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The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

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Now displaying: May, 2018
May 28, 2018

066: Online Scheduling Tool for Yoga Teachers
with Jane Crites

 

When Shannon began The Connected Yoga Teacher podcast she had a vision to create a safe and supportive community for yoga teachers along with great content shared on a weekly basis. Shannon didn’t have immediate plans to find a sponsor but knew that the podcast’s sponsor would have to offer services that she herself used and about which she could speak passionately. Shannon also felt strongly that she wanted the service to be relevant to yoga teachers. Schedulicity, an online booking application and scheduling tool that Shannon has used since 2011, checked all the boxes.

 

Through a consultation call with her business coach Natalie Eckdahl of BizChix, she was encouraged to create a plan to monetize The Connected Yoga Teacher podcast. Shannon realized that she needed to focus on marketing and sponsorship as those elements would make the longevity of the podcast possible.

 

Today’s guest is Schedulicity’s Jane Crites, VP of Product. Jane began working for the company in 2007.  Shannon and Jane talk about Jane’s love of yoga, upcoming enhancements to their services, the power of scheduling and more.

 

Jane does the work that lights her up in a position that allows her to problem-solve with customers. Jane has been instrumental in putting energy towards marketing to yoga teachers and studios as well as focusing on how Schedulicity’s services can benefit yoga entrepreneurs.

 

Jane lives in Bozeman, Montana (also Schedulicity’s headquarters), and describes the winter landscape as a frozen tundra but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She has a variety of interests including yoga (sometimes hot yoga in the winter ☀), software development languages, has a whole foods plant-based culinary/nutrition certification and is excited to design and create a permaculture food forest in her front yard.

 

2:20 How Schedulicity became The Connected Yoga Teacher’s sponsor

 

5:00 Shannon’s journey to monetizing the podcast

 

7:15 About Jane Crites from Schedulicity

 

9:50 The origin of Schedulicity

 

10:10 Jane’s experience working with Schedulicity

 

12:25  How Schedulicity is able to offer services for free

 

15:00 Is Jane finding an increase of yoga teacher and studio users?

 

16:05 How Schedulicity can serve new yoga teachers

 

17:55 Upcoming plans for Schedulicity enhancements like “Fill My Class” and community-based cross-promotional opportunities

 

21:25 How Jane and the Schedulicity team implement customer suggestions- including Shannon’s :)

 

24:40 Creating your client database to help with marketing your classes

 

25:20 Jane’s yoga journey and interest in yoga teacher training

 

28:40 Other Schedulicity RockStars’ passion for yoga

 

29:55 Jane’s advice for those thinking of trying Schedulicity

 

32:15 Shannon’s key takeaways about the power of scheduling your one-on-ones and more

 

35:55 Exciting MamaNurture Teacher Training news!

 

Links

 

Jane’s email: jane@schedulicity.com

 

Jane on LinkedIn

 

Schedulicity Website

 

Schedulicity on Facebook

 

The Connected Teacher Facebook Group

 

Follow The Connected Teacher on Youtube

 

Book a Consultation Call with Shannon

 

MamaNurture Teacher Training

 

Relevant Podcast Episodes:

 

020: Six Online Tools for Your Yoga Business with Shannon Crow

 

054: Launching a Podcast and Facebook Group with Shannon Crow

 

BizChix Podcast: 235: How I Monetize My Podcast and Platform

 

BizChix Podcast: 306: 7 Ways to Monetize a Podcast

 

Live Podcast Interview Video with Jane Crites & Shannon

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity

May 21, 2018

065: Create Your Ideal Schedule with Shannon Crow

 

Shannon was inspired to create an episode to answer a question she is frequently asked: How does she do it all?

 

Shannon is the first to say she has a packed schedule and that fitting everything in can certainly be a challenge. Over the years, working as an entrepreneur, Shannon has learned many tips and tricks and they’re always evolving to help her create and implement her ideal schedule.

 

There are many questions asked, tools you can use, and further reading and resources that are mentioned in today’s episode, but, don’t feel you have to take everything on.  As Shannon says, pick just one thing to start; maybe something that would make the biggest impact or would be the easiest to incorporate into your life and work on that. Integrate that one thing and if you have that down you can return to this episode for another tool or resource.

 

In our busy world scheduling to use your time in an optimal way is quite a challenge. Remember not to be too hard on yourself- no one has this down to a science but a few tweaks in your planning might make a world of difference. We’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of these techniques or if have any of your own suggestions. What do you find works for you?



