Gift-Led: Sustainable Careers. Meaningful Lives.

Tara Alperin
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated weekly

In this show we unpack how our unique gifts are the key to a financially sustainable, fulfilling yoga career and a meaningful life.

Episodes

  1. 4 days ago

    How to Build a Sustainable Yoga Career That Lights You Up | A Conversation with Cody Schmidt

    Cody Schmidt has built a career around the parts of yoga and Ayurveda that most energize him, from intimate classes to deeper one-on-one client work. In this conversation, we talk about the small studio he runs with his mom, why they intentionally keep classes small, and how multi-week programs allow them to take students deeper than a typical drop-in class. We also get into something I think more yoga teachers need to consider: you can create incredibly valuable experiences for clients without being in the room with them. Cody shares why some of his online clients actually progress faster than his in-person clients, and what changes when you have the opportunity to work with someone more closely. We talk about teaching, confidence, one-on-one work, building a client base, and the business skills it takes to turn yoga into a career you can actually sustain.  Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Cody Schmidt and his journey 02:16 How Cody found yoga and his early influences 04:10 Starting yoga with his mother and early practice 07:47 Immersive yoga teacher training in Florida 09:10 Confidence and fundamentals in teaching yoga 11:03 Overcoming imposter syndrome and cultural respect 13:19 Transition from restaurant management to full-time yoga 15:42 Living at the ashram and deepening practice 17:03 Balancing restaurant work and yoga career 20:24 Designing small series for targeted transformation 26:01 Introduction to Ayurveda and its integration into practice 28:23 Personalized support and client relationships in Ayurveda 32:16 The individualization of Ayurveda and client care 37:58 Impact of vulnerability and space in healing 39:47 Curiosity, research, and continuous learning in Ayurveda 45:46 Physical and psychological benefits of movement and yoga 49:44 The energizing effect of teaching and the importance of independence 54:47 Online teaching, accountability, and deep connection 58:02 The power of cueing, props, and embodiment in practice 01:02:23 The journey of learning and mastery in yoga and Ayurveda 01:08:29 Living in alignment and the importance of routines 01:12:16 How to connect and work with Cody Schmidt Connect With Cody: Website: theyogacode.co Instagram/TikTok: @theyogacode YouTube: The Yoga Code Studio   ✨Connection elevates us! Connect with other yoga teachers and get support as you build your yoga career. 👇 Join the free Teacher Circle HERE 🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara HERE ✅ Follow Along on IG: @tesniyoga

  2. 4 Sept

    Are We Teaching Yoga Teachers the Wrong Marketing Strategies?

    Are we teaching yoga teachers marketing strategies that are already becoming obsolete? As AI changes the way we create and consume content, many of us are seeing how we’re entering a trust recession. Information is everywhere, polished content is easier than ever to create, and it’s becoming harder to know what was actually created by a real human. This quick onset of AI is quickly changing how we should be marketing effectively, making strategies that worked great even four months ago obsolete. In this short episode, I share 3 marketing strategies I still see being taught to yoga teachers that I don’t think will withstand the test of AI: • Linear email funnels designed to create passive income • Low-ticket offers that primarily sell information • Highly polished, overly produced social media content I also share what I see becoming MORE valuable: real human connection, trust, transformational experiences, and creating an organic “playground” where people can discover your work and get to know you over time. ✨Connection elevates us! Connect with other yoga teachers and get support as you build your yoga career. 👇Join the free Yoga Teacher Circle HERE  🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Call with Tara HERE ✅ Follow Along on IG: @tesniyoga

  3. 1 Sept

    From Crime Reporter to Yoga Teacher- Rethinking the Career Ladder | A Conversation with Sonia Azad

