The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
Ep 120: Teach Private Yoga Online with Yael Oppenheim
Description:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to teach yoga online, live, in a virtual class via video chat with a student? We’re all using technology in a variety of ways in our yoga businesses, but Yael Oppenheim is taking teaching yoga to a whole new platform.
Yael Oppenheim is the founder of FitMyTime, a marketplace for remote personal fitness and yoga classes, founded in 2018. She was inspired to create FitMyTime when she realized there were no options available for people who wanted to work out from home with the guidance of a personal trainer or instructor. Since its launch last year, over 150 instructors have signed up, and the platform continues to grow.
Virtual yoga or fitness classes may seem unusual, but it definitely caters to a need in the marketplace for both students and teachers. Yael explains more about the platform, the business model, and some of the challenges as well as the benefits of using FitMyTime for both teachers and students.
If you’re thinking about expanding your offerings to include teaching online, or if you’re just curious about what it will feel like to share yoga from behind a screen, this episode is going to be an eye-opener.
Key Takeaways:
[3:07] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Yael Oppenheim.
[4:27] Where did Yael's yoga journey begin?
[5:45] What does Yael do now and who does she do it for?
[6:53] What is the platform, FitMyTime?
[7:42] How do teachers and students connect with each other virtually?
[10:49] What motivated Yael to start FitMyTime?
[15:02] Yael shares some of the challenges yoga teachers, fitness instructors and yoga studios face, as well as her own initial experience taking lessons online.
[20:14] How has the FitMyTime platform grown?
[21:10] How can yoga teachers apply to teach on this platform?
[23:00] Students also have the opportunity to try out different teachers on the platform.
[25:03] How do the payments work on this platform?
[26:34] Shannon and Yael discuss waiver forms, insurance for teaching online, and scheduling details of FitMyTime.
[29:47] How many students are on the platform?
[32:21] How has it been for Yael growing her business?
[36:01] Check out the platform on the website FitMyTime.
[36:39] Shannon and Yael discuss the different groups of people who might be interested in working out with personal trainers online.
[39:16] Shannon shares some of her key takeaways from this interview.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"FitMyTime is a platform, a marketplace, that connects yoga instructors and fitness trainers with trainees, with students from around the world for the purpose of an online, live yoga classes or fitness workouts."
"The platform enables people ... [to] find instructors for different kinds of workout types."
"One of the things that I learned is that the connection between the teacher and students, not only in yoga but in general, is really reliant on the chemistry between two people."
"It's a great way to find teachers on one hand, and on the other hand, it's a great way for teachers to expand their work opportunities."