Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Robin Sargent.
Hi Dr. Robin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After stints as a training director for a billion dollar company and an assistant dean of students for a large university, I decided to open IDOL courses to be the leading trade school teaching instructional design and online learning to people of all backgrounds.
When I graduated from college with a BA and an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies in 2007 the only thing I knew is that I did not want to have anything to do with my major anymore. But I did know that I love learning and I love education. My first job out of college was an assistant librarian role at Shorter University. From there, I moved up to Assistant Dean of Students and that’s when I discovered instructional design. Shorter University was in the early stages of setting up an online program and since I was the only one that was tech-savvy the online program manager role fell on me along with my other job duties. I loved designing an online curriculum so much that I wondered if this could be my full-time job. To my surprise not only is instructional design and eLearning development a full-time job, it’s a job in corporate and the starting pay was double my salary at the time! That was it for me. I did everything I could to make the transition to corporate instructional design and I’ve been loving it ever since. Now I get to share my passion for corporate instructional design and online learning by teaching and helping others that want to start or enhance their career in the learning and development field through the IDOL courses Academy. After five successful years at the helm of IDOL courses, I plan to continue growing enrollment for IDOL courses offerings and expanding the recruitment and staffing placements in instructional design.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started IDOL courses in 2018 doing client services, I had a huge ‘whale client’ that was supposed to keep me busy for at least a couple of years. I had the great idea to earn money faster by hiring contractors to help me do the work. Well, we got it done faster, a little too fast! By August of 2018, we were done with the multi-year project. The mistake was that I only focused on that big whale and their project. This means I didn’t do any marketing, no lead generation, nothing. No one knew who we were or how we could help them, and I was going to run out of money fast. I thought I was going to have to close my business within less than a year! I made a couple of new business vows after this mistake. One being that I would no longer just provide services and instead we would also sell course products. The second vow was to never stop marketing or lead generation, no matter what.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
IDOL courses is the premier and only trade school for instructional design and online learning that serves clients while developing the next generation of creative learning experience designers. IDOL courses, which stands for instructional design and online learning, is a holistic, creative learning design training program and client-focused agency with an engaged global community. Unlike major universities’ expensive and lengthy Master’s degree programs in instructional design, IDOL courses’ efficient training approach caters to students with small class sizes, one-on-one portfolio feedback, transferrable credentials, flexible schedules and hands-on learning, all for a fraction of the cost. Since its founding in 2018, the IDOL courses team has brought together decades of experience in the instructional design industry and driven the company to the forefront of the instructional design and online learning education industry.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
The best way to find a mentor and create a network is to join a community that makes you feel comfortable and supported when you ask a question. There are so many ways to find community in person and online. I love online communities because you can get narrow on the topic and interest that you want to talk about and learn more about. Community and being a safe place for new people to learn and grow is one of my obsessions and a core feature in the IDOL courses Academy. From the very beginning, I was intentional about fostering a community that felt safe for people to ask questions, share resources, and get feedback on their instructional design and eLearning assets. That’s why our IDOL community has our own private platform so our people know their work and the vulnerability they feel while they are learning something new is protected. We also have mentors that have open sessions every single day of the week for people to be able to find someone they can have a conversation with and ask more complex questions that need more than a text reply. These same mentors are also in the IDOL community so the conversations and support can continue outside of office hours. In addition, we have Academy Coaches that you can submit your work to get tailored expert feedback from an experienced instructional designer delivered directly to your email. With the IDOL Mentors, the Academy Coaches, alumni from the Academy, and me in our community, we have built a vibrant and highly engaged tribe. When you’re trying to find a mentor and get help with a new challenge or career, who you surround yourself with becomes very important. You don’t want a group of negative people that intimidate you and discourage you from getting your hands dirty so you can learn, grow, and reach your full potential. There are Facebook Groups, Slack Channels, LinkedIn Groups, and many more places for you to find your people. Look for them, engage with the people in the community, and you’ll naturally develop relationships with people outside the group that can mentor and support you.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@idolcourses.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/idolcourses
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idolcourses/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDOLcourses/
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IDOL courses
