What's ATSuccess All About?

The longer you do anything, the simpler it appears. My message to Alexander Technique trainees and teachers has been crystallizing in my mind since September 26th, 2012 when I started blogging about what I had learnt building BodyChance in Japan. At that time I thought I knew a lot - turns out I didn't know much at all. I lost of lot of money trying to test my ideas in the real world - the ultimate classroom for a serious entrepreneur. Licking my wounds and heading back to Japan - I understand even better how industrial our work is. It can take years of free information to convince someone to have lessons. If you want to build a biz, that's way too slow. Alexander is the ultimate counter-point to everything fast - what we offer takes time, commitment, and an ability to accept transformation as the path to freedom. What Do You Do About That Problem? If you are an Alexander Technique teacher, or a BodyChance Method Educator, or a person interested in becoming one of those, then understand this: you better be passionate about the work, because you need that energy to follow the plan I propose. In London recently, one of my participants was appalled by my workshop, the core of her complaint being there was nothing I said that could directly help her biz. I understood her dilemma and agreed to give her a refund. The problem was: I was asking everyone to reboot. I don't do quick fixes, I urge you build a long-term future. I work best with people who are seeking renewal, or just starting out. The ideal ATSuccess member is a person seeking a full-time, professional commitment to the work that results in a sturdy retirement plan. A future that will "look after you" financially. My definition for success is you can support a partner and two kids, pay a mortgage, run a car, take annual holidays, have medical insurance and still be able to put away a little every month for retirement. It's a conventional plan, but it works for a professional person. When teaching, we place a strong emphasis on looking after our Self, before the student. Paradoxically, this is how we help the student best. This is true in financial health too – why do so many teachers sell themselves short? Discounts, free classes, low hourly rates: this is not how you build a financially sustainable career. How Do You Build A Financially Sustainable Career? You start with oodles of passion and focus that into a niche. Why a niche? Because it's faster: it builds community which creates both traction and loyalty. Sustainability comes from long-term committed clients - and you build those best when you become an "expert" in a chosen field. Think Steven Shaw, Peter Grunwald and Malcolm Balk. What niche? You gotta know that, and it's a sticking point for many people seeking to follow my ATSuccess way. I've had people leave in frustration over this very issue, and I myself am a person who has struggled with this question. My personal niche is you, but that's too small to make any money - am I breaking my own rules? No. I run BodyChance - and we have three major niches we focus on, with a plan to keep adding more. I follow my rules in the way I built my company, and you can end up in the same place if you do as I did. So. What's your niche?