Conversation with Lauren Reek
Do you really dislike marketing? Or even…dare I say it…hate it?!
It’s okay to say “yes” because most yoga teachers I know don’t love marketing. But the good news is that you can find a ways to enjoy marketing, and that’s what happened to my guest and student, Lauren Reek.
*Note: This is Part 1 of a 4-part Mindset series. Over the course of the next 4 weeks I’m bringing you episodes related to your mindset as an entrepreneur, running your amazing yoga business. Stay tuned for more!
Inside my membership Thrive, we share wins every single Wednesday. I ask for everyone to share a win and I encourage everyone to find at least one win that’s happened that week so far. Well, Lauren beat me to it one Wednesday and shared a MASSIVE win with everyone. Here’s a little snippet of her win:
"I am so happy I needed to share this win with people who understand!!! This week I booked a client who has been following me for 5 years. It's a great financial win for my business, but dream clients that are so fun and sweet.
Thank you thank you Amanda McKinney for helping me lay the strong foundation of my business, inspiration and info to put systems in place, how to market and feel good while doing it, and for cheering me along the entire time. I hope this can inspire someone else to know that people are watching and waiting, relationships versus transactions being so important. Thanks for celebrating with me."
My favorite part of this "win" is that she viewed marketing differently, and as soon as I read this I knew I wanted her to share this message with you.
Lauren is a yoga teacher, holistic health coach, and mother of two, and she is sharing all kinds of wisdom in this conversation. We talk about so much: How she went from hating marketing to actually enjoying it, and from basically paying to teach in 2014 to making at least $125 per hour in 2022.
But the kicker really isn’t how much money she’s making or how she’s able to do that in just 40 hours a month (even though that’s freaking amazing)...the kicker is that she’s working with the people who she loves working with and the way she’s built her business feels great to her.
You’re going to hear how she went from thinking about marketing as a transactional experience to more of a relationship building experience. How incredible is that?!
I know without a doubt this conversation is going to speak to you in many ways, and I also know you’ll laugh with us as we talk through specific examples and struggles that we all deal with.
Get ready to take notes from Lauren!
**This was also a podcast episode (episode #149). Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message.
Yoga marketing as relational instead of transactional
"I've been the yoga teacher who in the past has said that I hate marketing. I don't want to sell, I don't want to advertise. But if we don't, we don't have anybody to fill our offerings and to share these tools with." - Lauren Reek
Lauren went hating marketing to actually enjoying it. She now celebrates her wins and hopes to inspire other people with her mindset shift.
When she started, her marketing primarily consisted of her saying “come to my class this week." She had a few yoga classes and inconsistent privates. Then Covid hit and everything shut down. She was scared but decided to go all in.
Whether it’s 2020 or life stuff, there are times when things shift and there’s a moment when you think “there has to be a better way.”
One of the shifts Lauren made was gravitating towards higher ticket offerings. She offers packages that are a "deeper dive" combination of yoga asana, pranayama, and spiritual principles.
"When we can get people to sign on for a committed program, they have this opportunity to really unfold through the process. You see them through the ups and downs as they navigate the steps along the way vs. 'Oh, maybe I'll see you next week.' They are committed." - Lauren Reek
If you want to try a deeper dive with fewer students, this higher-end 1:1 model is one option. You could also go slightly less deep with more students at a lower price point. If you're interested in learning the pros and cons of these two business models, listen to episode 93 with Danait Berhe.
When it comes to business models, it's whatever feels best to you. I teach marketing the same for both models. It doesn't change; it's still relational.
Relational marketing in your yoga business
Marketing can feel good! It doesn't have to feel "salesy" or be transactional. Don't let your fear of marketing stop you from helping someone.
For example, Lauren found my podcast first, then came over to my Facebook group, joined my email list, and eventually joined Thrive. Along this journey, she enjoyed my weekly emails and having me market to her.
Relational marketing is building relationships. You can do this through giving and nurturing your audience through blog posts, emails, free challenges, and social media (if you choose to use social media).
Don't overcomplicate it. Simply give, give, give in your marketing so you grow your confidence in what you’re providing and so that there’s a way for people to learn from you for free AND paid.
