Let's talk PLANNING, Let's talk FALL w/ Michael & Stephanie

In this episode of Yoga Biz Camp, Michael Jay and fellow business consultant Stephanie Breaux Bradley discuss fall planning for yoga studio owners. They cover topics such as the importance of planning ahead, having a fresh perspective on your studio, and how to make the most of the fall season.

Some key conversation points include:

• The benefits of having someone else evaluate your studio experience
• The importance of having a plan for fall
• How to prepare for fall marketing campaigns
• Strategies for making the most of the fall season

This episode is a must-listen for yoga studio owners who want to make the most of the fall season and stay ahead of the game.

Find Stephanie at https://www.breauxbradleyconsulting.com/

My clients video mentioned in the video of them getting their key to the studio

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Michael Jay - Yoga Biz Champ 

Michael Jay, the Yoga Biz Champ, stands as the go-to Yoga Business Consultant, embarked on a mission to elevate yoga studios from mere survival to genuine thriving.

With a rich background as a yoga teacher, former studio owner, marketing expert, and yoga studio business coach, he possesses the insider knowledge necessary to elevate your yoga venture to new heights.

His passion for yoga, combined with a sharp business acumen and a sincere desire to see studio owners excel, encapsulates his professional ethos. Michael is not one to offer one-size-fits-all advice; instead, he's dedicated to providing tailored guidance, tangible outcomes, and supporting your studio to emerge as the next Yoga Biz Champ in your community. 

• Certified Yoga Biz Consultant • 
• FitTech Partner •
• Yoga Studio Launch & Growth Specialist

FREE RESOURCES AND BOOK A CHAT LINK
https://yogabizchamp.link/podlink

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FREE RESOURCES AND BOOK A CHAT LINK
https://yogabizchamp.link/podlink

Transcript

YBC_J_Steph2

Michael: [00:00:00] Hello Stephanie? Hello Michael. Speak again and lemme just check. Is it clear? Can you speak again? Hello Michael. Okay, so little can you pull 'em in a bit? Go again. Hello Michael? Hello Michael. Okay. It's a little tinny, but that's okay. 

Stephanie: Hi, I'm tinny. Tim, I have questions but we're being recorded. Can I still 

Michael: ask them?

Michael: Sure. But you, they may go in the podcast. 

Stephanie: Okay, then I'm not asking them. No, 

Michael: and she is back. Stephanie, bro Bradley, my good friend and fellow consultant, and we're gonna have a good chat today about all things fall and planning your fall, and also trying to entice yoga studio owners to plan their fall ahead if possible.

Michael: Enjoy.

Michael: Another episode of Yoga Biz Camp and a backed by popular demand. Stephanie Bro [00:01:00] Bradley. They like you, Stephanie? No, I 

Stephanie: think they like us together. I think that's the magic secret. Sauce is us together. 

Michael: I had so many client calls. Thank you. And they're like, And the other consultants saying, oh my God, you two are so fun together.

Michael: So you're back. 

Stephanie: Everybody needs to stay tuned 'cause we'll be taking this on the road soon. So they'll wanna register for tickets ahead of time. 'cause we're gonna be Yeah, for sure. Managing sold out shows. I 

Michael: think we should do a Coast dropping in at studios coast to coast and maybe we'll get a sponsor for that.

Stephanie: You know how much fun that would be Uhhuh, like thinking about it as we start this off with a bang, maybe we'll do, what would you have done when you owned your studio? If you had a studio visit, like how much would that have brought to the table to have somebody other's perspective walk through it with you?

Michael: Oh my God. Even a secret sharper. Having somebody. I actually had, [00:02:00] I did do that. I had friends that didn't have memberships, that didn't have associations with my students come and go through the experience and yeah, I 

Stephanie: think it's really important. 

Michael: It is because we can be in our own little world, or we cannot be on site and know what the hell's going on.

Michael: And Sure. Yeah. But just have somebody come in and just say, what was the experience like greeting. But we're here to, we're gonna talk about fall. Paul, 

Stephanie: yeah. Favorite time of year and I think this year more than anything. 'cause I am hoping that Mother Nature catch a, catches a clue and drops all the temperature degrees all over the country.

Stephanie: Yeah. No kidding. By at least 10. Yeah. It's time for some fall weather. Yes, this is a hot topic and I hesitate a little bit because when you talk about fall, my initial gut is, yeah, you should have figured that out back in ju June or July. Let's 

Michael: talk about that. That being said there's two camps, right?

