[Leadership] Learn: Membership Site & Zoom Integration with Ribbon [33m]
NETFLIX STYLE SUBSCRIPTIONS, MEMBERSHIP SITE, ZOOM INTEGRATION, AND IN-PERSON EVENTS
SIGN UP FOR RIBBON BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO: https://ribbonexperiences.com/?ref=theyogimatt
Ribbon truly offers SO much for yoga teachers. When they reached out, I took a look at their site and felt both excited and sad that it hadn’t already existed when the pandemic hit. THIS is the tool I wish I could have recommended to all yoga teachers as they were swimming around in March 2020 trying to figure out how to bring their businesses online.
Ribbon is not only an online membership platform that allows you to sell all-access or select-access subscriptions like Netflix, Glo, Gaia, and Tint, but it ALSO let’s you schedule and sell your Zoom classes as well. And that isn’t all! It also brings you in-person functionality. You can schedule your in-person, Zoom, YouTube lives, retreats, etc. all in one place. Your students have one spot to purchase everything from you! Ribbon also gives you free UNLIMITED video storage – this is mind-bending because even expensive options like Vimeo Pro has a cap on how many videos you can upload per month, and you will quickly hit that ceiling. Ribbon also has “drip content” course options now. You can sell video-driven online courses. “Drip” means you can control when your students get access to certain videos. For example, in this course, you get access to each video upon completion of the previous video. This is content-dripping.
RIBBON IS FREE TO SIGN UP AND USE. YOU DON’T PAY IF YOU DON’T SELL ANYTHING. In addition, should you decide to implement Ribbon, you will have a choice to pay transaction fees or set monthly fees, and the fees are the most fair that I have seen for what they offer. Competitors with less functionality START at $100/month; Ribbon’s highest tier is $60 month. SIGN UP BELOW AND LET’S GET STARTED.
[Leadership] Layered Product Offerings [10m]
[Leadership] Sell Product not “Person” [16m]
[Leadership] Learn: Opt-in Forms • Landing Pages • Email Automation [41m]
WALK THROUGH TUTORIAL
In order to follow along with me be sure to sign up for Mailer Lite: Click Here To Sign Up Now
In this video we go over how to:
- create an opt-in form
- embed an opt-in form into any website using html embed code
- create a landing page on Mailer Lite where you can send people to opt-in to your newsletter or lead magnet
- trigger an email automation upon opt-in
- create an email automation sequence
[Leadership] Upcoming Tutorials [8m]
[Leadership] EOL Fire: Action & Transformation [22m]
FIRE: ACTION
Action is required to build a business, but not all actions are the right actions. Knowing what actions are necessary and when to take them is imperative, but figuring out the right action for you is more trial and error than anything else. Most people only want to take action if they know that the action is the right one. Unfortunately, you cannot and will not always know until after the action has been taken. This is the art, the frustration, the beauty, and the pain of building a business. There will be a collection of action steps that become part of your daily routine, some of which are best carried out by you, and others better suited for someone else. For example, if you have no prior knowledge about video editing, you have a choice: learn how to edit or hire someone to do it for you. It is my personal opinion that we should learn to do everything ourselves first, at least to a degree that we understand the value of having someone else do it for us. We will also be able to direct someone else better if we have an understanding of what we are hiring them for.
On the other hand, some actions are better suited for partnerships and bigger teams, in which case you will likely assemble a group of people whose skillsets complement one another. This is a bit more advanced as it requires legal agreements. This is not an area of personal expertise so I will not go into the details of starting companies with multiple founders, but I wanted to mention because there are other ways of building businesses.
Lesson
test lesson
THIS IS A TEST
HERE Is some content about whatever \
[Leadership]Discussion: Kyle Weiger [65m]
Kyle Weiger
One day while scrolling through Instagram I stopped on Kyle’s Handstand ad and was very impressed. Especially at that time, I hadn’t known any yogis that were running paid advertisements, and so Kyle’s caught my attention. I reached out to him on social media and shortly after, we began a friendship. Kyle is constantly inspiring me in so many ways. He is an expert in the field of marketing, a world-renowned handstand coach, and a sweetheart of a guy. It is my pleasure to share this informative and educational discussion with you
Connect with Kyle on Instagram and Tiktok @Kyleweiger
Visit Kyle’s website and check out “6 Weeks to Handstand”: www.Kyleweiger.com
[Leadership] Images & Infographics [34m]
SIGN UP FOR CANVA:
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR CANVA: THIS IS FREE TO USE AND IT’S A MUST!
When you get to Canva, you will see the option to sign up for pro accounts with a free trial. If you want full access to Canva, then this is the way to go. If you just want the free option, look to the top right of the screen and click “Sign Up”.