"If people aren't ready to pay, okay, then this is how you can access me for free." - Lauren Reek
This is what we want to do in your yoga business. Give. Share. Answer questions when people reach out to you. Then months or years down the line, maybe it will be the right time for that person to work for you.
Detaching from the outcome
This "give, give, give" way of marketing is a big mindset shift from thinking “why didn’t someone sign up for my offering after I recorded that meditation?” If you think more about marketing being relational rather than transactional, you won’t have the attachment to the result.
Non-attachment is one of the key principles in yoga philosophy. We do our practice and then let go.
"Show up with fierce devotion and then release from the fruits of our action and give it up and surrender. It's hard to do that, especially when you need money." - Lauren Reek
Detaching from the outcome is not easy. You may want to have your financial needs met through other offerings or a job so you can go into marketing without so much on the line.
Remember that if that “perfect person” doesn’t sign up, it might not be the right time for them right now, but it could be the right time later.
You’re planting seeds, but we don’t get the fruit in the same season that we plant the seeds.
Practice, patience, & nurture
Marketing your yoga business is a practice in patience. But it all comes down to nurturing over time. Nurture yourself, your business, your marketing, and your students - without expectation.
Allowing people to feel and experience what you can offer them and not just read about it is the best way to nurture. You can look at giving in marketing as a form of seva, or service.
"I could not have ever envisioned my business looking the way it does now." - Lauren Reek
Use the tools you teach as a yoga teacher. This helps build your confidence, gives you content ideas, and allows you to share it even more.
"It is a practice. Honor the different stages and steps along the way. Build it strong from the ground up." - Lauren Reek
Keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. It will all come when the time is right.
Your next step
As you could probably tell, I could have talked to Lauren for several more hours about what’s working in her business.
Yes, she’s a dream student of mine for sure but even more, she’s following her heart and building the business of her dreams.
That’s what I want for you, too.
Maybe your’s looks similar to Lauren’s where you want to work 1:1 with clients and go deep with them over time. Or maybe your’s looks totally different and you want to offer all pre-recorded offerings so you don’t have any scheduled time commitments during this season of life.
The amazing thing about this is that it doesn’t matter what your dream business looks like, you can still take the relationship building approach to marketing and I hope you do.
What this allows you to do is find your dream students and find how marketing can actually feel great to you!
So your next step after listening to this episode is to do a gut-check with your marketing and ask yourself: Am I viewing marketing as transactional or as relationship-building?
If you find that it’s transactional, I suggest that you start to shift your focus to more relationship building. This can be a tough thing to do so here’s what I would say:
Look at your calendar and identify a full month that you can commit to marketing without selling anything.
To be clear, this doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t sell anything but you aren’t doing a hard push for “register for …..”.
Then decide what marketing channels you will use for that month so you can figure out what your consistent marketing will look like and then you share content based on how you want to help people for free.
What this could look like is a blog post once a month or twice a month that shares a tutorial on something you get asked about a lot.
Or maybe it looks like having fun with Instagram reels just for fun with no expectations.
Or maybe you decide to send a weekly email to your list with a tip for the week to help your audience find balance in their life.
The key is that you’re giving, giving, giving without the expectation of receiving.
Sounds silly from a marketing coach but I promise - and you heard from Lauren today too - this works wonders for your mindset. And it can lead to clients too.
So give that some thought and then take action and have fun with your marketing.
Until next time, give yourself permission to view marketing as relationship building and grace along the way.
"It is a practice. Honor the different stages and steps along the way. Build it strong from the ground up."
- Lauren Reek
About Lauren
Lauren is a yoga teacher, holistic health coach, and mother of two. Bringing the principles of yoga off the mat with clients 1:1 to design a life of joy and purpose and creating a toolbox to navigate the ups and downs of life. With an emphasis on movement, mindfulness, stress management, nervous system resiliency, spiritual philosophy, mindset shifts, goal setting techniques and small steps that build up. Lauren will teach you to nurture and take care of yourself sustainably, and find your way back to balance no matter what life throws your way.
Lauren's Links
Website: https://www.laurenryoga.com
Instagram: @laurenRyoga
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!
