August is here. This month we are going to explore monetisation of your knowledge.
Let me just say what you’re already thinking: “I love the idea of making money from what I know… but I don’t want to become one of those people.”
You know the ones. The “Hey lovely, want to join my mastermind?” brigade.
The ones who use seven emojis per sentence and call themselves “CEO of my life” on LinkedIn. The ones who could sell sand in the desert, and you’d walk away wondering what just happened to your wallet and your self-respect.
But here’s the thing: monetising your knowledge doesn’t require sleaze, pushiness, or a complete personality transplant.
It can be done with grace, honesty, and even a little humour. (Australian humour is optional, but highly recommended.)
Why we resist selling (even when we need to)
If you’ve ever launched something, a course, a book, a newsletter upgrade, and heard nothing but crickets, you’ve probably faced the internal monologue of doom.
“I knew it. No one wants this.”
“I’m not cut out for this.”
“Maybe I should just give it away for free. Or become a barista.”
Selling triggers all our childhood trauma. (Okay, maybe not all, but definitely the one where we asked someone to be our best friend in Grade 2 and they said “no thanks.”)
We don’t want to be rejected.
We don’t want to be annoying.
We don’t want to be that person at the party who keeps talking about their new side hustle until everyone starts fake texting their way out the door.
So we shrink.
We whisper our offers.
We post once and hope people are psychic.
But here’s what I’ve learned after eight books, a thriving Substack, a course, and a coaching program: If you’re solving a real problem, you have a responsibility to make your offer visible.
The mindset shift: From “selling” to “serving”
Let’s reframe this whole selling thing.
You’re not manipulating people into buying something they don’t need.
You’re helping them solve a problem they desperately want to solve.
When I published my first book just before my 60th birthday, I wasn’t trying to become a millionaire author (though I wouldn’t have said no to Oprah’s book club).
I wanted to share what I’d learned. I wanted to help other women write, publish, and sell their books. I wanted to show that it’s never too late to do something bold and meaningful.
And as I kept writing, something happened. People started asking for more.
Could I coach them?
Could I teach a course?
Did I have templates? Checklists? A system?
That’s how the 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetise program was born. Not from a marketing strategy, but from a genuine desire to help people like me stop sitting on their ideas and start building something with them.
So no, I never felt like a sleazy salesperson. Because I wasn’t pushing. I was inviting.
Three ways to sell without sounding salesy.
Now let’s get practical. Here are three ways to monetise your knowledge while staying true to your voice, your values, and your (adorable) awkwardness.
1. Teach generously first.
Before you ask for money, offer value. Real value.
Not “5 tips you could Google in 30 seconds” value, but insights drawn from your own lived experience. Make people say, “If this is what they’re giving away for free, I can’t imagine what’s behind the paywall.”
Writing online lets you build trust before you ever make a pitch. In my newsletter, I’ve shared behind-the-scenes stories, mistakes I made publishing my first book, and how I accidentally built a community of paying readers by telling the truth (and the occasional self-deprecating joke).
When people know you’re not here to trick them, they’re far more likely to buy what you’re offering.
2. Make the offer conversational, not corporate.
Nobody wants to read a sales page that sounds like it was written by a committee of overly caffeinated MBAs.
So skip the jargon. Write the way you’d speak to a friend who’s been stuck on their book for five years and just needs a path forward.
For example, in my program landing page, I say things like:
“This is not a course for the people who say they want to write a book but then get distracted by a Netflix binge. This is for the people who’ve been carrying around a book idea longer than they’ve carried around some friendships.”
That line has made more people click than any “7-step proven framework for business growth.”
Because people respond to realness. They don’t want perfect. They want you.
3. Don’t apologise for charging
This one’s tough, especially for women, creatives, and people raised to be “nice.”
But let me say this as clearly as possible: you are allowed to charge for your expertise.
You’ve spent years learning what you know. You’ve made mistakes, invested in your skills, built something from scratch. That has value.
When someone pays you, they’re not doing you a favour. They’re getting something they want, delivered in a way they trust.
And trust me, people respect you more when you treat your work seriously.
What can you monetise?
Still not sure what you can sell? Here’s a quick list to spark ideas:
A self-paced course teaching what you know (writing, marketing, business, resilience after 50)
A paid newsletter tier with exclusive deep-dive content
A group coaching program or workshop series
1:1 consulting calls
Digital products like templates, guides, or checklists
A community membership for support + accountability
Your book, of course, positioned as a lead generator or authority piece
Whatever you choose, the key is to start with your readers’ problems and ask: “How can I help them solve this faster, easier, or better?”
(I am going to talk more about how to monetize in my next post.)
And yes, people will pay for it
Let me gently bust a myth: “No one pays for stuff online anymore.”
Really? Then how do you explain the people spending $297 on Notion templates or $6,000 on copywriting courses?
People do pay. They just need to know three things:
You understand their problem.
You’ve walked the path yourself.
You can help them get results.
So if you’re showing up consistently, telling the truth, and giving real value, you’re already 80% there.
Final thoughts (and a not-so-sleazy invitation)
Monetising your knowledge isn’t about tricking people into buying things.
It’s about building trust, sharing what you know, and making it easier for someone else to achieve what you’ve already done.
And when you do it right, when you lead with service, stay honest, and keep your personality intact, it doesn’t feel like selling.
It feels like helping.
If you’ve been sitting on your own idea for a book, a course, or a newsletter you could charge for, this is your nudge.
The 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetise program is open, and it’s designed for people just like you, writers, experts, and creative humans who want to do good work and get paid for it without selling their soul.
That’s all from me today.
As always, thanks for reading.
Great to see I've got the mix right.
This is exactly what I wanted to read today. Thanks Neera.