Author: Lisé Kuecker

I’ll make the assumption that you’ve heard of a little company called Uber.  

You likely know it as a car service.

But, I view it as a massive force of change that’s transforming the entire transportation industry and providing some epic lessons in the process.

“Wait. Seriously? Uber and my studio have something in common.”  

Yup. These five lessons truly can change it all.  

1. Lesson One: The Customer Is NOT Always Right. 

This can be a painful one. After all, we’ve been told forever, that the customer is ALWAYS right. But, what happens when they aren’t? How do you handle the customer that’s broken all the rules and still wants you to make an exception?

The fact is you’re gonna face a time, when you will have to acknowledge your customer isn’t right {and that you can’t curb to their demands out of integrity}, but I’ve got a way to keep the customer happy and your boundaries firm.  

2. Supply and Demand Rules the Roads {and Your Studio}.

We all likely know this economic rule. The higher the demand, the lower the supply, the higher the price.  

So why don’t we operate under it in our studios?  

I’ve got three ways you can implement supply and demand without scaring off your customers {and making sure you can always continue your growth}.

3. You don’t have to be the first person into the market {but you do need to do it best}.

I always used to believe the first time’s a charm {and the first one into the market is the winner}. But, I’ve never been the first into my market, although I’ve always become the best.  

It only takes one simple thing to bring your studio to it’s best and it all come down to the customer experience you provide.  

4. Sometimes your most valuable assets are your biggest competitors.

Community > Competition. Somedays I think this is the most shared post on Instagram, but the one least likely to see people take action on.  

I get it, cause I’ve been as afraid of my competitors as anyone else. But, after years of learning to work with them, I’ve come to realize that there are times {assuming you have the right competition} that you and your market can take major leaps forward by banding together {and I’ve got some great ideas how}.  

5. Just because you’ve founded the business doesn’t mean you should be the CEO.

This one is the one that hurts a little to write. But, I’ve learned the hard way that there are times you’re meant to lead and times you’re meant to hire the leader. Here’s a few great examples of how to know if you’ve reached that point.  

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Uber has taught lessons to businesses in every industry!
• Why the customer isn’t always right
• What Uber can tell us about the principle of supply and demand
• You don’t need to do it first – but you need to do it best
• Why client experience will always trump everything else
• Why your biggest competitors can be your biggest assets
• Just because you started the business doesn’t mean you should be running it

With grit + gratitude,
Lisé

I met Nischala Joy Devi in the aisles of Barnes and Noble in 2004.

As I pulled book after book off the shelves, one stayed in my lap and ultimately journeyed home with me.

The Healing Path of Yoga, wasn’t just a healing path for me.

It was my first modern primer as a yoga teacher, one I journey back to so many times that my now three battered, dog-eared, and highlighted copies could tell my journey in themselves.

Her meditations, her thoughts on mindfulness, her teaching on the wholeness of yoga laid the foundation for how I view my practice {and how I teach} even today.

It is an honor to speak with her, to share her wisdom, her experience, and her teachings with y’all. I hope her extraordinary voice touches you as much as it touches me…

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• How Nischala got started in Western medicine and yoga back in the 1980’s – and hasn’t stopped!
• Why Western medicine just wasn’t enough for her…
• What her work with cancer patients looks like for both the patient and his or her family members
• Why Western medicine and yoga is much more powerful as a pair
• All parts of yoga are essential for an instructor to learn and practice themselves
• Bring back the knowing of who you truly are
• What happened when she brought yoga into the school system

With grit + gratitude,

Lisé

Somewhere along the way, someone {and I’m likely guessing it’s the marketing department of Google or Facebook} told us all what we needed to get right was one little ad and every problem was solved…

New clients would flood in the door…

Revenue would increase…

And, all would be well in our studio’s world.

But, if you’ve ever run a Facebook, Google, or Instagram ad, you likely know this rosy picture isn’t always like reality and…

In actuality, the most important part of making digital marketing work, is everything BUT the digital marketing.

Today, Nikki Bigler, our Digital Marketing Director, and I, are deep diving into the three things that will lead to successful ads {or can tank your campaigns faster than you can say, “spend my money”}…

In Today’s Episode You’ll Learn:

• What essential things will need to be incorporated into your marketing in order for it to be effective
• The difference between marketing to warm traffic versus cold traffic
• If your service is too inexpensive can that lead to the wrong client walking through your door?
• What should be involved in an introductory package
• Why you should be testing your Facebook ads (and how to do it the right way)!
• What elements you should have in the copy of your ad and your landing page
• Why it’s important to make new members feel comfortable
• There are many different types of buyers…

With grit + gratitude,

Lisé

I’ve always believed that for someone to take the leap to open their first business, they’ve gotta be a little nutty.

You might think you know what you’re getting yourself into before you start, but that’s just the thing…

You’ll never truly know if it’s all going to pan out according to your vision until you kick your fears and “what ifs” to the curb and start.

Until then, it’s all speculation.

In some cases taking that leap takes three years, for others, like Alyssa, it only took 30 days.

Yep, she saw a need, specifically one for a community that offered yoga alongside other healing techniques such as acupuncture, reiki, and massage, and when the opportunity presented itself her “entrepreneur optimism disease” was born!

However, just because a quick start and rather fearless/optimistic leap can be a blessing, that doesn’t mean it’s all going to be smooth sailing…

Remember how I mentioned it’s all speculation ’til you’re in it?

Well, Alyssa quickly realized her pattern of “control the situation, make things happen,” wasn’t going to fly for long…

After expanding her studio for the first time, she landed herself in a spot where her business was eating up money like Pac Man, she wasn’t paying herself, and she taught 14+ classes a week while also trying to juggle mamahood and being a wife.

Before you know it, all joy had left the building, and she was left with the realization that the only thing she could control was her own unfolding…

So, she prioritized her own self-care and managed the manifestation of her own stress, and then she set up systems and got streamlined.

Fast forward from 2016 to 2017 and those steps are what allowed Alyssa not only to double her revenue while dramatically scaling back but also learn how to function and lead her business from a place of pleasure rather than pressure.

And you can have that for yourself, too.

Take a listen as Alyssa and I talk about:

• Her transition from a successful corporate career in finance to starting a yoga studio
• The all-too-common issue of scarcity in the yoga industry
• Relinquishing control and prioritizing self-care for better leadership
• Building systems to create a proactive business rather than a reactionary one

With grit + gratitude,

Lisé