M01.09 BodyChance: Human Software

I’ve been quite inspired these last days, comparing an Alexander Technique business to the aircraft industry, another day to selling cars, and most fundamentally to the internet. I have a radical idea for branding BodyChance in the future, and some of you will love it. BodyChance Human Software Think about it – Alexander is all about running a program mentally whenever your system asks for it. How can it ask for it? Through pain and dysfunction of course. At that time, a person needs a program tasked with the analysis of head spinal efficiencies, together with a rigorous reconnaissance around the emotional assumptions and mental delusions that go along with those movements, and come up with a plan. “You have to do the brain work,” Marj told us “…every, single time.” This is something you continue thinking about. “Do a worksheet” is Katie’s advice for the emotional upsets. You need to get real in there, or turn something around: come back into balance. Marj was a master at finding this essence very quickly when she started working with you… Years ago, at Marj’s sunny workshop in Sydney January 1986, an elderly lady worked with Marj on her gardening. The Lady came from far away and could only come that day, so this was the sole piece of work Marj did with her, lasting about 5 minutes. That was long for Marj. [Those of you who have studied my 1986 film of Marj teaching will remember her. She’s the eldest lady Marj worked with in the film, and Marj obviously loves her.] Five years later, I was in Adelaide visiting my wonderful Swedish friend Agneta and her husband Chris for their 50th birthday celebration. And there she was: the elderly lady who had worked with Marj. I told her: “I remember you!” (because I edited the film) She smiled, nodded, then added: “You know, hardly a day goes by that I don’t think about what Marj told me.” I was stunned; then eager to know what Marj had said?! “I was gardening as my activity. I was crouched down pretending to be weeding my little flowers, when Marj, 86 at the time, leaned in close to me and whispered ‘You know, people like us – well: we need to be easy, take our time, that’s who we are.’ Then Marj smiled, put her hands on my head, and I felt absolutely wonderful. I will always remember it.” That was a good software install by Marj. But you have some of your very own don’t you? Thoughts, ideas that repeat and guide you along your daily activities? If you have, then my guess is that, as an Alexander Technique teacher or trainee or devotee or curiosity seeker or whatever – you have put into somebody else’s mind an idea that still persists with that person. It’s possible. Alexander Technique teachers do it for a living. BodyChance is making a real business out of it. Anyway, maybe it’s an idea ahead of it’s time. Or maybe someone is already doing it… *** I spent today working on the budget for BCLA.  [Pro Member’s can find a draft copy in their Skype Directory. Please keep it confidential. Thanks.] I did a two year plan, based on 7 different products, all offered on a monthly membership system, with four different monthly amounts: $148, $198, $298 & $770. Our services fall within that range on a monthly basis. So it is easy to calculate. You can do it in your business too… Just construct a month, list the different deals you offer in your Private Lessons (consider each different price point a different product.) Try to understand – what makes it worth less or worth more? Think how you decide price… -       if he’s pretty -       if she’s a student -       if I need a student So you have your different lesson products, based on your/their different needs, a range of prices, the number of sessions estimated in a month (with BodyChance that is quite accurate) and you add it up, see what you earn in a month. Now start playing: add lessons, cut products, add products, raise prices, terminate products, shorten time, lengthen time, consider groups. Once you have constructed that month in excel, simple copy the exact same version for the next 23 months, putting in new figures for every month, and you have what I did today. I’m off to LA next week to weave together the BCLA team in San Diego with biz mentor Paul Lemberg leading us all on a one day mission to define our numerical targets for the development of BodyChance over the next two years in LA. There will be seven people in the room, and I think it the kernel of a wonderful American tree. My blogs do not construct themselves so logically these days, because now I am not writing a book. I am not working to a specific construction. I am waiting to hear from you what you want from me and in the meanwhile, I am offering insight into how I am building my two new businesses while trying to decide how to move this blog forward constructively…   Here’s My Second Idea One month for each step – this month: Passion. Going on for 12 months like this. Each month, a new Step. One year in total. Then it is a book again, but this time 12 Volumes. Imagine how much I could write in a month? And combine that with what I have already written in the previous course (over 350,000 words). There’s space to publish your answer at the very start (June 1^st for Step Two) – and maybe you want to update it? Leave something for me in Comments below if you do. Then I can ask Costin, my Romanian Techie guy, to put a system in place for that. Please wait. I confess my reason for doubting doing it this way over a year, was my wish to tailor-make a course that ended July 31^st, along with my free 3 month trial period. However, I decided to make the 3 month offer permanent. You can join at any level for free for three months (surprised more of you did not take up this offer at Pro level!) and then switch to paid or free Lite membership after that, or start paying. We’ll see how many start paying. History will prove them to be the most successful by their own definition. It all doesn’t matter now. If I follow Idea No 2, then I will slowly move along the 12 steps over one year, blogging every day, using the time to dig deep into many different people’s businesses. Next week, I will start with the 12 Step Plans from my three Pro Members (in the order that they were received: Sara, Rossella and Franis). On Sundays for the next 12 weeks, I will feature updates from the 12 Teachers I wrote about during my last three month course. Coming up first, the wonderful Veronique, who has been with me since the days of my dark and hopeless FaceBook posts many years ago, and is shining a bright light of hope for teachers all over the world by her simple, practical but effective steps in bringing order to the chaos of her now thriving practice… TOMORROW: Veronique fills us all up to day...