Michael: There's two camps, [00:03:00] right? Yes. So there's the let's say the purse, the studio owner, That's done the work and they've got the shit together and they already have their year planned out, right? They, they've strategically worked with U R I and we've got the whole year planned out.

Michael: But then there's the other camp where we're not in that. We're not in that boat and we're going holy shit, labor days around the corner and we got lace basically three weeks to pull it together. And for me, so I know this is different around the world, I've got clients around the world and I've got some in Australia where their seasons are so different to our, to hours.

Michael: But typically North America, shall we say, is Labor Day, the week after Labor Day for me was always I consider it the second New Year's, and if you are not ready for that you're really gonna be struggling until the next January. 

Stephanie: So I would like to start off my response by saying, as a studio [00:04:00] donor, I fell somewhere in between of having my shit together and flying by the seat of my pants, depending on what was going on in my life.

Stephanie: So there is some grace to be given depending on where 

Michael: you are in your life. For sure. For sure. We're not judging those people that don't have the shit together 

Stephanie: because let's all be honest. Ebbs and flows. I think it's very important. Something then you tapped on about knowing your market because here, being in South Louisiana when it comes to seasons, my seasons are a little different.

Stephanie: We actually start school a lot earlier than Labor Day. Yeah. But we have a serious. Football following hunting season, you name it. And where it might sound trivial, it plays a major part in the south when it comes to how you schedule things. And also in that realm we decide, you were saying how the fall is like the second New Year's.

Stephanie: I also had to watch what New Year's looked like. Because depending on where Mardi Gras [00:05:00] would fall, if it was early in the year, people would not do their quote unquote New Year's resolution. If it was early, 'cause they're like I still have parties and Mardi Gras balls and parades to go to, so I'm gonna push back what that looks like until February.

Stephanie: So the whole point in me saying this is I think that it is very important. So look at what other people are doing to get ideas, but to really focus on what your niche and your market. And the seasons that are enjoyed in your part of the com country for proceeding forward. 

Michael: And funny you said that because yes, you are actually back to school now.

Michael: A lot of the places in the States and here in Canada, they got, the kids are going, no, that's long holiday until Labor Day. And so here I find that labor Day hits and that following week, if people have got kids, That week is full of oh shit, I haven't got this for this class. Oh, I haven't got this.

Michael: I gotta go get, I gotta get You need some gym equipment. [00:06:00] Need some. Yeah. You've gotta get some new shit. So I feel like that once the kids are back, then there's a week of this, oh my God, we've got these, all these lists and the kids have come home with, anyway, that's what I see.

Michael: And then I feel, yeah, after that's the sort out week, wherever your school, back to school season is. After that week, wherever yours is, I feel like it's okay now. I can, the summer's over time for me get back into my structure, my routines. And course wise I've got all of my studios that are on that schedule start in their courses, like a beginner 1 0 1 course the week after Labor Day pre-selling it, of course.

Michael: But not starting until after that. 

Stephanie: Presale, you hit on something. So I totally agree with you when it comes to, I need to wait until my life has some structure so that I can get back to my routine. But what I will challenge you as a studio owner is to think about, most of you know the caretakers [00:07:00] are women.

Stephanie: They're taking care of everything. And in my head, in order for me to get from point A to point B, I need to have a plan. So when you talk about presale and you talk about what Labor Day looks like or after Labor Day, I think it's very important to market and start dripping it way ahead of time, six weeks.

Stephanie: 'cause I'm going to feel better. I'm going to feel better if it's I'm not gonna start until September 6th, but I wanna make sure that I have my package ready to go. I look at the schedule so it's game on. Yeah. Yeah. So you don't wanna wait until after Labor Day because everybody else has been doing their specials and letting people know what's going on in fall people want to plan 'cause they want to feel like they have control.

Stephanie: Yeah. Especially in their the, in the element of the end of summer, like you just said, oh my God, everything's chaotic. I woke up myself, my third child and I was like, shit. You start school next week, you probably had some summer reading to do. Huh? So if these 

Michael: things go at you terrible 

Stephanie: mother, and so my point is, yeah, you want third kid, [00:08:00] you wanna make sure that whatever your offerings or whatever you have going on is known ahead of time so that someone feels like they can pre-book, buy it, get it together, know they have their plan together.

Stephanie: And maybe even reach out to other people to 

Michael: join. Yeah. So's give, let's pause here and give the steps for, the actual steps to that are to, this is the way I do it, right? Okay. Let's see how you do it. Many people have heard me say this. I, and you've actually followed me on this one, I believe, but you buy a.

