163: Collective Yoga Studio Model with Jenifer Parker

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 a 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?

“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

[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.

“We need everyone to solve the problems. We need all the generations of yoga teachers to solve problems.” ~ Jenifer Parker

[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.

“The hardest thing is making sure that you have really clear communication with the people that you’re working with.” ~ Jenifer Parker

[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