Julian Cole – Planning Dirty Academy

Curriculum (Google Drive Proof)

If you work in advertising, brand strategy, or marketing, you’ve probably felt that impostor syndrome: sitting in a meeting, staring at a blank slide, wondering “What does a good strategy even look like?” Julian Cole’s Planning Dirty Academy – now known as Strategy Finishing School – was built to eliminate exactly that feeling.

In this review, we’ll break down who Julian Cole is, what you actually get inside Planning Dirty Academy, what real strategists say about it, and how you can get the same transformation for a fraction of the usual cost through TSCourses.

Who is Julian Cole – and why should you trust him?

Julian Cole isn’t a “theory-only” marketing guru. He comes straight from the front lines of world-class agencies and global brands.

He has served as Head of Communications Planning at top agencies like BBH and BBDO New York, leading strategy on giant accounts and contributing to more than 100 creative and strategy awards. He has consulted and trained teams at brands like Uber, Disney, Facebook, Apple, Snap, and Best Buy, helping them write better creative briefs and build stronger comms strategies.

In 2017, instead of keeping that knowledge locked in the walls of big agencies, he founded Planning Dirty Academy – a place where strategists could get their hands dirty with real tools, templates, and community support. Over time, that evolved into what’s now known as Strategy Finishing School, but the spirit and content of Planning Dirty remain at its core: practical, battle-tested strategy training for people who actually do the work.

If you want someone who understands how real agencies work, what creative teams need, and what clients expect – Julian is that person.

What exactly is inside Planning Dirty Academy?

Planning Dirty Academy is not just a set of videos. It’s positioned as a full ecosystem for strategists and planners who want to go from “I kind of get strategy” to “I can lead the strategy room with confidence.”

Here’s what the curriculum and experience focus on:

1. Strategy fundamentals and frameworks

The course walks you through the core building blocks of modern advertising and brand strategy. Expect content around:

– The role of a strategist in agencies and in-house teams
– How to move from observations to genuine insights
– Frameworks like the four Cs and other classic planning tools brought into real-world use
– How to decode briefs, problems, and opportunity spaces

Instead of drowning you in jargon, Julian shows you how strategists actually think when they crack a brief or a pitch. You’re not just memorizing frameworks; you’re seeing how to use them to move work forward.

2. Creative briefing and comms planning

One of Julian’s biggest strengths is creative briefing – a skill he’s known and hired for. Planning Dirty Academy dives into:

– How to write creative briefs that creatives actually want to read
– How to define problems sharply instead of writing vague “awareness” goals
– Turning business and audience insights into clear comms strategies
– Structuring strategy decks so clients and creatives instantly “get it”

If you’ve ever felt nervous sending a brief to a creative director or presenting a strategy deck, this part of the curriculum alone can pay for itself.

3. Real tools, templates, and decks

Planning Dirty Academy has always had a “no fluff” reputation. You get access to:

– Strategy templates for briefs, comms plans, and presentations
– Example decks from real campaigns to see how pros structure their thinking
– Checklists and worksheets to apply frameworks to your own projects

You’re not staring at abstract theory. You can literally open a template, plug in your own brand, and move from stuck to started.

4. Becoming a well-rounded strategist

Julian also focuses on the career arc of a strategist – from junior planner to leader. The Academy and its later evolution as Strategy Finishing School talk about:

– The three levels of becoming a strategist
– How to move from executional thinking to big-picture strategy
– How to freelance and land clients using strategic expertise
– How to lead conversations with clients, creatives, and media partners

If you’re ambitious – aiming for Strategy Director, Head of Strategy, or a high-value freelance role – this training is built with that in mind.

5. The community: where a lot of the magic happens

One of the biggest differentiators of Planning Dirty Academy is the community around it.

Members highlight that when you join, you’re not just getting content; you’re getting access to a private space with hundreds of strategists at different levels. Within that community:

– You can ask “dumb” questions in a safe, private environment, without your boss or clients watching.
– You see how other strategists around the world tackle the same brief or problem you’re working on.
– You can share drafts of your strategy documents, and Julian or others will give you feedback (often posted anonymously on your behalf).
– You build a network of peers you can lean on for ideas, references, and career advice.

