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The way Meagan and Alex from Agents of Change 10X-ed their earnings using

Aug 15, 2024

In the past ten years, Meagan Mitchell, one-half of Agents of Change, took the ASWB exam to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). At the time, the exam was easy to pass. "Basically there was a book that you could get and read. There were a few additional books available however, they were either not as extensive or cost prohibitive"

The experience she had with the preparation of her exam led to the concept for Agents of Change. Meagan recognized the necessity to improve and update the material available in the market, and her partner, Alex Mitchell, who has a background in business, began to do some research on the current preparation resources.

"[We observed] that the learning materials] were very old-fashioned," Meagan explains. "Social work has historically been an occupation that's slower to adopt technology than other professions, and we saw that as an possibility. What worked 20 years ago is not the same way learners learn today with the advent of self-paced courses. We've found an appropriate situation at the appropriate time."

So, Agents of Change was founded in the year 2020, which was during the pandemic. At the time, Meagan was providing groups and individual tutoring for people about to take their licensing exams. But one day, Alex, who now works behind the scenes in the technical parts of the business, advised her to put her tutoring material in a course system so that students can learn an online course.

The company started out with Gumroad however by 2021 it was clear that the company had grown beyond Gumroad's capabilities and wanted more.

        "We were looking for extra features, like a course [builder] and quizzes, more ways to pay, and much more. That's what led us to ."    

It's been four years since the beginning of Agents of Change, and the Washington DC-based couple has used to deliver the complete licensing exam preparation course, develop strong communities across several platforms, and double their revenues.

This is how they achieved it:

Skip ahead:

They aimed to correct a problem

The first time they had the concept of moving between group and individual tutoring to a course-based program, Meagan and Alex didn't get involved in designing the most intricate licensing exam preparation program to ever exist.

They started off smaller by publishing the PDF file on Gumroad. While that did work for a short time but it didn't completely eliminate, or even assuage the major issue that Meagan was able to identify during her one-on-1 and group tutoring sessions: learning differences.

"[During the physical classesshe observed the issues that students with learning disabilities or who are of a younger generation are having. As millennials in our 30s and 40s, we often think about those who are just coming right out of school. The learning experience is different and a lot more is happening on the internet, and a lot more occurs with small-sized videos rather than long-form material."

This was the catalyst which triggered their switch from Gumroad . After they joined  the company, they instantly gained access to features that gave them creative freedom to shape Agents of Change into what they thought people wanted in the present.

        "What we like about is the fact that we are able to create video and even texts. The most important thing we required was accessibility features, and provided us with that. Now, we can meet all learning styles--if someone needs closed captioning or they need us to provide the material differently We've discovered that it is capable of doing that for us."    

They adopt a comprehensive approach to creating learning tools

My gripe with online courses is that a lot of them are a cash grab; they're crazy expensive and, based on the manner in which the course is designed, it's easy to just tell you that their creator(s) did not take note of the students' needs.

This isn't the case for Meagan and Alex however.

When creating Agents of Change, they focused their students right off the bat. This was largely because Meagan is, in addition to being a licensed clinical social worker, also holds a master's degree in special Education. That degree exposed her to different approaches to learn.

"I am knowledgeable about the theories of learning and what methods are required for various kinds of learners" says Meagan. "I myself have ADHD, so I learn differently. [My goal was] to bring all of those various pieces of information together in a way that is complete in a manner which would be representative of all of the people who ."

To achieve this, Meagan and Alex initially created seven hours of material. Then Meagan had big aspirations for the company, and so periodically, she and Alex conduct a needs analysis exercise in which they asked the customers what they would prefer to see within the program. They collected feedback from individuals in different phases of their careers, and then tweaked the course to meet their preferences.

A great approach they took was making the revised course flexible. A person who has dyslexia might struggle to comprehend the written word, which is why audio-based files are available for them. Also, someone who has ADHD similar to Meagan may find it difficult to get through three hours of information, could do well with the compact lessons that Meagan gives.

They also have an Agents of Change mobile app, which is a rarity among online programs. In explaining the necessity of the app, Alex says: "[Social workers] have to drive to work They are usually in motion or working all working. Reading a book isn't an ideal way to work through content or refresh their memories regarding certain subjects."

They began with the App to evaluate their hypothesis and determine if the public are drawn towards using apps as a method of learning. They did. "We heard good feedback," Alex continues. "We observed a number users using the application, and so around three or four months back we made the decision to launch the branded app through .