HIRE FREELANCE DESIGNERS:
CLICK HERE TO FIND FREELANCERS USING CANVA
[Leadership] In Person Offerings [13m]
IN PERSON OFFERINGS
- Yoga Classes
- Private Clients
- Workshops
- Intensives
- Immersions
- Teacher Trainings
- Festivals & Conferences
- Own a Studio
- Create a Brand
- Retreats – I missed this one on the video, so my apologies. This is an excellent way to offer an experience for your students. I suggest going on retreats first, prior to leading one. There are many moving parts and skills to be gained, not the least of which is managing expectations and emotions when people are in a new location with new people and different foods and a schedule that isn’t what they are used to. Watch your teacher. Note what they do that is successful and note what mistakes they make so you don’t make the same.
OTHER OFFERINGS
- Author a Book
- Organize Events
- Manage Teachers
- Be a Content Creator (write blogs, edit video, info graphics, website designer)
- Market and Brand for Teachers or Businesses
- Create an Online Platform
- Design Yoga Apparel
Challenge: Create/Map Out Your In-Person or “Other” Offering
- What is the format?
- What is the bigger vision for your business? This could include your core values, morals, definition of success, what matters to you.
- What is one small offering you could create that is in direct alignment with your passion/business?
- Come up with a title.
- Lay out the details. How many hours/days/pages will it be?
- Who would benefit from this offering?
- Where would it take place? (if applicable)
- When?
- How many people would/could attend, or purchase, or be a part of this?
IF you decide that your offering within the yoga world could be freelancing (designer, writer, content creator, virtual assistant, editor, etc.), then I suggest you get started by creating an account as a seller on Fiverr.
[Leadership] Momentum & Connection Via Email Automation [29m]
Creating Connection and Momentum Through Email Automations
SIGN UP FOR MAILER LITE FOR FREE HERE.
MailerLite Introduction for Momentum and Connection
The best way to establish connection with your audience is through email. Regardless if you met them in person or they found you online, staying connected through email automation is imperative for further engagement. Most people over-emphasize social media for this, which is backwards. Social media should be used to get people to your newsletter. People rarely purchase directly from social media since they are there to scroll. With email, we have an opportunity to engage, respond, and interact.
Email automation is what will create momentum so you’re not having to compose daily or even weekly messages. With automations, you can create all your emails ahead of time and schedule them to go out incrementally over time. This not only creates momentum with less effort, it establishes an expectation that you will be routinely connecting with the subscriber.
Through email you can add value to the lives of your subscribers by providing content you are passionate about in the form of blogs, stories, and videos that enhance their understanding of their body, mind, breath etc. When the time comes to offer them something to purchase, they will be ready and waiting. They now have a connection to you, because you have built trust in your brand and what you offer.
EMAIL CONVERSATION & MARKETING
- Lead Magnet: something enticing that people get when they provide their email address.
- Workflow: a series of emails automatically sent after someone becomes a subscriber.
- Sell: the product that relates to the lead magnet (preferably).
We will further this discussion on lead magnets and automation in another lesson.
Lesson
[Leadership] Lead Magnet & Automation Flow [25m]
Lead Magnet and Automation Flow
Burning out on business and social media is so easy to do, but completely avoidable. Momentum can be built by implementing a few simple tools. A lead magnet is something provided for free (monetarily speaking) in exchange for someone’s contact information (typically email, but sometimes phone number).
Once someone agrees this is a fair exchange, they need a way of signing up. For this we use forms in Mailer Lite or any other email marketing software. My suggestion is Mailer Lite because their forms are simple, look great, are easy to create and easy to embed into your website. Once someone enters their name and email into an opt-in form, they are then assigned into a group in Mailer Lite, and are now AUTOMATICALLY sent an email. Of course, for all this to happen automatically, you will need to set up the following in the backend:
- Create a group in Mailer Lite or your preferred email platform.
- Create an opt-in form; select the option to add subscribers to the group you created.
- Create an automation with a “trigger” – the trigger should be set to begin “when subscriber joins group”: the group you created.
- Create your first email that automatically sends immediately after subscriber joins the group. Email should include a link to the lead magnet content so that the subscriber can now access it.
How to come up with your lead magnet?
This can be challenging at first, but typically your lead magnet is what comes very natural and easy to you. Then you just need a catchy title to entice other people that haven’t practiced with you before to want what you are offering. The format can be video, PDF, workbook, mp3, webinar, access to a private Facebook group, access to a free Zoom class, etc. I suggest having at least one lead magnet that doesn’t require your constant participation, something pre-recorded or pre-created that can be completely automated. Eventually you can include pop-up lead magnet events. But for now, start with something pre-recorded.