6:05  When are you working and when do you have time off? What do you want to do with your time off?  What fills you up that is not work-related?

 

7:55 Look at that daily work schedule- when are you working, when are your breaks and when are you ending your day? Think about your ideal work week, month, and year. Where you are now vs. where are we headed.

 

10:10 Appointments with yourself are necessary to fuel you. When you’re scheduling time off do you stick to it? Distractions from family, other work, etc interfering? Move your appointment with yourself somewhere else on the calendar.

 

12:15 The best time of day for you to teach? Do you feel like you have to work when it is convenient for the studio or students? You might be surprised by the turn out when you choose your best time.

 

14:45 What is your ideal yoga class? 1:1 or group classes? How many classes per week? What would this look like if money wasn’t a factor?

 

16:10 Scheduling software- helps you clarify when you can book in classes or one-on-one appointments, your breaks, time between appointments so people can come and go without rushing

 

**Limited time vs. Lack of time: reframing language around your schedule so you aren’t perceiving that there is never enough time**

 

20:15 Money Mindset- how much do you need to teach to make ends meet? What is your hourly rate?

 

21:20 Time Blocking- daily, weekly, and monthly

 

Shannon’s Week:

 

MONDAY - Content Creation

TUESDAY - Yoga

WEDNESDAY - Podcast Day

THURSDAY - Consultation Calls

FRIDAY - Catch up day - podcast ready for Monday

 

26:00 Time blocking helps prevent Decision Fatigue

 

26:35 Ideally spend 15 minutes a day to wrap-up your day

 

Review your day - put the to-do items on your calendar that came up during the day

 

Mind Dump - if there is a tornado of thoughts and to-dos write them all down and see what needs to be added to your calendar

 

Prioritize and Plan for tomorrow - put the high priority tasks on your calendar for the next day and perhaps going further into your week or month

 

29:35 List things you are spending your time doing. What are the things you enjoy doing? What are the things you find yourself avoiding? It may reveal if you’re losing time doing activities that aren’t a priority.

 

30:40 Blocking out time for a specific task such as a workshop- you may need to block out time every day for a week for example, but the idea is that you’re putting some boundaries around the time you spend so it doesn’t get away from you

 

31:30 Time blocking specific to yoga teachers:

 

  1. Personal Practice- 8-Limb focused (not just asana)
  2. Marketing - can include talking about what you do, email, social media, public speaking, newspaper advertisements, posters, business cards, videos and more
  3. Yoga offerings - workshops, classes, 1:1, retreats, online videos, blog posts

 

**Don’t forget to include your travel and set up time**

 

  1. Learning - yoga teacher training, reading, studying, videos, courses, yoga teacher training  

 

**Small regular drips of information are better than a flood of information, especially if your schedule is already packed **

 

  1. Planning and Preparation of Yoga offerings
  2. Other - Add what you’d like here such as accounting and email

 

37:00 Self-study (SVADHYAYA) to determine how you best work- Are you an introvert or extrovert? How do you best start off your work day? How does your energy tend to unfold throughout the day?

 

39:30 “Eat Your Frog First” and “The One Thing”- What is the one thing that needs to get done? If you’re feeling overwhelmed pick just one thing that you are going to get done today and make the goal achievable, measurable, and specific

 

43:50  Ask what is the one thing that will help me generate income for my yoga business at the beginning of the day or the end of the day and plan tomorrow. How much time do you need to complete this? If it seems overwhelming create micro goals in 60-90 minute blocks.

 

45:40 Ask if you can outsource some of your to-do list? Household chores, accounting, website graphics, etc.

 

47:05 Looking at your yoga business as having seasons- it’s okay to focus on one thing and put other projects on the back burner

 

48:30 Airport Test (created by Pat Flynn) to help look at the big picture

 

50:15 Set yourself up for success by cutting off distractions, time block for the distracting times eg. timer for using Facebook, and a few other recommended resources


Links

 

The Connected Teacher Facebook Group

 

Follow The Connected Teacher on Youtube

 

Book a Consultation Call with Shannon

Relevant TCYT podcast episodes:

 

030: Rituals to Start and End Your Day with Puja Madan

 

032: Set and Achieve Big Goals with Natalie Eckdahl

 

TCYT Define Your Yoga Niche Course

 

BizChix Podcast: 288: Time Management for High Performers: How to How to Map Your Ideal Month, Ideal Week, Theme Days and Time Block

 

BizChix Podcast: 316: How to Summer Proof Your Business

 

Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

 

Book: Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done by Brian Tracy

 

Book: Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn (includes the Airport Test)

 

Freedom App


Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity

May 14, 2018

064: Getting Hired by a Yoga Studio with Kristen Sweeney

 

Have you completed your yoga teacher training and are preparing yourself to look for employment? Shannon and Kristen Sweeney have your back with clear steps to getting hired by a yoga studio that, most importantly, is the right fit for you. It’s the best gift you can give yourself, the studio, and your students.

