The Client

Mike Michalowicz is one of the most recognized voices in entrepreneurship. The author behind Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, and Clockwork has spent years helping small business owners build companies that actually work — and his books have become standard reading for founders who are serious about getting there.

When Mike set out to launch Fix This Next, his framework for identifying the single most important problem a business needs to solve at any given stage, he needed more than distribution. He needed a campaign that could cut through a crowded market, speak directly to his audience of entrepreneurs, and move enough volume to hit Wall Street Journal Best-Seller criteria. He partnered with COURSE to make it happen.

The Challenge

A high-profile book launch at Mike's level comes with a specific set of pressures. His audience is sophisticated — entrepreneurs and business owners who have read widely and can spot generic marketing from a mile away. The campaign needed to earn attention rather than demand it, communicate the genuine value of Fix This Next clearly and quickly, and convert that attention into purchases concentrated enough to register on best-seller lists.

At the same time, the book wasn't the only goal. Fix This Next was tied to accompanying programs that needed enrollment alongside the book launch — requiring a campaign that could drive both simultaneously without either message getting lost.

What We Built Together

COURSE took on the full campaign: video ad production, brand growth strategy, targeted sales advertising, and program enrollment support — all built around the Fix This Next launch window.

The video ads were the engine. We worked closely with Mike to develop creative that combined his natural storytelling ability with sharp, persuasive messaging and visuals designed to stop a scroll. The ads weren't built to introduce Mike — his audience already knew him. They were built to make the specific case for Fix This Next and create a sense of urgency around getting it now.

The targeting strategy put those ads in front of the right people. We conducted market research to identify and reach Mike's ideal reader — entrepreneurs at a stage where the Fix This Next framework would resonate most — and optimized placements to maximize reach without wasting spend on audiences unlikely to convert.

Each ad was built with a clear call-to-action designed to drive immediate purchases and funnel traffic directly into Mike's sales infrastructure. Alongside the book sales push, we incorporated his accompanying programs into the creative mix, positioning them as the natural next step for readers who wanted to go deeper — expanding enrollment and adding a second revenue stream to the launch.

The WSJ Best-Seller campaign required a focused, coordinated approach to timing and volume — ensuring that sales were concentrated in the right window to meet the criteria that earn a spot on the list.

The Results

The launch generated over $270,000 in revenue, with more than 15,000 books sold. Fix This Next earned Wall Street Journal Best-Seller status — a milestone that requires not just strong sales, but precisely executed timing and distribution strategy.

Beyond the numbers, the campaign delivered something with longer-lasting value: it reinforced Mike's position as one of the most trusted voices in small business. A WSJ Best-Seller designation follows an author everywhere — on stage, in media, in every future book pitch and program launch. The Fix This Next campaign didn't just sell books. It added a credential that compounds.

Program enrollments grew alongside book sales, expanding Mike's revenue base and bringing a new wave of engaged, motivated entrepreneurs into his ecosystem.

What's Possible

Mike already had the audience, the credibility, and the book. COURSE brought the campaign infrastructure — the video production, the targeting strategy, and the launch coordination — that turned all of it into a WSJ Best-Seller.

If you're launching a book, program, or course and you want results that go beyond a spike in sales, this is what a properly built launch campaign looks like.