        "Now we've got the company's own Agents of Change app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store We've noticed positive results from those who have used this app for their studying... for listening to course audio documents on the go, or to get a quick refresher on a topic at lunchtime or at work."      

They provide value that is consistent

Since their Gumroad time, Meagan and Alex have prioritised providing the best value for their students. It started with their free resource, a file containing 10 practice questions, which users enjoyed. After that, as they moved to  another location, they could offer free previews of the class.

"People are exposed to the course, even though they don't understand exactly what it is that the course does. The free preview sounds so straightforward, however it's been great at helping folks to understand the course before making a commitment to this investment."

Meagan and Alex also created a ton of video and blog information based around the questions they were asked from social workers in the past that they posted to their website and YouTube channel and YouTube channel, respectively. In fact, the information they've provided is free and gives the public a clear understanding of what the licensing exam is going to look like.

As she continues to create free content for Agents of Change, Meagan regularly updates the main course. She doesn't want Agents of Change to be an outlet for the same outdated information she found during the initial market research prior to the launch of her business. So she identifies the updates in the social work industry and incorporates those changes in her course.

She explains this: "The DSM, the Diagnostic Statistic Manual, gets periodically updated. When there's an update that we need to alter our course of action, as well. It is important that the Code of Ethics that social workers are required to adhere to changes so we make sure that we stay on top of that."

I want to know what happens after students take their licensing test and get their license. This is when Meagan tells me about continuing education. area.

"We assessed the state of the business and said"We've got a great community in this area. What can we do to continue to engage after they get licensed?'" Meagan recounts. "Social workers, and a lot of health professionals, have to complete continuing education courses to maintain their licenses. We thought that's a great way to continue with our clients even after they pass [their exams]."

In 2023, Meagan along with Alex moved to the area of continuing education. To do this, Meagan interviews leaders in the field of mental health for professional development material. "You can take your test with us and continue to utilize our professional development tools that will serve as a lifetime learning milestone."

They built and nurtured solid communities

One of the primary objectives Meagan and Alex set when they founded Agents of Change was forming an enduring community. They now have a Facebook community with 15000 members as well as an email list with about 50,000 members. They grew these communities by offering free resources and nurturing their members.

Meagan runs two study groups live each month, which lets students interact with her live and provides useful feedback on the program. Her constant and consistent value is the basis for her word-of-mouth advertising that happens when someone uses the program.

"Once users have tried the program, it's word of mouth. We receive a lot feedback like 'I learned about your program from an acquaintance. What's really cool about our Facebook community is that those who completed the test are still there to support other people."

The area of continuing education Meagan and Alex have begun to work in allows the two to provide valuable content to their members that have already obtained their license.

They diversified their marketing channels

Meagan as well as Alex have created a thriving community and help so many social workers-aspiring and experienced alike-because they're serious about their marketing.

In the midst of their large Facebook group and email lists, they keep a blog, YouTube channel with more than 19,000 subscribers, Instagram, TikTok, as well as LinkedIn accounts, and a podcast where Meagan breaks down practice questions, and discusses salient topics such as overcoming anxiety during tests and rebounding from a failed test.

But they didn't start using all of these marketing channels in a single day; they began with using one channel, and a few valuable lead magnets. "We were in search of [a place] where we can find large communities of social workers that we could promote our product with, and also get testimonials," Alex recounts. "We found them on social media, and were able to give the people things at no cost to get feedback and then grow from there."

The business was growing as they grew, they began to publish new content for free on their other channels, like their YouTube channel, blog in the end, their podcast. As a majority of social workers hang out on Facebook and Twitter, they also run sponsored ads on Facebook to expand their reach.

The email list they have created has been the mainstay of their progress towards becoming Agents of Change. In their list of email addresses they offer free tools, like product previews and daily practice exams for no cost. Also, they share testimonials from their courses, which primes those considering going through the test to purchase the program.

"Email is a critical aspect of leading nurture and nurturing, particularly when you've caught someone very early on throughout their exam journey. We have some people on our mailing list for more than a year prior to when they're ready to take their exam, and we're happy to assist them in their learning."

One thing Meagan and Alex discovered through diversifying their channels of marketing is that even though there's a little commonality between their communities, each one can be used to draw in diverse audiences with different requirements. So, they've organized the content they put out on each platform into a kind of funnel that connects one platform to the next.

