As I celebrated 12 years of teaching yoga this October 2018 I contemplated on how rapidly our industry has evolved and grown.
I remember the easier years when in 2010 I opened a yoga studio in Amsterdam, and it took us just 3 months to start breaking even. Back then I would teach massive workshops of 30-40 people in each without having a big name or being a yoga celebrity just 3 years into my teaching career.
Today, however, things are different. The yoga market is saturated, there are many more yoga teachers nearly done with their training and are eager to join our teaching sangha. This is the reason why these days we have to be creative, innovative and business-like if we want to succeed.
So I decided to look for people who approach this business creatively, people who look outside of the box and come up with great ideas.
My first interview is with Casey Castro, the owner of Sydney Yoga Collective.
Her business model is simple and working. She offers yoga for $12 drop-in rate with class passes available. There are no tricky terms and conditions. Just show up and practice.
To justify this affordable class rate, Casey hires community venues.
Her pitch is quite simple. She wants to make yoga affordable and accessible to everyone in the community. Her yoga model is inclusive, non-glamorous and less intimidating. It is for everyone. She aims to get a rate of $25 / hr and sometimes is being offered a no-fee rent. Teachers are being paid a flat rate of $50 a class.
Staff at all of her locations, which are mainly community centres, is offered complimentary classes. This helps her to spread the word and get more people in.
Generosity = Creating Abundance!
Some locations were approached by Casey herself, while others were set up with a help of her clients. They simply wanted a community class in their neighbourhood.
Having on average 8-14 people in a class, Sydney Yoga Collective offers them in 5 different locations with 15 classes a week. Students can expect high-quality props like Mandala bolsters,
Sydney Yoga Collective premium mats used (imagine 8mm Lululemon mats, but better) and blocks. All of which Casey managed to buy with a discount, of course!
This is a profitable model and a few months back Casey decided to make a leap. She hired a studio room at Andrew Boy Charlton swimming pool, which was previously Yoga Beyond studio. In my next blog post, I will be sharing with you how she does her marketing and promotions running this new location with lots of potential. In 2019 Casey is planning to run lots of workshops and intensives. Stay tuned as I might be one of the guest teachers too.
About the author: Madina is a yoga teacher mentor from Sydney. Please check her Mentoring Program details as well as Sequencing Made Easy online course.