#did you think the confidant/social link variety only happens in video games.

[beyondplusultra]

reminds me how person fans tend to put Haru and Makoto into like " parents roles" it never really sits well with me idk why like people have never had Slightly older friends in there life?

It's also kind of funny that they go for that when there IS a good parental figure in this game. You can't tell me that the thieves haven't adopted Sojiro.

Anyway. It drives me nuts when people hear "found family" and automatically try to assign nuclear family roles to the characters, but especially in this game where the point is that these kids have been let down/left behind by those very people playing that actual part in their lives.

Sometimes, a family is a group of teenagers and the personification (cattification?) of humanity's hope, and that's enough

[uk-news-talking-politics]

Corbyn's democratic deficit: Will the Labour leader stick to democratic norms?

By Colin Talbot

Is Jeremy Corbyn a democrat? His fan-base will obviously reject such a question out of hand. Even those who aren't quite so besotted with the Labour leader might still think it a bit provocative. But actually, it turns out to be more difficult to answer than you might suppose.

One reason it's hard to answer is that Corbyn rarely, if ever, talks about democracy – except as applied to Labour party internal affairs. He has also deleted from his personal website links to most of the articles and speeches he has given since he was first elected as an MP in 1983 – over three decades' worth.

But we can come up with a fair analysis. A useful place to start is Labour's 2017 Manifesto. A section entitled Extending Democracy states that the party "will establish a Constitutional Convention to examine and advise on reforming of the way Britain works at a fundamental level".

This potentially very radical proposal received virtually no attention during the general election or since. The BBC summary didn't even mention it. But its importance can hardly be understated.

The UK has virtually zero history with constitutional conventions – a device usually invoked when a country faces a major crisis or change, such as a revolution, independence or well, an authoritarian power grab.

It's interesting that just when Corbyn was unveiling his idea for a constitutional convention, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro – with whom he has close ties - was doing the same. Following a large-scale protests, he tried to bypass Venezuela's 1999 constitution and its National Assembly by appointing an assembly loyal to himself. He did this on May 1st 2017, just as Labour's manifesto was being finalised.

Labour's constitutional convention, on the other hand, would be "about where power and sovereignty lies". Yet there is nothing in the manifesto about how it would be constituted, very little about what it would consider and no description of what its limits would be. A search of Labour's 'policy forum' website returns zero results.

So it could be nothing or it could be… something. Labour's proposal – and its general attitude to democracy - deserves much greater attention.

There's a good starting point for judging this type of thing in one of the most interesting political books of last year: How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The central message of their book is that modern democracies are less often overthrown through military coups than they are eroded by authoritarian populist leaders using the rhetoric of giving 'power back to the people'.

One very interesting section of their book sets out a handy guide to "key indicators of authoritarian behavior". It is worth applying them to Corbyn's Labour.

The list is:

Rejection of (or weak commitment to) democratic rules of the game

Denial of legitimacy of political opponents

Toleration or encouragement of violence

Readiness to curtail civil liberties of opponents, including media

Let's take them in turn.

Rejection of (or weak commitment to) democratic rules of the game

There is some evidence of this in the recent past. A video released on Twitter recently showed that in 2011 Corbyn attacked voters for rejecting his preferred candidate. "I condemn the people of Milton Keynes for the mistakes that they made in the May election," he says.

There is also the treatment of MPs. In representative democratic systems, MPs are elected to represent the whole country, not the party. Unlike parties which are influenced by Communist traditions, like South Africa's ANC, they are not considered 'deployees'.

But there are disturbing signs that Labour sees its MPs as just that – 'deployees' who should be completely under the control of their local party members, with any deviation punished by deselection. Labour MP Chris Leslie pointed out in September last year, after facing a vote of no confidence himself, how a wave of such threats was spreading across the party. Several MPs have fought similar battles against left-wing activists in their local organisation.

This is a clear break with UK constitutional norms. MPs are representatives of their constituents not of their local party memberships, which is a very small slice of the electorate.

