A step by step online video course on turning your printables, workbooks, course content into physical planners and journals.
Use planners to share your expertise, add value to your courses and expand your physical product offering.
Planners on Demand
Calling all life coaches, online educators, Etsy sellers and makers!
Want to bring your workbooks, content, PDF’s and printables to life?
Imagine the feeling of excitement as you unbox your first sample!
What would it be like to hold your very own planner or journal in your hands?!
Picture yourself launching your planner and sharing your expertise with a wider audience in your industry or niche.
Or what about gifting your students or workshop attendee’s with a gorgeous branded notebook or workbook?
Perhaps you’ve gone through a million planners and while you love to bujo, drawing out layouts daily get’s tiring…
What if you could have your own perfect planner designed especially to suit your needs!
join my newsletter and get access to watch one of my videos from the course!
Maybe you’ve been dreaming of this for a while but it feels complicated, confusing and expensive?
What if you could:
SAVE TIME?
You could save yourself the 3 years of research It took me to get going?
START WITH A SUPER LOW BUDGET?
I show you how I got my physical planners launched with very little budget using print on demand and local printers?
get a simplified blueprint?
I simplify the whole process by breaking it into easy bite size steps that alleviate the overwhelm?
HAVE YOUR FIRST PRODUCT IN JUST OVER a FORTNIGHt?
I make this process so simple that you could turn your existing PDF into a planner in just a fortnight!
SAVE MONEY?
You could save money on wasted samples because you're clear about what you need and what fulfilment will suit your life and business goals?
FEEL CONFIDENT TO WORK WITH ANY PRINTER?
You can come away understanding the process and feel confident that you can set up your files with any printer or supplier.
THIS IS WHAT PHYSICAL PLANNERS CAN DO FOR YOU
Planners share your expertise
I went through a challenging time in life with PND and anxiety. I came through that with CBT, My faith and self development. I wanted to share that with others but the sound of a course or being a coach wasn’t what I wanted. A planner was the pefect format to start sharing my message and start creating income. I sold on Etsy which already has customers looking for planners and journals.
Physical planners get press
This was my first physical planner, the self care planner. It got featured with Etsy U.k and was featured in Christmas gift guides on blogs and Psychologies Magazine.
Create additional income
I loved selling printables and PDF’s but I found thet my friends just didn’t get them! Most of my customers were American and I also wanted to serve U.K customers here. Once I offered physical planners I started to get U.K and European sales and some from friends and family.
Physical Planners helped me get featured by Etsy and get the best seller badge.
I’ve been invited to be part of Etsy special sales and promotions and had the best selling badge.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
You’ll learn:
- How to decide on the purpose of your planner, this is so important if you’re worried about a saturated market.
- Planner construction. Learn about different binding and features so you can choose what’s best.
- How to find a printer locally or Print on Demand and in the far East.
- Costing your planner for Etsy or your own website BEFORE you start designing.
- Designing your planner. Understanding trends and market. Setting up your files and understanding the printer’s requirements like bleed and crops.
- Branding. Understanding what branding is so you can choose the right fonts, graphics and colours for your brand and customers.
- Step by step follow along as I share how I upload and order from my printers.
- Funding and selling your planner.
- Bonus Access to the Dream Life Planner Template, includes templates for Canva & Illustrator. VALUE $29
- Bonus: Access to Branding for beginners
- Bonus Interview with U.K product developer on sourcing in the Far East. VALUE $200
What's in the modules?
I share EVERYTHING I’ve learnt on my journey to physical planners using print on demand and local low quantity printing.
If there’s anything I’ve not covered just ask in our private Facebook group!
Hi, I’m Chisomo,
The last 5 years have seen my life turn upside, in the best and worst of ways.
Through it I crafted a new dream for what my life could be, then I went after it.
I’ve always loved design and being creative. This passion expands across fashion to interiors and especially planners!
With over 15 years experience as a fashion designer for the Uk High Street sector, I’ve transfered those skills to start my own printable and planner brand.
I’m sharing how I turned my printable PDF’s and brought them to life in the form of physical planners.
I kept finding that people were DM’ing me or asking how I turned my printables into physical planners so I decided to create a course and share EVERYTHING.
