So you heard about Marie Forleo’s B-school…
Here’s my Marie Forleo B-School review, based on my experience as a longtime B-School student and past guest faculty teacher.
First off…
What is Marie Forleo B-School Exactly?
Obviously, no Marie Forleo B-school review is complete without an explanation of exactly WHAT B-School is… It stands for business school, but I think “B-School” sounds cooler and it’s become shorthand to refer to B-School alumni as B-Schoolers.
Unlike most business schools though, you don’t come out with a degree and nothing to show for it… you come out with a business that works better.
The program itself is 100% online, so you can take the classes from the comfort of your home, whether you’re balancing soothing a fussy baby or learning on the evenings and week-ends. It’s an 8-week program, but you’ve got access to the trainings indefinitely to re-watch anytime.
Who is Marie Forleo’s B-School For?
Not to jump ahead in my Marie Forleo B-School review, but before we look at what kinds of results you can expect from B-School, we need to look at who will benefit the most.
Marie brought together the best experts to teach inside of B-School, and each module is designed to take a new or existing business through the steps to really leverage online marketing.
The program is designed for the modern entrepreneur, man or woman, who is ready to start a new venture on the web or who has an existing product, service, or brick and mortar company and wants to make the most of the web to grow.
Take a look at the specifics for your situation…
New Business Owner?
If you’re just getting started with your business, then you’ll love the “Start The Right Business” module that helps aspiring entrepreneurs decide what business to start, which is included in Marie Forleo’s Bschool. (I honestly wish I had this guide before I started my business 10 years ago!)
So whether you’re a mom who wants to start a business on the side, you’re young and full of ambition, or you’re ready to start a new career track after years in the workforce… B-School will help you figure out how to put your best foot forward in your new business venture.
Service Business?
If you’ve got an established business that could benefit from fresh perspectives about doing business in today’s day and age, you’ll absolutely benefit from B-school.
Marie Forleo has helped thousands of service professionals engage their ideal customers better online… whether you’re a freelancer, you run an agency, or you offer any other type of service.
From the exercises in B-School, you’ll discover what makes you different from the other providers that offer similar services as you, so you can earn more and gain a leg up.
Brick and Mortar Business?
One thing that makes Marie Forleo’s B-School so helpful for brick and mortar or retail businesses is that you can apply online marketing to increase the effectiveness of what you’re already doing.
What B-School offers is not a slew of flash-in-the-pan tactics that only work for digital businesses, it’s a solid modern marketing approach that has been proven over the past 10 years to produce results for B-Schoolers across the globe in many different industries.
Digital Business?
Many people come to Marie Forleo’s B-School because they are already in the digital space: maybe they sell online courses or memberships, they blog, or they monetize their content on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
If that’s you, then you’ll learn how to take your existing digital business savvy and turn it into an even more scalable and profitable venture.
The timelessness of Marie’s teachings will apply no matter what cool new digital platform trends next.
Author & Artist?
There’s a surprising number of authors and artists of different mediums who have taken B-School and seen incredible results from applying the lessons to their art.
Whether you’re a musician, a visual artist or painter, or you write fiction or non-fiction books… Marie Forleo’s B-School will help you build the foundation under your art that will allow you to grow year after year, and fund your creative projects.
Already Established Business?
I often see people with established businesses say they don’t plan to sign up for B-School because they’re past the basics.
But there are absolutely cases where successful established businesses can benefit from taking a course with a solid marketing framework like Marie’s B-School.
For example, if you’ve been wanting to revisit your messaging and revamp your marketing efforts to take them to the next level… B-School gives you the time and structure to do it mindfully, and even to get some feedback from Marie herself.
Why Bschool with Marie Forleo?
I signed up for Marie Forleo’s B-School because I knew there was a lot more I could be doing for my business, and I knew that a traditional business school wasn’t where I was going to learn it.
I wanted to get my online business foundation shored up, because I knew a lot of things but B-School really put everything into a step by step plan for me.
If you’ve done a lot of online courses, maybe you’ve done trainings where they told you this was the best thing since sliced bread but you never got results… it’s probably because you didn’t have the big picture action steps in place before you applied this specific strategy.
I’m thinking of things like Pinterest, SEO, Facebook Ads, all of these are great sources of traffic but you need a business foundation in place before you get into any of these.
Who is Leading Bschool?
When it comes to investing in yourself and your business, I have a pretty strict guideline. I only work with people who are successfully doing what I want to do, or have experience making what I want happen for their clients and customers.
Seems pretty straight forward, but there are tons of programs and books to choose from, so focusing in on those that are taught by people who are masters at their craft makes picking and choosing so much easier, and less stressful for me. Marie Forleo and her programs definitely fall into this category.
What I love about Marie Forleo is her ability to practice what she preaches. She’s been in business for over 20 years, she’s honed her marketing and coaching skills, and you’ll get a generous dose of both by participating in this round of B-School.