I know a lot of teachers say “I don’t teach anything unique or different” or “Somebody else already does what I do.” While both of these may be true, remember you aren’t in competition with anyone here. No one is shopping around to compare who has the best lead magnet. Lead magnets are free so if you’re offering a similar practice to someone else, then their students are actually MORE likely to enjoy what you have to offer EVEN IF you aren’t as “qualified, unique, or original” or whatever else the ego tells you. Your only competition is yourself. Create a lead magnet by sharing what you love. Find a title for it, get it out there, and let everyone else decide for themselves whether or not you are the teacher for them.
HIRE SOMEONE TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR OPT-IN FORMS
https://track.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=222423&brand=fiverrhybrid
SIGN UP FOR MAILERLITE FOR FREE!
https://www.mailerlite.com/a/uu7nldev5j
HIRE SOMEONE TO HELP WITH MAILER LITE OR YOUR EMAIL MARKETING
[Leadership] Online Offerings [25m]
ONLINE AND MOBILE APP OFFERINGS
- Membership Based: customers pay monthly for access to an “on demand” video library
- Online Programs: a collection of videos that delivers a targeted result. “Results” vary based on your authentic vision and core values.
- Online Course: creating a progressive learning atmosphere with a curriculum; typically includes recorded and live video, written content, and quizzing.
- Live-streaming: events that happen in real time: classes, workshops, trainings, etc.
- Coaching/Mentoring/Meetings: one on one, or group meetings in real time; typically face to face through platforms like Zoom, or through audio calls.
- Webinar-based: popular with public speakers and leaders with a large audience, this can be done inside webinar software, Facebook, and YouTube Live – when a presenter is utilizing video and students have a text based chat.
CHALLENGE: Map out your online offering!
- Choose a platform that seems accessible to you or something that you are already familiar with.
- Choose a subject under the umbrella of your vision. GET DETAILED and SPECIFIC.
- If it’s a course, how many lessons? If it’s a program, how many days? If it’s a membership, how many videos?
- What is the cost for customer?
- Who would benefit from this? If the answer is everyone, then it is too broad and will capture no one’s interest. KEEP IT SPECIFIC.
- What is included for the students/customers?
- What is the intended outcome/results?
NOTE: In the video I mentioned that there is a membership platform you can try out – I decided to make a full tutorial on this so you can try it out with me. you will see this in one of the up coming sections called “Membership & Zoom Integration…” Sit tight for now you will get there soon 🙂
[Leadership] Layers of Connection [24m]
Layers of Connection
Regardless of your intention for sharing the practice of yoga, or your goals as a business, the process of connection is always the same. There are humans out there in the world that want what you have to offer, and they want it specifically delivered in the way that you deliver it. The problem is that most of these people have no idea who you are and therefore no idea how they can find you. This is the challenge that all leaders and businesses face.
There are many methods we can use to get connected to those looking for what we have to offer, which includes paid advertising or grassroots word of mouth. Other methods include organic social media, website, or blog posts with the use of hashtags and key words so people searching for something specific may be able to find you. Establishing a platform by teaching at a gym, festival, or event can be a great way to reach people who wouldn’t otherwise know you.
If you are truly aligned with your vision, you will find yourself in front of the right people, but it’s not enough to simply be exposed to an audience. You have to continue engaging with those in your audience who want to stay connected. More importantly, you have to engage with them right away or they will slowly forget about the experience they had and loved with you. This is the nature of humanity. Time heals wounds and also allows us to forget most experiences.
Use this chart as a guide for your actions so that you aren’t continuously losing connection with your prospective customers, students, charity donors, etc. For the most part, customers know that you aren’t going to be their friend, chatting on the phone on a nightly basis, but they do want to hear from you in some way.
[Leadership] EOL Water Part 1: Momentum [17m]
ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP: WATER
- Adaptability
- Slow Change
- Momentum
- Depth
- Flow
- Heavy
- Emotional
- Pulling
- Uniting
- Pivoting
- Contemplative
- Supportive
[Leadership] Discussion: Jill Miller [77m]
Jill Miller
Admittedly I had no idea who Jill Miller was in 2009 when I heard that she was coming to teach at the studio I worked at. Management at the studio chose me for a scholarship spot to attend her training because they knew I was completely broke, but they saw my potential and felt like I would be a great fit for what Jill had to offer with Yoga Tune Up. Jill’s website was an instant turn-off because rather than the basic yoga teacher content standard for the time( bio, photos, schedule), Jill’s site was packed with actionable steps. You could watch videos for free or purchase dvd’s, packages, products, etc.