Here’s what others are saying:
MARISOL’s testimonial
★★★★★ 5/5
Hi! My first ever product, Strawberry Planner, is now LIVE!!
BIG THANK YOU TO Chisomo Fajardo FOR ALL HER HELP.
The live calls and the community comments are truly amazing and inspiring. 
I hope everyone here can see how amazing Chisomo Fajardo is and that you can accomplish whatever your goals are from being in this group and taking her course.
Her course truly made an impact on my life.
Joddie’s testimonial
★★★★★ 5/5
Chisomo is active in the course Facebook group and will often post video updates on planner news as well as sharing responses to student inquiries.
Finally, what I love most about this course, is that it encourages action! There is absolutely nothing like going from an idea on your laptop to holding the physical manifestation in your hands!
The thought of unboxing my first planner motivated me to implement everything that I was learning.
NASH
★★★★★ 5/5
JENNY MARCHAL
★★★★★ 5/5
RAYE CAGE
★★★★★ 5/5
PAMELAS’s testimonial
★★★★★ 5/5
“When I saw It Starts With A Dream created a Print Your Planner course, I was excited to take it!
This course is informative and Chi is such a delightful teacher!
I have always had the idea of wanting to create my own physical planners and journals to add int my own online shop and this course has made it all possible for me to learn all that is involved to hit the ground running!
I am now able to walk away with more confidence in knowing how to set up print on demand documents or how to work with a graphic designer.
Highly recommend this course if your looking into creating your own physical planners.”
BONUSES
Bonus A4, Letter, A5 planner template for Illustrator and canva templates that I’ve used in my own “Etsy pick” products. Customise quickly and start selling straight away
VALUE $29
Bonus 90+ min Interview with U.K product developer on sourcing/ bulk manufacturing in the Far East (China)
VALUE $200
THis course is for you if...
- You love planners and would love to create your own. You want to gift your clients a gorgeous branded notebook or planner as a welcome gift.
- You already sell printables or digital planners and would love to add physical ones to attract new customers.
- Whether you have an audience or not. We’ll be tapping into Etsy’s existing market for customers. But if you have an email list and audience, then that’s even better!
- Want to share your expertise or method but being a coach feels a little scary. Creating a planner is a great way to start getting your message out there as you’re building your confidence.
- You are based in a country that will allow you to open an Etsy account or Amazon KDP account or your own website. USA is the biggest market for planners so even if you aren’t USA based you can still sell in the USA with Etsy or Amazon KDP.
this isn't for you if...
- The price tag is out of your reach. Although Print on demand offers low start-up costs you will still need some money to order samples. Perhaps you could sell some printables and save up to buy the course next month?
- You can’t use canva, or a similar design tool and don’t have access to a designer. If you don’t design you’ll need to purchase print ready designs. I do include an A5 planner template but it does need customising. You can also resize this as you need.
- You aren’t willing to spend the time to watch the videos and take action. The only way we can get something out of a course is by taking action!
The good news is you can watch all the videos over a weekend, and if you take immediate action could have your first sample in your hands within just a few weeks.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is this a design course?
No, this course focuses primarily on the steps of taking a pdf/ printable from digital format to physical form.
While I will cover basic design elements If you are brand new you may want to check out this course and use my affiliate link below.
2. I don’t have a lot of money to launch my planner, will I be able to do this?
Yes! I primarily use print on demand to print and fulfill my planners. After being in a lot of debt with my previous business I wanted to run Called Out Living debt free.
You can set up your planner for free – $50, get a sample $5-50 and get selling!
Print on demand means you only buy a planner when you sell one. So no upfront investment is needed in capital.
I include a Bonus a5 planner template for customizing for Illustrator (compatible with Affinity designer) you can start by selling your customised version as a printable and start making money to invest into your samples.
I also offer 50% commission to my students who want to be affiliates. That means you just need to get 2 people to buy to cover your initial investment!
3. what sort of planner can i create with print on demand?
With print on demand where you order 1 planner and it’s created and shipped on your back,, you can create hard cover book planners and journals, plastic spiral books with soft covers, perfect bound books with custom printed internal pages and cover. If you want to create hard cover wire – o books I have a Uk printer but for the USA the minimum would be 25 units but the printer does offer to store and ship out the planners 1 by 1 (drop ship).