Several members say that even if you never watched the formal curriculum, the feedback, discussions, and private workshops inside the community are worth the price.

Real student feedback – what do strategists actually say?

From video testimonials and public conversations, a few clear themes emerge about Planning Dirty Academy:

– The community is often labeled “the most valuable” part. Strategists say it’s rare to find a place where people openly share how they think, how they structure decks, and how they solve strategy problems – without ego or politics.
– Many members admit they came in feeling like impostors. After working through the templates, teaching, and feedback, they left feeling more confident in client meetings, pitches, and creative reviews.
– People love that the course is practical. They’re not just learning what a comms framework is; they’re using Julian’s tools the next day on their pitch for a fintech app or retail client.
– Several strategists mention that they rarely ever get to see other strategists’ work. Planning Dirty Academy changes that by giving them visibility into different styles and approaches, which levels up their own thinking.

In short: students don’t talk about “watching a course”; they talk about joining a working lab for strategists.

Who is this course really for?

Planning Dirty Academy is ideal if you are:

– A junior or mid-level agency planner who wants to speed up your learning curve
– A creative who’s being asked to “think more strategically” but has never had formal training
– A brand or marketing manager who wants to brief agencies better and understand their language
– A freelance marketer or strategist who wants sharper tools to charge more and deliver better decks
– A student or career switcher who wants to break into strategy roles and stop guessing what the job entails

If you’re happy staying surface-level, this might feel like overkill. But if you want to be the person others look to for clarity when a campaign is stuck, it’s a strong fit.

The TSCourses advantage: same transformation, better value

Planning Dirty Academy / Strategy Finishing School is premium for a reason: it’s built on years of high-level agency experience and used by strategists at some of the biggest brands in the world.

TSCourses steps in with one clear mission: make that level of strategic training accessible to more people.

Here’s what you get when you choose the Julian Cole – Planning Dirty Academy course through TSCourses:

Cheapest price in the market

Our brand promise is simple: TSCourses commits to the lowest price you’ll find for this course. That means you get access to Julian’s frameworks, templates, and sessions without committing agency-level budgets.

For entrepreneurs, freelancers, and students, that price difference can be the gap between “maybe one day” and “I can start this weekend.”

Instant delivery via Google Drive

Once you complete payment, you don’t wait for approvals, logins, or account setups. You receive an instant Google Drive link with the course materials, so you can start learning the same day.

This is especially powerful if you have:

– A pitch next week and need to level up fast
– A new role you just started and want to get up to speed quickly
– A tight schedule and want immediate, flexible access to everything

High-speed download, no account blocking

Because TSCourses delivers through Google Drive, you avoid the common headache of streaming-only platforms, geo-restrictions, or sudden account suspensions. You can:

– Download the materials at high speed
– Study offline when it suits you
– Access your content without worrying about losing it

15-day satisfaction guarantee

We want you to feel as confident investing in yourself as Julian wants you to feel when presenting your strategy. That’s why TSCourses backs this with a 15-day satisfaction guarantee.

If you feel the course doesn’t match your expectations or your learning needs, you have 15 days to reach out and request a resolution. It de-risks your decision and makes trying this level of training far easier.

TSCourses: The Best Place to Learn Online Courses

Our slogan isn’t just a tagline. At TSCourses, we specialize in curating high-impact courses like Julian Cole – Planning Dirty Academy and making them:

– More affordable
– Easier to access
– Convenient to keep and revisit

Instead of spending months piecing together strategy wisdom from scattered blog posts and YouTube clips, you can plug directly into a system used by real strategists – and do it at the best price available.

Should you get Julian Cole – Planning Dirty Academy?

If any of this sounds like you:

– You hesitate when someone asks, “What’s the strategy?”
– You struggle to turn insights into sharp, inspiring briefs