Best Business Courses from Industry Leaders Who Actually Built Empires
Listen, I’ve been in this space long enough to know who’s actually running successful businesses and who’s just selling courses about running successful businesses.
The difference matters. A lot.
Anyone can package generic business advice into a course. But the people below? They’ve built real empires—eight-figure companies, massive personal brands, businesses that changed entire industries. They know what actually works at scale, not just what sounds good in theory.
I’ve watched these instructors from the inside. I’ve seen their strategies implemented by their students. I’ve tracked the results. And I can tell you: These courses reveal the actual playbooks behind successful companies.
Not theory. Not fluff. The real strategies that built real businesses.
Top Business Training from Proven Industry Leaders
1. Market Like a CEO by Jereshia Hawk – Best for CEO-Level Marketing Strategy
What You’re Getting: Jereshia Hawk’s system for marketing at the executive level—not tactics, but strategic marketing that drives real business growth. Jereshia’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, and this course reveals what she teaches them behind closed doors.
Why This is Different: ✅ CEO-Level Thinking: Learning to think about marketing strategically, not just tactically. This is how the big players operate. ✅ Industry Insider Knowledge: Jereshia works with top entrepreneurs and companies. She knows what’s actually working right now. ✅ Beyond Social Media: Real marketing strategy that builds businesses, not just Instagram engagement. ✅ Positioning Mastery: How to position yourself as the obvious choice in your market. ✅ Long-Term Brand Building: Creating marketing that builds lasting value, not just quick wins.
The Reality: ❌ Strategic, Not Tactical: If you just want Instagram tips, this isn’t it. This is high-level strategy. ❌ Requires Business Foundation: You need a solid business and offer. This won’t help you figure out what to sell.
Perfect For: Established business owners ready to market like executives, not influencers. If you’re tired of hustle marketing and want to build a brand that lasts, Jereshia shows you how the pros do it.
2. Business by Design by James Wedmore – Best Complete Business Building System
What This Delivers: James Wedmore’s comprehensive business-building framework—from mindset to systems to scale. James has built an eight-figure business and mentored thousands of entrepreneurs. This course is his complete playbook.
The Complete System: ✅ Business Foundation: Building on solid ground, not shaky tactics that collapse under pressure. ✅ Mindset + Strategy: Addresses both the psychology and mechanics of business success. ✅ Scalable Systems: Creating businesses that grow without requiring more of your time. ✅ Proven Track Record: Thousands of students have used this system to build six and seven-figure businesses. ✅ Community: Access to a network of serious entrepreneurs implementing the same strategies.
What to Know: ❌ Comprehensive = Time Investment: This covers everything. You need to commit to working through the complete system. ❌ Inner Work Included: James teaches that business success starts with mindset. If you just want tactics, you’ll be frustrated.
Best For: Entrepreneurs building or scaling service-based or coaching businesses. If you want the complete system—mindset, strategy, systems, and scale—from someone who’s done it at the highest level, this is it.
3. CEO Academy by Xtina Harmsworth – Best for Leadership Development
What You Learn: Xtina Harmsworth’s executive leadership training for entrepreneurs. How to actually run a business as CEO, not just be a solopreneur doing everything yourself.
The Leadership Focus: ✅ CEO Mindset: Shifting from worker to executive—running the business instead of being stuck in it. ✅ Team Building: Building and leading teams that execute your vision without constant supervision. ✅ Decision-Making Frameworks: Making high-level decisions quickly and confidently. ✅ Strategic Planning: Thinking years ahead, not just quarter to quarter.
The Requirements: ❌ Not for Beginners: This is for established businesses ready to scale with teams. ❌ Requires Investment: Building teams and systems costs money. You need revenue first.
Ideal For: Business owners ready to step into the CEO role fully. If you’re doing everything yourself and it’s killing you, or you have a team but aren’t leading them effectively, Xtina teaches you to operate as a real executive.
4. The Spirit of Your Business Masterclass by Colette Baron-Reid – Best for Purpose-Driven Business
What This Teaches: Colette Baron-Reid’s masterclass on building a business aligned with your soul’s purpose. Not just profitable—meaningful. Colette’s built a multi-million dollar brand while staying deeply connected to spiritual integrity.
The Purpose Alignment: ✅ Soul-Aligned Business: Building something that feeds your spirit, not just your bank account. ✅ Intuitive Decision-Making: Using intuition alongside strategy for better business decisions. ✅ Spiritual + Practical: Combining energetic alignment with sound business principles. ✅ Sustainable Success: Creating businesses that feel good long-term, not just achieve external metrics.
What to Expect: ❌ Not Pure Strategy: This includes spiritual and energetic work. If you’re purely left-brain, it won’t resonate. ❌ Different Success Metrics: Focuses on alignment and meaning, not just revenue (though revenue comes).
Perfect For: Spiritual entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses without compromising their values or connection to purpose. If you’re making money but feeling empty, or afraid to charge because it feels wrong, Colette bridges spirit and business.
