Yoga Entrepreneur Secrets

In this episode, Chris will combat the false belief that "commercializing" yoga is a bad thing and outline why it's actually a good thing. From his interactions on different online communities based in the yoga space, he has been noticing a growing sentiment that the commercialization of yoga is destroying the spiritual practice of it. While yoga is very much tied to spirituality, Chris feels that its commercialization is actually more of a solution than a problem, because when it’s done right, those with the gift of teaching it can impart that gift onto others and help people achieve the best version of themselves.The fact that a yogi has a yoga studio (in whatever form) and they are always spreading the word of its existence so they can attract potential students, means that they are in a way commercializing yoga. Supporting the art of yoga actively through marketing and advertising is a beautiful thing because it’s the only way of getting the message out to the masses, and so yogis demonizing the art is no

In this episode, Chris will discuss the top five takeaways they got from Funnel Hacking Live 2020. The first year they attended the event was in 2019 and they were skeptical about whether 2020’s event would beat 2019’s but they were impressed by the huge increase in the number of attendants and how well orchestrated the event was.  Funnel Hacking Live is an event that is organized by Ninja marketer Russell Brunson’s company, ClickFunnels, and has been running once a year for the last six years. John and Chris have been a part of the ClickFunnels community for five years now and were introduced to it by a coach in a mastermind program that they were a part of. They started consuming Russell’s content and have been rabid followers of his since.The first takeaway is about the power of frameworks which when explained from a yoga-oriented context refers to how teaching yoga students from a framework actually makes them more successful. What the framework does is just organize information so that the students can c

In this episode, John and Chris will discuss the documentary about Bikram Choudhury, an Indian-born-American yoga teacher, and the founder of Bikram Yoga, a form of hot yoga consisting of a fixed series of 26 postures practised in a hot environment of 40 °C (104 °F). Bikram Yoga became a success in the United States and then across the Western world, with a variety of celebrity students.The documentary details allegations of rape, sexual assault, and discrimination against racial and sexual minorities against Bikram. By January 2014, five women were suing Bikram Choudhury with allegations including sexual harassment and sexual assault. Two lawsuits accusing him of rape were filed in May 2013, with other counts of sexual battery, false imprisonment, discrimination, and harassment. One suit describes a cult-like atmosphere where members of Choudhury's inner circle help him find young women to assault. Another suit claims that Choudhury recruits volunteers from overseas who were so in fear of his wrath that they

In this episode, John and Chris will discuss the real role of the Yoga Alliance to clear up a general false perception within the yoga community about it. When yoga teachers and schools register themselves through the Alliance, they think that the registration serves as some form of certification and they run their classes in line with the recommendations of the alliance. What a large majority of the yoga community doesn’t realize is that the Yoga Alliance is just an online directory and not a recognized certifying body.They’re basically an online registry that provides an outline of what a teacher training program needs to have inside of it so that teacher training schools can build their syllabuses around it before registering their schools in the registry. Once the alliance approves a yoga school, the schools’ students can also register with the alliance to become a registered yoga teacher, and have the title “RYT” behind their names.They play an important role in creating some kind of standard in the indu

In this episode, John and Chris will continue the conversation that they've been having about the five core functions of a business, and they're going to talk about the final two, which are delivery or fulfillment and retention/resale/upsell. Delivery basically refers to the way a yoga studio generates leads (the marketing techniques it employs) and nurtures them up to the point where they sign up as new students. Direct response marketing techniques are highly advised so that one can measure the results of their efforts, and make them as economical as possible to save money and even make more money while getting people through the door.Fulfillment, on the other hand, is like the sale that happens after the sale. It all starts right after a studio has signed up new students. The studio owner has to know exactly how the yoga training classes are delivered so they can ensure that the students are getting results. The unfortunate truth in the industry about this is that most yoga studio owners are not conscious

