How He Made $819,000 in 3 Years (With a Small Audience)

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Johnny Miller's journey of building an $819,000 course business in just 3 years with a relatively small audience.

1. Novelty and differentiation create immediate market advantages

Johnny Miller's success began with addressing an untapped market. No one was teaching nervous system mastery to high-performing tech professionals when he started. This complete absence of competition gave him an enormous head start. The name "nervous system mastery" itself was compelling because it made people curious about something they didn't know they could master.

The timing also worked in his favor. COVID had left people dealing with unprecedented anxiety and burnout. His solution arrived exactly when the market needed it most. This combination of unique positioning and perfect timing created a natural pull that traditional marketing couldn't replicate.

2. Starting with lived experience beats academic credentials

Miller had no PhD or Harvard affiliation like others in his space. Instead, he taught from his own lived experience with nervous system practices. He viewed himself as conducting "citizen science research" to back up what worked in his own life. This approach felt more authentic and relatable to students than academic theory.

The key insight is that personal experience gives you permission to teach. You don't need institutional badges of approval if you can demonstrate real results. Miller's confidence came from knowing that each week's curriculum contained something that had genuinely helped him. This authenticity resonated more powerfully than formal credentials ever could.

3. Simple tools and constraints accelerate early success

Miller built his entire first course using just Notion and Zoom. The landing page was a Notion document, and curriculum lived in private Notion pages. This simplicity had unexpected advantages. People don't expect Notion documents to look like professional websites, so the visual standards were naturally lower. He could make rapid tweaks and improvements without complex web development.

Creative constraints also forced better decisions. By limiting himself to five weeks and a specific price point early on, he avoided analysis paralysis. These boundaries actually enhanced creativity rather than limiting it. The constraints created a clear container that made both creation and marketing easier.

4. Newsletter sponsorships can deliver extraordinary returns

Miller discovered that sponsoring the right newsletters produced 5-15x return on investment. The key was choosing creators he personally trusted rather than just targeting his ideal audience. Newsletter readers already had established relationships with these creators, so recommendations carried significant weight. When someone like Thiago Forte personally endorsed Miller's course, it carried more credibility than any advertisement.

This strategy worked because Miller wasn't competing directly with the newsletter creators. His differentiated offering meant collaboration was natural and beneficial for everyone. The newsletter owners were happy to recommend something valuable and unique to their audiences while earning sponsorship revenue.

5. Community workshops build trust and demonstrate value

Miller offered free 60-minute workshops to private communities as a growth strategy. This approach solved the challenge of teaching an experiential subject that's hard to explain with words alone. People could actually feel the value before committing to the full course. These workshops also gave him access to established communities with existing trust and engagement.

The strategy worked because he wasn't directly competing with community leaders. His nervous system work complemented rather than replaced what others were teaching. This made community leaders eager to offer their members something genuinely valuable and different. The workshops served as perfect proof-of-concept experiences.

6. Seasonal cadence prevents creator burnout

Miller runs cohorts every six months, taking 2-3 months completely off between cycles. This rhythm includes a marketing sprint, intensive teaching period, reflection phase, and rest. The predictable schedule eliminates constant decision-making about timing and creates sustainable work patterns. Students also know exactly when the next opportunity will be available.

This approach contrasts sharply with creators who burn out from running too many cohorts. The seasonal model allows for continuous improvement between rounds. Miller uses downtime to process feedback, redesign curriculum, and plan experiments. The rhythm has enabled him to run six successful cohorts without exhaustion.

7. Iterative improvement through systematic feedback

After each cohort, Miller spends days analyzing student feedback and his own teaching observations. He looks for patterns in what worked and what didn't. Between cohorts one and two, he completely rewrote the curriculum based on these insights. He realized he'd initially provided too much information, making the experience overwhelming rather than valuable.

The feedback loop extends beyond formal surveys. He pays attention to engagement levels during live sessions and student questions throughout the course. This real-time observation helps him adjust not just for future cohorts but even within the current one. The experimental mindset applies to delivery as much as marketing.

8. Premium pricing attracts committed students

Miller started at $400 and increased by $200 with each cohort, eventually settling at $1,400. Higher prices actually improved the experience because students were more committed. They showed up, engaged actively, and completed the work. The price increases didn't hurt demand. Instead, they attracted people who truly valued the transformation.

Premium pricing also created space for scholarships and returning alumni. Miller could afford to offer free spots to people who couldn't pay while maintaining profitability. The high price point signaled the course's value and attracted serious students who were ready to do the inner work required.

9. Returning students enhance overall community value

Miller noticed that alumni who returned for subsequent cohorts added significant value to the community. They shared their previous experiences and results, which motivated new students. Their presence created social proof and increased overall engagement. Rather than seeing returning students as additional cost, Miller recognized them as community assets.

This insight led him to actively encourage returns through low-cost or free alumni options. Some students have taken the course four or five times, providing continuous feedback and serving as community anchors. Their deep engagement and visible results help newer students understand what's possible.

10. Collaboration trumps competition in differentiated markets

Miller's unique positioning opened doors for collaboration rather than competition. He traded guest workshops with related course creators like Michael Ashcroft and Art of Accomplishment. Students benefited from exposure to complementary teachings, while creators expanded their reach without direct competition. This collaborative approach strengthened all involved businesses.

The lesson extends beyond course creation. When you're truly differentiated, other creators become potential partners rather than threats. Miller actively sought out adjacent experts to enhance his students' experience. This abundance mindset, enabled by his unique market position, created win-win opportunities that traditional competitors couldn't access.