go from local teacher to global yoga entrepreneur

if you've been hanging around with me for any length of time, i'm guessing the ultimate vision for your yoga career is a little bit bigger than just being a local yoga teacher. (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

but, i'm thinking that the bar you've set for yourself is a bit higher.

maybe you envision teaching retreats in exotic locales.

or hosting sold-out workshops across the country.

maybe you hope to run an online meditation workshop for hundreds of people all around the world!

awesome. awesome. awesome.

if you have a vision of being a dynamic yoga force on a grand scale, teaching students from all ends of the earth, and projecting your unique yoga voice internationally, i want to share 4 steps that'll help you transform from "local teacher" to "global yoga entrepreneur".

i know first-hand how unbelievably rewarding it is to serve on a global scale. in my last Become a Yoga Brand course, alone, i had yogis from France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, Abu Dhabi and the United States join me for the program. and, cooler yet, i got to interact with them all from the comfort of my home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania! that blows my mind.

now, your vision for serving globally might be radically different, but that amazing thing is -- whatever you envision can (& will) be your reality if you strategically work towards it.

if you're ready to up your global game in 2015, watch this week's vid to get the scoop.

do you dream of serving the yoga community on a grander scale?

share your vision in the comments below!

stop exchanging time for money

it's a common problem.   we start teaching yoga.  we LOVE it.  we can't get enough.  so, we take on more classes and more classes.

and then it happens.  burnout hits.  we didn't really see it coming, but now it's here, and it feels like we're stuck in a no-win situation.

we're making steady, OK money, but if we cut back on teaching, the money goes away.  

we're stuck in the time-for-money cycle, and we can't see how to escape!  (but don't worry, there is a way out.  i promise.)

i'm here today to help you free yourself from this common trap once and for all.

but first, we have to get a few things straight.  

repeat after me...

i provide tremendous value to my students through my teaching.

i deserve to make a good living from teaching.

in order to help people live happier, healthier lives, i need to take care of myself too.

money comes freely and easily.

repeat those a few times, and then we'll continue.

::

ok, ready?!

exchanging time for money is slippery slope because time is finite, which means we max ourselves (and our energy) out at some point.  no good.

instead, we have to start thinking of ways to leverage your time, energy and motivation for the biggest impact.

below, i've outlined 4 ways you can break free from the time-for-money cycle so that you can enjoy more abundance, freedom and JOY in your yoga business.

here we go!

#1 focus on private clients, not group classes

group classes are a great place to start.  they put you in touch with the yoga community and help you to establish your student following, but it's NOT where the money's at.  (have you noticed that yet?...)

most teachers make $30-75/class if they're lucky and most classes are 90 min, which means you're only making $20-50/hour.  

but, when you teach private clients you can easily charge $80-125/hour.  you just quadrupled your hourly rate!

start filtering some of your group class students into privates by reminding them that you offer 1x1 work and inviting them to work with you.  

remember, your regulars LIKE you and WANT to learn from you, so suggesting a private session isn't "salesy"; you're doing them a service!

#2 create premium packages

since we're thinking in the 1x1 vein, here's another tip: sell packages instead of one-off private sessions.  

this works well for a number of reasons...

(a) instead of constantly trying to recruit one person and then another one person, you sell once and then know that you have regular business.

(b) you can charge a premium while giving your students MORE value.  if you pack your packages with value, you can charge a premium for them, which means you're making more money doing what you love while still offering your student amazing value!  (example: 4 private 1x1 sessions {valued at $400}, 2 life coaching sessions {valued at $250}, PLUS bonus guided audio meditation {valued at $50.00} for $635.00 -- a savings of $65.00!)

(c) the longer they work with you, the more benefits they get.  another huge reason to encourage people to work with you more than once is that they'll see the benefits of your work together.  one private session won't do much, but 6 could change their life!  and, they'll likely want to continue with more after the amazing results they experience.

#3 run workshops

another fun & lucrative way to leverage your time and make more money is to create a workshop or workshop series.  this could look like a one-day 5-hour immersion teaching on a topic you're strong in, or could be a series of 4 classes for a niche group that has to pre-register for the classes.  either way, you create the content once, and then you can run the program again and again.  and, you can change more because you're sharing "insider" knowledge.

yogis and yoga teachers LOVE learning.  (i know i do!)  so think about a unique area where you hold some expertise that sets you apart.  are you a skilled meditator?  have your studied ayurveda?  did you live at an ashram in india?  do you also teach hip hop dance or zumba?  have you studied the yoga sutras in depth?  do you teach prenatal classes?  i guarantee there is some area of yoga (or even outside of yoga!) where you're an expert compared to the masses!  capitalize on your uniqueness and share it with others.

