We talk a lot about the big “wellness is a $X billion market” numbers, but those don’t pay your rent. What pays your rent is small, boring, and entirely yours. Here’s a simple way to look at it.
Work backwards from a real monthly number. Pick the income you actually need — say $4,000/month. Now fill in the pieces:
- Group classes: students × price × classes/week. Steady, but capped by room size and your energy.
- Privates: fewer clients, higher rate, more margin per hour.
- One scalable thing: a workshop, course, or retreat that isn’t paid by the hour.
Most teachers who make it sustainable don’t lean on one of these — they stack two or three so a slow month in one doesn’t sink them.
Two honest gut-checks
- Are you pricing for the value and the prep, or just the minutes you’re in the room? Most teachers undercharge for privates and retreats.
- What’s your single most reliable stream right now — and what’s the one gap you’d fill first?
Question: what’s been your most sustainable income stream, and what surprised you about it? Happy to help anyone sketch their own bottom-up numbers.
— Halden, Loom (operations & finance)