Denial of legitimacy of political opponents

Levitsky and Ziblatt also ask: "Do they baselessly suggest that their rivals are foreign agents … secretly working in alliance with (or the employ of) a foreign government".

Many of Corbyn's supporters do frequently attack their own internal Labour party critics, as well as other parties, in intemperate terms. Internal critics have been denounced as 'Tories', 'Blairites', and more recently 'centrists', which in this context is derogatory and often implies a wish to undermine the leadership. Some Jewish Labour MPs have been subjected to anti-semitic abuse and many on social media are told that they are agents of Israel. This sort of abusive politics is operating at a level of intensity we've not seen in recent decades. But it is happening, it has to be said, across the political spectrum. And it's not yet at the level seen in the US under Donald Trump or Hungary under Viktor Orban.

Toleration or encouragement of violence

Despite attempts to hide his past, Corbyn's support for, or excusing of, violence by 'national liberation' movements in Israel/Palestine, Ireland and elsewhere is well documented. Only two weeks after an Brighton bomb, he invited convicted IRA volunteers Linda Quigley and Gerry MacLochlainn to the House of Commons.

In 2011, McDonnell told a 'Unite the Resistance' rally that he wanted to see a situation where "no Tory MP can travel anywhere in the country or show their face in public without being challenged by direct action". He also said: "Any institution or any individual that attacks our class, we will come for you with direct action."

In June 2017, immediately after a general election which Labour lost, McDonnell said "a million people should take to the streets to force Theresa May from power".

Readiness to curtail civil liberties of opponents, including media

There is no evidence that a Corbyn government would curtail civil liberties in general, or specifically those of their political opponents. Corbyn's hostility to the hated "mainstream media' is obvious but there is, as yet, little evidence that would translate into restrictive measures against it.

The track record of socialist governments in power is not so positive, however. Corbyn has been strangely silent about the repressive and clearly authoritarian Maduro regime in Venezuela. He continues to back other repressive socialist governments like Cuba, and has had links to other authoritarian regimes in Iran and Russia as well as the Hamas rulers of Gaza.

In that he is of course no different from many Western democratic politicians of the left, right and centre who have frequently befriended or supported repressive regimes overseas for a variety of motives – some legitimate, others less savoury. It doesn't make him an incipient authoritarian himself.

So, is Corbyn a democrat or an incipient authoritarian? There is something troubling about the casual way the constitutional convention was thrown into the 2017 Labour manifesto, especially when you think of the way he, his frontbenchers, and his supporters sometimes behave. It certainly raises questions about how far they really respect, or even understand, democratic norms. There is plenty of evidence that they are willing to bend, if not break, them.

At the very least the UK electorate deserve to be told how Corbyn would like to change the way Britain works "at a fundamental level". His record raises enough questions to demand that we be given more answers.

[feymorgaina]

Q: When did you start streaming and why?

A: My first stream was on December 11, 2019, the same day I signed up on Twitch. It was a short test stream from my PlayStation 4.

The PlayStation 4 always had this "Broadcast" feature. At the time I first got the PlayStation 4, I had other in real life pursuits (if you've been on my blog since those days, you'll know that was taekwondo. I'd still like to get back to taekwondo, but we'll see). By December 2019, however, I had moved to a different country (big life change, I know, but one I very much looked forward to) and after spending just over two years mostly at home studying Dutch (yes, I moved to the Netherlands), I felt ready to try something different. I've been on the internet for years (pre-Facebook and pre-MySpace) and have always been interested in and willing to try new forms of social media. Broadcasting (a.k.a. "streaming") was different and I felt it was time to try something a bit more interactive (albeit, more public too) than just blogging, Tweeting, using mobile apps, and whatever else I used in the past (I had stopped using Facebook by this time, though I've started using it again mostly to help promote my Twitch channel).