    Sonia Azad did what a lot of people here dream about doing: she left a successful career to teach yoga full time. After more than 20 years as a TV journalist and crime reporter, Sonia made the leap into becoming a full-time yoga teacher. In this episode of Gift-Led, we talk about what it actually takes to make a leap like this, the fears and practical realities of leaving an established career, and Sonia’s advice for anyone considering doing the same. We also explore one of my favorite ideas from the conversation: what if we stopped thinking about our careers as ladders and started thinking about them as lattices? After climbing the corporate ladder herself, Sonia realized there was “nothing up there” for her. If you’re considering leaving a career that no longer aligns with your purpose to build one around yoga, I hope this conversation inspires you. Chapters: 00:00 From TV journalist to yoga teacher 03:06 Sonia’s roots in dance and teaching 07:09 Why we’re taught to choose a “real” career 10:30 When traditional success stops feeling like enough 12:22 Sonia didn’t leave journalism to get rich from yoga 13:37 Your career is a lattice, not a ladder 16:00 Rethinking what a successful career looks like 20:31 Sonia’s 20+ year career in journalism and crime reporting 22:19 When her dream career stopped working 25:40 Choosing time, sleep, and freedom 27:55 Wanting to “let myself out of a cage” 30:58 The moment Sonia knew it was time to leave 33:45 Life after leaving TV 35:13 The financial reality of making the leap 37:29 Building a career without giving up your freedom 41:40 Creating your own version of work 43:19 Health insurance, money, and the “golden handcuffs” 52:58 What Sonia’s yoga career looks like today 57:12 Letting go of the perfect long-term plan 59:54 Building a life around your values 1:03:38 Do you need a big audience to succeed? 1:03:48 Building trust instead of chasing followers 1:08:00 You don’t need to build a yoga empire 1:10:13 Advice for anyone considering leaving their career 1:13:12 “Not right now” doesn’t mean “not forever” Find Sonia: https://www.sonia-azad.com/ @soniaazadtv   ✨Connection elevates us! Connect with other yoga teachers and get support as you build your yoga career. 👇Join the free Teacher Circle here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sust...   Learning & Discussion topic for August 2026: How to Build a Yoga Career Without Burning Yourself Out   🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-me...   ✅ Follow Along on IG: @tesniyoga

  4. 24 Aug

    How to Grow Your Yoga Business in the Age of AI

    What if doing less is the key to success in an AI world? In this episode, I explore an idea I heard in a really top-notch yoga class: life happens in the margins. Yoga teaching is creative work. And as AI makes it easier to create more and more, our humanity, creativity, lived experience, and unique perspective are becoming even more important. I talk about why creating space to think, wander, daydream, and do very little at all might actually be essential to building a sustainable yoga career that can withstand the onslaught of AI. In this episode: * Why yoga teachers are artists * Creating space for better ideas * Standing out in the age of AI * Getting out of comparison * Building a sustainable career around what’s uniquely yours   ✨Connection elevates us! Connect with other yoga teachers and get support as you build your yoga career. 👇Join the free Teacher Circle here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sustainable-yoga-teacher-circle-virtual-tickets-1983696008160?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true  🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1 ✅ Follow Along on IG: @tesniyoga

  5. 18 Aug

    Great Yoga Teachers Need Great Studios: How Better Leadership Creates Better Careers | A Conversation with Shannon McCasland

