Your cart

Your cart is empty

How Dara turned a simple idea into a $200,000 digital product

When it comes to selling digital products, there’s a lot of noise—overhyped success stories, inflated revenue claims, and endless strategies promising overnight results. But the reality? Success takes time, persistence, and a willingness to adapt.

Dara Sklar from Synced with Dara knows this firsthand. Over the past few years, she’s built a thriving business teaching small business owners how to be more productive with Google Workspace tools like Gmail and Google Drive. And she’s done it through smart marketing, trial and error, and a refreshingly honest approach to business.

In this conversation, we dive into how Dara turned a simple idea into a $200,000 digital product, the lessons she learned the hard way, and her advice for others looking to create and sell digital products.

Finding the Right Angle: A Simple Shift That Changed Everything

Dara’s business wasn’t an instant success. In fact, she initially struggled to sell a similar course focused on digital organization.

“I always wanted to teach people how to get digitally organized,” she explains. “But when I first tried selling it, nobody bought it.”

The turning point? She realized people didn’t resonate with “digital organization” as a concept—but they did understand the frustration of losing files in Google Drive and dealing with an overflowing Gmail inbox.

“When I slapped on the Google angle and started calling out Gmail and Google Drive as the things I was going to help them organize, suddenly everybody could relate,” Dara says. “The course started selling like hotcakes.”

Lesson learned: People buy solutions to specific problems they recognize. If you're struggling to sell something, consider how you're framing it.

Dara's Go-To for Customers: Facebook Ads

Dara’s main traffic strategy has been Facebook ads, which have brought in most of her 5,428 students.

“I’ve been very lucky that I have something that self-liquidates,” she says. “I spend money on ads, and the sales cover the cost.”

Her ads don’t call out business owners directly. Instead, she uses relatable, problem-based messaging:

  • “Is your Google Drive a mess?”
  • “Have you lost a file you swear you saved?”
  • “Is your inbox out of control?”

The result? People see themselves in the ad and click through.

Her numbers so far:

  • Total sales: $200,000+
  • Total ad spend: ~$150,000
  • Primary course price: $37

While the course breaks even with ads, Dara monetizes further through order bumps, upsells, and a growing membership model.

Lessons Learned: What Not to Do When Selling Digital Products

Dara has made her fair share of mistakes along the way. Here are a few key lessons she wants others to avoid:

1. Don’t Outsource Too Soon

In the beginning, Dara made the mistake of hiring a Facebook ads agency before fully understanding ads herself.

“Learn to do a bunch of stuff yourself first,” she advises. “You’ll make better decisions later when hiring, and you won’t waste money on things you don’t actually need.”

2. Don’t Let One Bad Customer Ruin Your Day

Refund requests, chargebacks, and unhappy customers happen—even when 99% of people love your product.

“Never let one refund or chargeback make you feel like your business is failing,” Dara says. “It’s just the cost of doing business.”

3. Don’t Overspend on Tech Before You Need It

Dara admits she got caught up in the idea of needing expensive software and high production value before her business was ready for it.

“I was trying to be Amy Porterfield from day one,” she laughs. “But that was way too big for my britches. Start with what you need, not what looks fancy.”

Her current tech stack:

  • Checkout: ThriveCart
  • Email marketing: ActiveCampaign
  • Course hosting: MemberVault
  • Website: WordPress
  • Customer support: HelpScout

The Secret to Long-Term Success

One of the biggest reasons Dara has been able to sustain her business for years? She didn’t give up.

“There’s a temptation to keep creating new things instead of just selling the thing you already made,” she says. “But the world doesn’t need you to create something new every month. It needs you to keep sharing the same message until people hear it.”

And the truth is, even after 5,000+ students, she’s barely scratched the surface.

“How many people use Gmail and Google Workspace?” she asks. “Billions. I’m not done yet.”

Thinking About Launching Your Own Digital Product? Dara’s Advice:

  • Stick with it— marketing takes time.
  • Talk about the same thing over and over— your audience is always growing.
  • Make business friends— support makes all the difference.
  • And above all? Keep things simple.

“The best digital products solve a real problem in a way people understand,” Dara says. “If you can do that and keep showing up, you’ll get there.”

Previous post
Next post
Back to Blog