At that time I was very anti-marketing and anti-consumerism. I thought money was the devil and the root of all unhappiness. It wasn’t until some years later that I confronted my relationship with money. In any case, I agreed to do the training and figured I would get something out of it.
Holy mackerel did I! I got way more than I could have ever imagined. The training was one of the most transformative experiences to date. It not only changed my yoga practice and knowledge of anatomy, but it shaped my mindset about the physical practice of yoga altogether. I began seeing the body instead of the pose. Jill taught me to get curious and creative. She gave me permission to go outside the box of asana and find ways to support yogis in their development of health rather than their attainment of shapes.
Beyond the physical practice, Jill’s business structure and creative marketing and branding opened my eyes to another way. Maybe I didn’t have to be a starving yoga teacher. Maybe there were other approaches to spreading the word about what I was doing. Jill helped kick start my career by serving as an example. I am extremely honored that she has agreed to share some time with us here so we can gain some insight into how she built Yoga Tune Up and The Roll Model!
Connect With Jill Miller
INSTAGRAM:
- Jill’s Personal @yogatuneup
- Tune Up Umbrella of Brands: @tuneupfitness
Facebook: FB /JillMillerFaust /TuneUpFitness
WEBSITE
ONLINE COURSES WITH JILL
Walking Well – A Stepwise Approach to an Everyday Movement : https://try.tuneupfitness.com/walking-well/
Rolling Along The Anatomy Trains, with Tom Myers and Jill Miller: tuneup.fit/PsD7ec
I can personally attest to the Rolling Along the Anatomy Trains course. I am a student of this course and I love what Jill and Tom have put together. It is knowledge-driven and provides you with the practices to integrate the information into your body. Whether you want to just feel amazing or you want to learn fascial-based anatomy, this is an excellent course!
[Leadership] Earth: Closing Thoughts & Brand Message [22m]
EARTH: FINAL THOUGHTS
As leaders and business owners, we now know the importance of providing steady predictability and consistency, or what I call, “Earth”. There are many ways of being consistent, such as in brand colors, logo, brand message and/or clear intentions that are apparent to anyone getting to know you or your brand. Social media presence is a great way to produce consistent content that aligns with you brand message or intention. The goal of this consistency is sustainability. Showing up on social media with consistent content, quality, and messaging requires tremendous time, energy, and/or financial resources. To make this sustainable, it needs to lead to spreading brand awareness, and ideally financial return – even if that financial return is meant to be invested into your future, or donated to a cause.
Developing a huge following is great, but that takes a lot of effort. And if that following doesn’t translate into meaningful connections and eventually financial compensation, you will likely be resentful. Finding a way to turn your effort (output) into meaningful fulfillment (input), be it financial or otherwise, is the next phase in building your business. Like every natural resource, you only have so much output available, so input is necessary in order to sustain your efforts.
KEY POINTS
- Name
- Colors
- Slogan or Message
- Logo
- How you show up on social media or platform of exposure
- Consistency
[Leadership] Affiliate Links Honest Disclosure [9m]
Affiliate Links (Honest Disclosure)
The following services are my top recommendations. I use each of these in some way or another. I have contacted each of the companies and requested affiliate links. That means the companies will provide a certain percentage back to me for my referral if you choose to use their services. NONE of these companies approached me; these are simply services that I use or my wife, Rebecca, uses. We find them to be the best and we are sharing them with you. If you do not wish to support us by using these links, you can always go directly to the websites and we will not receive a referral fee that way. Affiliate marketing is something I will explain in detail later on in this course, how you can leverage the power of your community and pay them to spread the word about your online or in-person offerings. This is a paid yet completely organic form of promotion; it serves everyone who is involved. Most recommendations on the internet are affiliate links.
Here is a complete list of links you may copy and paste into a document for yourself if you’d like. They will be explained in detail for you as the course progresses. If you choose to use the links, I am very grateful for your continued support!
RIBBON: On demand video library/membership, Zoom integration, video rentals, and UNLIMITED VIDEO STORAGE! I am building out a membership-based site using Ribbon because it’s an all-in-one service, designed specifically for yoga teachers. If you are on Zoom and/or want to start a monthly subscription plan now or in the future, this Is the best platform. I WISH this company had been up and running at the start of the pandemic. It would have made life so much easier for all yoga teachers trying to figure out how to find their way. This platform keeps track of all your customers and their payments. The fact that they offer unlimited video storage for you is already a huge benefit. Normally there is a minimum of $25/month for a limited amount of video. Ribbon will support you with any required customizations; they are very personal and have great customer service. They have a new option for courses as well but at the time I am writing this, that’s still new.
