If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a yoga studio, or you are curious to hear what experts are saying about the yoga industry and its future-- this episode is for you!

In my first “podcast swap” I had an awesome conversation with Michael Jay, a long time teacher and yoga studio consultant who is also known as @YogaBizChamp.

Michael is a Certified Business Consultant who helps yoga studios open with impact and grow with intention. With 13 years of studio ownership under his belt—including surviving two recessions and eventually selling his profitable business—he now coaches studio owners across the globe through every stage of their journey. Whether you're launching your first space or trying to regain control of a growing studio, Michael brings real-world strategy, a marketing mind, and "in the trenches" support that meets you where you are. He also hosts the Yoga Biz Champ Podcast, the go-to resource for studio owners who want honest talk, real advice, and a solid game plan.

Together, we explore the evolving yoga industry, the role of studio owners in elevating their teachers, and why having a clear point of view is more powerful (and sustainable) than trying to be everything to everyone.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

how yoga studios have shifted from community-led to franchise-driven — and back again
why teachers fresh out of training aren’t always ready for studio life (and how to mentor them well)
the difference between “niching down” and developing a true teaching point of view
why your yoga studio is only as strong as the teachers who represent it
how community studios today can compete with franchise studios
real talk about industry changes, competition, and what makes studios sustainable in 2025 and beyond

Learn More From Michael:

This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree! Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.

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160: Having A Point of View Makes You A Better Teacher + Studio Owner with Michael Jay

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a yoga studio, or you are curious to hear what experts are saying about the yoga industry and its future-- this episode is for you!

In my first “podcast swap” I had an awesome conversation with Michael Jay, a long time teacher and yoga studio consultant who is also known as @YogaBizChamp.

159: What Is The Purpose of Asana? (A Deep Inquiry)

If I were to ask you what the purpose of asana is, what would you say? Would you say it was to feel better in the body? To build strength and flexibility? To prepare the body for meditation practice? To help people connect more deeply to their breath and themselves?

These are all beautiful answers!!

But if you gave a very specific movement cue or alignment principle when teaching asana, and I asked you what the purpose of that was, what would you say?

I think many of us value clarity and specificity in our teaching, but because of the way we were trained to teach movement, we fall into highly dogmatic or aesthetic based cueing even when that doesn’t honor our values.

Today’s podcast episode is a deep inquiry into the purpose of asana, especially as it applies to teaching movement in a specific and precise way.

158: The Yoga of Calling In with Janie Ganga (A Public Apology)

This is a vulnerable episode for me to share, but it was very important to me to record and release this episode because it highlights something I don’t think we see enough: people in positions of power, privilege or leadership openly receiving feedback.

Janie Ganga is a yoga teacher I deeply admire and have worked closely with for nearly a decade. In May of this year, they reached out to tell me something I had posted on social media had upset and hurt them.

We’ve had several conversations about the situation since, and this episode is the culmination and public sharing of how we worked through that.

160: Having A Point of View Makes You A Better Teacher + Studio Owner with Michael Jay

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