#4 start sharing your gifts online

once you have your feet wet with the 3 above, it's time to take it to the next level -- and offer your teachings to the WORLD!  creating an online offering means that you can reach and teach people from all of the globe, 24/7.  (that's pretty awesome if you ask me :-)

just as you did for your workshop, think about an area where you hold special knowledge, and then design a SIMPLE offering around that topic.  start small with an e-book or audio teaching.  then move on to webinars, telesummits and online workshops.  finally, you could think about rolling all that content into a course or more robust online program.

a great (and easy) way to start online is to offer 1x1 work via skype or phone.  again, think about what you're strong in and what people could benefit from, and go from there!  do you offer great, logical, easy-to-follow life advice?  do you have a knack for identifying people's true calling?  do you make meditation seem easy?  whatever it is, embrace it & share it!

for more info about creating your FIRST online offering, read this post.

i wanna hear from you.  share your story in the comments!

are you stuck in the time for money cycle?  how has this post inspired you to break free?  what action are you going to take?

biz: 5 ways you're leaving money on the table as a yoga teacher

today is my birthday!  happy birthday to me :-)

that means homemade banana cake with cream cheese icing.  mmm mmm!

and, when i'm blowing out my candles, one of my wishes (and the reason i started CALM biz) will be to see more and more people doing what they love & making money at it!

that's all i've ever dreamed of for myself -- doing something that i truly and deeply enjoy as my work -- and, i'm so thrilled that for over a year now, i've been growing CALM biz into a thriving community of passionate, biz-minded yogis who really want to make a lasting impact on this world of ours.

in order to help you build your yoga career into something magnificent, just think of today's birthday post as a little gift to you!  it highlights 5 areas where you might be leaving money on the table (or should i say on the yoga mat), so that you can close the leaky holes in your yoga biz & enjoy more abundance!

here are the 5 ways you might be leaving money on the mat...

1. you don't have business goals

goals hold us accountable.  they fire us up.  they give us something to strive for.  if you don't have clear & realistic monthly, 1 year, and even 5 year or "big picture" goals, you're not going to be as focused and driven in your yoga career.   for example, if your dream is to host a yoga retreat, but you don't map out your monthly goals to take you there, it's never going to come together!

plus, goal setting is fun.  set aside some time to daydream about your future yoga career, and write down all your big ideas, then pick a few that you want to actively pursue -- it's as simple as that!

2. you don't have an email list

ok, you probably knew this one was coming because i talk about this topic A LOT.  but that's only because it's truly that important.  in today's online world, it is essential to keep in touch with your yoga students (and potential students!) via email.  your email list then can serve as the backbone of all your yoga marketing efforts, and serves to build a relationship with your students off-the-mat, keeps them informed about what you're doing, and gives them a way to keep in touch with you!

without an email list, you're just shooting in the dark when it comes time to market your upcoming yoga workshop or event.  an email list instantly puts you in touch with the very community that likes you and needs your teaching the most.

3. you don't have a yoga niche

having a niche is a great way to rise to the level of "yoga expert".  why?  because it makes you a big fish in a small pond.  let's face it, the yoga industry is crowded and there are more and more teachers completing teacher training every day.  BUT...there are far fewer who specialize in chair yoga, meditation for teens, or therapeutic flow.

now, i'm not saying that you should arbitrarily pick a niche just for the sake of having one, but if there is an area in which you hold expertise, it may be time to capitalize on it.

the thing is, when your efforts are all over the place, and you try to serve too many different students, you end up serving no one because your teaching gets diluted.  the more the niche-down, the more powerful your message and teachings become.  and you'll become seen as an expert in your niche.  and...experts make the big bucks :-)

don't know what your yoga niche is?  discover it here.

4. you don't think of your teaching as a business

if you don't treat your teaching like a business, it will never be one.  if you don't act like it's your career, it won't be.  ok, i know that's some tough love, but it's the truth.

ever hear the saying "act as if"?  well, that applies here.  if you don't take your teaching seriously, there's no way for it to transform into something bigger and better.

so, what does "taking it seriously" mean?  here are a few things to think about:

• do you have yoga teacher insurance?
• do you have a separate account for your teaching income?
• do you keep track of your yoga income and biz expenses?
• do you actively and consistently work toward your big goals?
• do you make time every week to work on your yoga business?  (FYI this is different than class planning or teaching!)
• do you have a website?
• do you market your yoga offerings yourself?  (or do you hope your studio will?)