View The Spirit of Your Business Masterclass →
5. Winning the Game of Business VIP by John Assaraf – Best for Neuroscience-Based Business Strategy
What You Get: John Assaraf’s VIP training on business success through neuroscience and proven systems. John’s built multiple eight-figure companies and been featured in The Secret. This isn’t manifestation fluff—it’s neuroscience applied to business.
The Neuroscience Edge: ✅ Brain Science: Understanding how your brain works and using that knowledge for business success. ✅ Limiting Belief Removal: Identifying and removing unconscious beliefs that cap your growth. ✅ Strategic Systems: Proven business systems combined with brain optimization. ✅ High-Level Network: VIP access means connecting with serious entrepreneurs at your level.
The Investment: ❌ VIP Pricing: This is premium training with premium pricing to match. ❌ Commitment Required: You’re not just buying content—you’re committing to a transformational process.
Best For: Serious entrepreneurs ready to invest at the highest level. If you’re building or scaling a significant business and want neuroscience-backed strategies plus high-level mentorship, this is worth the investment.
View Winning the Game of Business VIP →
6. Brand Authority Profits by Dan Henry – Best for Authority-Based Business Building
What This Includes: Dan Henry’s system for building a business based on authority and personal brand. Dan went from broke to eight figures by positioning himself as an authority. This course teaches you to do the same.
The Authority Strategy: ✅ Positioning Mastery: Becoming the recognized authority in your space, not just another option. ✅ Premium Pricing: How authority allows you to charge premium prices without resistance. ✅ Trust Building: Creating the credibility that makes selling easy because people already trust you. ✅ Story-Driven Marketing: Using your story to build authority and connection simultaneously.
What to Know: ❌ Requires Expertise: You need actual knowledge and results to build authority around. ❌ Personal Brand Focus: This works for personal brands, not anonymous businesses.
Ideal For: Experts, consultants, and coaches who want to be recognized as authorities in their field. If you’re good at what you do but struggling to communicate your value and charge accordingly, Dan shows you how authority solves both problems.
View Brand Authority Profits →
7. Iconic Personal Brand 2.0 by Kathryn Porritt – Best for Building a Recognized Brand
What This Offers: Kathryn Porritt’s updated system for building an iconic personal brand that people recognize, remember, and choose. Not just a business—a brand that stands out in a crowded market.
The Iconic Approach: ✅ Brand Differentiation: Standing out in oversaturated markets by being memorable, not just present. ✅ Visual Identity: Creating a brand aesthetic that’s instantly recognizable. ✅ Message Clarity: Communicating what you do and who it’s for with zero confusion. ✅ Strategic Positioning: Occupying a unique space in people’s minds that competitors can’t touch.
The Reality: ❌ Brand Building Takes Time: This isn’t overnight. Building an iconic brand requires consistency over time. ❌ Requires Visibility: You can’t build a personal brand hiding in the shadows. This requires showing up.
Perfect For: Entrepreneurs and experts who want to be known—not just successful in silence. If you’re building something significant and want to be recognized as a leader in your space, Kathryn teaches the complete brand-building process.
View Iconic Personal Brand 2.0 →
How to Choose Based on Your Business Stage and Goal
Let me break this down by where you are and what you need:
If you’re building your first six or seven-figure business: Start with Business by Design. James gives you the complete foundation.
If you’re established but not marketing effectively: Market Like a CEO teaches you to market strategically, not just tactically.
If you’re stuck doing everything and ready to build a team: CEO Academy helps you step into real leadership.
If you’re making money but it feels empty: The Spirit of Your Business Masterclass helps you align profit with purpose.
If you’re ready to invest at the highest level: Winning the Game of Business VIP gives you neuroscience-backed strategy plus mentorship.
If you need to position yourself as an authority: Brand Authority Profits shows you how Dan went from unknown to industry leader.
If you want to build a brand people recognize and choose: Iconic Personal Brand 2.0 teaches you to become memorable, not just visible.
What Separates Great Business Courses from Mediocre Ones
Here’s what I’ve learned from the inside: The best business courses are taught by people who’ve built real businesses—not just sold courses.
They’ve dealt with hiring mistakes, cash flow problems, scaling challenges, and existential business crises. They’ve succeeded at scale, not just gotten lucky once.
And they teach systems, not hacks. Anyone can give you a tactic that works this month. The instructors above teach frameworks that work regardless of market conditions.
That’s why these courses create lasting results. They’re not teaching trends. They’re teaching fundamentals that successful businesses have always been built on.
Your Next Move
Stop consuming and start implementing.
Pick the course that matches your current business stage and biggest need. Work through it systematically. Implement as you learn—don’t wait until you’ve finished to take action.
The entrepreneurs succeeding right now aren’t the ones consuming the most content. They’re the ones implementing solid strategies consistently.
Choose your course. Build your business. Become the industry leader you’re capable of being.
The playbook’s right here.