The Curriculum
Here’s what the course covers in terms of content, and each week there are strategic coaching calls, reviews, and other goodies to help you implement what you learn. Weekly Modules Include the Six Pillars of Building Your Online Business:
Start The Right Business
While this module is not part of the official “core 6 pillars of B-School”, it’s one of the most useful parts of the program if you’re not sure what business you want to pursue. Sometimes you go into a program like B-School with one business idea, and after going through this Start The Right Business workbook, you realize that you’re actually better suited to start a different kind of business.
This is so key, because you get immediate access to this module when you sign up for the program, and it sets you up to get the most benefits out of the rest of the course!
The Follow-Through Formula
Ever bought a book or attended a workshop that you didn’t take action on? I’ve definitely read my share of business or productivity books that I loved… but that ended up collecting dust on my “todo list” and never got implemented.
Well Marie Forleo and her team want to make sure that your investment in B-School pays off, by making sure that you implement everything you learn. This super simple and actionable “pre-module” in B-School helps you break down everything you’ll learn into actionable bite-sized tasks that you’ll actually do, so you’re practically guaranteeing you’ll see a return on investment in your business.
Module 1: Your Profit Plan
This is often called the most difficult part of Marie Forleo’s B-School, but that’s because it contains the most powerful exercises you can do in your business, to make sure that you make it a profitable one.
Every year I go back through this module and fill out the Fun Sheets, because no matter how long you’ve been in business, you can always gain more clarity about your ideal customer and your business model. The exercises in this module are worth the price of admission on their own, but they’re only powerful if you actually take the time to fill out the Fun Sheets and implement changes based on the discoveries you make.
Module 2: Websites That Convert
Want a website that sells and doesn’t suck? Marie’s got you covered, and there are technical training videos that show you step by step how to implement the techniques that we recommend.
This module is for you if you want to get a clearer understanding of what your website needs to have in order to be successful online: from opt-ins, to shopping carts, and simple launch sites.
Also as a fun side note, I was the guest teacher for a few years and was responsible for teaching the step-by-step tech set up for websites, analytics, and opt-ins so I have to say that this is one of my favorite modules of B-School.
Module 3: Design A Winning Communication Plan
If you’re not communicating with your people, then you’re not building a relationship that could turn into business in the future… and this B-School module talks about the right and the wrong way to communicate with your tribe.
It’s easy to look at how other businesses communicate with their email lists or on social media, but unless you understand the why and the how, it can all fall flat.
There is a big difference between creating ho-hum blog posts, and writing content that turbo-charges sales… and Marie gives you every distinction you need to make outstanding content that gets results for your business bottom line.
Module 4: Increase Traffic & Grow Your List
As you know, list building is one of my specialties and it’s one of the keys to having a sustainable business online… and in this module Marie explains why and how building her email list is directly responsible for millions of dollars in revenue.
She also shares her experience when it comes to building a list, and building relationships with influencers who can help you grow your list faster. It’s true that there are some simple “slow and steady” ways to grow your list, and that there are list building accelerators like connecting into someone else’s already established audience. Marie has done this time and again, and shares the classy way to building relationships with people who can help you grow your list.
Module 5: Create Raving Fan Customers
There are some key secrets to selling loads of anything, and in this module Marie Forleo dishes the details. Designing products and services that people love is an art, and one that you can learn through this module… in fact, it’s probably the most important piece of the sales process because if you don’t have something that people want to buy, it doesn’t matter how great you are at marketing it.
Marie and her team are professionals when it comes to delivering a top notch customer experience, and in this module you’ll learn the skills to deliver on your promises easily and smoothly. You’ll also go through the 7 step checklist to high converting offers, so you never end up with a “flop” on your hands.
Module 6: Master Timeless Marketing
Ahh… this is the big one! The reason why B-School exists in the first place: to help you market yourself and your business successfully online like a true heart centered and classy business person. If you don’t like marketing or consider yourself to be an expert in your field who doesn’t need to worry about all this marketing mumbo jumbo, you’ll get a beautiful and profitable wake up call during this module.
Plus, you’ll go through the Copywriting 101 module to learn how to craft copy that converts and write non-douchey sales letters that you can be proud of. In this last core module of B-School you’ll also learn about the psychology of pricing and presenting the price of your product without putting people off.
Additional B-School Bonuses and Training
But wait, there’s more!
Marketing For Product Based Businesses: I get asked a lot about Marie Forleo’s B-School curriculum, and whether it applies to people who aren’t coaches, service professionals, or information product creators… and the answer is that B-School now includes a whole training for physical product businesses. So that means that you can apply the principles of B-School whether you sell a skincare line, handmade crafts, clothing, or anything else you can dream up!
Getting Started With WordPress, Squarespace & Shopify: With this extensive training, you’ll have your own professional, easy-to-update website up and running in no time!
All About Opt-Ins and Hyper Speed List Building: Get the inside track on how to set up your optins the right way. Sometimes the tech can be overwhelming but this training was designed to take all of the guesswork out of the process for you!
You’ll also discover an inexpensive strategy to grow your list two to three times faster than before!
Social Media Training: Not sure how to make the most of the time you spend on social media? Does it ever feel like there are too many platforms, and not enough time or clear strategy for growing your brand online? Well in this tutorial video, you’ll learn from one of the top social media trainers out there, how to make the most of your social media channels… how to craft the ideal strategy for your business (whether that’s more involved or hands off).
