Giveaway for TBOKY and an Imaginations Book
Win an exclusive "Seat" in The Biz of Kids Yoga 8-week Online Course.
Dates: FALL 2014
September 18th-November 13th (no class on October 16th)
September 18, 25
October 2, 9, 23, 30
November 6, 13
Sessions are 80 minutes: 10:00-11:20am PST
More info here:
Winner's “seat” is non-transferable. Prize has no cash value.
Review
Earlier this summer, I enrolled in Jodi Komitor's The Biz of Kids Yoga Online Course, fondly called TBOKY.
Here is what it entailed:
- 8 weekly Online classes on Google Hangout
- Weekly assignments and journaling
- Connecting with a buddy
Here's what I loved:
Based on the experience of a kids yoga teacher
Jodi is a rockstar in the kids yoga world. She opened the first kids yoga studio, wrote a great book on kids yoga (The Idiot's Guide to Yoga with Kids), trains teachers, and teaches kids all over the world. Now she has started sharing her business insights, techniques, and stories in The Biz of Kids Yoga Online Course. Most business classes do not focus solely on a yoga business, no less on a kids yoga business. I found it helpful to hear from another kids yoga teacher exactly what worked and what didn't work in her business.
Well-organized
The course was well-organized with 8 modules of information. Each 80 minute class started with some sharing of our insights or questions from the previous week followed by new material, discussion, and assignments. The modules included:
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road- Setting a Mindset for Success
- Marketing
- Beyond Kid's Classes (covered in 2 classes)
- Create Community
- Money Matters
- Your Biz Online
- Hit the Ground Running (A summary and self-evaluation)
Each module applied to both teachers just starting out and teachers that had been in business for years. We received an outline by email before each class for note-taking and assignments.
Collaborative
We all had a buddy to share with, as well as a Facebook group for sharing ideas and asking questions. With a small class size, the course felt intimate and conversational. I loved hearing what other teachers were doing, as well as hearing their struggles with some of the same things that challenge me.
Convenient
Who doesn't love a training that doesn't force you to leave your house? Using Google+ was relatively easy once I got the hang of it (get someone that is good with tech to help you if you need to work out any kinks). Using the cameras on our computers and the audio on our microphones made it feel more intimate and connected than a conference call. Also, the classes were recorded, so I could catch up after missing a class for a vacation.
Open-ended
The modules were very applicable to everything that is happening in my business right now. There were some aspects (ex: opening up a yoga studio) that I didn't need right now, but will be able to use in the future when the time comes. I can keep revisiting the material at any stage of my business. I envision cycling through my notes and the modules every six months or so to reevaluate my business and regroup if necessary.
Here's What I Learned:
This course was extremely helpful for me. I've been in business for over 10 years, and most of the time it has felt like I am flying by the seat of my pants. Through TBOKY, I have discovered and fine-tuned my niche of kids yoga with guided imagery. I now know that I don't have to be everything to everybody. The more focused I am with a niche, the more my business will grow. I also realized in the class that I have been very "loosey-goosey" with my marketing and business efforts, so I am now committing to daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals to keep me on track. I also realized that I have connected with hundreds of people over the years of teaching, but I have not been good at keeping in touch consistently. Now I am putting systems in place to consistently reach out to my community (that's you!).
If only this course had existed when I started out! I feel that TBOKY grounded me in my business and gave me the tools to decide which areas need my focus. It was like taking my business to a yoga class!