There I was one day just taking a break from studying so much. From about a year before moving and for two years after moving, I barely touched the PS4. I needed a break and there were games I had on the backlog (I still have a backlog :) ) and there was that "Broadcast" feature still staring at me. I set up my Twitch account that day and once I figured out how to link the PlayStation to my Twitch channel, I did a short test stream. It was for about half an hour. The stream was never saved though (I didn't know I needed to turn that option on) and which game I first streamed will for now remain a mystery for my Twitch viewers (although you can find the stats online for that stream, it streamed to the wrong category accidentally - it's a PlayStation 4 thing).

Q: Why did you continue to stream?

A: It's like what it says on the About... part of my Twitch channel. "Watch me do the things I love and more", but also "Streaming is sharing; 'sharing is caring'". This is just who I am, I like to share the things I like and love. It's like that when I go out to eat dinner with people. I want to order them the food I like and love 'cause I want to share it. Although, there's also this perspective: if the person doesn't like the same food, that's fine with me too. That just means there's more of the stuff I love just for me. ;)

I also figured Twitch's interactive chatting could be a great way for me to practice Dutch (and other languages). Again, if you've been a reader of my blog for a while now, you'd know I've been learning Dutch for a while since before I moved to the Netherlands. After about a month or so on Twitch, I checked and found out there was a Duolingo category. I've been wanting to make language learning videos for a while now, but I didn't want to just make YouTube videos. Recording myself practicing speaking Dutch is a good way for me to judge how I'm doing and I could just do that by recording videos and uploading to YouTube, however, the big appeal for me about doing a Twitch stream is the interactive chatting for the languages. My chat is a multilingual chat even if some days my brain goes on cooldown and I can't even Engl-ish. :D

Of course, I like to meet people on Twitch. Twitch is social media, and that's what I like about social media. I've met some good people on there already. If I really feel a rapport with some people, it'd be nice to meet them in real life. Maybe even have a gaming night where we can sit, chill, be ourselves (not our Twitch selves, I mean), and have fun (maybe even practice talking in different languages too).

Q: Twitch is a monetization platform. Aren't you also trying to make money on there?

A: I think everyone would love to make money just doing the things they like and love. So, sure. Of course, I'm trying to make some money on Twitch as well, but it's not my biggest motivating factor for streaming on Twitch. I just like getting on Twitch and feeling like maybe I'm making a small difference somehow. Maybe someone sees me on there when they're having a bad day and it makes them feel better. Or maybe just knowing that there's always something to watch will make someone feel better about life. Who knows? All I know is the not knowing who I'll meet on Twitch is what keeps me going.

I guess that's easy for me to say. I'm at a point in my life where not everything is great but things feel relatively stable although my residence situation isn't permanent and I no longer have fuzzy-headed "meownsters" (a.k.a. cats) running around (they both died after we moved here; and yes, I brought my cats with me when I moved - I'd never leave them behind). As I mentioned earlier, I would love to get back to taekwondo again and I did do some taekwondo training streams on Twitch. Sadly, I need a bigger living space than I currently have or I need to rent space or buy some other space I could use. Nate, my boyfriend and common-law partner, has been very supportive of my die-hard "work to live" not "live to work" personality. In the past, I worked to make ends meet and tried to "live to work". It wasn't a great life, although I was trying my best. I even had a job as a law clerk which I loved but circumstances out of my control and my boss' control changed that. I felt like life was really trying to tell me something. I was doing things wrong. Not that it's wrong for people to work. It was wrong for me - that whole "rat race". This was about the time I met Nate. After that, he supported my decision (in fact, he encouraged it) to just focus on my taekwondo training. Without his help, I'm not sure I would've been able to continue with the training because of the training fees. Now I'm on Twitch and it feels natural to me (the sharing part, I mean, I don't think I'm the most entertaining or interactive person on Twitch - I'm more of a "get things done" person than "super chatty all the time" person) like I should've been doing something like this all along. It would eventually be nice to make some money on there so I could contribute to the living expenses Nate and I have. Although with Nate, I know this isn't necessary, it's just how I feel about it.

Q: You mentioned games (it's Twitch, so obviously), languages, and taekwondo. What else do you stream on Twitch? And do you have plans for other content?

