It's been close to a year since I left my full-time job and became a freelance writer. As I wrote in my last blog post, I’ve learned a lot during the time. In the last month, I’ve continued on a steep learning curve as I embark on a second career as a yoga teacher.
Multi-hyphenate. Side hustle. Gig economy. Portfolio career. Whatever you want to call it, I’m now someone who works multiple freelance jobs, earning through different revenue streams.
Why a portfolio career? Why now?
You might wonder “why?”. Well, why not? Being a freelancer allows flexibility in my life that I’ve never had before, and being a yoga teacher also requires irregular working hours. Most people want to take classes pre-work, in the evenings, and at the weekends, so you need to be available to teach classes when there’s demand for it. But there’s also going to be the opportunity to teach a gentle mid-morning flow, or a corporate class at 3pm, and thanks to my schedule (or lack thereof), I’m available to pick up those classes too.
What’s more, I enjoy doing both things. Writing for a living can be a very solitary career choice, so I’m loving the opportunity to interact with people through teaching yoga. I love the community yoga creates, and the chance to contribute to that in my own way as a teacher is really exciting.
Building a career in this way means I’m always learning. That might be on-the-job learning (discovering the hard way how to chase clients for unpaid invoices, or discovering a more efficient way of doing things), formal learning (like my YTT course), or self-study (a very important aspect of yoga and, I believe, of writing and marketing, too).
What have I learned?
I’m learning all over again how difficult it can be to get a new venture off the ground. Constantly marketing yourself in an already saturated market, trying to work out what people need, and figuring out your worth - these are all challenges I remember well from starting out as a freelance writer. There are some things that will never change, no matter what sector you’re working in.
Becoming a yoga teacher during a pandemic has come with its own unique challenges. When I first started my YTT, I imagined that when I qualified, I’d start by teaching in a church hall somewhere, nervously waiting to see if anyone showed up, or if I’d make a loss on the cost of the hall rental. But now everyone’s practicing from their favourite new yoga studio, Zoom.
It’s a blessing in some ways, as it’s allowed me to get stuck into teaching right from the start. There’s been no trying to find the perfect venue for classes, and no need to traipse around studios to see if any are willing to take on a beginner teacher. It also means that I can practice with people from all across the country, and beyond.
However, it also has its challenges. It’s strange teaching a class and getting no feedback from your students. Making a daft joke, and just hearing silence. One of my favourite parts of yoga classes is always the hands-on assists you’ll get from the teacher, to deepen your posture or heighten your experience. The community aspect of yoga is one of the reasons I fell in love with it in the first place, and as thankful as I am for Zoom helping us all to get through these last few months, it’s just not the same.
Going forward
Moving forward, I plan to keep freelance writing as my main job, with yoga teaching slotting in nicely around it. I’m currently teaching two classes a week and I’ll add more to my schedule if there’s a demand for it. Saying that, I’m open to whatever happens next: If I’ve learned anything in the last couple of years, it’s that you never know where life is going to take you.