Michael: Buy a big ass calendar, staples, dollar store, whatever, big ass calendar and some fat markers. And on that calendar you go through and you find all the stat holidays in your area and you put them on there and then you go through all in a certain call. The events. In a certain color. Then you go through all uhhuh, the events and let's get to that soon.

Michael: But then you go to all the existing [00:09:00] events, festivals, parades, markets whatever your town city has going on, that might be in your area and you plop all those down. Now, if you're super savvy and and we can get you super savvy if you're not, but. You would also, if if you have historical data on sales, I would plot out the high and low points on your map.

Michael: Because I find a lot of people put a sale on at busy times when you don't need to, like January and September when people are already gonna go back. Why are you gonna support that with a sale depending on your market? Depending on your market too. I'm talking about my market in particular. And so yeah, you're right there.

Michael: And then also plotting your low attendance times. So for low attendance times, that might be a bingo or whatever. Where we try to get more bums on [00:10:00] mats. You have anything to add on that? I've just, ya away? 

Stephanie: I do. Because I think, and you and I always talk about this, that when you get a thought or idea, an actionable step, whether it's from listening, it's this podcast, reading a book, going to a webinar, it's important to take some time to.

Stephanie: Figure it manifest itself in your head and how you need to organize it.

Stephanie: When I work with my clients, we take it just a little bit, skewed little step forward in the buckets of people. Meaning that if I'm looking at my calendar, and I totally agree with you when it comes to if your summer is normally lower, maybe that's when you run a series like you were talking about, or if you offer teacher training to generate income or youth programming.

Stephanie: I also think it's important when you're looking at the whole year, To make sure that you are creating either events or specials or even just gatherings for four buckets of people. The first bucket I would be your existing clients. We talk for days about how important retention is and how it's [00:11:00] important, not that when they become a client, that community or that communication stops.

Stephanie: So what does it look like? Maybe it's once a quarter, you have a. Member gathering or you have a members only masterclass or something for them to feel special. The second bucket I would be new clients, which speaking to what you said, like what are the times you need to run promotions when you are having a slower time, and what does that look like when you have a new client?

Stephanie: Is it a new beginner series like you talked about? Or a workshop to have them understand a little better, but make sure over the course of the year you are tapping into that. Three or four times. The other two bucket buckets I would say is staff. I think it's important to make sure that in your calendar you have moments where you are either providing continuing education opportunities for them, team building events for them, evaluations to make sure that you're able to keep that product at its top notch.

Stephanie: And the [00:12:00] reason why I think the consistency is so important is because, If someone were to be called to the office by the person in charge, there's this natural oh my God, what did I do? But if it's a regular cadence of listen, yeah, twice a year I'm gonna be taking your class and we're just gonna evaluate what it needs to look like to bring you to the next step.

Stephanie: And then the last bucket for me is community. Like you mentioned, like events that go on around your area. How can you show up? Not as a person necessarily selling a product, but as a person who is supporting your community? And what does that give back look like? When we speak of the fall, a lot of my studios giving back and being a part of the community was very important.

Stephanie: So for a lot of them, our fall open house comes with a scholarship program as well. Tell me about, 

Michael: tell me what your, tell me what you did for your what, because I think. I think, sometimes we all, we rely on the existing events, but as [00:13:00] a studio that has a space, a hosting space, I found that I can create my own events.

Michael: Create my own party. So I'm curious. Absolutely. Absolutely. What party did you create? 

Stephanie: Living in Louisiana, let's be honest, it's always a party, but I had noticed that I had a huge teacher following. So I always had a four 30 class on my schedule to hit the teacher. Then during the summer you could see how it was built up more because they had more time for 

Michael: themselves.

Michael: Yeah. I always had the tea. They loved a lot this summer. Yeah. Yep. 

Stephanie: Got a lot of feedback from them about, how it helped with the stress because they're present all day with children. And so it led me to then have some sort of contest or challenge during the summer that led to one of the teachers either winning a membership that would work for them.

Stephanie: Or submitting a name for a scholarship. If there was someone in their life that they know could really benefit, but for whatever reason financially it wasn't in their [00:14:00] budget, that we would gift a scholarship to a teacher in need for a certain amount of time. And that's what I mean. Like a lot of us that get into this business, I think that we are financially motivated.

Stephanie: 'cause we all wanna make money, but we all come with that servant's heart. So I think that it is to find that balance of what could it look like to support the people that are coming to my studio, and then tap into something that's important to them as well. Yeah. You could also do this and I love how we go in tangents when you support schools in like school auctions.