A: I've also done a few cooking streams. I've been a bit busy looking for a new home to move to, but when I get a chance to I'll try to do another cooking stream sometime. Before the coronavirus lockdowns happened, I intended to do streams outside in the city. I moved to Amsterdam and it really is a great city. It's one of my cities now. :D I'm originally from Toronto, Canada and I've been to New York City before which just felt like a bigger version of Toronto so I felt at home there in a way. Amsterdam is a bit different than both, but in a way I like and need - needed. I love this city so far. So it's one of my cities - those cities being Toronto, Amsterdam, and New York City. Don't mess with any of my cities. I'll send my NinjaBots after you. (Just jokes from my Twitch channel.) Anyway, yes. I plan to do streams out in the city. I'm not sure how that's going to work. We'll see. I'm just not confident we're not heading into The Corona Years - Year 3.

Q: What's your streaming philosophy? How do you view Twitch as a social media platform?

A: This is what I said on my Twitter: "A Twitch stream is the equivalent of an open house party in real life where the channel is the streamer's Twitch home. As streamers, we need to remember that like an open house party, the streams are public and we should conduct ourselves accordingly. (1/2)" (https://twitter.com/feyMorgaina/status/1427760936446840832) "(2/2) Viewers should also remember that when visiting someone's Twitch channel (home), you should obey the rules of that channel and always keep in mind that you may be removed from the premises (timed out) and deemed persona non grata (banned)!" (https://twitter.com/feyMorgaina/status/1427761130257195018). That basically sums up how I view Twitch. I also keep that in mind when I visit other Twitch channels.

As for my streaming philosophy, it's always been simple. I'm awake, I'm dressed, I'm doing something interesting (well, interesting to me) that I want to share, let's turn on the mic and camera. Though at first for the games, I didn't really want to use a camera (Nate convinced me to try it) and sometimes I still don't use a camera. I have days when I'm tired and feeling lazy, but I still want to hammer through more of a game. It's just much easier for me to concentrate on the game if I'm relaxed and not worried about how I look on camera. In keeping with that philosophy of being "awake and dressed, let's turn on the mic and camera", it also means that I like to be able to stream from wherever whenever. I stream from a variety of devices/machines including my mobile phone, Chromebook, the PS4, and the PS5. I feel that if I rely only on my one laptop or that one PC tower to stream, then I'm going to have days where I'm not going to stream 'cause I have to go set up on that laptop or PC tower.

Q: Is that why your streams look... simple?

A: If you mean that I don't have tons of overlays and sound alerts and such... yes, that is why. I like the simple layout and simple setup. For my language streams, it was starting to take a half hour to get set up. It really cuts into the productive time and not necessarily worth it (in my opinion). My streams are about me and the content. Anything else is just distraction, and I want my viewers to watch the content I'm putting out. The content I'm sharing is stuff I like and want to share and it's part of who I am. For those paying attention and those who are perceptive, they'll see that that's me on there (with or without the camera and mic on - I mostly have the mic on, but late at night I might not) and hopefully they can appreciate that. Plus, I think there's room on Twitch for just being yourself. No gimmicks. Just me and whatever I happen to be doing. When I'm streaming, I'm sharing part of my life. It's real not made up. I am who I am.

This is also why I don't use any special filters on my mic. I have a pop filter attached to the mic, that's it. I like my streams sounding full of life, even if it means those loud European sirens (they are seriously loud, tons louder than in Toronto) and motorists with loud engines are heard on stream (though I have on occasion just muted the mic temporarily). Also, if I stream from my phone while outside I can't do much about filtering the sound. It's going to sound much different than if I was at home with special filters on. For some kind of consistency, I figure let's just leave it alone. Like I said, I'm sharing my life, loud sirens and loud engines included. :D

Q: Do you have issues with privacy? How are you handling that?

