How Yoga Teachers & Studios Can Work Together with Thy Monzo

The Business Of Teaching Yoga

Over the last 18 months or so, I have been a loud advocate for yoga teachers not relying on studios & gyms for their sole source of income. In Australia, the median rate of pay for yoga teachers is around $50 AUD per class. At 15 classes per week, a teacher would make $750.00. The national minimum wage is $753.80.⁠

We all know that to teach a 60 min class, at a bare minimum, a teacher needs to be at the studio/gym for 15 minutes before/after class. Let's be moderate, and add 1 hour per class for travel & prep time. This means to teach 15, 60 min classes, a teacher is required to invest at least 38 hours of their time. Teaching 15 classes is a full-time job.⁠

However, as a previous studio owner myself, I don’t think this reality means that we need to pit yoga teachers & studio owners against each other.

My guest, Thy Monzo has owned a yoga studio in Sydney for the last 6 years, and in today’s conversation Cora and Thy get real about the reality of owning a yoga studio. We also chat about the role that a yoga studio can play in a teachers career, and why a blended business model could support both the teacher and the studios.

ABOUT THY

Thy began practicing yoga over 15 years ago as a way to find calm and peace from the stresses of University, and everyday life. After her first yoga class (ashtanga), she felt amazing. Breathing, sweating, and fully living in the moment, she had never felt more connected to life. Thy believes that the best part of teaching is learning; learning more about the postures, about people and their bodies, and more about herself. Her classes are fun and dynamic, with a sense of lightness. Her hope is that students carry their positive energy from practice, off their mats and into their daily lives.

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS

• Thy’s vision for opening her studio in 2015 with Modo Yoga
• Why Thy decided to not renew her franchise contact with Modo Yoga
• The reality of running a yoga studio during the pandemic
• Why there's no such thing as an overnight success
• How Thy is balancing teachers pay rates with other opportunities to increase their earning potential
• Making pay rates transparent, and creating a clear pathway to growth for teachers
• What it means to be entrepreneurial inside of a studio community
• Thy’s best advice for anyone wanting to start a yoga studio in 2021

FIND THY MONZO

• Thy’s personal Instagram
• Now Yoga Instagram
• Now Yoga Website

FIND CORA

• Cora’s Newsletter
• The Teachers Club
• Cora’s Instagram

For links & resources mentioned in this episode go to www.corageroux.com/episode64

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