Hi Yogis!

Here’s the deal: YTGS has been growing steadily over the last 2 months. We have over 250 of y’all now who (since we launched on May 13) have downloaded the free eBook on building your private yoga business!

But I know how it is: It is all too easy to get excited and feel motivated, but then run out of steam when it comes to doing the work, right?

This contest is designed to break that pattern.

Procrastination is the thief of time, and psychological research shows that there is a tendency in all of us to do nothing and maintain the status quo, rather than risking moving forward and creating a better life. This contest is designed to invite you into taking the plunge. Let’s do this!

So, the eBook unfolds in a very strategic way. We start with these three steps:

1) Identify Your Talents.

2) Work on overcoming your fears and inadequacies.

3) Identify your “demographic.” Which is just a fancy way of saying: who do you want to work with? Who can benefit most from your talents and passions?

I get emails every day thanking me for this initial work in the book, because for many of us the underlying fears of failure, not being good enough or feeling hesitant to put ourselves out there can nip in the bud our desire to go boldly in the direction of our dreams.

The next phase of the PYB (Private Yoga Business) eBook guides you into creating your “simple marketing loop.” You know: photos, business cards and or fliers/postcards, and a basic website. These elements work together to both attract your demographic and keep you in contact with as many of them as possible, so that you can build a roster of clients that will sustain your business.

The contest will give you free tools to do this! (The very generous members-only special offers from my associates will also allow everyone to get started now, even if you don’t win the contest.)

I want everyone on the YTGS list, from all over the country and the planet to follow these steps to financial security and the incredibly fulfilling feeling of serving an ever growing group of students who value and appreciate your gifts. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE CONTEST

Here we go!

Our first ever YTGS contest works like this, in 4 easy steps:

FIRST STEP: I want you to sit down and do the short exercises from the first two chapters of the PYB eBook. If you can’t find your copy, shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you again. You do have to be on the YTGS email list to participate in the contest, though!

SECOND STEP: When you’ve done these highly effective exercises, I want you to either find or take a new photo of yourself that you feel conveys the feeling of your strengths, talents and gifts. How you present yourself in this photo is up to you. I want you to start thinking about your brand image, how you want to come across to your demographic.

THIRD STEP: Now add to this photo a mini-bio: Between 3 and 6 sentences about yourself and what you have to offer as a private yoga teacher. This should be designed to reach out and touch the demographic you have identified. Bonus points will be added for some kind of vulnerable self-reveal that makes your demographic connect emotionally and trust you.

FOURTH STEP: Underneath the mini-bio, you need to add a) a sentence describing your demographic and b) a sentence describing the fear you have overcome to create this submission.

For example:

 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY: You are going to submit this photo and accompanying mini-bio and other text by posting it to my Facebook page and tagging yourself as well as any yoga teacher friends you want to challenge to participate in the contest. (Bonus points for tagging 5 or more friends.)

You MUST start the post off with this sentence: My Yoga Teacher Grad School ( http://tinyurl.com/kjmb37x ) Contest Entry: 

The contest runs from July 20th to August 4th. I will announce the winners via Facebook, my newsletter and the website on August 7th.

There will be three winners in first, second and third place.

I will allocate points based on 5 factors:

1) The feeling conveyed by the photo.

2) The effectiveness of the mini-bio.

3) The way in which your stated demographic and fear you are overcoming come through in what you have submitted.

4) The “appropriate vulnerability” factor in terms of creating an emotional connection.

5) Your enthusiasm in terms of tagging friends and spreading the YTGS message.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE PRIZES

There are three prizes:

a) A one hour personal session of free Skype coaching with me, Julian Walker, on moving your yoga teaching career forward!

b) An hour with Sarit Z Rogers of Sarit Photography to get you started on your simple marketing loop! You will get 3 professional yoga photos (can be a mix of asana and headshot), which includes minimal retouching. (Additional retouching available for fee listed below.) 

c) An hour of web design consulting with Allan Whitney of mindvisionmedia.net to set up your basic 3-page WordPress Website! This goes with a $200+ discount down to $150 for contest winners on Allan’s already very low cost YTGS members-only package listed below.

FIRST PRIZE: Your entry will be featured via the YTGS newsletter and website AND you can have your choice of two of the above three high-value prizes:

SECOND PRIZE: Your choice of any two the above three high-value prizes.