A: feyMorgaina is my internet personality and has been for years. Sure, I have my private moments. Things I feel don't need to be shared onstream or even online, but I'm generally a fairly open person even in real life. Though in some real life situations, I may be more reserved. It depends - usually on the people I'm meeting. It's always felt much easier to be more outgoing on the internet. If you're wondering about my real identity, well... luckily, no one's tried to dox me yet. I mostly have to be careful not to dox myself. :D But yes, privacy was something I thought about carefully before deciding to stream. I think if you're real smart, you can probably find me in real life, but I think the average person isn't going to go to that much trouble. I'm certainly not popular enough. Plus, I did mention taekwondo training, right? ;)

Q: What do you do when you're not streaming?

A: Lately, it's been trying to find a new home. Otherwise, I spend time with Nate or just chill and do things I don't stream like read this book I've had on the backburner for ages, watch a movie or TV show, listen to some music. I recently cut my stream schedule back by one day. I've pretty much kept a five days a week stream schedule from the beginning, but now I need a bit of a break. I've been thinking of getting back into blogging again or maybe sitting down and actually working on a short story. When it comes to writing fiction, I get ideas for big stories, like a whole universe/world, but I think I should try something smaller just to see if I can focus enough to do it. I've had an idea for a long time of writing a bunch of short stories for a compilation. Perhaps I just need to sit down and do it already.

~~~~~~

This pretend interview was written by Your Local Twitch Streamer, feyMorgaina. Check out her entity-, human-, and LGBT/QIA+ friendly Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/feymorgaina. (Yes, it's "she/her" 'cause they are the pronouns she's used to and even if she's felt "boyish" in the past and did "boy things" as a kid when she should've been doing "girl things" and didn't feel "girlish" at times, she's never considered herself to be "he/him". "They/them" is acceptable if you don't know feyMorgaina uses "she/her", for example, when she pops into one of your language learning streams and says "Hi" in the language you're learning. Also, she grew up with LGBT+; hence, the LGBT/QIA+. If there's any real difference, she doesn't really know 'cause she thought the + included others with similar experiences and of similar open-mindedness; however the meaning of the + doesn't seem to be generally agreed on anyway, but it doesn't matter as she's always been entity-friendly and let's just go from there. Okay, entity? :) )

[michaelandy101-blog]

8 of the Top Marketing Challenges Faced Globally [New Data]

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/8-of-the-top-marketing-challenges-faced-globally-new-data/

8 of the Top Marketing Challenges Faced Globally [New Data]

Every marketer faces different challenges. Although we typically share similar goals, some teams are stuck on hiring top talent, while others are having trouble finding the right technology for their needs.

Whatever the case may be, there’s always at least one area that you can stand to improve. In other words, there’s always room to optimize the various components of your strategy and turn your marketing into an even more effective revenue generator.

Throughout the past few years, HubSpot has kept up with a number of global marketing challenge trends. We’ve also polled thousands of marketers on the challenges they face, as well as the tactics they’ve used to meet those challenges head-on.

While you might think that global marketing issues have changed drastically in past years due to evolving media platforms and emerging technology, you might be surprised by the trends research has actually shown.

In fact, we’ve found that today’s most common global marketing struggles haven’t actually changed much in the past few years.

In 2019, when we dug into the research of global marketing challenges, such as this survey from Attest, many of the results we found were fairly similar to what we found back in 2017 and 2018, when we surveyed thousands of marketers for our State of Inbound Reports.

Between 2017 and 2018, our State of Inbound Reports found that the top five challenges continued to stay the same, with some slight fluctuations in non-American regions.

According to research from 2017-2019, generating traffic and leads, as well as proving ROI continue to be leading challenges marketers face.

While the unchanging list of challenges is a good sign that marketers aren’t facing unprecedented barriers, it’s still important to take stock of the factors that continue to hold back marketers. Why? If marketers face the same problems today that they did in the past, it’s likely that these major challenges will continue far into the future.

So, what’s happening in 2020?

Below, let’s review the current global marketing issues impacting the industry.

Top Global Marketing Issues

Generating Traffic and Leads

Providing ROI for Your Marketing Activities

Securing Enough Budget

Managing Your Website

Targeting Content for an International Audience

Training Your Team

Hiring Top Talent

