Congratulations!

Based on your responses, your professor persona is…

Annalise Keating

from How to Get Away with Murder

Just like Annalise, you’re brilliant and fearless in the classroom:

You are an action-taker with no time to waste — and your students respect you for it. 

Because you’re a go-getter, you’ve set up your business, created an offer, and launched it out into the world. 

And because you’re so driven, you’ve created something to impact your community (while also increasing your pocketbook).

There’s only one problem…

The sales aren’t rolling in like you’d hoped.

And when your ideal audience doesn’t buy, you might be wondering “why?” 

As an Annalise, someone who makes decisions on the spot, it’s hard for you to fathom why it’s so hard for someone to make a decisive “yes” or “no.”

And while that no-nonsense, efficient attitude serves you well in the academic world (as it serves Annalise in criminal law), in business, there are times when you need to slow down to speed up…

Here’s what I mean:

Your potential customers and clients will likely take longer to make a purchasing decision than you’d expect.  

Have you heard of the ‘Rule of Seven’?

Dr. Jeffrey Lant, expert marketer and fellow academic, coined the term explaining that, in a given market, you have to connect with a potential client a minimum of seven times within an 18-month period for them to make a purchasing decision.

That’s a lot of contact (especially for an Annalise like you!)

And you might be wondering how you can have so much “contact” while managing your (overwhelming amount of) academic responsibilities.

Does it mean posting on social media every day?

Or writing weekly newsletters?

Or filming regular YouTube videos?

No. No. No.

I’d never recommend those tactics to academics who want to run a semester-proof business.

My recommendation is much simpler and less time intensive. 

Curious what it is?

Set up systems (aka a sales funnel) to implement those seven touchpoints for you!

That way, you can invite people to invest in your offer once (manually) and your sales funnel will handle the rest of those seven touchpoints and do the inviting for you…on autopilot.

The mechanics of a three-step automated sales funnel are quite simple.

Step 1:  

Use evergreen/hero content to provide value to your potential customers and offer them even more value in exchange for their email address.

Step 2:  

Use an email management tool to send them automated emails that sell your offer.

Step 3:  

Set up a checkout page so that they can purchase your offer with one click

Sounds straightforward, right?

It actually is, and the whole system can be set up in a few hours.

However, your automated sales funnel will not convert to sales if you do not understand the three main principles of selling online and on autopilot.

Because what’s the point of a sales funnel if it doesn't do the selling for you?

This is where the “slowing down to speed up” concept comes in.

Let me introduce myself first, and then I'll share the 3-Part Secret Sauce for Building a Semester-Proof Business that makes sales online and on autopilot I used to build and operate a six-figure business as a full-time academic.

Nice to meet you!

I’m Dr. Toyin Alli…

I truly believe that it’s possible to be successful in academia and live a fulfilling life at the same time.  I’m proof…

2021 was an exciting year for me:

  • I was promoted to Senior Lecturer (a year early)

  • I won a teaching award

  • My business surpassed $100,000 in revenue

How?  I’ve created a semester-proof business that remains profitable even when I have zero energy to work on it during the semester!

Systems and automations are the only way I could have grown my business to six figures while being a full-time academic at the same time!

And that’s the exact business strategy I teach academic entrepreneurs like you!

Curious about how a full-time academic has time to build and operate a six-figure business?

Here’s the 3-Part Secret Sauce for Building a Semester-Proof Business:

If you’ve been in the online business space for any time, you’ve probably heard how important it is to have a niche. And it’s so true.

But when you first get started, it’s easy to think that defining your niche is as simple as understanding the demographics of who you help:

“23-35-year-old women in grad school”

↑When I first started, that was my niche.

I didn’t realize that when people said you need a niche, what they were really saying was that you need a SPECIALTY.

For example, suppose there are two home cleaning companies: Company A and Company B. 

Company A cleans all houses for all people. 

Company B specializes in cleaning houses of pet owners and has tools specifically designed for removing pet hair.

If you had a pet, which company would you choose?

That’s the power of having a specialty! It makes your offer a no-brainer offer for your niche.​

Part One: Niching

Messaging is something that I didn’t even know was a thing until two years ago. 

What is it exactly?

Messaging is the words that you use to speak to your audience.

It’s the words you use in your social media posts, in your blog posts, in your videos, in your emails, and on your sales pages.

Messaging is used everywhere in your business.

So it’s super important!

And when you get your messaging right, your audience will feel like you 

  • Completely get them 

  • Understand their struggles

….and therefore, you will be capable of helping them.

IMPORTANT: Without strong messaging, your audience will not believe your offer will help them with their problem.

It’s a huge component in selling online and on autopilot.

And was the biggest cause of my business growth in 2021…the year my business surpassed $100,000 in revenue (while working as a full-time academic).