5. you don't reach out to your community on a consistent basis

when it comes down to it, commitment to consistency is what separates the yoga teacher amateurs from the pros.  and, as we all know, you've got to go pro to make a living from your passion, right?!

consistency means reaching out to your community (via your email list) on a regular basis, and offering them valuable advice that not only showcases your expertise but helps them develop their practice off-the-mat.  consistency means working on your yoga biz week after week and realizing that it's a marathon, not a sprint.  consistency means holding yourself accountable, not making excuses, and working toward your BIG goals and dreams.

building your teaching into a career is a practice.  just like your yoga practice.

it requires that you show up time and again, push through when it gets tough, and never lose site of your vision.

but, just as with your yoga practice, the beauty is in the doing.

and you'll come to love this career that you're building as much as you love yoga itself.

i want to hear from you!

what is ONE THING you are currently NOT doing that are you going to start doing to tap into more abundance in your yoga career?

biz: 3 signs your yoga career is in trouble & action steps you can take

making a business of teaching yoga isn't easy.  there's no doubt about that.

when you decide to make something you love your career, it's not all sunshine, butterflies, and smiles.  it's stressful, challenging, time consuming, and worrisome.  we wonder constantly "am i doing the right things for my business?" and "am i making the right decisions?"

and, one of the hardest things about all of this is acknowledging when things aren't going right, and making a shift.

it's easy to go into denial when what we love so very dearly -- teaching yoga and helping people live better lives -- isn't going well.  "things will pick up", we say.  or, "this is the slow season."  but, if things have been in need of "picking up" for a long time now, perhaps the truth is that your yoga business is in trouble.

now, that doesn't mean you need to metaphorically close-up-shop and get a 9-to-5 desk job.  it may just mean you have to rethink your approach and infuse more creativity into your yoga career.

in fact, your "troubled" yoga business could be the best thing that ever happened to your biz!  it could be the very shot-in-the-arm, kick-in-the-butt you need to really get serious about how to make it a profitable business, not just a hobby.

if you're wondering if it's time for a change in your yoga career, check out these 3 signs your biz is in trouble (and what you can do about it!):

(1) you're teaching multiple classes 5-6 days a week & you're still strapped for cash. 

if this is you, it's time to rethink your income structure.  if you rely too heavily on public classes, you're going to "cap out" at a certain point, since you only have so many hours in a day.

action step

instead, think about the highest rate of return for your time -- and likely that's teaching private lessons, workshops and trainings.  step outside of your comfort zone, and considering dropping your least attended classes in exchange for income-producing (and fun!) new yoga offerings like a 5 week yoga workshop for beginners, a teacher training that covers your unique area of expertise, or a yoga event filled with meditation, asana, healthy food & music!

(2) you regularly go without.

do you have health insurance?  are you able to take a solid two days off most weeks in order to replenish?  do you attend yoga classes and practice regularly?  if you consistently "go without", it's a sign that you need to rethink your work.  as much as doing work you love can build you up, overworking can totally deplete you (no matter how much you love it)!

action step

you need to evaluate not only what serves your students, but what serves you!  in this case, it may be time to give yourself a raise.  if you're consistently making less than $50+ an hour, it's time to up your hourly.  if you're concerned about how your current private clients will react, have a frank and honest conversation, and explain that in order to continue teaching and serving them to the best of your ability, you have to adjust some things in your business, including your hourly rate -- and, be sure to give them at least 1 month's notice before your raise your rate.

(3) it's not fun anymore! 

do you enjoy teaching?  or are you starting to dread it?  sure, you love your students, but does the idea of showing up day after day, week after week invigorate you, or tire you out?  if teaching isn't fun anymore, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should give it up, it may just mean to need to mix it up.

action step

sit down and make a list of things that sound like pure fun -- walking your dog in the park, getting tea with friends, going out to dinner, listening to great music -- and then think about how to incorporate them into your yoga offerings!  host a "yoga in the park" event and encourage students to bring their (well-behaved) pets, offer a yogi tea time after class where you discuss yoga & life, plan a "yoga girls' night out" and coordinate a healthy, vegetarian dinner with a local restaurant to follow an asana practice, or coordinate a yoga concert where students practice to live music or kirtan.  (just to be clear, i'm NOT suggesting that any of these offerings be free -- you should OF COURSE figure out how to monetize them.  but, how fun would it be to actually look forward to attending an awesome yoga event AND knowing you'll be making great money while doing so?!)  that said, if you really think it's time for a change, consider getting a part-time job doing something you enjoy.  you'll meet new people, learn new skills, make money, and you'll give yourself time to miss teaching, too :-)

in yoga and in life, there needs to be a balance between the effort and the ease.  so, if your yoga business is feeling like all effort, it's time to change something.  live your yoga & adjust.

what's ONE THING you can do to infuse more fun (and money!) into your yoga career?  share it in the comments below!