Conversation with Jessie Reino
If you’ve ever struggled as a business owner, felt alone, or like you’re the only one dealing with that particular struggle, this conversation is for you.
My guest today, Jessie Reino, is a yoga teacher who started her business during the pandemic and has seen ups and downs in her business already.
Her success story was how she navigated doubt as a new business owner. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, she definitely did that but she continues to navigate the ebb and flow of entrepreneurship.
We talk through her real-life timeline of how things went and I have a feeling that you’re going to resonate with this in a big way.
If you’re like most of my students, you saw a dip in your business in 2020 or 2021. And if you were lucky enough to see growth in those 2 years, you’re currently experiencing the dip now. I’ve heard it from everyone and experienced it myself as well. So please hear me loud and clear when I say, you’re not alone.
In fact, I have so much to say about creating a sustainable yoga business that next week there will be a part 2 where I succinctly share my tips on this topic. Stay tuned! And for now, let's dive in to the conversation with Jessie!
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #146). Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message.
The ups and downs of starting a yoga business
"In 2020, I was doing pretty good for just starting out. But last year was where it really took a nosedive. My classes were abysmal. It was really depressing." - Jessie Reino
Jessie started her yoga business during the pandemic. She got her foundation set, started teaching, and grew a student base. As her business grew and shifted, she explored different options and then saw a dip.
The ups and downs of running a yoga business are part of the journey and will always be there (and even more so during the pandemic). Class sizes fluctuate. Feelings of defeat, doubt, and comparison are common.
"It's easy to fall into the comparison trap. It's like apples and oranges, and I have to remind myself of that." - Jessie Reino
When you are first starting out, it can be great to try lots of different things - both free and paid! You will notice what works and what doesn’t work for you and learn from it.
"You can change your mind. Just because you say one thing doesn't mean you have to do it forever." - Jessie Reino
Money mindset as a yoga teacher
I strongly believe that yoga teachers should make money teaching yoga. You are providing a service that is helping people in this world, just like a dentist or a mechanic. You deserve to be paid!
I also believe that when we get to the point where we're making a sustainable living, then guess what? You can donate to charities that help other people. You can give your time to nonprofits and provide free yoga classes. There is so much abundance that can happen once your needs are met. But before that, you can't.
"If you have the desire and passion to teach yoga, please get paid to do it so that you can do all of the other amazing things with your money and time." - Amanda McKinney
We all have a money story. Jen Sincero has a book called You Are A Badass At Making Money that I highly recommend.
There are a lot of emotions attached to money. There are feelings of guilt and trying to make your offerings accessible for people, but also trying to make a living.
In episode 139 of the podcast (Why Your Yoga Offering Isn’t Selling & How To Fill Your Next Yoga Offering), I said "People who pay, pay attention." There's so much truth to this. We offer so much and assume that when we offer something for free that people are going to show up. But the thing is, we value what we pay for.
Keeping your yoga marketing simple
When you’re doing everything on your own, it can feel really overwhelming to create a lot of content. But you don't actually have to do a lot to make a big impact with your marketing.
"A friendly reminder: You don’t have to do it all." - Amanda McKinney
So take everything off the table that you don't feel like doing right now (whether that's reels, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or whatever channel isn't resonating with you). Focus in. Simplify and come back to asking yourself: How can I help people?
You can also share content for free in your marketing so you can help the people that aren't in the place to pay for your offerings at this time.
Jessie hosted a 30-day self-care challenge that helped her stay on top of creating content and she enjoyed it. It helped her narrow her focus (instead of feeling overwhelmed by too many options), gave her an idea of what to post each day, and engaged her audience.
“Instead of posting random things, there was a structure.” - Jessie Reino
Content planning for your yoga business
Content planning for your yoga business is like playing chess and planning several steps ahead – if you wait, it’s too late!
Planning for 90 days at a time is where it's at! This is my best suggestion. You could set a theme for each month and plan ahead for the upcoming quarter. For example: In March you sit down and plan out the next 90 days. You decide you're going to talk about a "nature" theme in April, "action" in May, and "cooling down" in June. Then in May, you have it on your calendar to do it again for the next three months. So you give yourself that buffer and you're always ahead!
This way, it allows you to plan for promotion of your offerings as well. If you have an offering like a workshop that you're planning in the next 90 days, you can plan your content around this offering. You can plot it all out on your calendar. You're setting yourself up for success.
If you want to learn more about this process, listen to episode 27 of my podcast that's all about how to plan your content for the next 90 days.