In this episode, John and Chris will talk about the difference between general marketing (the old way) versus direct response marketing (the new way). They will dive into the old forms of marketing they’ve done in the past and contrast them with the new forms of marketing that they do now while looking at it all through the first three core functions of a business, namely; lead generation, lead nurture, and lead conversion.One core way of differentiating between general marketing and direct response marketing, is to look at how they are evaluated. General marketing is designed to increase awareness while direct response is evaluated on the basis of sales results. In reality, direct response focuses on a brand and the long term impact of the messaging being put out into the market. Unlike general marketing, it’s designed to produce a sale now rather than in some distant future.General marketing on the other hand, is all about putting out ads, which are usually too costly for most mom and pop yoga studios to af

In this episode, John and Chris will seek to answer a question about the five core functions of a business. When they were starting out with their business, they didn’t know what those core functions were. Chris didn’t even pretend to know what they were while John would either lie that he knew them or make them up. That was until they heard about Alex Charfen’s Billionaire Code from some of their coaches, and the five core functions of a business just so happened to be one of the core teachings of the code.The five core functions include lead generation, lead nurturing, lead conversion, delivery/fulfillment, and resell/upsell or retention. For a yoga entrepreneur to successfully run their business consistently, they have to analyze the business based on the five functions by creating a scorecard of each function, and then focusing their future efforts more on the functions that they are failing in the most while still ensuring that they keep working on the rest of the functions, because a failure in any of t

In this episode, John and Chris will address an issue that is in every yoga studio owner’s mind right now as we head closer to the new year. That is the issue of how to succeed in the business in 2020 in the midst of an increasingly competitive environment where big box gyms are becoming an every day threat. Yoga studio owners are very concerned that the big box gyms are going to take over the yoga industry and demolish all the mom and pop yoga studios by incorporating yoga that will compete with them in a way that they won’t be able to keep up. Big box gyms and corporate-style yoga entities like CorePower have very deep pockets and therefore, millions of dollars to spend on marketing, and so the only way to compete with them is by doing things differently. John and Chris will share the five main things that yoga studios can do to achieve that and succeed in 2020. They are; telling stories, creating high barrier to entry introductory offers, combining online and offline, discovering the activation point for y

In this episode, John and Chris will answer a question from one of their good friends and students. The question is based on whether or not they would advice a yogi setting up a new yoga studio to offer discounted prices to attract students or just start off with their full prices from the get-go.The answer to this is sort of multilayered, because from their own personal experience of owning yoga studios, they applied different pricing tactics when they set up each of their current four studios. When they were starting out, they didn’t have much in terms of information on how to run a yoga studio successfully, so they would just throw a launch party, which was more like a launch campaign, where they would give bonuses to people who signed up for their various packages.As far as the prices were concerned, they would go low, but they eventually shifted towards charging full prices when they set up a new location, because they discovered that clients who pay, pay more attention. One of the biggest challenges tha

In this episode, John and Chris will dive into a question they got from one of their listeners about the direction that studio-based yoga is headed in terms of fitness over classic yoga. Classic yoga refers to the traditional way of doing yoga which has really evolved over the last 6,000 years.They will discuss the history of yoga starting from the time when Patanjali created the Indian sutras on the theory and practice of yoga by synthesizing and organizing knowledge about yoga from older traditions, to the present time where yoga has become a portal into finding mental stillness in order to enhance the ability to pay attention and focus so as to move deeper into meditation.The sole reason why people turn to yoga is to achieve physical and spiritual development, but when yoga studios focus solely on the fitness side of it, they fail in helping their students achieve their desired results. John and Chris will share how every yoga entrepreneur should go about teaching yoga to their students in a way that helps