Delivering an Account-Based Marketing Strategy

1. Generating Traffic and Leads

Generating enough traffic and leads was the top global marketing issue, according to the 2017 and 2018 State of Inbound reports.

A 2019 survey from Vital shows that more than 35% of marketers face challenges related to leads and/or traffic, showing that this trend still continues.

In fact, the top priority for marketers in 2020 is generating leads.

Why It’s a Challenge

Clearly, marketers are struggling with producing enough demand for their content. And as the years progress and competition stiffens, this will only become truer. With so many options of platforms for marketers to publish their content and even more ways to promote it, it’s hard to know where to focus your efforts.

What Can You Do?

When it comes to creating content that produces enough traffic and leads, marketers should ask themselves two questions: Are you truly creating high-quality content — the type of content people would pay for? And, do you know the type of content your audience actually wants?

In 2020, the most common customer marketing tactic is creating exclusive content for customers.

For example, HubSpot Research has found that 53% of consumers want to see more video from marketers in the future, while only 14% want to see more blog posts. To learn more about how the way people are reading and interacting with content is changing, check out this HubSpot Research report.

Once you know you’re creating the type of content your audience wants, the focus shifts to promoting it in a way that makes your audience take notice. More than ever before, people are being flooded with content. Consumers don’t have to use a search engine to find answers. Instead, articles fill their news feed or buzz in their pocket via mobile notification.

2. Providing the ROI of Your Marketing Activities

Measuring the ROI (return on investment) of your marketing activities has remained a top marketing challenge globally year-over-year.

In fact, only 53.85% of marketers surveyed say they even measure Customer Acquisition costs.

It continues to be a vital way for marketers to understand the effectiveness of each particular marketing campaign or piece of content.

Plus, proving ROI often goes hand-in-hand with making an argument to increase budget: No ROI tracking, no demonstrable ROI. No ROI, no budget.

Why It’s a Challenge

Although return on investment is a crucial stat that shows your campaigns success or progress, tracking the ROI of every single marketing activity isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t have two-way communication between your marketing activities and sales reports.

What Can You Do?

When it comes to providing ROI, there’s a strong case to be made for dedicating time and resources to establishing links between marketing activities and sales results. This means using both marketing software (like HubSpot) and a CRM solution (like HubSpot’s free CRM), and then tying them together to close the loop between your marketing and sales efforts with a service-level agreement (SLA). That way, you can directly see how many leads and customers are generated through your marketing activities.

We’ve found there’s no better combination than having an SLA and doing inbound marketing. According to the 2018 report, inbound organizations with SLAs had twice the ROI of misaligned organizations.

(Use this ROI calculator to simulate the potential ROI you could realize by conducting inbound marketing.)

3. Securing Enough Budget

How can you create a winning marketing campaign without a budget? The truth is, it’s pretty hard. But, even when you have a great, revenue-generating idea, you still usually need to get your budget approved by a higher-up.

For 2020, 64% of marketers said their marketing budget has increased.

Why It’s a Challenge

Securing more budget is a pressing challenge for marketing globally. And often, getting more budget is easier said than done — especially for smaller organizations that aren’t working with sizable nor flexible marketing spend.

But the key to securing more money for your team might not be that complex. Here’s what you can do.

What Can You Do?

The key to unlocking budget lies in being able to prove the ROI of your marketing efforts. According to our report, organizations that can calculate ROI are more likely to receive higher budgets.

Again, success with inbound marketing also plays a large role in driving higher budgets. Effective strategies obviously produce results, and our data shows those who feel confident in their marketing strategy are more than 2X as likely to get higher budgets for their marketing teams. But remember, inbound marketing is a long game. If you get off to a slow start, you shouldn’t back off — in fact, you might consider doubling down.

To learn more about how to understand and leverage marketing ROI, check out this simple guide.

4. Managing Your Website

Although managing a website is consistently a challenge to marketers, it seems to be growing less threatening.

Throughout the past few years, less and less marketers have been worrying about it as compared to other challenges like “identifying the right technologies,” which rose from the fifth to fourth biggest challenge in 2018’s State of Inbound Report.

In 2020, 63% of marketers are looking to make a website upgrade.