    What could the yoga industry look like if studios were run as professional communities, with strong leadership, clear expectations, and real support for teachers? In this episode, I sit down with Shannon McCasland, whose work is focused on helping yoga studios become healthier businesses. She sees this as one of the biggest opportunities in the yoga industry, and it’s the work she is actively doing with studio owners and teachers. We talk about the relationship between yoga teachers and the studios they work for, where the responsibilities of each can get blurred, and what strong studio leadership actually requires. Shannon shares what she has learned from building Radiance Yoga, including how she has created clearer class formats and expectations, built a culture of feedback and ongoing teacher development, and structured her studio so teachers can focus on teaching rather than having to become business owners themselves. We also talk about why not every great yoga teacher wants to own a studio, the tension between individual teacher brands and a strong studio brand, and what it can look like to create healthier, more sustainable careers for yoga teachers. In this episode: Great teachers need great studios. Great studios need great teachers. Why not every great yoga teacher wants to be a business owner What the responsibilities of a yoga studio vs. a yoga teacher should be Why studio owners need to take responsibility for creating demand and filling classes How strong leadership and clear expectations can support teachers Creating consistent class experiences without making teachers teach cookie-cutter classes Why feedback and continuing education are essential for teacher development The tension between individual teacher brands and a strong studio brand Find Shannon: Radiance Yoga Instagram: @radiance_yoga Website: https://www.radiance-yoga.com/ The Rad Yoga Method Instagram: @theradyogamethod Shannon McCasland Instagram: @shannonmccasyoga American Yoga Council Instagram: @americanyogacouncil Website: https://americanyogacouncil.com Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:12 Shannon's journey from yoga teacher to studio owner 12:42 Why she became determined to make yoga careers possible 14:12 The problem with how yoga studios and teachers currently operate 18:12 What happens when teachers are expected to build their own business 24:12 What studio owners are responsible for 30:12 The interpersonal dynamics inside yoga studios 35:12 The relationship between the studio and the teacher 41:12 Why not every yoga teacher wants to be a business owner 44:12 Building a studio ecosystem instead of individual teacher brands 50:12 Creating consistent class experiences without making teachers cookie-cutter 54:12 Standards, feedback, and ongoing teacher development 1:01:12 What better studio leadership means for yoga teachers 1:05:12 A studio success story 1:07:12 Building healthier yoga businesses 1:11:12 Where to find Shannon ⭕ Connection elevates us! Connect with other yoga teachers and get support as you build your yoga career. 👇Join the free Teacher Circle here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sustainable-yoga-teacher-circle-virtual-tickets-1983696008160?aff=oddtdtcreator 🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-me... ✅ Follow Along on IG: @tesniyoga

  6. 11 Aug

    5 Ways Teaching Off the Mat Explodes Your Confidence

    If you want to become the best yoga teacher you can be, you have to learn to step off your mat. Over years of coaching yoga teachers, I’ve seen this one major shift fast-track confidence and completely transform student impact. In this episode, I break down the five exact ways stepping off your mat will change everything for your career. Inside the episode, you will learn how to: ✨Become a more confident yoga teacher ✨Lead classes that deeply impact your students ✨Stand out in yoga teaching auditions ✨Build trust and connection with your students ✨Step into the yoga career you’ve imagined without years of trial and error These are simple teaching skills that can completely change the way you show up in the room, help you get hired, and move you toward the yoga career you dream of. 🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here: https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1 🌞Connect on IG: @tesniyoga

  7. 4 Aug

    Can You Really Make a Full Time Living Teaching Yoga? Here's What's Missing

    Many yoga teachers deeply want to spend most of their work time teaching, but struggle to figure out how to actually make it work. The problem is most end up teaching broad populations at yoga studios and gyms, and while this can be a great place to start, it's often difficult to build a meaningful and financially sustainable career this way. In this short, succinct episode, I share the missing piece: identifying the specific kind of person you are best suited to help and building your career around your unique gifts. I walk you through a simple 3-step process to help you put this idea into practice. I hope this serves and inspires you! 🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1 🌞Feel free to connect on IG: @tesniyoga

  8. 28 Jul

    Building a Sustainable Yoga Career: Learning from Other Fields | A Conversation with Maryssa DeBonee