https://ribbonexperiences.com/?ref=theyogimatt
LearnDash: you are currently taking this course on LearnDash, which is absolutely THE BEST course software for WordPress. Its versatility is unmatched to any other course software on the internet. If you are already on WordPress for your website, or plan to build your website using WordPress, then this is the way to go. There are many designers familiar with this platform who can help build your Learndash site. Use the link to Fiverr below for freelance hires. LearnDash is the least expensive of the high quality course software options out there. It has all the capabilities that a program like Kajabi has when it comes to courses. The only drawback is that you need a WordPress website, which may or may not be something you are interested in.
https://learndash.idevaffiliate.com/1256.html
MailerLite: The best newsletter/email marketing service. From the ease of use, versatility and functionality I have been so delighted with Mailerlite. I’ve tried many of the leading email marketing services and none of them were as capable and easy to use as Mailerlite, and those services all cost four to five times more money! It was so worth switching away from Mailchimp,
https://www.mailerlite.com/a/uu7nldev5j
Xero Shoes: Barefoot style shoes. Great for yogis and for keeping your toes spread wide (nothing to do with this course just a great company and product).
https://xeroshoes.com/go/Theyogimatt
Kajabi: All -n-one course creation and website. Kajabi is great for online courses and is very easy to use, for the most part. Rebecca uses Kajabi and loves it, but full disclosure: she still has a website on a different platform and uses MailerLite for her newsletter since Kajabi is limited. So I don’t suggest this for “all-in-one” but rather it’s a higher end course creation service. If online courses are for you, and you don’t have Wordpres,s then Kajabi is a great way to go.
https://app.kajabi.com/r/LyX3MEzn/t/kaybmm6k
Fiverr: Hire freelancers to build your website, create your logo, create or manage your social media, write your blogs and so much more! If you can afford to hire a website designer with a small business, please do. It’s so important to support small businesses and pay what their time is worth. But if finances are limited, this is the best website for any yoga teacher or entrepreneur just starting out.
https://track.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=222423&brand=fiverrhybrid
Elegant Themes: If you are on WordPress or plan to be on WordPress for your site, than you will want a great page builder to make your life easier and to make your website look way better. Divi by Elegant Themes is the easiest page builder that will save you time. They have a variety of high-quality templates that are completely customizable with little to no expertise needed. They make WordPress websites feel like a breeze and they will make you look like a masterful web designer.
https://www.elegantthemes.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=67467
Canva: This is the best free (or paid service, if you upgrade) for graphic design. You can hire someone on Fiverr above to create templates for you, or you can use templates that Canva provides. You don’t need to be a graphic designer; Canva is the best for helping you create professional, stunning images and infographics for your website or social media channels. Everything on theyogimatt.com is created on Canva by me personally. You may or may not like my artistry so don’t judge Canva by my choices. Just try it for yourself:
[Leadership] Branding 101 [32m]
BRAND COLORS AND LOGOS
- Establishing trust begins with consistency.
- Brand colors and fonts help convey a feeling.
- A logo also provides a feeling and makes it easy for students to recognize you.
- Don’t overthink your brand name; just establish your personal brand. Use your name and industry.
- Be personal in your brand but keep your personal life separate. ?
- Eventually you may establish several brands.
Helpful Links
FIVERR: Hire freelancers for your logo, infographics, content creation, and so much more:
LOGO DESIGN: https://fvrr.co/3m380zN
Please use the provided link. I will receive a small referral payment from Fiverr at no additional cost to you. I use Fiverr on a regular basis to hire freelancers for my logo design, animated logo, web assistance, and some of my repurposed content videos.
[Leadership] Simplifying “Money” [1h]
MONEY: THE GAME
When I transitioned to teaching yoga full time, I was delighted to make my way out of being flat broke to making $35/hour and working a few hours a day. But soon into my teaching career, I realized being a yoga teacher is not like any other job. Every class required two additional hours of planning, travel, prepping and cleaning the studio, so I was really making closer to $10/hour. Even teaching an online class requires at least two hours of prep time to send out emails, set up the website in the backend, prep cameras and lighting, test everything, change my clothes, help someone who doesn’t have access….
Sound familiar Zoom Warriors?
Or how about the amount of time it takes to promote the event, design the graphics, post to social media, send out emails, create the purchase option on the website, make sure the button works, etc. Teach private yoga? Factor in travel, gas, and prep time there, too.
What about this? You make enough money to pay your bills and eat the food you want to eat, spend the bare minimum on health insurance, and learn to live without life insurance, etc. With me? Do you have a retirement fund and contribute to this monthly?
What you don’t read about in yoga texts is that the yogis renounced all material possessions and essentially lived like beggars on donated food and money.
