The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
224: 8 Yoga Business Lessons with Manu Molina de la Torre
Description:
Being a yoga entrepreneur can be tough. Our typical YTTs focus more on how to teach asana and yoga philosophy, but hardly cover anything about what it really means to run a sustainable yoga business. Manu Molina de la Torre has 8 important lessons to share about things he has learned in starting his yoga business.
Manu is a yoga teacher, a personal trainer and a coach in Andalusia, Spain. Manu found yoga as a teenager, and became a yoga teacher in 2010. After working for different yoga and fitness studios, Manu decided to start his own yoga business, only to find he lacked the business skills necessary. He invested in business training for himself, and realized that this knowledge could help other yoga teachers in their businesses too. Today, Manu helps yoga & wellness professionals take actionable steps toward their vision as entrepreneurs through 1:1 coaching calls, both online and in-person. He coaches in English and Spanish, and also hosts the Emprendedores del Yoga Podcast in Spanish.
In this interview, Manu shares his 8 biggest lessons and tips for yoga teachers on their entrepreneurial journey. He has some great insights that would be helpful for newer yoga teachers who are just getting started in their yoga business, as well as some things every yoga teacher should know regardless of where they are in their entrepreneurship journey.
Key Takeaways:
[7:29] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Manu Molina de la Torre.
[9:33] How did Manu get started on his yoga journey, and how did he start working with yoga teachers?
[17:25] In all of Manu's yoga teacher trainings and fitness trainings, there wasn't much taught about running a business.
[19:10] What is the first lesson Manu learned in business?
[22:27] What is a good amount to have saved up before starting on the journey of becoming a yoga entrepreneur?
[23:13] It's important to keep track of expenses and stay on top of your finances. Having a separate bank account, or tracking expenses on a spreadsheet can help.
[24:10] Manu's next tip is to niche down and to diversify your sources of income.
[27:09] How can a yoga teacher niche down and diversify at the same time?
[29:50] Niching down and specializing can feel hard and scary, but it is effective and worth it!
[31:17] Manu's third tip is to put yourself out there.
[34:57] Lesson #4: Be willing to listen to people's problems.
[40:05] Lesson #5 is to stay open to change.
[42:37] Manu's sixth lesson is about mindset. Reframe your mindset about mistakes - there are no mistakes, only lessons learned.
[46:41] The next lesson Manu shares is to just do it, despite the fear.
[50:21] The last lesson is the most important one - Educate yourself in different aspects of business.
[53:32] Shannon summarizes the eight lessons Manu has shared.
[54:11] Manu shares some of his final thoughts for yoga entrepreneurs.
[56:35] Find out more about Manu's work and connect with him via his website or on Instagram.
[58:51] What was your biggest takeaway from this interview, or something you've learned from your own business journey?
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsors Schedulicity.
Quotes from this episode:
"It's really important to make sure that you have some savings or that you have some source of income." - Manu
"When I really started to work on niching down and I started to work on my messaging, I think everything was really, really clear." - Manu
"When you want to help everyone, you end up helping nobody." - Manu
"Talk to your people, tell them what you're doing." - Manu