This course focuses on print on demand and local printers with low minimums because it’s the most accessible way to start your planner or stationery business, or add these product lines to your coaching or educational business. It does have it’s limitations such as choosing colours for spiral bindings or adding things like bookmarks or ribbons.
If you want to add customisations then you need to consider producing in the Far East like China, you can get anything done but quantity minimums will be around 300/ 500. I include a bonus module on the process of Far East sourcing from my experience as a fashion designer and producing my own towels and lunchbags under my own brand from China. I also interview a Uk based product developer who has worked with stationery and paper lines for Uk retail brands. In this 90 minute+ interview we chat through the process and cover everything you’d need as a beginner to get started.
There are some USA companies who do offer more customisation than Print on demand who do lower quantities mostly from 100/300 pieces which I include in my database. There is one printer who do as low as 25 units and can do balanced covers, plastic disc binding, wire-o and hard backs. Be aware the more customisation you have the higher cost per planner.
4. I don’t have an audience or email list, can I still launch?
Yes! I had a small audience and was desperate to launch something physical but all the gurus I followed said you needed to have an audience.
I waited and waited as I grew an email list. Eventually, I came across print on demand and low quantity local printers.
Now, if you are buying bulk in the Far East or locally then this is true BUT If you use Print on demand like I do you can start with no customers by tapping into Etsy’s customers.
This means you can start selling with no audience or list and test out your products as you grow your audience.
5. Can this course help me to print in the far east?
While I do focus on print on demand as that is what I used mostly, I will be sharing things like how to set up your files, decide on your planner construction which means you’ll have the information needed to print anywhere in the world.
I will share a little on sourcing from Alibaba, I have manufactured goods from China before (found on Alibaba) however for full transparency not planners or paper products.
I include a list of printers that I use, have used or in contact with. Some are USA based and some U.K and do bulk printing too.
I also have a BONUS interview with a U.K High Street Product developer who shares the process for bulk sourcing from Factory from the Far East such as China. Best for quantities over 500
The value of the expert interview alone is worth $200.
6. What tools do I need?
You’ll need access to a design tool like Illustrator (what I use), InDesign, Affinity Designer or Canva. It’s possible to use tools like powerpoint or Apple pages for the design though I don’t cover those.
I cover Canva and Illustrator to set up files and cover files. With the same principles, you can transfer these to other software.
Design files will be in PDF form. I find it helpful to have Adobe acrobat to manage my PDFS but there are free web browser tools that do the same as well as Mac’s Preview.
7. Is there a refund?
There are no refunds. The information you gain will help you launch a planner in as little as a month (if you have a workbook or printable). You can be up and running and making a return on your investment. I’ll also be including an undated weekly planner Illustrator template which you can start to customise immediately and start selling as printable while you wait for your samples. I want students who love planners, will take action and implement what they’ve learned. If you’re unsure of anything please email your questions to hi@itstartswiththedream.com
I believe my course is of fantastic value and worth well over $500, I’m keeping the price low so it’s more affordable and more people can get started in creating planners.
8. Can I be an affiliate?
Yes, my students can become affiliates and earn 50% commission on each course sold through their affiliate URL link.
That means you cover your initial investment with just 2 courses sold.
My affiliate program is run through Teachery where I house my course.
9.What printers do you use?
I share all the printers I use or sampled in the course, but if you’re just wanting a printer name to get started then check out Amazon KDP.
I have only just started using Amazon KDP so the focus is on the other printers. However if you understand how to set up your files then you can do this for any printer.
If you want to create hard cover wire – o planners I have a Uk printer but for the USA the minimum would be 25 units but the printer does offer to store and ship out the planners 1 by 1 (drop ship). I do have other USA printers on my list who do this for low minimums of around 100 units +
I’ll be walking through setting up files for my printers and creating covers and the ordering process.
In the bonus module “Far East sourcing for beginners” I do cover things like where to find printers, things to check for, Alibaba intro, Shipping, costings, communicating with factories. The information I teach should mean you are comfortable with setting up files and product development whether it’s print on demand, a local printer (in your country/state) or a factory in China.
