Mastering the Business of Yoga

One of the questions I most commonly hear from yoga teachers is "do I need a website?". We finish teacher training and are unleashed into the yoga world feeling confused about what we need to do in order to be successful. Of course, you don't need to have a website, but if you want to be a successful, sustainable full-time teacher, I would highly recommend it. Why? Because it's a place + space whe...

Joslynn Boyce is a registered personal trainer and a small business owner in Calgary, Alberta. She is also one of my good friends, and has been for over 10 years. Every time Joslynn and I get together we end up talking about fitness and working in the fitness industry as entrepreneurs, so I wanted to actually capture one of our conversations for the podcast. On this episode, Joslynn shares some of...

David Moreno is a California based yoga teacher who has been in and around the yoga industry for over 30 years. David came to yoga from a dance background and fell in love with it to the point that he knew he needed to teach. David and I start out the interview by chatting about how the yoga industry has changed over the last few years. We chat about how when he started teaching, it was much easie...

On this episode of the podcast, entrepreneur + self employed podcast host, writer and advisor, Ryan Ferguson, is coming on the podcast to talk about the yoga sales funnel and how to apply it. This is a massively important concept to be talking about in the business of yoga, because as yoga teachers we have the opportunity to think of ourselves as "employees" or as "entrepreneurs". As employees, we...

Danielle Joseph is a yoga teacher and the founder of Function Creative Co. and Your Yoga Brand. Danielle specializes in design + branding, and she also does branding specifically for yoga teachers. She also runs an awesome Facebook community for yoga teachers who are looking to build their your brand. On this episode, Danielle and I are chatting about all things branding. We cover developing your...

Have you stepped into the studio and thought to yourself "I can't do this", "I'm a fake", "I have no idea what I'm doing", or some version of that? That's imposter syndrome, and almost all of us have had it at some point. Wikipedia defines imposter syndrome as "the persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud". It's when we talk about something that we don't feel like an expert in, or when other pe...

Randelle Lusk is a Calgary-based yoga teacher, a yoga studio owner, and a lululemon ambassador. After getting her yoga teacher training, Randelle knew that she wanted to bring yoga to her hometown of Fort St. John, BC. She was turned down for a loan to start her yoga studio, so she looked to her community, her friends, and other like-minded entrepreneurs to find a way to start her yoga studio. Yea...

Have you struggled with the balance between spirituality and business? Do you wonder how you can be a yogi, yet still be a successful business owner? Sometimes finding the balance between humility and business can be difficult, and Reno Muenz has found that balance. Reno is the founder of The Dharma Temple in Vancouver. He is a successful business owner, and teacher of kundalini and meditation. Du...

On season 1 of the podcast, Tara Koenig shared her passion + involvement in the Africa Yoga Project. Now she's back for season 2 to talk about her experiences teaching in a saturated market. Tara is based out of Banff, Alberta, which is an extremely saturated market (hundreds of yoga teachers and only a few yoga studios). We talk about finding your niche in a saturated teaching market, how to make...

Andrew Misle is a Sattva yoga teacher based out of Edmonton, Alberta, and he joined me on the podcast to talk about his journey to becoming a full-time yoga teacher. Andrew discovered yoga at a time when he needed to heal his body, and he realized that yoga was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. On this episode, Andrew and I dive into the importance of a beginner's mindset, creating yo...

Do you work as a yoga teacher entrepreneur and have control over your schedule outside of the classes you teach? Have you ever struggled with productivity, discipline, or managing your time? I have too, and the habit that has a game changer for me was creating a morning routine that is non-negotiable for myself. So, on this episode, we are talking about the importance of a morning routine - why yo...

Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher for Power Yoga Canada, works in marketing, and is passionate about calligraphy. She also runs a website called Little Black Leggings, where she explores the marketing + business side of yoga. On this episode, Laura shares her journey as a yoga teacher, and how because she never felt like teaching a ton of classes was right for her, she's branched out to pursue her ot...