For most of us today, this isn’t a realistic way to live and teach.
When I started my career as a yoga teacher, I got by with three tank tops, a pair of shorts, one pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. I had no place to live and just enough savings to budget $5/day for food. I was living the simple lifestyle, but my body was deteriorating. I counted on friends and their generosity. I remember my friend/teacher Chris would take me out to dinner so she knew that I had eaten. I don’t regret that time, and I was young enough to be able to do it without serious damage to my body (I hope). BUT times like these should be temporary and should not be the norm for people doing the work of helping others feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I once was asked if yoga teachers should make money. I responded with my own question: should someone that helps others connect to their own well-being make less money than the CEO of a company that sells potentially cancerous and addictive products like Coca-Cola?
Maybe we have our thinking backwards in this country.
You deserve to be paid appropriately for what you do. Beyond that, you need to check in with your minimum.
Seven years ago, my brother asked me for a book recommendation. He was starting on his own path toward awakening toward self-awareness. I suggested Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. He read it immediately, loved it, and felt like he wanted to support me in return. He handed me the book called Money, Master The Game, by Tony Robbins. I wanted to VOMIT on the book, thinking “he doesn’t get it”. Some part of me knew that if this made me uncomfortable, then there is likely something here FOR me. So I started reading.
The first section bored the living daylights out of me. Save money, donate money, blah blah blah. BUT it must have been sinking in on some level. As I got out of my car one day in Manhattan after driving from Connecticut, someone stopped me and asked if I would sponsor a child. “It’s only $30/month,” they said. For me at that time, $30 a month was a lot of money. But in that book, Tony Robbins advised to not wait till you have money to donate; he said the practice of donating needs to start now. This way when you have money, you will be already in the habit of giving some of it away. He said the same thing about saving money, but donating was presented first. For seven years as of this writing, I have been sponsoring this child. This was a huge leap in my relationship to money, and it began to change my relationship to money, seeing it now as something that could bring goodness into the world rather than just a harbinger of greed.
Then it was onto retirement saving. BARF. I got an accountant for the first time to do my taxes and he advised that I put $$ into retirement so I didn’t have to pay the taxes on it now. REALLY? I began a retirement fund; moving my money from one account to another, and have been receiving money in the form of interest ever since.
ACTIONS around money started to unlock the part of me that was so resistant to it. I began to realize that I really didn’t understand money or how it worked, and as a result, I was afraid of it. I associated emotional and mental qualities with money, which is absurd because money doesn’t have a mind, emotions, or opinions; it’s simply a representation of time and/or effort in another form.
What do I mean by that?
If money didn’t exist, we would barter or trade things or services of equal value, just as we did before money was invented as an exchange. But what if I didn’t have a thing or service that you wanted? I would have to go to someone else and trade with them something that I had for the thing that you wanted, then come back to you. But what if it wasn’t that easy? What if I needed to trade with several people until I could get the thing you wanted? This is where money just makes sense. In exchange for our goods, services, or time and effort, we receive a common currency, for which we can then trade with others for what we want or need. It’s quite amazing actually.
People are complex, but money is simple. People have done terrible things for or with money, but people have done amazing things with it, too. Money itself is neutral.
With this understanding, you can begin developing awareness around the meaning you have attached to money. For many of us, money topics are triggering because it touches on either our beliefs and feelings around safety or the right to freedom. What does money mean to you? What emotion do you assign to it?
THE MINIMUM IS NOT ENOUGH
Tony Robbins takes a sharp 90 degree turn about midway through his book and starts discussing awareness and the practices of self-inquiry. This part was mind-blowing at times. I wondered why it didn’t start with that but then I realized I am not his target audience. He is dealing with money-driven people that needed the actionable steps. Slowly, he transitions to a deeper message.
Here was a massive takeaway that helped me shift my “just enough” thinking. Prior to reading this book, I never thought about retirement. No one teaches you to do that because many people have corporate jobs with companies that pay into retirement funds. But we are now living in a entrepreneurial age where many of us work for ourselves, so unless we are thinking ahead, retiring will mean no more income or some small amount of social security, if you’re in the U.S.
I sat down one day to see what I would need for my retirement if I retired at 80 years old. While I hope to teach yoga forever, I can’t count on my physical and mental faculties to be all there. So if I plan to retire at 80, knowing my grandparents passed around 98 years old, I can expect to live to 100 if all goes well! I calculated that I would need 100k per year for 20 years, minus inflation. An inflation calculator indicates I’d need more like 140k/year for twenty years. That means I need to save 2.8 million dollars by the time I reach 80 years old! If you are making a million per year already, then no biggie, but on most yoga teacher salaries, that seems impossible, right?
