The Challenge

Before Heartbeat, Charlotte and Laurent stitched their teaching experience together with mismatched tools: Google Classroom, WhatsApp, Thinkific, Peerboard. Nothing worked well for art.

They needed:

• A clean, calm UX for French students of all tech levels
• A place where students could easily share drawings
• A true “learning path” structure
• A stable platform they wouldn’t have to abandon every six months
• A community space that actually felt like community

Every other platform felt either too rigid (LMS-style), too chaotic (busy interfaces), or too impersonal.

And for a mission centered around accessibility—not high-ticket coaching—they needed a platform that could scale without complicating the student experience.

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Why They Chose Heartbeat

Charlotte and Laurent evaluated every major option—Circle, Skool, Mighty Networks, Thinkific—and Heartbeat stood out for one core reason:

“Heartbeat felt like community — not just a tool.”

They chose Heartbeat because it offered:

• A calm, intuitive student experience
• Purpose-built community features (not bolted-on forums)
• Clean workflows for courses, events, docs, and discussion
• A team they trusted and liked
• A platform stable enough to become their long-term home

They didn’t need perfection—they needed the “right imperfections.” Heartbeat matched their philosophy and their teaching style.

Heartbeat’s Impact

Once they moved everything into Heartbeat, Un Autre Atelier finally clicked into place. The platform now powers every part of their student journey:

A Beautifully Structured Learning Path

• Four programs
• ~30 courses each
• 4–9 hours per course
• Sequential unlocking to prevent overwhelm

Students progress at their own pace without facing a wall of content—a major factor in improving retention.

Seamless Course → Community Flow

Assignments link directly into the right channels, so students can share artwork instantly, see peers’ work, and ask questions without friction.

“The shortcuts between courses and channels… we loved that.”

Docs for Deeper Learning

Extended theory, FAQs, and additional guidance live inside Docs, giving students the option to go deeper without cluttering the main curriculum.

Weekly Events + Student-Led Meetups

• Tuesday live sessions
• Workshops
• Local city groups where students meet in parks and museums to draw

This hybrid of online and real-world connection has become part of the community’s heartbeat.

A Platform That Grows With Them

No more switching tools every six months. No more patchwork systems. Just one stable home where they can focus on teaching—and scaling.

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Revenue Growth

While Charlotte chose not to reveal specific revenue numbers, the business story is clear:

• Grew from 80 → ~900 students
• Transitioned from one-off course sales to a scalable subscription
• Improved retention through unlocking + better onboarding
• Doubled down on YouTube as their core acquisition engine
• Built a repeatable system that now grows month over month

The shift to subscription was the turning point. It made art education more accessible—and made the business more sustainable.

“People don’t lack trust in us; they lack trust in themselves. A subscription helped them start.”

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Heartbeat Impact Summary

• Turned four large programs into a smooth, progressive learning journey
• Reduced overwhelm with course unlocking
• Consolidated 5+ tools into one
• Improved retention through cleaner structure
• Enabled frictionless artwork sharing
• Powered weekly events and community-led meetups
• Supported growth from 80 → ~900 students
• Provided a stable foundation for long-term scale