Networking: It’s not just for the Business World

Today, I had an important realization. Networking is not just for the business world, it can be used as a valuable resource for yoginis like me.

In planning my roadmap for landing a yoga teacher job(s), I did everything I would do at work. I brainstormed a list of potential teaching opportunities, I did research on each of the opportunities by asking friends and analyzing websites, and I defined “my brand” by figuring out my elevator speech.

I then put all the tasks in a project plan with set deliverables and timelines. This project plan was in a work template of course—so funny how you dread the templates but end up using them! Anyways, there was one key deliverable that was missing from this project plan; establishing a network.

When you think of “networking” what comes to your mind? For me, it was a “work” thing. I want to learn more about the organization so I meet with people, I’m working on a project and want advice so I meet with people, I’m looking to grow in my position so I meet with people. As I planned out my plan for becoming a yoga teacher, I never thought how beneficial it would be to network with fellow yogis and yoginis until I did it by accident.

I started a yoga club at my company and scheduled tea dates with employees who expressed interest in getting involved. I met with some wonderful people who shared my passion and was ready to roll up their sleeves and help with the club. What I did not expect was to meet with someone who would actually land me my first teaching job!

This yogini was a fitness and pilates instructor, a yoga teacher and a full time employee at my company. She talked about her passion for teaching classes and we then discussed her background of how she got started into the field. From there I explained my passion for yoga and wellness. 

Ten minutes later into this conversation, she offered to follow up with the fitness director at her gym to see if I could sub for their yoga classes. This exciting opportunity blew me away! By the end of that day, I was scheduled to meet with the fitness director and the fitness director already confirmed that I could sub once I was CPR certified.

Right at that moment, I quickly learned how much I could expand and enhance my yoga teacher vision for myself by expanding my network. One connection automatically gave an opportunity that I never even thought of and with more relationships in place, the more potential I have to getting the teaching jobs that are good fits for me.

Continuing to network with yogis and yoginis inside and outside of my company is now at the top of my to do list, for I know it will become the key driver of the dream teaching opportunities that await for me in my future J

»Now it’s your turn, how has or how will networking help you outside of the “business world?”