Creator Spotlight: How Jack Burke Turned His Cycling Passion Into a Full-Time Digital Business on Payhip

Jack Burke knows what it means to chase a dream at full speed. As a Canadian professional cyclist racing on UCI Continental teams, his life was built around discipline, endurance, and the pursuit of elite performance. 

But in 2022, a devastating training accident forced everything to change. Suddenly, the path he had spent years riding felt uncertain, and he found himself searching for a new way forward. Instead of walking away from the sport, Jack turned his hard-earned experience into something lasting. He poured his knowledge and stories into his ebook How To Become A Pro Cyclist, a digital training guide that grew into a full-time business and thriving community.

In this Q&A, Jack shares the honest lessons behind his journey, from choosing the right niche to pricing, marketing, and building a creator business that truly lasts.

Q: What’s your process for finding a profitable digital product idea or niche?

I kept it really simple. I’m a former professional cyclist, so cycling is what I know best, and storytelling has always come naturally to me. I didn’t overthink the niche or rely on complicated tools. I just chose a topic I had real experience in and decided to write a book, along with an audiobook and ebook version to sell online. I also had credibility from my results during my pro cycling days, so people trusted what I had to share. I focused on what I’d actually lived through, the training, the mistakes, the lessons, the results. That honesty is what made it resonate. People listened, shared it with friends, and it grew from there.

Q: How do you determine the right price for a digital product?

I’ve sold products from around €40 all the way up to €1,000. What I’ve learned is that it’s pretty hard to sell a one-time digital product for much more than about $40. That mid-range price just works really well for me.

I do think it’s smart to keep a high-priced option available as a price anchor. When someone sees one product at $1,000 and another at $40, the $40 suddenly feels like an easy decision.

If you want to charge more than that, subscriptions tend to work better. People are more willing to pay regularly if they’re getting ongoing value like new content or updates. At higher price points, buyers usually expect something more personal too, like one-on-one coaching or calls, which is less scalable but definitely possible.

Q: What factors matter most when choosing your eCommerce platform? Why did you choose Payhip?

The biggest factor for me was pricing, and that’s honestly the main reason I chose Payhip.

It was free to start, which makes a huge difference when you’re just getting going. In the beginning, you might only sell a couple things, or nothing at all, and the last thing you want is extra monthly costs stressing you out. With Payhip, if you’re not making sales, you’re not paying anything.

Instead, they take a small percentage only when you actually sell something, so there’s no upfront risk. Then as your store grows, you can switch to a monthly plan once it makes financial sense, so you never have to worry about costs getting out of control.

On top of that, it was just really simple to use. You don’t have to have any technical skills, and it still felt easy to set up product pages, build a storefront, and start selling right away.

Q: What are your top tips for creating a product listing that converts?

Honestly, my number one tip is reviews. When I first started, I only made a few sales, but early on I also gave away a lot of copies to friends and fellow pro cyclists. I waited a couple of months, then reached out and asked if they’d leave an honest review for the ebook.

Now, when people land on my product page, they immediately see tons of authentic reviews. That kind of social proof is the biggest driver of conversions.

My second tip is having a really strong guarantee. I tell people:

“If this isn’t the best $40 you’ve ever spent to become a better cyclist, I’ll refund you, and you can still keep the book.”

In the three years I’ve done this, I’ve only had one refund request, and I’ve sold a lot of books. It’s my full-time job now, so that guarantee has absolutely been worth it.

Q: Which platform has brought you the most sales?

From my experience, Instagram gives me the biggest exposure and helps me reach a large audience.

But my podcast drives the most conversions by far. People spend real time with you on a podcast. They get to know you, trust you, and that makes them much more likely to buy. Honestly, most people who listen to the podcast end up buying the book. It’s my number one channel for sales.

The way I think about it is simple: Instagram goes broad, but podcasts go deep.

Q: Do you run any promotional campaigns for your digital product?

The only promotion I run is a holiday special. For about five days before Christmas, I offer a simple deal: buy one, get two free.

It works really well because people can grab a copy for themselves and gift the extra ones to friends or family. After someone purchases, I just email them coupon codes so they can redeem their free copies.

That campaign consistently drives a big boost in sales every year around the holidays.

Q: What’s your biggest takeaway for creators starting today?

I got into this because I love storytelling and wanted to share what I knew, which was cycling.

Payhip made it possible because it was free to start, easy to use, and scalable as I grew. You don’t need money upfront or advanced tech skills to begin. You just need something you care about, something you’ve lived through, and the willingness to put it out there.

Start somewhere simple, and let what you know become what you share.

Jack Burke’s Story

Jack Burke’s path from elite racing to running a thriving digital product business shows how quickly a personal passion can turn into something life-changing. By taking what he knew from years in professional cycling and packaging it into a resource that genuinely helps others, he created more than just an ebook. He built a community, a sustainable income, and a new career on his own terms.

Whether you’re a coach, creator, or expert in any niche, Jack’s story is a reminder that you don’t need a complicated plan or a big budget to begin. You just need knowledge, authenticity, and the right platform to support your growth. If you’re ready to share what you know and build a digital product business of your own, Payhip is built to help you get started. Your creator success story could be next!