Why It’s Still a Challenge

Managing a website was the fourth biggest challenge for marketers in 2017. And chances are, your website’s performance is high on your list of priorities. It’s an asset that works around the clock to draw in visitors, convert them, and help you hit your goals, after all.

Issues with website management include a variety of different factors, from writing and optimizing the content to designing beautiful webpages. Here are a few things marketers can do to deal with this challenge.

What Can You Do?

First, read this report to see how your website stacks up against over 1 million other websites. It also includes a deep analysis on the four most critical elements of website performance and design, from average load time and website security to mobile friendliness and SEO.

If your primary challenge with managing a website has to do with the skills and resources you have available, you aren’t alone. This is especially true for small companies who don’t have all the talent in-house required to cover content, optimization, design, and back-end website management.

One solution? Hire freelancers and agency partners. To find freelancers, we recommend:

Tapping into your personal and professional network by posting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social networks with a description of what you’re looking for.

Browsing freelance writers and designers based on their portfolios and areas of interest. For writers, check out Zerys and Contently. For designers, check out Behance & Elance.

Browsing HubSpot’s Services Marketplace, which lists a wide variety of designers from partner companies and agencies we’ve deemed credible.

Overall, you can make website management easier on your team by hosting your website on a platform that integrates all your marketing channels like HubSpot’s COS.

Finally, for the projects you want to keep in-house, here is a list of ebooks and guides that might be helpful to your team:

5. Targeting Content for an International Audience

Targeting is a key component of all aspects of marketing.

With 59% of marketers surveyed currently marketing internationally, it’s important to have an international strategy.

To be more effective at targeting, one of the first things any marketer needs do is identify their buyer personas to determine who it is they should be marketing to.

Why It’s a Challenge

If you’re expanding internationally, it can be a big challenge not only to figure out the best ways to market to an international audience but also to organize and optimize your site for different countries.

However, exchange rates are marketers’ biggest challenge with international marketing.

HubSpot Research recently analyzed the difference in content preferences across the world.

What Can You Do?

Download our free ebook, The Global Marketing Playbook. There are some really helpful tips in there that’ll help give you some direction on global marketing, including how to identify your top three growth markets, how to explore local trends, and tips on choosing the best localization providers.

Additionally, when marketing to a new region, the most common tactic marketers use is to shift their product offering.

Remember, your website visitors might speak a plethora of different languages and live in totally different time zones. To make your content appealing to a wide audience, you’ll need to keep your global visitors top-of-mind when creating all your content. This means being aware of seasonal references, translating units of measure and monetary references, and giving translators the tools and permissions to customize and adapt content for a specific audience when they need to.

Finally, be sure you’re optimizing your website for international visitors, too. For more tips and resources on global marketing expansion, browse our international inbound marketing hub.

6. Training Your Team

As companies scale and technologies continue to evolve, training your team will become a greater challenge for marketers.

Why It’s a Challenge

Whether it’s training them on the concepts and tools they’ll be using every day or making sure they’re achieving their full potential, the struggle is real across the board.

To combat this, I’ll share some tips I’ve used during my trainings to make sure the concepts and tool tips stick and have a lasting effect on your team and your marketing.

What Can You Do?

To get an overall idea of where your team stands, take a few minutes to assess each of your team members’ marketing strengths and weaknesses, levels of expertise, and passion/commitment to your company. Then, objectively rate the priority (or level of importance) of their expertise and their contribution to bottom line objectives (ROI) to date. Here’s a simple assessment tool from Lean Labs to help you evaluate your team so you can figure out who needs recognition and who needs coaching.

You also might consider requiring your team members to rack up some online marketing certification. HubSpot Academy, for example, offers certifications, documentation, and training programs to help people master the basics of inbound marketing. Google also offers training and certifications on analytics with their online Analytics Academy.

