THE KNOW + TELL LIBRARY
41 examples of people sharing their expertise, from one-person channels and local classes to full businesses. Filter by size or topic, or search for your craft, and borrow what works.
WHY A LIBRARY?
Most people who share what they know start small: one format, one audience, a few hours a week. These examples show the whole range, so you can find someone a few steps ahead of where you are and see how they did it.
41 of 41 examples
MEDIUMA repair enthusiast who teaches people to diagnose and fix electronics, with practical courses, group troubleshooting and a paid learning community. People pay not just for information, but for help with their own projects.
Start a YouTube channel →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLA longtime fermentation enthusiast turned his knowledge of sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and other fermented foods into classes, online courses, workshops, a book and community events.
Run your first paid workshop →Read the profile →fermentersclub.com ↗
MEDIUMEvelyn teaches people how to sew high-quality garments using vintage techniques. She combines free YouTube instruction with a paid membership, lessons and a community of learners, including older adults who want to improve their skills.
Turn your hobby into a business →Read the profile →evelynwood.com.au ↗
SMALLA personal-finance educator who built an independent platform around financial advice that reflects a wider range of people’s lived experiences. Her work includes educational resources and training for educators and nonprofit organizations.
Monetize your expertise →Read the profile →healthyrich.co ↗
SMALLA couple with complementary backgrounds built an online membership teaching authentic Italian regional cooking. It goes beyond recipes to explain techniques, ingredients and the traditions behind the food.
Start a cooking channel →Read the profile →rusticocooking.com ↗
SMALLA former school librarian and quilt-pattern designer launched a travel-themed quilting program with just 11 students. She developed it with her first members, then began turning the material into self-guided programs.
From classroom to online →Read the profile →emeraldfallsquilts.com ↗
MEDIUMA middle-school teacher who started writing online about his professional practice. The blog grew into a business supported by writing, courses and digital products, without his having to leave the classroom to get started.
From classroom to online →Read the profile →davestuartjr.com ↗
SMALLHe began sharing what he was learning about selling on eBay and managing money through livestreams. When viewers asked him to teach them, he created online programs and digital products.
Sell your knowledge online →Read the profile →wealthstreamsacademy.com ↗
SMALLA former registered nurse with a passion for woodworking began sharing projects online. Making things with his children grew into practical tutorials, a learning community and beginner courses.
How to teach woodworking →Read the profile →themakeruniversity.com ↗
SMALLAfter decades working as a waitress, she explored online business, learned to create digital products with Canva, and developed educational offers and memberships for women seeking more financial independence.
Sell your knowledge online →Read the profile →pamallenonline.com ↗
MEDIUMA quilter, pattern designer and inventor who uses video to teach techniques and connect with other makers. YouTube introduces her work to people who then explore her patterns, tools and classes.
Start a YouTube channel →Read the profile →carolinamoorepatterns.com ↗
SMALLA garden consultant who used online education to grow her practical gardening business, building the skills and systems to expand her client base and turn her knowledge into a more sustainable livelihood.
Consulting after retirement →Read the profile →homegrownandharvested.com ↗
SMALLA former high school teacher whose videos on topics from LED lightbulbs to renewable energy make homes greener by teaching people how to save energy.
Start a YouTube channel →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLHe worked at Alcoa for 32 years and retired as a plant manager in 2019. He had no intention of starting a YouTube channel and has since made more than 400 videos.
Consulting after retirement →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLSince retiring from teaching in 2013 he’s built a channel of about 2,000 lectures from education thinkers, with more than 5 million views in 234 countries.
Teach what you know online →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLKrista Russell helps quilters build practical skills, create meaningful projects, and finish quilts they are proud to use, gift, and remember.
Teach a class locally →Read the profile →timelessquiltstudio.com ↗
SMALLA veteran general contractor and blacksmith who started filming shop lessons with his son. The channel exists to show the knowledge that only comes from experience.
How to teach woodworking →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLRetired at 55 after 33 years in the aluminum industry and wrote about the transition, money and meaning alike. The blog led to a book.
