231: Behind the Scenes of HobbyScool’s Affiliate Program Launch

In this episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes of what’s been happening at HobbyScool as I work toward one of my big-picture goals: turning this business into a $1 million sellable brand. That goal has helped me think differently about how we grow, and I want to share how that’s led to something new we’re building for 2026.

You’ll hear how I explored different paths, from physical locations to partnerships and what finally clicked. I walk you through how I mapped out a full year of events, why that became the foundation for our new affiliate program, and how we’re making it easy for creative business owners to plug in and earn consistent income. 

If you’ve ever wondered how ideas evolve into action, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why I set a goal to grow HobbyScool into a $1M+ sellable brand
• The thought process that helped me evaluate new directions
• What I learned from mapping out our 2026 event calendar
• How that calendar became the anchor for a full affiliate program
• Who we’re inviting in as partners—and why it’s a win-win
• How Pinterest and blogging are helping us reach the right people
• What to do if you want to become a HobbyScool affiliate

If you’re curious about how affiliate programs actually come together or you’re a creative blogger looking for recurring income, this might spark some ideas for you. 

I’m linking to our affiliate info page in the show notes. I’d love for you to take a look and see if it’s a fit for your business.

Mentioned in this episode:

HobbyScool Affiliate Info Page

Transcript

[00:00:00]
 Welcome to the Creator's MBA Podcast—your go-to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship. I'm Dr. Destini Copp, and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product businesses without being glued to their desks. I’m so glad you’re here.

Hi there, Destini here, and welcome back to the Creator's MBA Podcast. I’m excited you’re joining me today because I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s been happening behind the scenes at HobbyScool and giving you a look at where we’re headed in 2026.

[00:01:00]
 As I work toward my goal of turning HobbyScool into a $1 million brand—something I could potentially sell one day—I’ve started to look at the business through a new lens. That goal has challenged me to think differently about growth.

Instead of focusing only on what we’ve always done, I’ve started asking new questions: What revenue streams make us more valuable? How can we create something that runs without me doing everything? And how do we build assets that someone else would actually want to buy?

[00:02:00]
 That’s when I started exploring different models and verticals. One of my first ideas was to franchise HobbyScool into physical locations—something similar to AR Workshop, where people can come in, create, and spend time with friends. I still love this idea, and I think it would be an incredible in-person experience to pair with our online events.

But after sitting with it, I realized the logistics and timing weren’t right. I also had to ask myself: Do I really have the energy to take that on right now?

[00:03:00]
 So I shifted focus and looked at opportunities that already had built-in audiences. I started exploring verticals like corporate wellness programs—selling companies annual workshop passes for their employees. That’s something we’ll likely pursue in 2026.

I also looked into senior centers and local parks and rec programs. They’re always searching for creative, engaging activities. And even loyalty programs like AARP—organizations that want to offer fun perks to their members.

[00:04:00]
 But as I kept exploring, I realized all of these groups would need to see our full calendar of events before saying yes. That’s when I sat down and mapped out our entire 2026 schedule: 12 brand-new workshops, one each month, each with its own theme.

We announced the full calendar, and the feedback was immediate and really positive. People loved being able to see the whole year at a glance. And that gave me the clarity I needed to take the next step: building partnerships.

[00:05:00]
 One of our big focuses for 2026 is launching an affiliate program and bringing in top partners. I’m thinking about two main groups: first, craft bloggers and creative influencers with engaged audiences; and second, larger companies and brands who might want to promote us to their communities or include us in newsletters.

[00:06:00]
 I know from my own business how helpful it is to have a promotional calendar, so I created one just for our affiliates—a 16-month done-for-you calendar that includes every event, every campaign, even our Black Friday promotions. Everything is mapped out, including when affiliates will receive their promo materials so they can easily slot it into their content plans.

For bloggers and creators who want consistent monetization opportunities, this calendar is gold.

[00:07:00]
 Once I had the idea in place, my assistant and I built a dedicated affiliate info page. It’s a hub where potential partners can see our calendar, learn about the commission structure, and sign up to become an affiliate.

This week, we emailed it to all our existing speakers and affiliate contacts.

[00:07:30]
 I also wrote three blog posts to help attract the right people. These are SEO-focused posts designed to rank on Pinterest—since that’s where many creative bloggers hang out. One post is called “Best Affiliate Programs for Creative Bloggers,” and the others follow a similar theme.

Next, we’ll be using Pinterest to help people find us, reaching out to potential partners, and building relationships. My goal is to make it easy for the right people to say yes.

[00:08:30]
 So if you’re a creative blogger—or you know someone who is—I’d love to hand over this done-for-you promo calendar. You can start earning recurring monthly revenue by becoming a HobbyScool affiliate.

I’ll include the link to our affiliate info page in the show notes, so you can check it out.

[00:09:00]
 More than anything, I wanted to walk you through the real journey that led to this. It wasn’t one big idea—it was a series of small steps. Each decision led to an “aha” moment, and that led to the next.

If you’re stuck on something right now, just take one small step. That’s often all it takes to get moving in the right direction.

Thanks again for being here. I’ll see you in the next episode of the Creator’s MBA Podcast.

[00:09:30]
 And if you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform. Thanks for listening—and have a great day!