Hi Debbie – I have two questions:

(1) I have an idea for a workshop that I want to offer around the states, but I have no idea on how to get started. Do you have any tips?

(2) Is this something you cover in the Thrive Membership or the Online Aloha Business Mastery Program? I’m interested in getting started with some of your training, but am not sure which one would be better for me based on what I want to do.

DEBBIE’S ANSWER:

Thanks for writing and congratulations on having a new idea to teach to the world. Did you know that most people fear public speaking more than injury or certain death? Your courage will inspire others!

And I do have some tips and tools for you in terms of getting your workshop road-ready.

By the way, yes, either THRIVE or Online Aloha Business Mastery could be useful programs for you in terms of launching a successful workshop series nationally or internationally. After I give you some ideas with regards to your question, I’ll tell you a bit more about the two programs you asked about so you can decide on which seems better suited to your needs.

Here are a few things you can do to get started with getting yourself booked to teach your workshop on the road:

(1) Write an amazing description. Actually, write THREE. Have a short one (50 words), medium one (150 words) and long one (250 words).

(2) Get some great pictures.

(3) Have a designer make a "one-sheet" for the workshop that contains the short description, photos of the workshop on one side, and on the back side, your headshot, your bio, and contact info if people want to book the workshop.

(4) OPTIONAL but VERY HELPFUL - have a webpage for YOU or a webpage specifically for the WORKSHOP (or a specific page on YOUR website for the WORKSHOP) where you can direct people for more info. On this page, have links to the short, medium and long descriptions.

(5) Leverage people you KNOW first to approach for gigs. Network online with yogis from other communities (whether they own studios or not) and start to meet people and share info about what you are doing.

At any continuing education event you do, meet and get/stay connected (facebook, twitter) with anyone you meet. These connections will prove invaluable.

(6) Mail out your one-sheets (hard copies) to areas where you want to teach. Follow up by phone and email. IF they say no, not right now, ask if you can be in touch in 6 months to see if their needs have changed.

(7) Write a book or create an online course to help foster your brand and create an audience around the country. More and more conferences are only hiring presenters who have one or both of these tools in addition to well-maintained mailing list and social following.

WRITING YOUR WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

The TITLE & first sentence are often the most important part selling points. Be creative!

Start by answering the following questions about your workshop:

• What will you offer (bullet points)?
• What will participants get from attending?
• How will you teach (discussion, movement, Q & A)?
• What adjectives describe your workshop? (Fun, sweaty, calming, energizing)

Next, draft a quick description of your workshop. How can you say it concisely? What titles will turn heads?

WORKSHOP CONTENT / ACTIVITIES

In a WORKSHOP, students have opportunities to learn new skills, look at things in another way, start/stop/try again and/or have conversations / discussions / Q & A sessions with the teacher and other students. Workshops are also a great opportunity to use partners. As a workshop presenter, you might stop and start and give students more than one opportunity to try out new tools or skills, as well as answering questions in real time. Workshops are excellent community-building events.

Your Workshop should be a balance of activity & discussion. If your topic includes yoga, you should also include other elements in order to flex your presentation / workshop muscles beyond the art of calling poses & breath.

Your workshops should include a few of the following elements to differentiate them from class:

• group discussion / Q & A (perhaps including learning objectives or THE WHY)
• partner discussion (optional, but useful in sparking group discussion)
• educational or fun activities (hopefully both)
• journaling on specific question or exercise (optional but nice way to spark discussion)
• break down of specific skills or poses or insight into a new subject matter
• hand-outs or "take-aways" (optional but great tools)
• opening or closing meditation (optional, but nice tool to differentiate)
• some yoga or yoga inspired activity

Don't be afraid to use your workshop participants to help create content / discussion. Ask them questions & let them respond in partners, in a journal, or with the big group. Sometimes asking why they decided to come can help you further cater what content you actually deliver.

If your workshop is yoga specific, (example: Arm Balances for Everyone! or Poses with Props or Hips & Backbending), your job will be to create building blocks to allow your participants access to success in these poses. You might start with easier poses and teach specific skills, and then move on to more complicated asanas that build on the previous tools / poses.

Whenever you can teach participants how to help each other (i.e. assist or work in partners), go for it.

Encourage interaction & questions.

If your workshop is more experiential, (example: combining music, images & yoga for a fun experience), you will still need to include some discussion / non-yoga activity / interaction. In this case, you might start with introducing yourself, and taking the group through a discussion about how music, images & yoga affect brain chemistry, the nervous system, and how they potentially change the experience in the body during class (or any other discussion thread you like - this is just one example). Share a new perspective or offer a new way forward…

Now, back to part two of your question - which of our programs (Thrive Membership or Online Aloha Business Mastery & Mentorship) would be best for you with what you want to create in your business?

Either option will bring benefit - it depends on how much 1 on 1 interaction you want.

THRIVE content is derived from our group of participants - you tell us you want it, and we create a live master class on it and offer group mentoring with open ended Q & A at the end of every THRIVE video call (one per month). If you purchase a year of THRIVE all at once, you also get the Longevity & Living Foods Coach Certification included at no extra cost ($2997 value).

Online Aloha Business Mastery is also customized to the participants, but it’s a highly concentrated 3 month program with 2 groups calls a month and 1 private session a month, so you’ll get additional time to work on your business with Kellie and I directly.

You might also benefit from our How to Get Booked program.

Hope this helps! Text Kellie at 808-631-9534 if you still have questions.

Additional Resource:

Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative - I have recommended this book so many times over the years, but I think it is an especially important book to read when you are creating content for live presentation.

Be the Best Bad Presenter Ever: Break Rules, Make Mistakes & Win Them Over - I think the title says it all. Those of you who follow me know that my presentation style is professional yet humorous and sometimes even casual when I feel it needs to be. Over prepare and over deliver, but don't worry about being perfect or too polished. This book gives easy tips for fledgling presenters to use prior to testing out a new workshop or presentation idea with a live audience, and it's got content that's great for those of you who are front of people every day, too!

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