Stephanie: They're always asking for donations though. Always I Yeah. Of things when it comes to that. 

Michael: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I always supported those auction things, but I had, I had a lot of people always coming at me for money or donations and what have you. Yeah. But I did put a policy around that which yeah.

Michael: And the policy was, it had to be local and community and it and I would always support, I. The causes for my students that were existing [00:15:00] existing members, yes. And they, like a teacher came to me and they were doing a I would always like print off something that they could put at the option for a month membership or something like that.

Michael: Let's get back to, you bring up a great point. 

Stephanie: Oh, you were talking about the community is, The school thing might not be your thing, right? You might not have kids. You might not like kids. You might not be in an area where there's school talk, call it like, it's talking to your clients, like you said, where you go to them and it's you know what?

Stephanie: This month we'd like to raise money for a charity. That means a lot to someone in the community would go far. Yeah. In creating that community and that retention. 

Michael: My November event hit all of those marks. It was my biggest event of the year. It was my biggest fundraiser of the year, and it was also the biggest launch of my kind of December, January.

Michael: Programs, and that was, I created my own party third week of November. It started small and it got big. But it, [00:16:00] third week of November I opened my studio up to have vendors within the space. It was one of two events of the year where I had to let go of my shoe policy shoe.

Stephanie: And how it probably kept you up three nights 

Michael: before, where there'd be ice cream dripping on the floor and all that stuff. Anyway, but it was the one where I had to not be the shoe police one of two events. But it w it became an amazing event and it was it was called Shopping Day for Hospice, and I think I've talked about this before.

Michael: Hospice was my choice. Charity, it was, I was affected by. Personally affected by hospice, by how they cared for my mom when she was dying and I became part of our local hospice. I became vice president for five years of the local hospice. So it was important to me. So let's just say my, student base knew my. My course because they actually went through the loss of my mom and all that process with me. Yeah. And because it was my thing, they stepped up. [00:17:00] So we had this event. Yeah, we had this event on third week of November, every single year shopping day for hospice. I had my friend Sonya Picard, a yoga jeweler, actually wearing her piece right now if you're on the video version.

Michael: And she bought her jewelry in and we had. Potters. So we had a pottery group in the area that would go to all the pottery. They were part of the pottery events. At the end of the event, they would say do you have anything left over that you want to, that you don't want to carry home? And so through, through the whole year, they stored up pottery to students in their garage.

Michael: Then they just bought pottery and a hundred percent of that pottery went to support the hospice. And then I had all these other vendors, and I think 20% of their sales went to support hospice. And so it became a thing, it became a pre-Christmas annual thing where people came every year to do their pre-Christmas shopping.

Michael: They got pottery, they got jewelry, they, all sorts of handmade goodies. But I also had [00:18:00] my January courses ready for preregister and for purchases. Yeah. For people to ask about. Yeah. I already, I also had my January schedule ready to go by then. And we're talking, this is six weeks before, right?

Michael: We're six weeks before January. I'm ready to go there. And then I also had my five for 50 gift card, which was, The perfect amount, and I also sold it via MINDBODY then because you could send, you can send a email to, you can send a gift by email arriving on a certain date. And so I did really, that was like my big.

Michael: At a lull period, which is November, October, November goes down a little bit, right? We boosted our December sales and our January sales with that, and it became a, and also I had the posters, the graphics and everything ready to go on for. Probably 10 years. I reused all of that stuff. Just changing the dates and some of the pictures and it was, that's what I was gonna bring up.

Michael: It was on the schedule. I already knew it was on the schedule [00:19:00] and I already knew. I also had coupons from my local newspaper. Yes, some communities still do read their news. Local community newspapers. I used to pre-buy, I had coupons for the local paper and I used to pre-buy January's and events, their half price coup.

Michael: I buy full page ads, page two for half price. So because I was working ahead, I was able to do that. I wasn't in, trying to catch up mode. I gotta have a sale in Decem in November. It was like, it was already done. Rinse and repeat. 

Stephanie: We talked about go ahead. No, 

Michael: I was just talking a lot.

Stephanie: We, something that you mentioned resonated with me because I think when you're talking about like the preparation and how that looks like, your success of your event obviously had to do with the connection that you had to the cause and to community. But I think it also had to do with the fact that. You branded it and it was a staple that was the [00:20:00] same time every year, and people knew to expect it, it looked the same.

