The Website, Course, and Email Marketing Platform I Use to Run My Online Business
- Sonja Ecklund, NBC-HWC
Why I chose Podia — and who it's (and isn't) right for
Note: Some links in these posts are affiliate links. I only recommend tools I personally use and genuinely love. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you — which helps me keep creating free content for coaches like you.
If you're a health coach who wants to have a website, sell digital products or courses, and build an email list — without stitching together five different platforms to do it — this post is going to save you a lot of time and a lot of money.
I've tried a lotttt of website and email marketing tools over the years. And after testing more platforms than I care to admit, I landed on Podia — and I don't ever plan to leave!
What is Podia?
Podia is an all-in-one platform for solopreneurs and small business owners that combines three things most coaches need separately:
A website builder — clean, easy to edit, no coding required
A learning management system (LMS) — for hosting courses, workshops, and digital products
An email marketing system — for building and communicating with your list
If you've been paying for a separate website host, a separate course platform, and a separate email marketing tool, Podia might consolidate all of that into one subscription.
What I use it for
My website. My entire sonjaecklund.com site is built on Podia. I love how easy it is to update pages, change design elements, and make edits without waiting for a developer or fighting with complicated settings. When I want to add something to my site, I do it myself, in minutes.
My courses and digital products. All of my asynchronous courses — including The Behavior Edit, The Business Edit, and The Study Edit — are hosted on Podia. Students log in, access their content, and complete their courses all within the platform. I also sell workbooks, guides, and free resources the same way.
Payment processing. Podia integrates directly with Stripe and/or PayPal, so when a student enrolls in a course or purchases a product, the payment is handled seamlessly. I don't have to manage a separate payment system for my digital products.
Email marketing. I use Podia Email to manage my newsletter, The Behavior Edit. I can grow my list, design and send emails, segment subscribers, and track open rates and click rates all in one place. All of the products that I offer on my website are easily integrated, so there's no managing a bazillion URLs when I write an edition of my newsletter. Not having to toggle between a separate email tool and my website is a genuinely significant time-saver.
Why I love it
Podia makes my business feel manageable.
Before I consolidated onto Podia, I had a website on one platform, my courses on another, and my email marketing on a third. Every time I wanted to do something simple — like add a new course and email my list about it — I was working across three systems, three logins, and three billing accounts.
Podia puts it all in one place. That simplicity has a real cost savings, but it also has a real cognitive cost savings. That's harder to quantify, but it's equally important.
Who Podia is right for
Podia is a great fit if you:
Want a professional website that you can maintain yourself
Sell or plan to sell digital products, courses, or workshops
Want your email marketing in the same place as everything else
Are willing to invest in a slightly more premium tool in exchange for consolidation and ease
Who Podia isn't right for: If you're a new coach who just needs to see clients and isn't planning to sell digital products or courses yet, you may not need Podia right away. Vibly can handle your practice management, and many coaches do just fine with a simple Vibly profile as their online presence to start.
Podia is the right next step when you're ready to build out a more robust digital presence.
What it costs
Podia website + LMS (Shaker plan): $900/year (~$75/month) Podia Email (up to 10,000 subscribers): $600/year (~$50/month)
Podia Email is free for your first 100 subscribers — so you can start building your list without paying anything extra until you're ready to scale.
They also offer a free plan and several more affordable plan options if you're starting small.
How to get started
Sign up for Podia using my link to get $30 off
Choose your plan — start with the free plan if you want to explore, or jump to Shaker if you're ready to build your full site
Set up your website — Podia's onboarding walks you through it step by step
Create your first product — a course, a workshop, or even a free lead magnet to start building your list
Set up Podia Email — even if you're not ready to send yet, get the opt-in form on your site so you're collecting emails from day one
Connect Stripe or PayPal so you can start accepting payments
Download my free guide — The 7 Systems I Use to Manage My Coaching Practice — to see how all of my tools work together.
The Behavior Edit is the only newsletter that demystifies behavior change and teaches you how to EDIT your own behavior.
I'll pop into your inbox 3x/month as your penpal with the inside scoop on coaching and behavior change, tools to help you build a life you don't need to escape from, and powerful coaching questions to reflect on!
PS - There's a real human on the other end of this business. I will never share or sell your personal information. I fully respect the space in your inbox and I love a digital boundary - If you don't want to be on my list, feel free to unsubscribe.
Hi, I'm Sonja!
Hi, I'm Sonja! I'm a board certified health and wellness coach (NBC-HWC), a financial social work coach, a learning and development professional, and a behavior change expert with 15 years of experience helping people change their lives through the power of coaching.
I wholeheartedly believe that life is editable. Most of us think our habits, patterns, and setbacks are permanent, but with the right guidance, you can rewrite your story at any stage. That’s what we'll focus on through my high-touch 1:1 coaching program, The Behavior Edit.
I guide my coaching clients through a proven framework I call EDIT:
Experiment: Test small, safe changes in your behavior without fear of failure.
Design: Create intentional systems that actually fit your life, not someone else’s.
Implement: Take meaningful action in the real world, even when life is messy.
Trust: Build confidence in your ability to course-correct anytime.
Through this process, my clients:
Complete projects or goals they’ve been avoiding for years.
Stop procrastinating and regain control over their habits and routines.
Gain confidence that they can edit their behavior and rewrite their story whenever needed.
Move from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to empowered and in action.