How Grammy-Winning Engineer Jeff Ellis Built a 6-Figure Course Business
With credits on albums by artists like Frank Ocean, Jeff set out to create the best mixing online course. Cheekily named “Mixer Brain,” his $370 course made over 1,500 sales in eight months.
Grammy-winning engineer Jeff Ellis was already at the top of the music industry when he realized his craft had a “disease”: Many producers seem to prioritize expensive gear and external validation over the actual art and emotion of music. He calls this problem “Mixer Brain.”
By distilling his record mixing principles into an online course built on Thinkific, Jeff is “curing” and helping artists find their authentic sound. What’s more, he grew his learning business to six-figure revenue in less than a year.
Since launching his Mixer Brain course on Thinkific in March 2025, Jeff has achieved:
- 1,500+ course sales in eight months
- $444,000+ in total revenue (at a ~$296–$370 price point)
- Tons of five-star reviews from a global community of learners
Watch the video case study below:
The challenge: curing “Mixer Brain”
As a professional record mixer with a career spanning over a decade, Jeff noticed a recurring problem in the music industry. Aspiring producers are often obsessed with gear and technical perfection, losing sight of the art and emotion of music. Jeff describes this creative paralysis as “Mixer Brain,” which he named his course after.
“Everything being taught nowadays in my craft of record mixing does the opposite of what it should be. My course aims to take musical artists back to a place of art and emotion.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
To bring his vision for Mixer Brain to life, Jeff had to solve two key pieces of the puzzle first:
- Structuring the course: Translating the highly technical, intuitive craft of record mixing into a course curriculum
- Building a tech stack: Finding a platform with the technical essentials, like video hosting and commerce tools, so he could focus on the building his course
The solution: building a principle-based course on Thinkific
Jeff’s path to launching Mixer Brain started with his own journey as a learner. While taking a jiujitsu course hosted on Thinkific, he learned about the online learning commerce platform. He also realized that he learned best through principles rather than individual techniques.
“I learned about Thinkific [while taking a course by Jordan Teaches Jiu Jitsu.] I didn’t know there was a platform out there where the backbone of video hosting, e-commerce, and everything is already handled.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
To build the course curriculum, Jeff distilled his record mixing philosophies into actionable chapters centered around a unique Western film theme — with titles like “The Battlefield,” “The Katana,” and “Balance in the Force.”
“When you start trying to teach something, it actually makes you better, because you have to distill your knowledge in a way that makes sense for other people. Along the way in making my course, I actually learned a lot about myself and my process. That only made it better.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
1,500+
course sales in eight months
$444k+
in total revenue
The strategy: authentic marketing and smart pricing
In a crowded online space, Jeff cuts through the noise by embracing his own personality and humor. This is reflected on his course’s landing page, where the intentional use of Comic Sans, a retro-inspired mascot, a bright palette of neon green and pink, and a cowboy-themed course trailer create a memorable first impression.
Using humor to stand out
When it comes to creating paid ads for his course, Jeff isn’t afraid to be unconventional.
“Our ads have wizards casting spells, and weird songs and narrator voices. We try to create a brand identity that’s unlike anything else, and we have a really great time making the ads. That really resonates with people.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
The takeaway here isn’t about being funny in your marketing – it’s about authenticity and taking creative risks. While your marketing might not feature wizards, having a unique brand helps you stand out online. This will help you get more leads, and ultimately grow your sales.
Pricing strategically, with the help of AI
With the goal of educating artists around the world about record mixing, Jeff decided from the start that he’d make his course accessible to as many learners as possible. And he has a great tip for coming up with pricing:
“After launching the course, I played around with the price a bit. Once I had enough data, I used ChatGPT to help look at my numbers and figure out what the most efficient sale price was.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
For Jeff, the optimal price point for his course is $370. By almost always running a 20% discount, the final price drops to $296, just under the $300 threshold. This strategic pricing approach helps create value perception and also reduces customer resistance.
Leveraging professional achievements and reviews to build trust
In the online learning space, credibility is currency. For Jeff, that means using his professional track record to build immediate trust and eliminate buyer hesitation.
To validate the premium price of Mixer Brain, Jeff’s course landing page prominently showcases his Grammy Award, a list of notable artists he’s worked with (from Frank Ocean to Doja Cat), and tons of five-star learner reviews. The combination of industry accolades and community feedback is a powerful form of marketing in itself – it conveys the value and quality of the course, effectively prompting someone to go from casually browsing to clicking “buy now.”
The results: high-growth success and lasting impact
In just under a year, Mixer Brain has seen explosive growth, achieving over 1,500 sales and generating upwards of $444,000 in revenue. While Jeff’s course has become a powerful profit engine, the real-world impact it has on the music industry is even more profound.
- Financial and personal freedom: This high-growth second income stream has fundamentally changed Jeff’s life, giving him the financial freedom to take his first long vacation in years.
- Shaping industry language: An active Discord learner community has adopted Jeff’s unique terminology, making Mixer Brain concepts a new shorthand for producers across the music industry.
- A trusted resource for music producers: With his well-reviewed course, Jeff has established an essential benchmark for his field, helping thousands of producers refocus on the art and emotion of their craft.
“The most rewarding thing is when I see the impact that the course is having on my learners. A few years from now, the course is going to have such a strong impact on the world of music, having retrained so many songwriters, producers, and engineers to focus more on art and emotion.”
— Jeff Ellis, founder of Mixer Brain
Ready to turn your expertise into new revenue streams? Start your free trial with Thinkific today.
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