Stephanie: So when I work with my clients, and let's just say, yep, let's just say that they want to have this summer thing every year, let's come up with something catchy that is authentic and aligned with your brand and your mission and your values. Let's create it all on Canva. Like you said, every year we're gonna have those same templates and the same brand messaging where you just update the date, the time, whatever you need, so that people know to expect that every year.

Stephanie: And when they see the branding, they're gonna know exactly what it is. Yeah, I think that is amazing. And then there was another thing that came up when you were talking about, oh, mindbody and having all of your stuff together when they come to your event. Something that has been very successful for studios that I've worked with, either for the holidays or for Mother's Day, and I'm thinking like end of school, is to create bundles in mindbody where you can include both a product and a service.

Stephanie: And you touched on price point for your five [00:21:00] for 50, because as a parent it's Christmas time. We all know Christmas is crazy. I need to pick up six gifts for my empty bucks teachers. What does that look like? Something they can grab. You have all of these packages behind you. That's a pair of socks, a three pack of classes and maybe, I don't know, some essential oils that you sell and maybe you have a price point at like $49 and $79 that people can just grab and go, has been huge.

Michael: Yeah, and it's that, that, for me, that price point for that the five, for 50, 50 bucks, it's a, that's a, the price point. It's an easy price point to sell. And I killed it on those through November and up to Christmas. So that's, you've got a good, if launch it, you've got a good five or six weeks there to really, do something with that.

Michael: I'm gonna throw one more at, here's one that's brilliant about knowing your seasons. And I say this is brilliant because it came out of, I. Working with one of my clients, marketing mal, who's with one? My, I was 

Stephanie: about to say, [00:22:00] are you coming 

Michael: up with yourself? I'm so it, honestly, I'm gonna, this is a good one and I'm giving, gonna give it away for free.

Michael: But so marketing mal. So I work with one studio where, I worked with three people within the studio. So on the marketing side mal and I had some great brainstorming and we came up with just something I'm so proud of and I can't wait to see it launch, but they have a very seasonal area where a lot of university people come in.

Michael: So they sell a season pass, basically a semester pass. For the students because then they're gone. And so we're talking about how do we get in front of the eyeballs. It's a different audience than, it's, yep. Than segmenting your audience. This is a different audience and it takes a different method of marketing.

Michael: Now the ethics around this may not work for every yoga studio, however, oh God. We are going to be doing semester ads on hookup apps.

Michael: Alright, we're gonna swipe Have a Summer Yoga Fling.

Stephanie: It's 

Michael: catchy. I like [00:23:00] it. So have a Summer Yoga Fling was my summer program. Summer Yoga Fling. And that was the pass that I sold. But I've applied this to this kind of, you're fling it all over the place. Fling it all over the place. Anyway, I just say, to me that's just such a great example of time of year.

Michael: Particular audience. And particular product. And if you really do your research, where are the eyeballs of those people at that age? So anyway, that's a freebie 

Stephanie: because you're right, it's, you communicate differently depending on which audience you're speaking to. Totally. And it's preparing ahead.

Stephanie: Is something you wanna aspire to. Then by doing that, you are able to siphon it out however it looks. And here's what I mean by that. You could have the same sling special that you're talking about for the summer and the way that you address it with each of your markets. The verbiage that companies that could look a little different.

Stephanie: So you could say, come have a fling, [00:24:00] summer fling for your young college students to your parents. You could say maintain sanity. During the summer months so that you don't, make time 

Michael: for you lock 

Stephanie: the kids outta the house. Yeah. Yeah. So it's the same special, it's the same package, but you need to tap into what's gonna speak to that person.

Stephanie: Like what's their love language? Ready to lock your kids out of the house. Yep. What's their love language? How do they hear you? Yep. And get quirky. Use your personality, step outside the box. In all of your 

Michael: messaging? What I'm finding is chat, g p t is really been fantastic for me guiding my clients how to come up with their tone.

Michael: It's the really, it's the tone of. How you speak to people, it's the tone. And this is marketing too, but it's this brand. But tone, I think tone is part of that, how you speak to people. And I've been training chat g p t on my tone [00:25:00] and I sent you my new kind of bio the other day and I'm like, that's me like that.

Michael: Is that complete? I completely trained it in my tone. So what's interesting now is, All my future post, all my future things. When I'm addressing chat GPTs, it's actually talking to me. It's Hey, chat. Hey, yoga biz champ. It's talking back to me. In that tone, 

Stephanie: do you have a new 

Michael: friend, Michael? I do. I don't have, I have you and I have chat GPTs.