Part Two: Messaging

Positioning is the most subtle of the 3-part secret sauce for selling online and on autopilot. It’s all about setting up an environment around your offer.

Positioning is how you show your potential customers that your offer is perfect for them right now, exactly where they are.

For example, I have a program called Grad School Prep. 

It’s designed for incoming graduate students to help them learn what to expect in grad school. 

Because they are at a stage where they are excited about the future but are super nervous about the uncertainty of the new experience, my program is positioned perfectly to help them at the exact stage they are in.

Positioning is how you show your ideal customer that you’re the only person to help them at this stage in their life or journey.

Part Three: Positioning

If you WANT to build a semester-proof business with an automated sales funnel that actually converts 💸, you’ll need to:

Nail your niche

Master your messaging

Perfectly position your offer

Being able to sell online and on autopilot depends on you mastering these three essential skills for selling.

Learning how to sell online and on autopilot is the only way to ensure that your business remains profitable when the semester gets super draining…

...and if you don’t have a semester-proof business, how will you increase your revenue as an academic entrepreneur?

So, if you are feeling "STUCK," and know how much it’s costing you to stay stuck...

You’re in the right place!

The Challenge:

Creating, launching, and growing a business while working as a full time academic with university responsibilities.

Your Academic Responsibilities:

  • Grading

  • Class prep

  • Writing quizzes, tests, and worksheets

  • Committee work/service to your department

  • Departmental meetings

  • Writing letters of recommendation

  • Research and mentoring grad students

  • Publishing papers

  • Writing grant proposals

And after work, you’ll want to dedicate quality for your friends and family.

As well as essential time for yourself.

So, where does your business fit in?

The Mistake:

Spending too much time (that you don’t have to waste) on the wrong thing.

Often, new academic entrepreneurs will focus on “business tasks” like:

❌ Choosing brand colors and designing a logo

❌ Building a website

❌ Setting up a social media presence on multiple platforms

❌ Creating a robust online course (that their intended customer might not even want)

❌ Writing blog posts/filming YouTube videos/recording podcasts every week

Because they think that completing these tasks will make them “look” like a legitimate business.

However, that is a misconception.

You don’t have a legit business until you bring in money.

Until then, you have a hobby.

And hobbies are great! I highly encourage academics to have hobbies outside of their research and teaching.

But hobbies don’t bring in an additional income stream that will help you build the life that you truly want.

The Solution:

Only work on profitable tasks…aka tasks that directly lead to sales → revenue → income!

And these tasks don’t require you to have a website, brand colors, or a completed online course.

I’ve been running a semester-proof business for over seven years that has grown to $100K/year in revenue while working as a full time academic.

I know exactly which business tasks that academics can manage with their schedule that directly lead to sales.

And I’m giving you access to this list!

It’s called the Academic Entrepreneur’s Priority List and it will help you identify what you spend your time on as you build your semester-proof business.

Ready to build your semester-proof business?

✅ A business that capitalizes on the knowledge you already have

✅ A business that you can run on less than five hours per week

✅ A business that is reliably profitable…even during a busy semester?

✅ A business that helps you achieve the fulfilled life you’ve always dreamed of

You can do it in less than 90 days. I’ve developed a plan just for academics like you! It’s called the 90-Day Semester-Proof Business Plan!

Introducing

90-Day Semester-Proof Business Plan

Create a business that is reliably profitable during a busy semester.

Your 90-Day Semester-Proof Business Plan includes:

✅ The Academic Entrepreneur Priority List of profitable business tasks to focus on right now

✅ A 90-Day Semester-Proof Business Plan Template to solidify your niche, messaging, and positioning

✅ 16 Digital Product Ideas to sell in your semester-proof business

✅ A Private Podcast: Plan Your Semester-Proof Business This Weekend

✅ BONUS Video Training: How to Price Your Digital Offers so that you sell them confidently without imposter syndrome keeping you silent

(Normally sold for $47)

Here’s what a couple of other academics had to say about my Semester-Proof Business Framework:

“…clarity about the process and even more ideas for products!”

Toyin's course is AMAZING. She's thoughtful, clear, and sets up an easy to follow system. I left the class with much clarity about the process and even more ideas for products!

Sabrina Speights, Assistant Professor

“I especially love that she created this strategy specifically for academics.”

I love absolutely everything that Dr. Toyin Alli creates and offers! The Semester-Proof Business Course was exactly what I expected from her.

I love how she taught me how to set up a passive funnel system without all the expenses or complications that other business coaches teach. I especially love that she created this strategy specifically for academics.

I'm designing my funnel now, and I've been constantly referring back to her templates as I prepare my own funnel. With this strategy, I hope to continue building my business and expanding my impact while being a chemistry grad student.

Brittany Trinh, Grad Student and Web Strategist/Designer

Are you ready to start building your very own semester-proof business?

Start your 90-Day Semester-Proof Business Plan!