In this episode, Chris will talk about some of the two biggest gifts we have during this holiday season and why it’s the most beautiful time of year to be a yoga entrepreneur. He refers to Brendon Burchard’s teachings about the biggest gift during the holiday season being the time constraints that are given to us by the nature of the season itself, and all the markers of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year's.He will dive into how important this holiday season is for marketers and business owners because of the urgency to purchase that is embedded in it and share how yoga entrepreneurs can sell the irresistible offers they’ve created by combining urgency and scarcity to not only increase their revenues, but also scale their impact on people’s lives. Listen and Learn!Key Points Discussed:Creating irresistible offers and how the yoga world does it the wrong way (01:56)The two things that are just as important in compelling people to say yes and make a purchase (03:08)Collapsing the

In this episode, Chris and John will interview Cate Stillman, the author of Body Thrive, the founder of Yogahealer and the Worldwide Association of Yoga Health Coaching, and a mom, wife and avid paddleboard surfer, skier, and mountain biker. Cate has been teaching audiences how to create health and wellness through yoga and Ayurveda since 2001 and founded Yoga Health Coaching for wellness experts and yoga teachers to coach their clients into the habits of thrive via integrating Ayurveda with behavioral science and evolutionary group dynamics.She also hosts the Yogahealer Real Thrive Show, a weekly podcast featuring dozens of experts in the field, and has organically grown Yogahealer.com since 2001 as a hub for a practical, planetary and evolutionary approach to Ayurveda. She comes on to share how she got started in Ayurveda and yoga, and her entire journey up to the point where she's at now with her million-dollar online yoga business. She will also share a lot of great actionable advice for yogis who are eit

In this episode, Chris and John will be talking about where an aspiring yoga entrepreneur can start their entrepreneurial journey from and how they can grow their yoga practice to great heights. These topics will be covered in response to two questions that were asked by their listeners.They will dive deeper into each topic and give us some detailed advice on where to start right after teacher training. They’ll explain some of the ways that an aspiring yoga entrepreneur can start teaching people so they can figure out who their target market should be before they can eventually set up their own yoga practice at a physical location, online, or even both. If you’re a freshly trained yoga teacher, this episode is perfect for you. Enjoy!Key Points Discussed:Cutting your teeth by starting to teach as many people as possible right after completing teacher training (01:46)You’ll never be ready, don’t let your ego keep you from acknowledging all you’ve put in to acquire the knowledge (03:22)Figuring out who you want

In this episode, John and Chris welcome Josh Forti, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, and expert in the Facebook group industry. Josh has helped his clients grow and manage over 5 million followers on social media and generate over $3 Million in revenue. He has a 30,000+ member social media and digital marketing focused Facebook group, is a speaker and recognized thought leader featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Grant Cardone TV, and Chicago Area Radio.He is very passionate about sharing the most modern and effective marketing strategies with entrepreneurs and companies aimed at making the world better. He’s a really fascinating individual and he comes on to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, and share all the actionable lessons he has learned that we can apply on our own entrepreneurial journeys. Stay tuned for all that and more.Key Points Discussed:Overcoming all odds and becoming an entrepreneur: Josh’s backstory (02:45)Starting out on the quest to finding out how to be success

In this episode, Chris talks about the importance of yoga entrepreneurs knowing the kind of clientele they want to serve. It’s very critical for a yoga entrepreneur to enjoy being around his/her clients because it contributes greatly to the thriving and sustainability of their business.Chris will share the mistakes himself and John made at the beginning of their studios in regards to sending mixed messages to the marketplace because they felt “Yoga is for Everyone”, and how they got passed that. Tune in as he also shares the framework that will help you figure out who your ideal client is, so you can make money while enjoying serving your students.Key Points Discussed:The mistakes John and Chris made when they were starting out (01:57)Figuring out your avatar or your ideal client (04:51)The three markets: Health, Wealth, and Relationships (06:16)Understanding your sub-market and where you fit? (09:36)Crafting your message around who your who is (12:55)The three biggest reasons why people go to yoga (16:10)Del