For example, they've noticed that people on TikTok or Instagram are just getting acquainted with the test at a high level, so they have basic content available on these platforms. Facebook's community, on the other hand, is more in the deep weeds. Therefore, they respond to particular questions and have conversations among members.

The course covers all the information they require in order to pass the ASWB test. Once they've earned the license, they will be able to access the LinkedIn page to access content which will allow them to grow within their professions.

Alex says:

        "We're trying to use our services as well as our marketing efforts, help the entire lifespan of a social worker all the way from elementary school through retirement."      

They hired the team

Being an entrepreneur who has an extremely fast-growing company, there'll be a point at which you're unable to handle the entire task all on your own and not burn out. The only way to avoid this is to employ a team to help you in the event of a crisis.

It was no different the case for Meagan as well as Alex.

Agents of Change was quickly growing and they'd built strong communities across multiple platforms. It wasn't easy for them both to handle content creation, content updates, and managing community engagement all by themselves.

So they hired two social workers to work part-time for their company, as a community manager and a social media content manager. On why they hired social workers in particular, Meagan expounds: "It's essential that we employ employees who can represent our service is. It's been extremely helpful as well, since agents of change has seen a massive growth and in a manner that we didn't envision."

Even though the two newly hired employees work on a part-time basis, Meagan and Alex include them in the brainstorming as well as ideas for products aspects of the business.

"We are very active in group communication," Meagan tells me. "We meet weekly for standup meetings and do a lot of road maps for the places we want to go. Each year, we've got a large feature we are trying to push out. This is our objective to allow us to keep improving our products."

They kept their prices reasonable

Despite how extensive their Bachelors', Master's clinical exam preparation programmes are, the most base course is only $95. It's a bargain considering the volume of content Meagan offers and is also much less than competitors.

On keeping their prices low, Alex says that during the initial market research, he found that many course firms were charging anywhere between $300 and $400 on average for a decent test prep course.

"Social employees aren't the highest-paid people. They've graduated from college with lots of student loans. It was crucial for us to give many alternatives for free, but also keep our initial offering at a low price point relative to others out there. We are at lowest cost for test preparation across the board."

Alex mentioned, however, that there are additional lessons or practice exams that students can include in the $95 program in case they wish to move beyond the basics, but they are not required. "You are able to pass the test through the basic course. There are still no-cost study groups twice a month. You also get the community perks with a one-time cost of $95 ."

Meagan added to this by saying that her decision to keep the prices lower is driven by her priorities: affordability and accessibility. That's why, even though it's not expensive right this moment, Meagan and Alex still provide a scholarship to those who aren't able to afford it.

"Every year, we give away 15-20 packages each year to those who are experiencing difficult financial times and are not able to pay for the cost. Volunteering and performing volunteer work for the public is essential to our organization," Meagan shares.

Due to this, they utilize's coupons and discount code features to make things easier for individuals, including those that don't get the award.

The integrations were used.

Since transitioning from Gumroad to  Gumroad, Meagan and Alex have been able to 10X their annual revenue and have transformed Agents of Change into a thriving company. In my question about how it they have been able to monetize their business and expand their company, they spoke of the integration of pricing and structure.

They started with PDF files which contained questions for practice which students had to record on paper, and then score their own. However, with the help of a computer program  their new software, they could incorporate their class with Brillium the assessment software that allows the students to hand out tens of thousands of test questions and provide valuable feedback.

Beyond Brillium Meagan and Alex were also in a position to incorporate AI features into their curriculum. "Meagan as well as I got the feedback of many students seeking someone to ask questions to immediately," Alex explains. "They can send us emails and we could respond, however it may take a day or so until we get back with an appropriate answer... therefore, instead, we developed a custom AI instrument that serves as a tutor who is available 24/7. will answer questions from students and give them practice questions, and direct them to the right places."

The AI chatbots do present additional business expenses but, therefore Alex makes use of's pricing tools to price the bot as the monthly service, which is distinct from the one-time class. "I consider that the ability to work regarding pricing options whether that's subscriptions, one-time pricing, add-ons, or order bumps have helped us transform our ideas-integrations or otherwise-into reality and then price the bots in a way that is affordable for our students and will also cover the expenses of business too!" he says.

In the coming year, the couple plans to keep growing in the continuous learning space and solidify Agents of Change as a pioneer in the test preparation space for social workers. Over the next five years, they envision holding a conference for social workers. Alex says:

        "Knowing that we are now part of the biggest networks of social workers, we are coming back to our vision and purpose of the business. It is helping social workers throughout their careers."      

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