That would mean saving about 70k per year for me for the duration of 40 years…70k MORE than what I make would need to be saved. INSANE.
How did I calculate 100k per year? I had to look at what I currently spend per year. If you make 40k annually and have no money saved at the end of the year, then your cost of living is 40k. That might work as a healthy young adult, but not when you have medical bills, a live-in aid, medications, special dietary needs, etc. I used averages for American expenses in retirement, and then I added the cost of a full-time aid, just in case. All of that came to100k per year.
Sorry if the details are boring!
LETS GET TO THE EXCITING PART.
To save 70k per year, you have two options: one, keep it in your bank account and don’t touch it (not likely to work), and two, invest your money monthly so you will likely only need to save about 12-15k per year to end up with 2.8 million. That’s right! When you invest your money, you only need to save 12-15k per year to end up with at 2.8 million, whereas if you just put $$ into a savings account, you need to save 70k per year. Follow me?
So which do you prefer, saving 12k per year and winding up with 2.8 million, or saving 75k per year and ending up with the same?
SAVE LESS; MAKE MORE BY INVESTING.
Now I am not a financial advisor, so I am not here to tell you what to do with your money, but I do recommend seeking out someone either at your local bank or go off a recommendation from a friend. I started investing with Citibank but moved my money to Opal Wealth Management, which is my brother’s firm. Not everyone has a brother who owns a financial firm, but you don’t need one; you just need to set up the right systems.
WHY AM I TELLING YOU ALL THIS?
To many people, especially those with money, it’s just a game. The financial industry doesn’t educate the masses on money and money management because it doesn’t serve them for you to understand it. And most of us wouldn’t want to hear about it anyway. My brother shoved it in my face for a long time, and because of my relationship to money, I JUST DIDN’T LISTEN. He was literally trying to show me the secret to making my life easier but I was too stubborn to learn.
THANKFULLY, my brother passed me that book, and I was able to shift my mindset and start saving for my future.
Things to consider when you set your prices for your events, workshops, online courses, trainings, etc. is not just the minimum compensation. Consider your future and what you need to save each month for your retirement, and consider how much you want to donate to charitable causes that mean a lot to you. And don’t forget you want to have money for things like a home, animals, children, etc.
ON A FINAL NOTE – FREE TEACHING OR SERVICES
Money isn’t the only currency, and you may still accept exchanges that fulfill some other need for you. For example, while I have paid financially for many teacher trainings, I received my primary education in the time I invested assisting my teachers Marco, Rudrani, John, Mary, Chris, Jason, and Jenny. What I learned from assisting them was worth far more than any training I paid money for. And they didn’t receive financial payment to educate me, and instead benefited from my full and focused support in their classes, workshops, retreats, or trainings.
Another example that may be more relevant to you is teaching for free in exchange for exposure. I can’t tell you how many events I have taught that didn’t pay me anything. Often times I spent money to get there! I considered these events an investment to my future. Some of you reading may not realize that the event you first practiced with me was one in which I wasn’t paid for but I was investing my time for a return on student engagement and growth.
Here is a last example that will likely be relevant for you. In the last eight years, I have been creating online educational content through Instagram, YouTube, and in blog posts. I freely give this content away. No one pays me to offer it. If you only knew how many days some of my YouTube content took to create, not to mention the money for equipment, and the time it took facing my own inner resistance. This TIME was an investment, one that didn’t amount to much until eight years later. I had no idea why I was creating the content and putting so much effort in, but I trusted it was an investment in my future.
You will have times where you will invest in your future in similar ways. Not everything is worth your time and effort, and you will learn quickly what you SHOULD just say no to, and what is truly an opportunity. Opportunities tend to be mutually beneficial; someone benefits from your free offering, and you benefit from exposure or in gaining a skillset. It’s a win-win.
[Leadership] Core Values [21m]
CONSIDER YOUR CORE VALUES
| Authenticity | Friendships | Pleasure |
| Achievement | Fun | Poise |
| Adventure | Growth | Popularity |
| Authority | Happiness | Recognition |
| Autonomy | Honesty | Religion |
| Balance | Humor | Reputation |
| Beauty | Influence | Respect |
| Boldness | Inner Harmony | Responsibility |
| Compassion | Justice | Security |
| Challenge | Kindness | Self-Respect |
| Community | Knowledge | Service |
| Competency | Leadership | Spirituality |
| Contribution | Learning | Stability |
| Creativity | Love | Success |
| Curiosity | Loyalty | Status |
| Determination | Meaningful Work | Trustworthiness |
| Fairness | Openness | Wealth |
| Faith | Optimism | Wisdom |
| Fame | Peace | |
[Leadership] Discussion: Young Ho Kim [90m]
Young Ho Kim
Young Ho Kim, founder of Inside Yoga, Inside Flow, Inside Style, and Tint Yoga, is one of Europe’s top yoga teachers. He is known not only for his teaching, but for his entrepreneurial skills in bringing yoga to the masses worldwide, while staying true to his authentic expression of it. His generosity in supporting other yoga teachers is one of the most inspiring traits I have seen in any yoga teacher around the world. While many teachers are incredibly generous with their time and lead fundraisers and other support events, Young Ho goes beyond that, finding ways to support and amplify the messages of deserving teachers. Anyone that crosses paths with Young Ho will tell a similar story about an opportunity he provided that helped get them to where they are today. Young Ho embodies the spirit of yoga, and I consider him family as he has been like a brother to me, while also a mentor and guide. It is an honor to share this connection with you.
