How It Works

Marketing & AI Tune-Up is delivered in weekly modules so you can build a usable system without overwhelm. Each week you’ll watch a focused lesson, complete the worksheet, and apply the work directly to your business. New modules unlock on a steady schedule, so progress stays realistic and sustainable.

Choose Your Tier

Select the level of support that fits your style and the pace you want.

What You'll Learn

You are not just learning concepts. You are building a usable marketing system you can maintain. The checklist below reflects the core decisions and tools you will put in place so your marketing becomes simpler, more consistent, and easier to run.

  • Understand today’s marketing landscape and what matters most for small businesses

  • Clarify your positioning and message so your marketing is easier to write and repeat

  • Define a simple, sustainable marketing strategy you can actually maintain

  • Create clear content pillars and topics you can reuse for months

  • Choose the right channels for your business (and stop trying to be everywhere)

  • Build a realistic weekly marketing rhythm that fits your schedule

  • Set up practical AI workflows for research, planning, writing, and repurposing (in your voice)

  • Create simple funnels that turn content into inquiries and clients

  • Develop a 90-day plan with specific next steps and priorities

  • Track a small set of meaningful metrics so you know what’s working

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to the Marketing & AI Tune-Up

    2. Resources: Prep Week Checklist (PDF)

    1. Lesson 1: The New Marketing Landscape: What This Course Will Do for You

    2. Lesson 2: Small Business Marketing Today: Why It Feels Hard

    3. Lesson 3: Buyer Behavior Shifts: How People Decide Now

    4. Lesson 4: Old vs. New Marketing: What Actually Works Now

    5. Lesson 5: The Trifecta Framework: Strategy, Content, Systems

    6. Lesson 6: Where AI Fits: Helpful, Human, and Grounded

    7. Lesson 7: Quick Wins, Mindset, and What’s Next

    8. A Note About Your Resources (Downloads)

    9. Worksheets - The New Marketing Landscape - Module 1

    10. Resources: Module 1 Slides (PDF)

    1. Lesson 1: Strategic Foundations: What We’re Building

    2. Lesson 2: Strategy + Persona: Who You’re Really Talking To

    3. Lesson 3: SWOT + Buyer Language: Turning Insight into Better Messaging

    4. Lesson 4: Value Statement + Offer Ladder: Make the Next Step Clear

    5. Lesson 5: Signature Offer + Goals: Your Marketing “Home Base”

    6. Lesson 6: AI for Insights + Messaging: Using AI Without Losing Your Voice

    7. Lesson 7: Quick Wins + Strategy Quote + What’s Next

    8. Worksheets - Strategic Foundations - Module 2

    9. Resources: Module 2 Slides (PDF)

    1. Lesson 1: Content That Converts: What “Conversion” Really Means

    2. Lesson 2 Content Pillars: Stop Reinventing Content Every Week

    3. Lesson 3: Buyer Journey Content: Awareness → Trust → Action

    4. Lesson 4: Anchor Format + Repurposing: One Strong Piece, Many Uses

    5. Lesson 5: AI for Content: Ideas, Outlines, Drafts, and Repurposing

    6. Lesson 6: Realistic Content Rhythm: A Schedule You Can Actually Maintain

    7. Lesson 7: Quick Wins + Quote + What’s Next

    8. Worksheets - Content That Converts

    9. Resources: Module 3 Slides (PDF)

    1. Lesson 1: Channels & Funnels: Building a Clear Path to Work With You

    2. Lesson 2: Choose Your Core Channel Trio: Home Base, Stay-in-Touch, Discovery

    3. Lesson 3: Map Your Funnel: From First Contact to Next Step

    4. Lesson 4: Channel Essentials: What Each Channel Must Do Well

    5. Lesson 5: AI for Funnel Assets: Faster Drafts, Better Clarity

    6. Lesson 6: Metrics That Matter: Know What to Adjust Without Overthinking

    7. Lesson 7: Quick Wins + Quote + What’s Next

    8. Worksheets - Channels and Funnels

    9. Resources: Module 4 Slides (PDF)

    1. Lesson 1: AI Workflows & Systems: Make It Repeatable

    2. Lesson 2: Tools vs. Workflows vs. Systems: The Clarity That Reduces Overwhelm

    3. Lesson 3: Your Content Workflow: Anchor → Repurpose → Publish → Follow Through

    4. Lesson 4: Research & Planning Workflow: Stop Guessing What to Post

    5. Lesson 5: Follow-Up Workflow: The Quiet Driver of Revenue