 

Kristen Sweeney remembers the first yoga class that lit her up. She was a working as a dancer in Las Vegas, Nevada and tried a Bikram Hot Yoga class. She was “sweaty, drenched, exhausted, hooked, and exhilarated.” Later, as an actor living in New York city, she found yoga to be grounding, gave her a refuge and a sense of safety at a time when her life was hectic, outward facing, and approval seeking.

 

Kristen reached a point in her life when she wanted to find work that felt rewarding on a daily basis. That led her to teach yoga and share her insights on her blog. Finding a strong connection between herself and yoga teachers through her posts, she wondered if there was something more to explore. Kristen niched down further to create her business Edge of the Mat and is now a business coach for yoga teachers.

 

On today’s episode, you will be guided through the steps to find the teaching job that is right for you. The steps will take you through a process to determine where you’d like to teach, how to approach the studio, what to expect when you audition and much more. Kristen has also kindly shared the PDF The Yogi’s Guide to Teaching at a New Studio for when you’ve landed the job. You’ve got this and we wish you all the best in finding the work that lights you up!  




07:30 How Kristen’s yoga journey began

 

10:55 What led Kristen to write her blog Edge of the Mat and how she expanded it into a business

 

14:20 Was there a gradual realization or a light bulb moment that led her to clearly define her niche

 

16:50 Step-by-step process to approach studios

 

17:10 Step 1: Discern which studios you want to approach

 

  1. If you research to find the studios that fit with you, you are more likely to get the job
  2. Important to be able to approach a variety of studios, gyms and community centers- are they close and easy to commute to?
  3. Does the community vibe match your style of teaching
  4. What is your ideal class size?
  5. What do you want in the experience of teaching? What studios fit you?
  6. Where would I like to work- be choosy and shift that mindset from desperation to personal choice
  7. Take a variety of classes at the locations to find a good fit



22:35 Step 2: Approach the teacher of the class you’ve been taking and approach them with a 2 to 3 sentence ‘pitch’ or introduction including:

 

  • Thanking them for class and what you liked about it
  • What you love about the studio and community
  • Asking who would you connect with to set up an audition
  • Leave resumé and consider including your resumé on your website

 

26:05 Step 3: Planning and Preparing for the audition

 

30:25 What to do if you don’t hear back from the studio

 

  • Follow up- email
  • Show up in person and take one of their classes
  • Don’t take it personally if you don’t hear back, studios get many emails
  • Sometimes it takes quite a while for to hear back- even months!
  • Worth checking in a few months later (in person) to see if a spot has opened up
  • Don’t take it too personally and letting it breathe for a while

 

33:50 Tips and tricks for teachers auditioning

 

  • Prepare :)
  • Detailed sequence planning
  • Create class arc even if it’s a short audition
  • In a Round Robin, situation be prepared to change up your plan depending on your place in the class
  • Structure gives you freedom
  • Prepare yourself for your professional best- externally and internally so you show up as your best, most confident self

 

38:30 Step 4: Feedback

 

  • 1:1 time with the studio manager
  • Be open to feedback
  • Feel free to engage and ask questions about the feedback so you can evolve as a yoga teacher

 

Step 5: Follow Up

 

  • Auditioner will hopefully let you know what the next steps are (repeat the instructions to make sure it’s clear and follow up)

 

41:05 Step 6: Yes, no or Maybe

 

What is the next step if you get a “thanks but no thanks”

 

     Possible reasons:

 

  1. Missing self-awareness that misidentified the place as the right fit for you (move on)
  2. Studio felt as though you’re not a good fit or that you’re not quite ready skill-wise to join (check in again in the future)

 

43:30 Coming from a place of personal choice instead of a place of desperation

 

44:05 How you can work with Kristen

 

45:20 Shannon’s wrap-up and action steps

 

         

Links

 

Email: kristen@edgeofthemat.com

 

Kristen’s Website: Edge of the Mat

 

Edge of the Mat Facebook Group

 

Kristen on Instagram

 

PDF gift from Kristen: Yogi's Guide to Teaching at a New Studio

 

The Connected Teacher Facebook Group

 

Follow The Connected Teacher on Youtube

 

Book a Consultation Call with Shannon

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity

 

May 7, 2018

063: Secrets of Successful Full-Time Yoga Teachers with Ashley Zuberi

Ashley Zuberi has been a full-time yoga teacher for three years and acknowledges it has been a struggle. While considering her own challenges, Ashley became curious about the struggles of her fellow teachers. Recognizing there are several variables that affect how successfully one can teach yoga full-time, Ashley created a set of questions that she could pose to other yoga teachers.