    This week I sat down with Maryssa DeBonee to talk about her recent transition from food scientist to full time yoga teacher, what it's really like to build a sustainable yoga career, and what the yoga industry can learn from other industries. We discuss the realities of teaching yoga professionally, making a sustainable living as a yoga teacher, and why the yoga industry needs clearer paths for career development. We got into: Her joys and struggles transitioning into being a full time yoga teacher. The difference between the support and feedback she received in her food science career versus her yoga jobs. The need for more vision and leadership in the yoga industry. Why it's so unclear how to make a sustainable wage as a yoga teacher. What yoga teachers are getting wrong about money. Caveat: Before we hit record, Maryssa suggested that I share some of my own insights rather than just interview her, and I took her up on it! So you get to hear her valuable perspective as someone who transitioned from an industry with clear support, mentorship, and career development into the yoga industry, where there's still a lot of work to do in creating clear paths to sustainable careers. In addition, I share my own perspective from teaching yoga professionally since 2012. **Books Mentioned:** * The Heart of Yoga* by T.K.V. Desikachar You can connect with Maryssa on Instagram and TikTok: @maryssayoga _____ 🪷 Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇 Book a Discovery Call with Tara: https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1   🌟 Feel free to connect on Instagram: @tesniyoga

  9. 21 Jul

    Why Most Yoga Teachers Lack Confidence (And How to Build It Fast)

    In this episode, I break down the 3 things I see help yoga teachers every day build confidence and why simply teaching for years does not automatically create it. We explore: Why so many yoga teachers struggle with confidence after Yoga Teacher Training The not so obvious reason teachers often feel like imposters Common pitfalls that cause talented teachers to quit before their careers gain momentum Why experience alone doesn't always create confidence   Whether you're a newly certified yoga teacher or an experienced teacher looking to feel more grounded in your teaching, what I speak about in this episode I have seen to be a helpful mindset shift for so many. I hope it helps you too!    🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1   🌟Feel free to connect on IG: @tesniyoga

  10. 18 Jul

    Why Most Yoga Teachers Never Build a Sustainable Career

    How do we teach yoga that truly helps our students while also building a career that supports us?  In this episode, we explore the challenges many yoga teachers face as they try to create meaningful, sustainable careers. We’ll look at why so many of us get stuck in our teaching, what keeps us from growing into the teachers we want to become, and one key shift that can help us move forward. In this episode: How to teach yoga that actually deeply helps your students How to build a yoga career that works financially without leading to burnout Why and how we get stuck in our yoga teaching One main tip to help you get unstuck Whether you’re a new yoga teacher or have been teaching for years, this episode will help you reflect on your teaching, your career, and the path forward.   🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1   🌞Feel free to connect on IG: @tesniyoga

  11. 18 Jul

    The Money Mindset Holding Yoga Teachers Back from Living Meaningful Lives

    Why do so many yoga teachers struggle to make a sustainable living? In this episode, I break down the money mindset that is holding yoga teachers back from building sustainable careers and living meaningful lives. (no this is not abundance mentality...that is not the vibe of this) I also walk you through the two-step process I use to help yoga teachers create impactful, well-paid teaching careers.   🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1   🌞Feel free to connect on IG: @tesniyoga

  12. 17 Jul

    Yoga Philosophy Says You SHOULD Make Money. Here's How.

    Most people think yoga could never be a real job. We hear things like, "Yoga can never pay enough for me to quit my job," "You shouldn't charge for yoga," and "I would never want to be a full-time yoga teacher because I don't want to be broke." The thing is, it is actually essential that we make money teaching yoga... according to yoga philosophy. In this episode, I break down: 1. What yoga philosophy says about making money. 2. What is keeping yoga teachers broke.   🪷Looking to build a financially sustainable and meaningful yoga career? 👇Book a Discovery Call with Tara Here https://calendly.com/tesniyoga/new-meeting-1   🌞Feel free to connect on IG: @tesniyoga   🎥 Watch More Videos: Why Yoga Teachers Stay Broke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsuKc7j_SBQ Why Most Yoga Teachers Lack Confidence (And How to Build It Fast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5zvhyOXSb8

  • 12 Episodes

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In this show we unpack how our unique gifts are the key to a financially sustainable, fulfilling yoga career and a meaningful life.

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