How should payouts be managed if I have a guest teach part of my workshop course? Should I have a written contract or is email documentation enough?

For a one-hour workshop, I don’t recommend bringing in a guest teacher unless you have a true partner and are presenting together. Keeping one teacher as the main focus helps with clarity, engagement, and a smooth delivery.

However, if you still want to include a guest expert, you may not need to pay them. Many guest experts see value in getting in front of your audience and are happy to teach in exchange for exposure. I typically allow guest experts to share a link to their own course or resource as a way to provide mutual benefit.

If you do decide to pay a guest teacher or partner, I recommend offering a flat fee rather than a percentage of course profits — unless you are truly co-creating the workshop together. This keeps things simple and avoids complications.

Regardless of the arrangement, I suggest having a written contract rather than relying on email documentation.