    6. Lesson 6: AI Inside Your Workflows: Faster Steps, Same Human Judgment

    7. Lesson 7: Systems Support: Templates, Light Automation, and Busy-Week Backup

    8. Lesson 8: Guardrails: Voice, Ethics, and Quality Control

    9. Lesson 9: Quick Wins + Quote + What’s Next

    10. Worksheets - AI Workflows & Systems

    11. Resources - Module 5 Slides (PDF)

About this course

  • $349.00
  • 59 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content

What You'll Walk Away With

By the end of Marketing & AI Tune-Up, you will have a clear marketing foundation and a repeatable system you can maintain. You will leave with concrete decisions, reusable assets, and practical AI workflows that make marketing feel simpler, more consistent, and easier to execute.

  • A one-page Marketing Clarity Snapshot (positioning, audience, offer, message)

  • Your Content Pillars + Topic Bank (reusable topics for the next 90 days)

  • A simple Channel Plan (what you’ll post, where, and how often)

  • A documented Weekly Marketing Rhythm (your realistic repeatable schedule)

  • A working set of AI Workflow Templates (research, planning, drafting, repurposing) aligned to your voice

  • A written 90-Day Action Plan (priorities, next steps, and what to stop doing)

  • A short Metrics Scorecard (a few numbers you’ll track weekly)

Meet Your Instructor

Karen Whalen

Senior Instructor

Karen Whalen is a marketing strategist, educator, and founder of Whalen Marketing. She brings 14 years of experience teaching senior-level marketing and digital strategy at UW–Whitewater, along with nearly two decades of real-world work as an entrepreneur, training director, marketing manager, and brand manager. Karen’s approach is practical and grounded. She helps small business owners and solo professionals simplify their marketing, make clear decisions, and use AI in a human, sustainable way. In Marketing & AI Tune-Up, you’ll get step-by-step guidance, real examples, and a system you can actually maintain.

FAQ

  • Is this an online course?

    Yes. A paced, self-scheduled online class: new video-lesson modules unlock every Monday; you work on your own time during the week. Worksheets and prompt packs accompany each module. Optional support tiers add weekly email Q&A and/or weekly 1:1 coaching.

  • How much time should I plan each week?

    Most people spend 60 to 90 minutes per week watching the lesson(s) and completing the worksheet(s). If you choose to implement more deeply that week, plan up to 2 hours.

  • What if I fall behind?

    That is okay. Once a module unlocks, it remains available. You can keep moving forward at a pace that fits your schedule.

  • Who is this for?

    Small business owners and solo professionals who want a focused plan and a repeatable system, not a pile of tactics.

  • Do I need marketing experience or AI experience?

    No. The program is designed to be clear and practical even if you feel unsure. You’ll learn how to make strong marketing decisions and use AI in a grounded way while keeping your voice and judgment in the driver’s seat.

  • What tools do I need?

    A computer and internet access. An AI tool is helpful (like ChatGPT or Gemini), but you do not need advanced software to complete the program.

  • Can I upgrade to a higher Tier later if I want more support?

    Yes, if availability allows. Email [email protected] and tell me which tier you want to upgrade to.

  • How long do I have access to the course?

    You will have access for the duration of the 6-week program, plus the weekend after it ends. Course access closes on Monday at 8:00am CT. All worksheets and resources are downloadable, and we’ll send reminders before access closes. If you want to keep anything, download it by Sunday night. After access closes, you can still keep any files you’ve downloaded.

  • What if I join and it's not for me?

    I want this to feel like a low-risk decision. I don’t offer cash refunds, but if you decide within the first week that the program isn’t the right fit, email me by the end of that first week and I’ll convert what you paid into 1:1 coaching credit you can use toward a private session with me.

Ready to build a marketing system you can sustain?

Choose the tier that fits your style and the level of support you want.

Register Today