Unedited Michiko Kusunoki Part II

Continuing my analysis from yesterday of Yoga teacher and Alexander student at BodyChance Michiko's 12 Point Plan… My format below is to publish Michiko's 12 Point Plan in full, with my comments following each of the numbered points after you see the three asterisks, like this: *** Steps 1 ~ 5 can be read here. 6. How is your skill in writing blog, e-mail and website content? I’m used to writing but I’m still working on the skill. *** What you can do is use your blog to "test" topics for interest. Years ago, Tomoko, BodyChance's Studio Manager in Tokyo, was writing the blog while we were still at the Mejiro studio. She was also tracking closely the number of views she got. She noticed some really interesting tendencies. When she mentioned anything to do with looking beautiful, her views shot up – often doubled – based on her keywords attracting more traffic. This was back in 2006, I have no idea what is happening these days. However, Basil – with his music niched blog in Japan - has also reported the same spikes happening on certain topics he writes about. Any of you still in training have this wonderful opportunity to use your blog to research which topics are popular, which draw the greatest interest? These will morph into the workshops you offer, the landing pages you create, the email seminars you craft. Start trialing this out… 7. How will you gather a list of people who follow your work? ・I organize workshops and Yoga events to know new people who follow my work. ・I’m writing blogs for Yoga instructors who are interested in getting more skills. ・I started mailing lists for yoga beginners. ・I’m planning to sell my stories and blog to Yoga magazines. *** The magazines are interesting in Japan – they are quite happy to list your details. In the West, less so. In either case, make sure when you are interviewed or submitting an article, that you let people know you have a lot of free content (advice) available elsewhere. Work it into the interview – "oh, I have a free download on my website about that" or "I offer an email series that people can sign up for on my site." In your interview, keep offering reasons for them to want to look you up online. Then you grab their name and email and hold them for the rest of their lives (if you can). 8. What do you imagine as your back-end business? ・teacher’s trainings and producing new Yoga textbooks or DVDs. ・continuous training course with Skype and retreat *** Michiko is getting all of this clear! Your attitude is important – every new person who comes into your studio is potentially an associate for life. In Alexander Technique we can make a life long relationships. It won't always happen, but always imagine it might. Dentists do similar, as does any practitioner offering a service that will be valuable to that person throughout their life. Make no mistake – do it correctly, and you can keep a portion of your Alexander Technique students as life long professional friendships. 9. What are the stories that stop you from being successful? ・Fear for not having enough skill ・Fear for the change in Yoga trend ・It takes time to create AT Yoga style for practicing. *** The last one is pretty accurate – I am not sure how being realistic will stop you being successful? On the contrary I think it is healthy that you understand the challenges and time required to make this work. Right now I am working with Brett to launch BodyChance in Hollywood, but I am under no illusions how hard it is going to be. I fully expect at least two years before we are breaking even and paying back some of the money required to launch the business. As I always write here – Alexander is industrial. That means the investment, infrastructure, research and development, incubation and development of a successful Alexander Technique business needs a trajectory of several years. 5 years, more likely 10. This is no easy business to build, but oh my goodness, what a wonderful business it is! 10. What kind of expert advice will you offer others professionally? ・Individual Yoga adjustment with AT hands-on style. ・AT knowledge based-training for Yoga movement *** It's clear. 11. Describe the process you will use to gather students.. ・Organize events for health conscious Yoga people while preparing lists of people for mailing lists. ・write blog everyday and put more contents on my HP while train myself to be AT teacher. ・teach Yoga in different places using people’s connection and circles (working mother’s associations, office workers, NPO communities, etc.) ・write comments to Yoga magazines and co-organize events with couches and consultants *** Well, I have to say to all you folks reading my blog – this is one of my CareerThinking students in Japan. Can you tell? Michiko is getting it, and this is the strategy: content marketing, events, meeting and connecting with other people, leveraging whatever resources you can access for your maximum benefit. As the years go on, a very business focused group of Alexander Technique teachers are going to emerge from BodyChance. I look forward to seeing the fruits of my input to you, to them, and our profession. 12. Who could be beneficial partners in building your business? ・other Yoga instructors studying at Body Chance or AT ・other AT teachers who  focusing on daily life activities, office environment activities or relationship ・Event co-organizers (organic food, aroma-therapy, candle-healing, etc) ・Web-consultant ・health workers ・physiotherapists, ・Yoga instructors focusing on body education, therapy or health-conscious Yoga; anatomic Yoga or therapeutic Yoga, Meridian Yoga ・doctors *** I will look forward to watching Michiko emerge as one of the Alexander Yoga Gurus of Japan, who knows – maybe the world?