Jeff Mah + I had a great conversation in season 1 on his journey as a yoga teacher + to becoming a studio owner. It was a fabulous conversation, so if you haven't listened to it yet, give it a listen here before listening to this episode. I'm super excited to have Jeff back on the show to continue the conversation of the business of owning a yoga studio. We talk about everything from charging less...

Are you interested in leading a yoga retreat, but don't really know where to start? WeTravel is a platform for retreat leaders that will help you from start to finish to create a great retreat. On this episode of the podcast, Jen Corley from WeTravel is joining me to talk about how to lead a great retreat. Jen shares her background as a yoga teacher and how she came to be working at WeTravel helpi...

On the first solo episode of this season, we're talking about yoga + self esteem. This episode is based off the principles of self esteem discussed in Nathaniel Branden's "The Six Pillars of Self Esteem". I discuss how yoga can improve self esteem + how the principles of self esteem are largely linked to the practice of yoga. I analyze each pillar one at a time, and they each build off one another...

Sytera Field found yoga after an accident, and after having a profound healing experience, she decided that she wanted to teach. On this episode, Sytera shares her journey as a yoga teacher - briefly running a yoga studio out of her home, teaching as many classes a week as she could, and how she ultimately become a teacher of private yoga. Sytera shares her advice to becoming a private yoga teache...

Kaeleigh Doherty is a kick ass yoga teacher + the founder of the Banff Yoga Festival. On this episode of the podcast, Kaeleigh shares her inspiration for creating the Banff Yoga Festival, what it was like to create a festival from scratch, the challenges of creating the festival + what she learned along the way. Kaeleigh hoped for 50 people to show up to the Banff Yoga Festival, and approximately...

Levi Morehouse is not a yoga teacher, a yoga studio owner, or a yoga entrepreneur. He is a small business owner though, and his small business is an accounting + book keeping company called Ceterus. Ceterus' slogan is "let us do the rest" +  they provide services for small business owners doing their accounting or book keeping. You may be curious why I wanted to talk to Levi. The reason is that I...

As the title indicates, this is the season 1 finale. This episode doesn't have a guest or a topic on yoga, it is just to close off this season of the podcast and to let you know what you can expect in the upcoming season. What's next for M.B.Om? Exciting new episodes and guests New content on the website More social media eBooks, courses and much more! Stay up to date with future happenings by sub...

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor Harkness shares his journey as a yoga teacher, how his career has evolved over the years and all of the business lessons he's learned along the way. We talk about everything from managing a yoga studio, running retreats, to social media, and how to do it all while being your authentic self. If you enjoy the podcast, subscribe to the newsletter and join the co...

Do you want to create a business as a yoga teacher, but aren't too sure where to start or how to do it? Do you want to teach private yoga, but don't know how to get started? On this episode of the podcast, Kate Connell Potts shares her journey as a yoga teacher and how she began teaching private yoga. Now, she not only has a business around teaching private yoga, but she also teaches other yoga te...

On this episode of the podcast, I'm answering YOUR questions! I chat about websites, teaching weekly, completing your YTT, getting a job, and how to keep things creative. If you have a question, and want to hear it, send me an email at info@mbomyoga.com . If you enjoy the podcast, sign up for the newsletter and join the community on Facebook . Enjoy!

On today's solo episode, I dig into the topic of why it's important to know what you're teaching for. A while back, I wrote a blog post called "Why You Should Never Teach for a 'Maybe'" . I wrote this post at a time when I was in an unconventional teaching agreement with a studio owner, and I was no longer receiving a monetary amount for my teaching. My business coach was uncomfortable, and I was...

Do you want to take your teaching from the general population to helping people with sickness and disease? Lara Benusis did too. Lara grew up with a mother with MS who practiced yoga, and so her yoga practice began at a young age. After many years as a professional dancer and a yoga teacher, Lara moved towards teaching yoga to people who were sick, as well as people who were healthy. For a number...

A couple years ago, Yochai Weiss was a taxi driver in NYC who smoked nearly 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Now, he is a full-time yoga teacher. On this episode of the podcast, Yochai shares how yoga and becoming a yoga teacher has changed his life in a big way for the better. We chat about life, yoga, the practice of yoga off the mat, and the business lessons he's learned over the last 3 years as a...