How to Connect with Young Ho Kim
Social Media: @InsideYogaofficial is his personal instagram account.
Social Media for his brands:
- @insideflowofficial
- @insideyoga_studio
- @insidestyleofficial
- @tint_yoga
Website’s:
- www.insideflow.com
- www.insideyoga.de
- www.tintyoga.com
- www.insidestyle.de
[Leadership] Content Proliferation Pt. 2 [12m]
[Leadership] Business Structure [32m]
[Leadership] Content Proliferation & Repurposing Pt. 1 [23m]
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
[Leadership] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome [42m]
IMPOSTER SYNDROME: WHO AM I TO…?
I don’t know enough.
I’m not as capable of this.
Who am I to be teaching this?
Sound familiar? The list goes on. If you ever feel like an imposter, you are not alone. Almost everyone faces this on some level and at some point in their career. When you only teach to your strengths, you might be able to get around it for a time but you will find that a yoga business will inevitably force you into a situation where you doubt your expertise. For some, this will be the dominant mindset; for others, it will only arise with certain aspects of teaching or business.
I used to feel this quite a bit when teaching Thai Massage. It was a practice I studied quite a bit, yet I always felt inauthentic teaching it, like I didn’t know enough. I still don’t know exactly what that insecurity was about, but it definitely held me back with practicing and teaching Thai massage professionally.
If only I could get another certification, then I would be ready to teach. If only I studied in Thailand, then I would be ready. If only I became a licensed massage therapist first, then I would be ready to teach this. If only, if only, if only….
Consider this: you don’t actually choose your students; they choose you. They are the ones that decide whether you are the right teacher for them or not. Your students aren’t going to be experts in the field you are teaching; the experts are studying with Masters. For whatever reason, most of us think our students already know everything we do, which really isn’t true, especially if we are teaching authentically from our own experience. No one is more deeply rooted in your experience than you, and no one can share that experience better than you.
One time I gave my Thai massage teacher a Thai massage. I was super nervous. He said something like,
“I am not receiving this for your benefit, it’s for mine. I am a human and I require touch just like you. This is not a test. I am not judging your Thai massage skills. I just need healing like anyone else.”
This was helpful because I was making the experience of practicing and teaching Thai massage about me. This is the root of imposter syndrome, too much focus on ourselves. Usually that stems from fear of judgment, even when no one is judging. It’s interesting, right? We make up all these stories about how we are being judged when no one has said or done anything to indicate that they are.
MEANWHILE our students are more consumed with their own thoughts and fears. They’re thinking: Oh no, do I smell? Did I put on deodorant this morning? I hope I don’t have to do backbends today; I really suck at those, I hope they don’t realize that I am a total beginner.
We all get stuck in our heads.
Ultimately these are mental and emotional patterns that can only be worked out through our yoga practice and/or with therapy, but know that you are not alone.
If you are facing this in an area of your passion, then what matters is what you do with this awareness. Do you show up and teach anyway? If not, then you will have no opportunity to change the narrative. If you show up anyway and share what is authentic to your experience, then you will undoubtedly start learning that you know more than you think. Those that consider themselves your students will keep coming for the knowledge but more than that, they return for the way YOU present it. They will come because they resonate with you, not because you are an expert.
When you go to a car dealership looking to buy a car, you don’t speak to the engineer about how they created the engine, you speak to the sales person that explains why that engine is so reliable and performs better than any other. When you go to the Apple store, you don’t speak to the person that built the processing chip inside the computer, you speak to the salesperson who is going to help you understand which computer is right for you. A good salesperson is not an expert in building products; they are there to connect with you, deliver information that you are looking for, and ultimately support you with your decision.
Remember, you aren’t the creator of yoga or the engineer of the physical body and mind. You are here to connect with your students so you can share information and techniques that can ultimately change their lives.
