How I Transformed My Passion for Naval Artifacts into a $45K Online Course Empire

How I Turned My Naval Artifact Passion Into a $45K Online Course Empire

Let me tell you something I wish someone had told me years ago: your weirdest passion could become your paycheck. When I found those USS Yorktown coins buried in my Chicago shop’s inventory, I almost sold them for scrap. Today, that same niche knowledge funds my beach house. Here’s exactly how I transformed naval history nerdom into a thriving online course business on Teachable and Udemy.

Your Brain’s Hidden Treasure (Yes, Even That Obscure Stuff)

Remember that bag of mismatched coins in your drawer? Mine contained history literally worth its weight in gold. Your expertise – whether it’s Byzantine pottery or database architecture – works the same way. Three lightbulb moments changed everything:

• Realizing collectors would pay just to hear the stories behind artifacts
• Watching eBay buyers make costly mistakes from lack of preservation knowledge
• Noticing nobody taught how to navigate maritime salvage laws correctly

Phase 1: Digging Up Your Course Gems

Spotting Your Money-Making Knowledge

That Yorktown discovery wasn’t luck – it was pattern recognition. When brainstorming your course topic:

• Listen for questions people keep asking you (my “How do I know this isn’t fake?” moment)
• Track what makes you irrationally angry when done wrong (improper artifact handling still gets me)
• Test demand with free content first – my TikTok on coin cleaning went viral overnight

Steal My Battle-Tested Course Framework

Here’s the exact structure that sold out three cohorts:

Module 1: Spotting Fakes in 10 Seconds (my "kitchen sink test")
Module 2: Not Getting Sued - Legal Basics Even I Understand
Module 3: Preservation Mistakes That Destroy Value
Module 4: Selling When You Can't Prove Provenance
Module 5: Digital Tools That Replace $500 Appraisals

Phase 2: Building Your Money Machine

Platform Wars: Where To Host Your Course

After losing $3,200 in Udemy’s commission fees, here’s my brutally honest take:

Creating Content Without Losing Your Mind

My “Anchor, Sail, Navigate” method:

“Record messy first (anchor), edit ruthlessly (sail), add personality last (navigate). Stop overpolishing!”

The $47 toolkit that saved me:

• OBS Studio (free recording – ditch Camtasia)
• Headliner.app (turn audio clips into social teasers)
• Notion for scripting (better than docs)
• Handbrake instead of FFmpeg (human-friendly compression)

Phase 3: Launch Strategies That Actually Sail

Marketing That Doesn’t Feel Slimy

We banked $12k pre-launch with:

• “Artifact Mystery Mondays” on Instagram Stories
• Guesting on niche podcasts (pro tip: record video for YouTube repurposing)
• Free “Preservation Checklist” lead magnet (converted 22%)
• Early-bird pricing that expired literally with a ship’s bell sound

Pricing Tiers That Triple Your Revenue

Steal this painless upsell structure:

Deckhand: $147 (core course)
First Mate: $397 (+ monthly live artifact IDs)
Captain's Table: $997 (annual + physical toolkit mailed quarterly)

Phase 4: Avoiding Legal Shipwrecks

Maritime Law Made Less Terrifying

Three things that keep me awake (so you can sleep):

• Never show exact artifact locations (looters watch YouTube too)
• Watermark historical images – museums WILL invoice you
• Add “This isn’t legal advice” disclaimers everywhere

From Side Hustle to Full Sail

Six months post-launch, my dashboard looked like pirate booty:

• $45,327.89 total revenue (yes, I remember the cents)
• 93% completion rate (thanks to bite-sized lessons)
• 42% organic traffic from YouTube tutorials

Automation That Runs While You Sleep

Two Zapier flows worth their weight in gold:

1. New student → Welcome email with "What's in YOUR junk drawer?" quiz
2. Module completion → Prompt to share wins in our Discord

Your Turn to Set Sail

Those USS Yorktown coins now educate thousands instead of collecting dust. Your knowledge – yes, even about seemingly “weird” things – deserves the same spotlight. Start small: record one video answering a FAQ tomorrow morning. That’s how empires begin. Still have questions? I’m active on Twitter @SalvageTeacher – let’s chat!

Related Resources

You might also find these related articles helpful:

• How Modern Logistics Technology Could Have Prevented the USS Yorktown Artifact Loss – Could Logistics Software Have Saved the USS Yorktown’s Lost Treasure? Imagine if 19th-century naval commanders had…
• Why the USS Yorktown Coin Recovery Signals a Sea Change in Cultural Asset Management by 2025 – This Isn’t Just About Solving Today’s Problem Think this is just another historical footnote? Let me tell yo…
• How Returning USS Yorktown Artifacts Taught Me 5 Crucial Lessons About Historical Stewardship – I Spent Six Months Returning USS Yorktown Artifacts – Here’s What Changed My Perspective For months, I&#8217…