 

Ashley’s questionnaire was aimed at those who worked independently as a yoga teacher and earned 70% or more of their income from teaching yoga. Most of the respondents were female and living in North America though some answers came from China, Australia, and England. She wanted to get a sense from a group of teachers what it looks like to teach yoga full-time. Ashley’s hope was to uncover patterns, tips, and tricks that could be shared across the yoga community on the whole

 

The answers revealed much that surprised Ashley. For example, she found that 32% of the respondents are able to make a living by teaching alone, which was happily more than she expected.  Ashley also discovered that the teachers worked an average 42 hours per week and that regardless of the hours spent working (between 20-80 hours per week,) most respondents felt they worked too much. Other revelations were around income, teacher burnout, mindset, (how you describe your job and market yourself, for example) and yoga community connection (or disconnection).

 

Ashley began her yoga journey by following a class on DVD and later attended classes at her local gym based on the recommendation of a friend. This enhanced her life in on several levels including physically, socially, and spiritually. The first yoga teacher training she attended was a 200-hour Power Vinyasa training from Jason Bowman and Derise Diatta at CorePower Yoga Boulder in 2011.  Since then has expanded her knowledge by taking a variety of trainings. She loves to weave philosophy into her teaching which includes group classes, private yoga sessions, workshops, and yoga teacher trainings. In addition, she provides yoga teacher mentorship.

 

 

5:45 How Shannon structures her Consultation Calls

 

8:50 Ashley’s yoga journey

 

9:50 Ashley’s yoga teacher project - 53 logistically challenging

 

11:25 The difference between the yoga industry and other industry in regard to “set paths” and a measure of growth and success

 

13:20 Interview process and how Ashley chose her interviewees

 

14:25 Ashley’s key takeaways from the data collected

 

18:30 What yoga teachers found to be their biggest challenges

 

20:35 Their experience with yoga teacher burnout and anxiety around “never knowing enough”

 

22:30 How Ashley compiled her data

 

23:30 Mindset of yoga teacher influenced their answers-  do you consider yourself a yoga teacher or small business owner

 

24:15 The reality of working for yourself

 

26:20 Successful yoga teachers and innovative marketing

 

28:20 What the interviews revealed about the marketing mindset,  Ashley’s personal experience with marketing and the importance of building relationships

 

30:45 What Ashley took from the data and applied to her yoga business- Ashley’s decision to scale back from her online presence

 

Smart Passive Income vs. Smart Active Income

 

34:20 Responses to the question “Do you feel supported?”

 

39:25 How the lack of support felt within the yoga community can be addressed

 

41:05 The struggle to commit to a personal practice and perhaps re-defining what that means to you

 

43:20 What Ashley wishes yoga teachers would know after doing these interviews

 

44:50 Balancing family and a yoga career and how the yoga community can help support this

 

48:40 How to connect with Ashley

 

51:30 Average yoga teacher income from respondents and how the mindset for making a living as a yoga teacher is a viable option for full-time work from teaching has evolved over time

 

55:15 Shannon’s closing thoughts on the issues brought forward by Ashley’s report such as creating a supportive community in your area



Links

 

Ashley’s Website

 

To Access the downloadable PDF “The State of Teaching Yoga Full time” click on “Download the Report” button on Ashley’s homepage

 

Email: ashley@ashleyjosephine.com

 

Ashley on Facebook

 

Ashley on Instagram

 

Article: Calling All Full Time Teachers by Ashley Zuberi

 

Article: The Evolution of Yoga Teaching by Ashley Zuberi

Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity

 

Yoga is a practice that asks us to look at ourselves and our lives so we can choose to live in alignment with our true values. The practice offers freedom, safety, and non-judgment to do this inner work. Embarking on this path is both an individual journey as well as a journey within our community and the world.”

~Ashley Josephine Zuberi

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