Stephanie: I think it is important to note though, because you haven't been spending a lot of time working on your tone, I have consistency throughout. Everything is very important. So if you're using chat, G P T. Totally think you should play around with it, but you need to review it and you need to tweak it so that it comes from you.

Stephanie: Because the last thing you want is someone to think they're getting to know you. E, either it's over emails or social. Yeah, by your tone and the messaging you're doing and then coming to your place of business and speak to you. And it's a totally different [00:26:00] personality. It's a totally different tone. It's a totally different vibe, and they're thrown off and therefore their trust is.

Stephanie: So while chat, g B T is amazing to help you start what that looks like, you do need to fine tune and pay attention that it's authentic from you. Yeah. Talk. But that's 

Michael: just my 2 cents. Let's talk about, yeah, let's talk about that planning. The, so we, the planning we're talking about, and using chat G B T as a tool for that planning.

Michael: I'm going through something right now, with my business and you a little bit too, right? We're re-looking at things. And I feel like my yoga studio owners that I work with kind of fall into the same camp as me, and it is, we're so in the business. Sometimes we need to step outta the business to look at it and planning.

Michael: So I'm going through a whole revamp right now. I'm going through a whole rebrand new look, like the whole thing is happening right now, new packages and just dialing things up a little bit. But I'm actually taking a week [00:27:00] off. From my business and August, I have people on reoccurring monthly meet, weekly meetings.

Michael: And so August has five weeks in it. And so the last two that doesn't, I'm taking the last week off. It doesn't affect my clients at all and and all the billing and all that stuff, but I'm taking a week off to literally work on my business and I think studio owners It would be a good idea too to take a little bit of time off and sit back, go through the numbers.

Michael: Because when you, if your existing business, when you know your numbers, you can apply that to your plan. Yes. Whether that's marketing, whether I think it all comes or met. 

Stephanie: It all circles around to, like you said, like the planning ahead because as we all know, as a past studio owner, you could have the best intentions about what the week looks like as far as being proactive and getting ahead of the game.

Stephanie: Totally. And then you get into the studio and life goes crazy.[00:28:00] So I do think, and I don't necessarily look at it as taking time off, it's just switching your focus Totally. From being in a conversation of being out there to focusing on your own business development. Yeah. Type of thing.

Stephanie: And I think that it is something I. Right now, I know this has been a huge challenge and struggle for myself and my clients. It's like we looked at the summer as this time, oh my God, I'm gonna have all this time, I'm not gonna have the school routine to get all of this stuff done. When in actuality, it was the exact opposite.

Stephanie: Life was more chaotic because my kids didn't have a routine and I had to figure all of that out. So I think when it comes to things like this, especially now for everyone and me in my life, it's important for me to have that time. Spend to be present with my family when they don't have a regular schedule.

Stephanie: Yeah, so by me planning ahead of time, I'm easing the burden on myself as a studio owner so that I feel less guilty as a parent or wife or whatever that looks like. I'm not a wife right now, but I wanted [00:29:00] to make sure that people that were wives on the podcast and feel left out. 

Michael: By the way, any handsome guys out there that like us.

Stephanie: We're gonna cut that out. A southern sassy. My point is, by planning ahead and getting your stuff on the calendar, it feels less Ah, so you don't feel like you're being pulled in all kinds of directions. Yeah. Yeah. 

Michael: It's a good life lesson. Listen, I'm take you're doing it a little different to me, or I'm taking a week off.

Michael: Not taking, I'm taking a week to redirect my efforts. Yep. But you hired a business coach and we work with people that hire us, but you've hired a a coach as well, so that's your investment. I did in your, and I think that's, do you wanna talk about that? Because it's it's the, it's, it's, you are going through the experience with her of what our our customers go through with our studio owners go with us.

Michael: So how has that been? For working on your business and getting clarity 

Stephanie: and, I worked with a woman by the name of Beth Bishop, so if you haven't heard, you need to go look her up. She run a thing called the Phoenix Effect. And [00:30:00] this had been something I've been playing around with the idea, but I'm gonna be very vulnerable.

Stephanie: And right now it was hard for me to find a person 'cause I needed somebody to be strong enough because I can push and I can push really hard. And I needed someone to be strong enough to hold me accountable. And to not let me try and finesse myself out of it when things got really sticky or when things got really deep or when I needed to get a little bit more vulnerable.