Remember that we often have to hear, read, or watch something for a while before we implement something. Consider this when you are implementing a marketing strategy.
So think about quarterly planning and see how it feels for a while. Will it work for you? Is it realistic? Maybe you try it a few times but it’s not your routine. Or maybe it eventually feels right later on down the right. Know that you will “be ready” for it when you’re ready to implement it.
"One size doesn't fit all. Everyone has a different approach." - Jessie Reino
Mindset shift to create a sustainable yoga business
"I went from being a stay-at-home mom to being a full-time official business-owner. But it's hard for me to get into that space that I own a business and I'm a business owner." - Jessie Reino
Stand in your confidence. You’re not “just a yoga teacher." You are a business owner! In order to create a sustainable business, you have to be confident in this
With success comes doubt. We will all have ups and downs as a business owner.
“With success, there’s also struggle.” - Amanda McKinney
It can feel isolating as a yoga teacher, and it’s easy to think that you’re the only one going through the ups and downs. But remember that there are others who are going through the same things as a business owner too.
"I'm flying out here on my own and it can be very isolating. It can feel very lonely sometimes. It's helpful to see that other people are struggling, too, because it's easy to think that I'm the only one that's sucking at this right now and everyone else is doing great." - Jessie Reino
We will always be looking for results as we run our business and that means we will try things and we won’t always succeed in everything we try.
Knowing that we're not alone in this crazy journey of entrepreneurship is really helpful. As much as we wish no one was struggling, it does help to know that other people feel the same.
It takes perseverance to be a yoga entrepreneur
"Each time something comes up, I find ways around it and move forward. It's not always easy and sometimes it's really frustrating. Ultimately, I go through it." - Jessie Reino
"Find what works for you and don't give up. Keep moving forward. Baby steps." - Jessie Reino There are so many correlations between being an entrepreneur and how you talk to your students as a yoga teacher. Growing a business takes a lot of discomfort and learning new things on a daily basis. Remember how you teach your students and how you show them compassion when they are struggling. It’s harder for us to show ourselves that same compassion.
Remember that you have the tools to deal with the challenges. Use your yoga tools! And it’s important to find a community in whatever format works for you. It's so much easier to navigate the hard stuff when you have that support.
Your next step
While I could encourage you to set a 90 day goal or decide on next months content theme, that’s not what I think will help you the most.
The next step that I believe will help you the absolute most is to identify your support system as an entrepreneur.
If you don’t know immediately who that is, stop and think about it now.
If you had people’s names pop into your mind immediately, send them a note today to say thank you for their support. And if you don’t have that support system right now, I really want you to find what works for you.
I’ve got a free and a paid option for you as resources.
Free:
Ask a friend that also runs a business to have a monthly or quarterly business chat. It’s that simple. You might even find that you want to talk more than that and you can start a Voxer or WhatsApp conversation to talk more frequently.
Paid:
Get on the waitlist for my membership, Thrive. You'll be the first to know when the doors open for the next group who joins. It’s an incredible community that would love to welcome you in and support you.
And of course there are countless other groups, communities, memberships, or masterminds that you could join if they feel like a better fit for you. Find one and get the support you need so you can grow your sustainable yoga business.
Until next time, give yourself permission to get support on this journey and grace along the way.
"You can change your mind. Just because you say one thing doesn't mean you have to do it forever."
- Jessie Reino
About Jessie
The Yoga with Jessie community extends beyond the classes that I teach at various studios and spaces across Western New York. My goal is to reach you where you’re at, right now.
Yoga is a self-care practice that should be accessible to everyone. Many have the misconception that all yoga is physically taxing and takes great flexibility and a high level of physical fitness, but that is simply not true for gentle, restorative and chair yoga.
Whether you’d like to take one of my classes at a studio, participate in one of my virtual classes, or reach out for additional support through my online community or group challenges, I just want you to know that you are a cherished member of this community who is seen and valued.
Jessie's Links
Instagram: @716_yoga_with_jessie
Facebook Group: Yoga with Jessie Community
Looking for support and guidance in your yoga business?
In Thrive, my monthly membership for yoga teachers, you get social media and email templates, monthly Q&A calls, advanced trainings, business check-ins, a private community, and more. Thrive is a membership that can support you on every part of your yoga business journey - from the very beginning all the way to advanced challenges!
>>> Click here to learn more about Thrive and sign up for the waitlist! <<<