In this episode, John will talk about the art of selling without selling, and dive into the psychology of selling anything, specifically, selling yoga. He will describe the psychology and how the brain processes a potential purchase. He will also go through the 3 False Beliefs: Vehicle (does it work), Internal (can I do it), and External (do I have the resources), and tell us the best way to break those false beliefs through storytelling. He will then describe a very simple framework to tell your stories so that you can always motivate potential students to sign up to your classes. It’s gonna be a resourceful 23 minutes, so take out your pen and paper.Key Points Discussed:The psychology of selling yoga: Potential students’ belief patterns around yoga (01:02)How it all gets lost in translation and the “Can I Do It” internal belief (04:16)How to replace their stories to change their beliefs (08:34)The great power of testimonials and the basic storyte (12:24)The transformation is better than talking about the st

In this episode, John and Chris will share the last segment of their 95-minute interview with Brad Gibb of Cashflow Tactics, where they talked about the core four, which are the foundational financial principles that we should run all our decision making on in terms of what and where to invest to get the best odds of the results that we’re looking for.You’ll wanna listen to Brad on this one, because everything we’ve been taught about achieving financial freedom and building wealth has been very misleading. Enjoy!Key Points Discussed:Understanding the concept of taking higher risks to get higher returns (02:08)The blind squirrel phenomenon and the worst part of a financial adviser (07:37)Helping people realize there's another option that has never been presented (12:08)Learning the right process to get there (14:54)The most damaging financial books ever printed (18:37)The three greatest investments that you can make (20:23)Money is a tool and freedom means control (23:16)Additional Resources:Rich Dad, Poor Dad

In this episode, John and Chris will share the second part of their 95-minute interview with Brad Gibb of Cashflow Tactics, where they talked about the definition of financial freedom, what that really means, and how to attain it. They're also going to talk about how to completely change the rules of the financial game while also posing the question whether a ton of money in your retirement account can change your reality tomorrow. You won’t wanna miss this one.Key Points Discussed:Is putting money away in a retirement account equal to financial freedom? (02:15)Financial freedom means not being reliant on waking up and producing for your income (04:19)401Ks and whether they can be a vehicle to help us be financially free within 10 years or less (07:04)Does money equate to financial freedom and being in control? (13:47)Creating financial freedom at an entirely different level (17:34)Investing in yourself until you know what to do with your money (20:487)Money and finance is a skill set that needs to be learned

In this episode, John and Chris will share the first part of their 95-minute interview with Brad Gibb of Cashflow Tactics, where they talked about the scariest part of taking the leap into entrepreneurship.They will also dive into the one thing that holds most entrepreneurs back, what we secretly sacrifice for money, how to find balance in all areas of our lives, and how money can support that. Listen in and learn.Key Points Discussed:How Brad came to be who he is today (03:31)The breaking point: From employee to employer (09:32)Investing in a coach and mentorship to bridge the gaps (16:23)Building a great business and parenting 6 kids (21:49)Being driven through purpose to grow and expand in all areas (25:07)Knowing where you’re going is what enables you to get back on course (28:48)Additional Resources:Cashflow Tactics--If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook Group! This is where we are diving into the concepts and strategies discussed on this podcast in more detail through our weekly Facebook

In this episode, Chris is going to share what every yoga entrepreneur can do to increase the value of the services they offer so that they can charge more and make more money. He will talk about how they joined OfferLab and attended OfferMind, and share how implementing the strategies they learned has been the biggest game changer in their business.Listen in as he teaches you how to make a better and more valuable offer so that you can completely revolutionize what you're doing, how you're offering it, and the results that you're getting for your clients.Key Points Discussed:Joining OfferLab and implementing the marketing strategies learned (00:54)Solving the valuable problems to make more money (04:22)How to add crazy value perceptually so that clients are willing to pay more (09:22)Solving a problem creates other problems and it’s a good thing (13:28)The importance of adding a guarantee to your offers (18:07)Additional Resources:Yax Yoga Concepts--If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook Group!