THIRD PRIZE: 1 hour of free personal Skype coaching with Julian.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT & Members-Only Special Offers From Those Offering The  Prizes:

I am delighted to have Allan Whitney and Sarit Rogers offering their services both as part of the contest, as well as in the form of special YTGS members-only packages they have put together for us:

Sarit Rogers is a Los Angeles based photographer, writer, New Media Manager, yogi, teacher, and founder of the LoveMore Movement. She has photographed many covers including the forthcoming anthology, Yoga and Body Image (and the anthology 21st Century Yoga featuring Julian!)

Sarit regularly writes about mental health, addiction, and recovery.

Sarit has completed the 200hr Awakened Heart, Embodied Mind teacher training with Julian Walker and Hala Khouri, and is also certified by Street Yoga. Sarit teaches trauma-informed yoga to adolescents and to private clients in recovery.

She uses her camera to create a visual conversation and as a bridge to connection. She is a body image advocate and activist, and she is committed to honoring those who play in front of her lens. She has been known to say, “I refuse to use my camera as a weapon of mass perfection.”

In addition to the FREE prize above, as part of her association with YTGS, Sarit offers the following special package to members only:

* Spend an hour with Sarit Z Rogers of Sarit Photography to get you started on Julian’s simple marketing loop for a reduced rate of $150.

You will get: 3 professional yoga photos (can be a mix of asana and headshot), which includes minimal retouching (lighting, blemishes, wrinkles in fabric) Note: Additional retouching will cost $50 an hour (discounted from $125). Additional photographs are $75 apiece (discounted from $150). www.saritphotography.com @saritphoto on Twitter, IG and Facebook.

  Allan Whitney has been involved in production and design since 1995. He specializes in multimedia packages, web and graphic design, and supporting the ubiquitous WordPress website platform. I whole-heartedly endorse Allan’s work, he helped me with this website and quickly and efficiently solved several problems no-one else could figure out as I was in the process of launching. He’s also a supremely respectful and kind person.

As part of his prize listed above, Allan offers the following package for only $150 to contest winners ($245 less than the discount already offered to members only):

* Complete WordPress Website Starter Package Offer: $395 This comprehensive package is specifically designed to get you started building your online Yoga business presence. It utilizes the worlds most popular web content management system called “WordPress” and includes everything you need at an affordable cost for the first year including 3 custom web pages*, a FREE web banner*, a free domain name, unlimited disk space and bandwidth, unlimited email addresses for your clients or subscribers, 24/7 tech support and access to additional services as your business grows. Domain Name – Web Hosting – WordPress Sign Up includes these features and more:

• FREE Domain Name and Registration
• Powerful WordPress Web Hosting
• Unlimited Disk Space
• Unlimited Bandwidth
• Unlimited Email Addresses
• Choice of Integrated Theme
• Important Plugins, Pre-Installed
• Customized Control Panel for Convenience
• 24/7 WordPress Specific Hosting Support

Other Benefits included:

• FREE Web Banner from Allan at MindVisionMedia.net

• An additional free (1) hour design support credit from Allan at MindVisionMedia.net

The above mentioned Complete WordPress Hosting package is available for the incredibly low price of $3.75 per month ($45.00 year included in your $395 YTGS price) for your first year*

*Additional pages and design elements such as logos, banners, image editing, social media integration, e-commerce, multiple video integration, slideshows, theme modifications, etc, require additional cost, please send inquiry to allan@mindvisionmedia.net.

 * You are free to choose any web hosting service or method of design of your choice for your Yoga business website venture. If you do not choose the above offered YTGS Exclusive Marketing Loop Hosting/Design Package special, you are on your own with regard to the hosting services and design methods you choose which have there own support. This offer is exclusive and designed to make the process simple and empower you to be in a position to manage your own website and online presence yourself eventually. No support is promised or implied for services outside of or in addition to this offer. The (2) hour Free support offer includes basic guidance offering recommendations on how to approach setting up your web presence, what you will need and minor technical assistance. Services offered by and through MindVisionMedia.net and its affiliatefor YogaTeacherGradSchool.com Marketing Loop Members only!

* Second term/year for WordPress Hosting is at a regular rate of $9.49 per month which is still well below market value for dedicated WordPress Hosting which typically ranges from $17.00 to $99.00 per month! There is no obligation to continue service after the first year.