The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
Ep 091: 100 Conversations with Yoga Teachers with Mado Hesselink
Description:
What would it be like to talk to 100 yoga teachers and find out what their challenges are, and what they've learned so far? When Mado Hesselink decided she wanted to increase the work she was doing with yoga teachers, she did just that and personally interviewed 100 yoga teachers - this episode is all about what she learned from those conversations.
Mado has been teaching yoga since 2005, and training yoga teachers since 2010. She is the creator of Yoga Teacher Resource, and teaches at yoga teacher trainings around the southeastern US. After some big life changes, Mado felt the need to change things up in her business. Her discussion with her Fairy Godmother Business Coach helped her find her niche, create a lead magnet, and inspired her 100-Conversations project.
As yoga teachers, we may all feel our struggles and challenges are individual, and we are alone in our experiences. Mado’s conversations with yoga teachers young and old, full-time and part-time, and from all walks of life revealed certain similarities. From the pressures of being a yoga teacher, to finding the delicate balance between your own personal yoga practice vs teaching yoga, to the challenges facing entrepreneurs in the yoga space - Shannon and Mado discuss it all.
If you’ve ever wondered what wisdom and insight you could get from talking to 100 other yoga teachers, wonder no more. Mado’s done the legwork so you don’t have to - just sit back and enjoy the great nuggets in this episode.
Key Takeaways:
[5:44] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Mado Hesselink.
[6:36] What inspired Mado to start working on the project of talking to 100 yoga teachers? She shares how her Fairy Godmother Business Coach helped her along her journey of finding her niche.
[9:39] Mado reveals how she applied the concept of a lead magnet to her business and some tips for you to do the same!
[13:27] Why did Mado decide to talk to 100 yoga teachers?
[15:40] What made Mado pick the number 100?
[16:07] How did Mado spread the word about her project, and how did she select the yoga teachers she would connect with?
[18:59] How did Mado pick the questions she asked the yoga teachers?
[23:24] Mado shares some of the responses she received that surprised, intrigued and stuck with her.
[30:02] What are Mado's suggestions for someone considering taking a 200-hr?
[31:07] From her conversations, what are some of the takeaways that have impacted Mado as a yoga teacher?
[34:51] How can yoga teachers market yoga better?
[39:15] Yoga teachers care so much and put so much pressure on themselves to inspire and challenge their students. Mado and Shannon discuss this in relation to drop-in classes vs. registered sessions.
[43:35] Mado highlights the tension that exists between yoga studio owner, yoga teacher and yoga student.
[48:41] Get in touch with Mado via her website to get access to her podcast, 100 Yoga Class Themes download and other resources!
[49:14] Shannon wraps up with her key takeaways from this episode.
Links:
Mado Hesselink, Yoga Teacher Resource
The Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 088: Creating Professional Yoga Videos with Kira Sloane
Map to connect with other yoga teachers
Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast Episode 8: [Reality Check] Teaching yoga full time vs part time.
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 061: Too Many Yoga Teachers with Kimma Stark
Accessible Yoga Conference, Toronto
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 090: Teaching Baby & Me Yoga with Shannon Crow
One-on-One Coaching with Mado Hesselink
One-on-One Consultation with Shannon Crow
The Yoga Conference and Show, Toronto March 2019
Mama Nurture Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga for Pelvic Health Teacher Training, November 2019
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from Mado Hesselink:
"Who do you feel most energized when you're teaching?"
"They can look at their content that they already have out there and see what's really resonating with people."
"I just want to get a sense of what is out there. What are the concerns, what are the dreams? What's the environment, the content that people are teaching in, to help me figure out how I can be of service."
"The happiest yoga teachers that I spoke with are not trying to make a living teaching."
"For me, the inherent conflicts and the murkiness of being an entrepreneur in the yoga space is actually really exciting, and keeps me more engaged."
"I learn best through teaching."
"As popular as yoga is, there is still a lot of misinformation about what yoga is."
"I want us to do a better job of marketing yoga to the public, for their own benefit!"
"We make money for what's important to us, what we really find valuable."