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Episode at a glance:
[2:29] The Florida Vacation Domain Purchase That Started It All
Destini was sitting at a kitchen table on a Florida vacation when she discovered the domain name "Hobby Scool" through a domain name generator, and on a whim, she decided to buy it. Then when she got home, she spent time figuring out what business model would actually work for this idea. After testing paid bundles twice without the list growth she hoped for, she decided to try virtual summits - a model she was already familiar with from her personal brand and Summit in a Box.
"With the bundles, I just thought, Okay, I've seen people do this. It seems like they've been successful with this business model. Let me try this and see if it works. And I tried two paid bundles, so I feel like I gave it a good shot, and we definitely made some sales, but it really wasn't growing my email list and my audience the way that I had hoped it would."
[6:03] The First Summit That Changed Everything
Destini's first Hobby Scool summit focused on home gardening - growing herbs and vegetables in your backyard. She followed the proven summit model with a VIP pass, order bumps, and upsells. The results spoke for themselves: significant email list growth and solid sales. While they've since moved away from the home garden niche, that first event proved the model worked and could be replicated across different hobby niches.
"It was a hit. I felt like it really moved the needle with my email list, and we got a good amount of sales. I don't remember all the numbers, but we got a good amount of sales with the VIP pass, and the offers through there. So I knew I was on to something."
[9:45] What Hobby Scool Has Become
Today, Hobby Scool runs multiple virtual summits throughout the year across different hobby niches - from crocheting and embroidery to vintage sewing machines. Each summit attracts thousands of registrations, and the business has evolved to include not just the events themselves but also resources, workshops, and even B2B opportunities where companies purchase seats for their employees' professional development. The platform has become a comprehensive hub for creative hobbyists.
"We've got a really strong kind of portfolio of summits and niches that we're focused in on, but it's just been a really good business model for us."
[15:06] Destini's $1 Million Experiment
After being encouraged by her peer mastermind group, Destini launched "The $1 Million Hobby Scool Experiment" on Substack to publicly document her journey to sell the business by the end of 2027. The public nature of this goal is intentional - it forces her to think differently, take risks she wouldn't normally take, and stay accountable. It was always her intent to build Hobby Scool to eventually sell it, but putting a stake in the ground with a specific timeline and sharing it publicly has changed how she approaches every decision.
"I decided to put a stake in the ground and say this is my goal. I want to do it by the end of 2027 and deciding to share this publicly really was almost just for me, because it makes me think differently. It makes me take risk that I would not normally take."
[17:48] Building Systems for Scale and Sale
Destini is focused on creating revenue streams and systems that make the business more valuable and easier to sell. This includes exploring new sponsorship models, implementing a formal help desk and trouble ticketing system, outsourcing customer support, and setting up marketing systems to reach corporate HR departments for B2B sales. The key is building a business that runs without her daily involvement so she can focus on strategy rather than operations.
"I don't spend a lot of time in the day to day summit stuff with Hobby Scool. I really don't. I try to focus my efforts to be more strategic and forward thinking. What other revenue streams can we do? What do I need to set up to make those happen?"
[19:48] Advice for Building a Sellable Business
If you're thinking about building a business you can eventually sell, Destini emphasizes two critical things from day one: First, keep your financial systems completely separate (PayPal, Stripe, ThriveCart, email system, etc.) from any other business you own - this makes the sale process much cleaner. Second, and most importantly, get people behind the scenes to run the business for you from the start. The business needs to function without you being involved in the day-to-day operations. Focus your energy on strategy and forward-thinking rather than execution.
"I think setting up the financial system so that it's separate is a really good start. Making sure your PayPal, Stripe, ThriveCart, email system, all of that is separate from any other business that you have. That'll make it a lot easier and cleaner when you go to sell."
About Dr. Destini Copp
Dr. Destini Copp is a certified business growth coach for digital product entrepreneurs. She helps business owners go beyond sales funnels to 10X their digital product revenue with growth flywheels that free up their time and scale their business.
Destini's Website | The Newsletter Profit Calculator
The $1 Million Hobby Scool Experiment on Substack
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