Business ideas for retirees →Read the profile →theretirementmanifesto.com ↗
SMALLA small-town shop owner in upstate New York who films real diagnostics on real customer cars, supported by channel memberships.
Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLCooks recipes from old community cookbooks and food history, with unhurried, curious commentary from a kitchen in Toronto.
Start a cooking channel →Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
SMALLA former broadcaster telling long, deeply researched stories from history. Episodes are free; the back catalog is sold.
Read the profile →dancarlin.com ↗
SMALLA weekly email of ten things he found interesting, alongside a blog and small books about creative work.
Read the profile →austinkleon.com ↗
SMALLClear video tutorials for knitters, paired with patterns sold to the people who learned from them.
How to sell knitting patterns →Read the profile →verypink.com ↗
SMALLPractical, natural advice for backyard flocks, grown from a blog into books and a long-running show.
Read the profile →fresheggsdaily.blog ↗
MEDIUMRan a Fort Lauderdale restaurant for two decades, then a cooking school. Relaunched his YouTube channel in 2020, in his late sixties, with recipes and a store of his own tools.
Start a cooking channel →Read the profile →chefjeanpierre.com ↗
MEDIUMLeft a career in international development to film Italian grandmothers making pasta by hand. The channel became award-winning cookbooks and a podcast.
Start a cooking channel →Read the profile →pastagrannies.com ↗
MEDIUMDecades of growing vegetables without digging, taught through free videos, paid online courses, books and visits to his garden.
Read the profile →charlesdowding.co.uk ↗
MEDIUMA respectful approach to raising toddlers, shared through a popular podcast, books and an online course.
Read the profile →janetlansbury.com ↗
MEDIUMDecades inside the publishing industry, turned into a paid newsletter for authors, online classes and consulting.
Read the profile →janefriedman.com ↗
MEDIUMA lifelong hand-tool woodworker teaching through free videos, a paid masterclass membership and books.
How to teach woodworking →Read the profile →paulsellers.com ↗
MEDIUMScience-backed barbecue and grilling, built from a website into a paid Pitmaster Club and a bestselling book.
Start a cooking channel →Read the profile →amazingribs.com ↗
MEDIUMTwo physical therapists explaining aches and fixes in plain language, supported by product reviews and recommendations.
Read the profile →bobandbrad.com ↗
MEDIUMHis father left when he was 14, so he started filming the basics a dad would teach, like tying a tie or changing a tire. The channel drew millions of subscribers and became a book.
Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
LARGEStarted a quilt shop for retirement money during the recession. Her son suggested YouTube tutorials; they turned a small Missouri town into a quilting destination.
Read the profile →missouriquiltco.com ↗
LARGEAfter hotels and Airbnb, he co-founded a “midlife wisdom school” with workshops, regional chapters and campuses in Baja and Santa Fe.
A second career after 50 →Read the profile →meawisdom.com ↗
LARGEA record producer and teacher explaining why great songs work, with a music theory book and courses behind the channel.
Read the profile →youtube.com ↗
LARGEFree, structured guitar lessons that grew into an app, songbooks and paid courses.
Read the profile →justinguitar.com ↗
LARGEA free weekly podcast on the basics of managing people, backed by paid training and conferences.
Consulting after retirement →Read the profile →manager-tools.com ↗
LARGEA former FBI hostage negotiator turned his field experience into a bestselling book and a negotiation training firm.
Consulting after retirement →Read the profile →blackswanltd.com ↗
LARGEA small flower farm that teaches growers through online workshops and books, and sells the seeds to go with them.
Read the profile →floretflowers.com ↗
LARGEAn electrician who became the go-to teacher of the electrical code, with books, videos and exam prep for the trade.
Read the profile →mikeholt.com ↗No examples match yet. Try another topic, or tell us about someone who should be here.
SHOW US WHAT YOU KNOW
We’re always adding real people sharing what they know, and small is what we’re looking for most.
