I’ve been getting a lot of wonderful feedback from this blog series and apparently it is inspiring many folks to begin a real dialogue about the business side of healing.  Lots of wonderful questions are coming in and I’d like to begin to answer them.

Yesterday a question came from a yoga teacher who has a thriving therapeutic yoga practice.  It’s thriving because (1) she is gifted and (2) she’s a good business person.  She’s figured it out, has a schtick, has great relationships to build from, and is very busy doing what she loves for a living.  Of course she’s a yoga teacher and that means running through her veins is a passionate desire to share her knowledge.  She wants to help other teachers thrive as well. She’s being given opportunities to teach others about marketing yoga because she’s really good at marketing her business that she is passionate about.

She wanted to know if she should pursue these opportunities.  It doesn’t fit in with her current brand and website so she was interested to create another website for her “marketing” business.  She doesn’t want to turn down any opportunities.

I totally get that.  Still, I told her not to do it.  Here are the facts…

  • Nobody wants to work more than 40 hours/week.
  • If you are running two businesses maintaining two websites, two client lists with some crossover, writing two blogs about two different topics, and trying to secure two different types of gigs, both will be average.
  • It’s not in her niche.  I can get away with writing a 30 day blog series on the business of yoga because I am a former practicing CPA with a specialty in entrepreneurial services.  This is easy for me.  No research is involved.  I just sit down and write.  Can I create an entire business around it and still teach yoga, ayurveda, meditation, graduate students from teacher training courses, write books, and travel teaching and speaking?  No.
  • It’s not her passion.  She’s passionate about the human body.  The reason she is currently so successful marketing her company is because she is PASSIONATE about what she currently does.  Passion shines through and it looks to others like business smarts.  I honor that it is, but is also isn’t.  It’s the drive of an entrepreneur who eats, drinks, and sleeps their passion.

Let’s face it.  Time is limited.  Healers should pick their passion and spend all of their time promoting only that one passion.  That’s where the money maker is.  Find a schtick, perfect it, and spend every hour you work making contacts, serving clients, and building the brand around that schtick. And as a reminder….if you are a healer…YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.

 

*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.