange for (you guessed it) their email.

An Honest Review of John Lee Dumas’ (Free) Email Podcast Course

Dozens of emails end up in my inbox each day – and I can barely stay on top of them. Therefore, I was a bit skeptical when I signed up for John Lee Dumas’ free podcasting course. Would I actually remember to open, read and watch the videos, throughout a fifteen day period?

The answer is No.

I ended up binge reading and watching the videos on the weekend, usually after dinner and before a Netflix marathon. Side note: if you lack self-discipline and tend to procrastinate, email courses might not be the best learning method for you.

That all being said…

When I finally did get around to watching the modules, I didn’t have any issues following along with the course. It's pretty straightforward and could be titled “Podcasting for Dummies”. Yes, Dumas’ free email podcast course lacks the one-on-one vibe that other “live” courses convey to their students. There are no office hours; therefore, seeking out personalized help might be tough. While I didn’t try to reach out to Dumas directly, I’m sure it would have taken a while to receive a reply from the EOFire support team, should I have had any questions. But the course does a decent job of explaining the basics on how to start a podcast.

Like most Millennials, I get distracted easily.

So, the twenty-five-minutes-maximum-per-video-structure worked well for me (with most videos cloaking in around 10 minutes in length). There are also free, downloadable PDF worksheets attached within the email modules. As someone who learns by taking notes and writing things down, this was very helpful for me.  Also, did I mentioned the course is free? Huge bonus for those of us sticking to a budget.

The Good News…

The good news is Dumas’ free email podcast course is a great course for beginner podcasters, who are still entertaining the idea of starting their own podcast. If you're on a budget and don't have a lot of money to devote to learning about starting a podcast, this is the course for you.

To make things easy, I have decided to round up the pro’s and con’s of signing up for this free email podcast course below…

The Pro’s of Signing Up For John Lee Dumas’ Email Podcast Course…

• It’s free and taught by a digital entrepreneur guru, that has plenty of experience in podcasting and interviewing other digital entrepreneurs. If you don’t like it, it’s easy to opt-out at any time. Dumas’ provides an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email module. Either way, you're getting free information from one of the top digital entrepreneurs on the web.
• The course is emailed directly to your email account. Therefore, you will be reminded of a new module each day, throughout a fifteen day duration. Unless you're trying really hard, you can't forget to watch the course.
• The course provides its students with some excellent tools that are universally valuable, in other online disciplines (i.e. blogging, vlogging, etc.) I especially enjoyed Video 7 in Module 4 (“Top 5 Reasons Podcasts Never Launch”). In this module, Dumas discusses the importance of focusing if you want to achieve your digital goals (along with Parkinson’s Law).
• Overall, all the basics are covered. Dumas' course is a great one-stop-shop for podcasting beginners on a budget.

The Con’s of Signing Up For John Lee Dumas’ Email Podcast Course…

• While the course contains video content, you’re technically watching a PowerPoint presentation with voice overlay. You don’t actually get to see Dumas at any point (excluding Module 13, when he gives his students a “behind the scenes” tour of Podcasters' Paradise). The “video” portion is more of a follow along. The course could be complied into a free audio course, and the audio file could be emailed to those who enrol (in lieu of videos in the modules). I understand, however, why Dumas' includes the slideshow/video portion. Some people do learn better with visual aids. Either way, you can easily “listen” to the course and absorb Dumas' wisdom on starting your own podcast – you don't need to be glued to your computer screen.
• If you don’t like presenters or hosts with enthusiastic voices, don’t sign up for this course. As you’re technically listening to the course material (and following along with the slides presented in the videos), Dumas’ voice could get a little irritating for some people. He is very peppy and excited throughout the duration of the course, and his speaking tone is extremely upbeat. I didn’t have any issues with it, but some people are picky about these sorts of things…
• Between the “Confirm Your Email” email, basic introduction emails, and the actual course emails I received 20+ emails from Dumas in the span of sixteen days. I guess that is the price you pay, for a free course on podcasting. If you’re struggling to keep your inbox under control, you might want to consider creating a separate email for the purpose of this course before signing up.
• If you’re short for time and need to learn about podcasting in the span of a few hours, this course isn’t for you. Remember, the course is emailed out throughout the span of fifteen days. Therefore, if you promised your boss you’d learn about podcasting over the span of a weekend, Dumas’ free email podcasting course isn’t for you. Try Udemy instead.
• Considering Dumas' podcasting course is free, I'm not surprised he sneaks in a few Podcasters' Paradise plugs throughout the emails. In Module 13, Dumas gives his students a “behind the scenes” sneak peak into Podcasters' Paradise. He also includes a few testimonials from the Podcasters' Paradise community within the email. While it's pretty obvious he is trying to sell his students a paid membership for the Podcasters' Paradise community, this email is easy to skip over. Just delete it and move on if you can't be bothered to watch it.

Overall…

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of email courses. However, John Lee Dumas' free email podcast course is very detailed. If you can stay on top of the modules, you will learn how to podcast over the span of a few days. As I mentioned above in the “pro's”, I appreciate how Dumas includes other tidbits of knowledge that can be applied to other online disciplines. This course is definitely not a waste of time. Considering it's free, is excellent for individuals that don't have a budget to devote to a podcasting course.

Have you tried John Lee Dumas' free email podcasting course? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!