163: Collective Yoga Studio Model with Jenifer Parker

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 163: Collective Yoga Studio Model with Jenifer Parker   Description: Yoga studios are run in many different ways, from a single owner who may or may not be a yoga teacher, to partnerships between different yoga teachers, and even franchises. On this episode, we’re exploring a different model for yoga studios with Jenifer Parker - the collective yoga studio model.   Jenifer Parker is the Director of Healium, a yoga studio within the context of a holistic health collective in Wellington, New Zealand that she has been running for 10 years. She has been a full time yoga teacher for about 20 years, and has run multiple collective yoga studios with different yoga teachers in different parts of the world in her yoga career.   A collective yoga studio is a unique model that Jenifer found worked best to address the challenges she was facing as a yoga professional. Through her experiences, she has collected a wealth of information on the legality and logistics of setting up and running a collective. She explains how a collective works, what you need to form it, as well as some of the details of the operations and what it really takes to run a yoga studio in this way.   Challenges help us think outside the box, and Jenifer’s experience is testament to that. If you have been looking for creative ways to think outside the box and create a very different yoga studio model, perhaps even something that could be applied online, this episode is for you.   Key Takeaways: [7:30] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Jenifer Parker. [8:47] What does Jenifer do and who does she do it for? [12:23] What is Jenifer's current model with her yoga studio and why did she choose it? [18:55] There is sometimes a fear around yoga teachers working together, but there is more room for collaboration than we might think. [21:59] Jenifer shares some of the details of her collective. [27:15] A special message from our sponsor, Yomassage. [29:29] Jenifer highlights some of the benefits of the collective yoga studio model to both students and the teachers. [33:12] Jenifer eventually moved to New Zealand and had to sell her yoga businesses. [35:01] The legal structure of a collective is very different. Jenifer shares some of her challenges in setting up the collective yoga studio model when she moved to New Zealand. [40:40] Jenifer explains how she started her collective in New Zealand with one other yoga teacher, and how that model has evolved since it started a year ago. [44:06] What has Jenifer's experience been as a yoga studio without premises? [52:19] Being transparent with her community has helped ease the transition for Jenifer. She shares how the community has responded to the changes she's implementing going forward.  [55:45] What are some of Jennifer's tips for yoga teachers who are considering starting a collective? [59:10] How did Jenifer manage the legal side of running a collective yoga studio? [1:01:24] You can always hire experts to help with the legal and accounting side of running a collective. [1:04:52] Find out more about Jenifer's collective yoga studio by visiting her website. [1:07:10] Shannon shares a few things that are helping her right now.   Links: Find a Live and Online Yoga Class Jenifer Parker, Healium How to work virtually with your massage clients, Yomassage Consultation with Shannon Offer Yoga Online Masterclass (Replay) COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources   Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity and Yomassage   Quotes from this episode:   "The collective model ... creates less administrative work and more opportunity for people to work together and to have the outreach that they want." ~ Jenifer Parker   "We need everyone to solve the problems. We need all the generations of yoga teachers to solve problems." ~ Jenifer Parker   "The hardest thing is making sure that you have really clear communication with the people that you're working with." ~ Jenifer Parker