Stephanie: And she did so in such a supportive, loving way that this has been the first time that I've jumped in with two feet. Yeah. On. Looking at it all, and it was about business and it was about personal, and it was about that whole entrepreneurial journey of us, call it the you're gonna have to Yeah. Imposter syndrome. Oh yeah. Yes. You're probably thinking this is something difficult and you're like, I have no idea what she's talking about. Anyway, my point is, anyone in the entrepreneurial journey Yeah. And even those [00:31:00] that aren't, there's this like questioning of yourself what am I really bringing to the table kind of thing.

Stephanie: And she had very unique way of and we talk about it all the time, but I wasn't a serious practicer of it, the MINDBODY connection. When you're in a situation and you're feeling off about it, pay attention to that. What does that look like? Yeah. Stay in it and be aware and see how you handle it, and it's just been an amazing experience for me.

Stephanie: Yeah, and totally. You have to gift yourself that, whether that's like a business coach, whether that's like a health coach, whether that's like a life coach. I feel like there are certain times in your life where you need to step back. Put the focus on yourself. Yeah. And it's also 

Michael: learn a little bit about it made you didn't, you made an investment in yourself to re-look at things. Absolutely. And have somebody challenge you. And I see that with, I love what I do. I And you do too. When I'm working with my studio owners, I'm like, I'm invested. I'm in there with them. [00:32:00] But I, when you make those investments in people that have been there where you want to be or want to, have been in the shoes you want to be, there's, I see a fast track.

Michael: It's I've seen, I dunno if wins this last week have been, I. So amazing from people that have invested in me. Like someone, just, one of my clients just told me, since I've been working with you, we've grown 60% in sales. To me, yeah. I'm just getting goosebumps saying that now because that means it's so meaningful to me that in that investment that they've had has made that kind of impact.

Michael: And then, but it's not always money, right? It's like I've got another studio owner that came to me. Crying six weeks ago about, all sorts of things, being outta control. And she's put the work in with me in less than six weeks, she's had an onboarding meeting with the staff. She's changed the pricing, she's changed the website, but more importantly, her attitude has completely, she's like now in control and empowered [00:33:00] and excited in such a short amount of time.

Michael: Because she was able to get herself out the way a little bit and see things from a different perspective. We 

Stephanie: all need help. Yeah, we all need support. We all need a sounding board. We all need a way to decompress. You are that for me though. And you. Oh, thank you. But a caveat that I wanted to say when you said that, I have studios that I have been working with for a long time, and there are cycles that happen also, like you have moments when your studio owners are like, okay, I'm in.

Stephanie: I'm focused two feet on the ground. Let's move. And then they have times when I feel like I'm pulling the train by my teeth. Yeah. Down the railroad because of what's going on. And so to your point when you say that, that's when as a consultant, as a good consultant, you shift the focus of what is needed in that moment.

Stephanie: This person needs a Oh yeah. Sounding board mentor right now, [00:34:00] they don't need me to run their KPIs and know that July was the worst month for the year because it always is for some of our studios. You know what I mean? Like just the little lull that happens completely kind of 

Michael: thing. Sometimes it's about a teacher issue that they need, that's occupying way too much space in their head for way too much time.

Michael: Yes. 

Stephanie: Yeah, I agree with you. I think that the approach that you and I just more. Of, and I have to create those boundaries because I'll take it all on. I'll wanna come in and be the hero. I wanna save the day kind of thing. And at the end of the day, it's just two people connecting, wanting the best for the business.

Stephanie: And what does that look like? 

Michael: Yeah, I, yeah, I, every morning, every day I turn up to my meetings. It's a joy. It's it's when you, except for 

Stephanie: that pain in the ass client. I'm joking. 

Michael: Yeah, there was that one, 

Stephanie: there was that. We'll, name 

Michael: one, one or two. No, but it's pretty I think you and I have [00:35:00] worked with great people.

Michael: So anything else on anything else you can add on full planning? Really I think we talk about the sales things and events things, but I think we also need to look at, if we have historical data in that plan, you have to look at two things the. The low sales period, but also the low attendance periods I think are really important.

Michael: And they'd get addressed it differently. Low sales, that's my, where you might have a a bonus offer, a 10 plus two pack or something like that. But then I've seen great success at the, at the low attendance times of years of getting creative with the, a good bingo or a challenge or something.

Michael: To get 

Stephanie: people, but also realizing because of your market and your season, there could be just low periods that are totally consistent in your studio. Just far. Maybe that's when you take your week of business development. The 

Michael: last for maybe that's when you [00:36:00] yeah. Before Labor Day. The last two weeks are everybody's getting everything lasting.