Media and PR Superstar Training: Getting into the press is a great way to gain exposure for your brand, and it’s not as hard as it might seem, after you watch this step by step training. You’ll learn how to pitch your story and business to the media, and get a sweet cheat sheet with a list of media outlets that are just waiting to interview you and feature you.
How To Get Killer Testimonials: It can be hard to do business on the web, because people are naturally skeptical of people and companies that they can’t visit in person. One surefire way to overcome this resistance is to have plenty of real life case studies and testimonials, that prove that you’re a legitimate business owner who delivers on her promises. But how do you get your customers and clients to take time out of their busy lives to write a great testimonial? Marie herself shares her winning system for getting testimonials.
SEO Basics: You put a lot of time and energy into building your website so you want to ensure it can be found. In this tutorial you’ll learn how to make sure your website can be found on Google, learn how to set up your sitemap, research relevant keywords, and understand how to use meta and title tags so your site is optimized from the get-go!
Set Up Your Metrics & Analytics: You’ve done the hard work of getting your site up and running + are starting to put your work out into the world. But, if you’re not tracking you won’t know what’s working and what isn’t. This training will walk you through how to get your analytics set up and hone in on the metrics that you should be tracking in your business.
Systems, Teams, and Massive Productivity: If there’s anything else that could take Marie Forleo’s B-School curriculum off the charts, it’s this bonus training all about getting more stuff done by hiring the right people. As I’ve personally continued to expand my team so that we could accomplish more, I’ve gone back to this training many times to refresh my memory on proper systems and team productivity. It’s powerful stuff that will come in handy as your business grows quickly!
If you want to see the details of the curriculum all on one page, just click here to see the Marie Forleo B-School curriculum in depth.
There are also implementation weeks, so you don’t have to feel like you’re drinking from a water hose of information. This gives you a chance to put into practice everything you’re learning so that you can begin to reap the benefits even before the course is over.
My B-School Story
It’s been nearly a decade since I went through B-School the first time, and my business is unrecognizable.
Pre-B-School, I had a website and I had sold a few online courses… I had clients, and I was making money.
But I wasn’t keeping much of it, I was working all the time without much to show for it. To make matters worse, my soon-to-be husband saw how miserable I was and kept sending me job openings.
Just one year after B-School, I got to six figures in income and I totally transformed my relationship with my business. I felt more confident, and I had a strong marketing foundation that allowed me to grow, and it showed.
A few years after B-School, my business had grown so much that I was earning 4 times my husband’s salary and he was able to quit his job and join my company.
From there, things really took off and we’ve now brought in over $3 million in revenue from our software company AccessAlly. It’s not just the two of us anymore, we employ an incredible team and that has allowed me to take time off to have a baby.
None of this would have been possible without the genius of Marie Forleo and B-School, the B-Schooler community, and of course plenty of hard work on my part.
Why Marie Forleo’s B-School is Not Like Other Programs
I’ve taken my fair share of online programs, and nothing compares to Marie Forleo B-School. From the community of go-getting men and women to the variety of businesses and backgrounds… it’s truly a sight to see Marie Forleo bring together such a great group.
Everyone in the program is ultra supportive of one another, and there’s a true sense of collaboration, with many people becoming partners or providers of services and products to each other.
Beyond the social aspect, which is a huge benefit and advantage that I haven’t seen in many other programs, Bschool really cuts to the chase.
There are a lot of online programs “padded” with extra videos and content to make them appear more valuable. That’s not the case with B-school, and the training videos are short enough to be watchable and digestible.
Another benefit of taking Marie Forleo’s business school is something that few programs offer: hands on support, advice, and critiques.
If you often feel like you’re too close to your business to get some perspective, Marie will zero in on your challenges and give you clear advice. She’s got a keen intuition, and years of marketing experience to back it up.
There’s even ongoing coaching for alumni of B-School, so if you sign up this year and realize that you could use some feedback the following year – Marie and her team makes it possible with alumni coaching!
Should You Buy Marie Forleo’s B-School?
Alright, so I’ve waxed poetic and gushed about Marie Forleo and B-School till the cows came home… now it’s time for you to decide if it’s right for you. Just because it’s a great program, it doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice for you right now depending on where you are in your business.
In my personal experience, it’s been the most beneficial to work with the leaders in their field. That definitely means Marie (did you know she was nominated for Marketer of the Year at the Digital Marketer conference?) and it absolutely applies to B-School.
If you’re on the fence or not sure if it’s the right investment for your business right now… take a step back, feel whether you’re anxious-excited or anxious-fearful. If you’re feeling fearful, then it might not be the right fit for you. That’s okay, there are times when it’s right and times when it’s not the right move.
If it’s more excited, and you’ve got the financial means to make this investment in your business… then it’s time to sign up for Marie Forleo’s B-School. I’ll be the first to welcome you aboard! If you’re not sure about the investment or what Marie Forleo B-School cost, I can definitely relate. It was a big investment for me, and I didn’t make the decision lightly.
But it has paid for itself back many times over, and I wouldn’t be where I am in my business without this training, support, and community.