Michael: So plan accordingly. 

Stephanie: And 

Michael: can you share let's wrap this up a little bit differently. Can you share Something that you've had a client win with. 

Stephanie: I have had a lot of clients right now who are two feet in to retreats. One in particular that I'm thinking of has been building what that looks like and has had amazing success, not realizing.

Stephanie: She thought she had a very close community. She started having retreats and she saw that bond get even tighter. And now that she has realized what that looks like for her, we are now trying to business strategize it to make it even better. What do I mean by that? In the whole planning of the calendar now, how can we plan your retreats with enough time to also [00:37:00] include a payment plan to make sure that.

Stephanie: A person that wants to come has a budget friendly option, but also that you have the money before the retreat actually happens. 

Michael: Yeah. The pre-sale discount I think is important there. I know one studio didn't do that and it retreats either can go great or they can be a struggle. 

Stephanie: Yep. Yeah. And 'cause it's a lot to take on.

Stephanie: When you're doing a retreat, especially one that you're traveling. But I have noticed that there's been a lot of need for people to gather and get together away from their own community, and I think this is a great time to start looking into it. By starting, don't go from zero to 60. Start having wellness workshops.

Stephanie: Introducing people to what, if you're not already, if you're just having movement, maybe it's reiki sessions, maybe it's sound bath sessions, maybe it's meditation, those type of things to help bring that [00:38:00] MINDBODY connection in together. And then you just introduce, maybe you have to, have you ever been to one of those drivable, which ones?

Stephanie: One of those, the retreat, the sound bath 

Michael: of the meditation, the sound. Yeah. You've been to sound bath of the meditation. 

Stephanie: I need it more, I think because I don't like to sit 

Michael: still. I know. I'm just calm enough for yoga. I'm trying to imagine you. I'm just literally trying. I have not 

Stephanie: been to a sound 

Michael: bath.

Michael: Sound bath back. Played still for 

Stephanie: hour. I'd probably take them out and go boom. We're doing 

Michael: your week. Shut up. Yeah, that's maybe we need to do a, Stephanie goes to a Sound Bath podcast episode. 

Stephanie: Come with me. Yeah. Come with me on my journey 

Michael: Now I had a I had a good week this week with I've got multiple new studios in different processes of opening, just getting late.

Michael: But last week was just this amazing week of one week together where one studio [00:39:00] got a, the key to their place. Another one got their space rented and videos and photo shoot and. Teacher meeting all done. And then another one just got her funding and her lease and her, everything approved all in kind of one week.

Michael: So it was just a really nice kind of and it's only Wednesday. It's only Wednesday. And also just watching them, all those wins, it's so fun to watch on social media. My client, let's get tuned. Go check them out. Let's get tuned. They're opening in California sound, sound healing studio.

Michael: But the video of him when he walked in the front door and went into the business is just amazing. It's so good. It's probably on their reels. Or I'll link it in the show notes. Steph, thanks for playing with me again. Absolutely. Where do we find, where do we find you? How do they find you? You're on Instagram at 

Stephanie: Bro Bradley Consulting, Instagram, Facebook.

Stephanie: LinkedIn, B 

Michael: A [00:40:00] U X, bro. Bradley? Yes. Yes. And 

Stephanie: team, oh, if anybody listening has, I'm part of a fantasy football team, so if anybody has any good football players that I'm not aware of to make sure I pick, you're giving this face, Michael, because you don't follow football make sure that you send it my way so that I can include him on my team.

Michael: You just assuming I don't follow football, 

Stephanie: I know you don't. 

Michael: You never ask me that 

Stephanie: question. So I say football, you say soccer. I know you don't. All right, 

Michael: thank you Steph. Ciao. If you are getting any value out of this podcast, I really ask you to help me out, and that's a simple thing as making sure you're subscribed, whether you're on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon.

Michael: Just make sure you're subscribed to me so you'll get the latest episodes. And if you're really enjoying it, please take a [00:41:00] moment to rate and review. If you are looking to work with a business coach thinking about opening a yoga studio, please go to my website, yoga biz camp.com. Feel free to book a no obligation free strategy session with me.

Michael: Again, that's yoga biz camp.com and follow me on Instagram at Yoga Biz Champ. See you next episode.

Michael: Just pulling faces at each other. Maybe this is time to wrap it up. I 

Stephanie: think it's time to wrap it up. You're gonna have five minutes of this podcast 

Michael: pulling faces at each other.