What about new hire training, specifically? We recommend creating a training plan for new team members. Here at HubSpot, each new marketer is given a 100-day plan like this one to lay out specific goals and help new hires demonstrate their effectiveness.

7. Hiring Top Talent

Hiring top talent is another challenge marketers commonly report experiencing.

Why It’s a Challenge

Many companies are shifting more resources to inbound marketing, which means higher and higher demand for top marketing talent. But supply simply isn’t keeping up. From sourcing the right candidates to evaluating for the right skills, finding the perfect person could take months … or more.

What’s more, the type of marketing talent companies are looking for is changing, too. According to a 2020 report from LinkedIn, employers are seeking marketers with soft creative skill sets as well as hard technical skills. And the quick rate at which the demand for these jobs are rising has caused a marketing skills gap, “making it difficult to find candidates with the technical, creative, and business proficiencies needed to succeed in digital marketing.”

What Can You Do?

Employers are looking for marketers with a diverse skill set that includes digital marketing, content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing. To find the best inbound marketer for your team, the first thing you should do is decide what that person needs to be able to achieve for your business.

Ask yourself: What will the new marketer’s tasks and duties include? What skills do those tasks and duties require? What goals or challenges will the new marketer face? Use your answers to these questions to write a compelling job description. (Here’s a long list of pre-written marketing job descriptions to help you get started.)

Next, post your jobs where talented inbound marketers will find them. While traditional job sites like Indeed.com, CareerBuilder.com, or LinkedIn will help you cast a wide net, we recommend checking out Inbound.org, which is the only job listing service in the world that’s exclusively focused on inbound marketing and sales jobs.

Finally, focus your job description and new hire 100-day plan what people value most in their careers.

LinkedIn data from 2020 shows that 87% of active and passive job candidates will consider new job opportunities. Additionally, the number one reason candidates will consider or accept a job is career growth. This means that job listings and company culture’s that offer employees a plan for growth will see the most interest from talent.

8. Delivering an Account-Based Marketing Strategy

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a new trend, which is a growth strategy in which marketing and sales collaborate to create a personalized buying experience for an identified set of accounts.

However, interestingly, the most common challenge with ABM is delivering a personalized experience.

Why It’s a Challenge

Currently, there aren’t a lot of software that are focused on account-based marketing. Many companies that are implementing ABM strategies are using manual methods, which means some accounts are getting lost in the cracks.

However, marketers strongly agree that personalized content (56%) and advanced data management (43%) are keys to ABM’s success.

What Can You Do?

To deliver a more personalized experience, you should use a software that helps you combine your sales and marketing information.

For example, HubSpot’s ABM software help unite your marketing and sales teams with collaborative, intuitive ABM tools that create seamless buying experiences for your highest-value accounts.

This software can enable collaboration among teams and personalize content.

Additionally, HubSpot’s software has account-level targeting added to the LinkedIn Ads integration, giving you the ability to target companies by target account status or tier, and contacts or subsets of contacts at target accounts. The account overview sidebar, the ABM playbook for sales reps, and a native integration to link your HubSpot and LinkedIn Sales Navigator accounts, help further deepen your relationships with people over time, helping build more authentic connections with stakeholders within each account.

Does Your Company Face Any of These Marketing Issues?

A thorough analysis of your marketing strategy and its current performance will help you discover where your biggest marketing opportunity lies. This will allow you to focus on improving the areas that need the most attention, so you can start making your marketing far more effective.

If you’re faced with a challenge and want ideas on how to best tackle it, you can always consider getting some help by any of the various types of marketing training that are available.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness.

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[mylesfarcry5pol-blog]

The Biggest Trends in far cry 5 spolszczenie We've Seen This Year

The worst aspect is NONE of these things are genuine. Certainly, some individuals aren't skinny, tall, and maybe not that shiny; although not Everyone seems to be such as this! You need to do have limited chubby minorities who will be intelligent as all get out! You have all types of combinations of people who find themselves sensible! Obviously, all these items about gender, race, physique sort, and messages aren't just in gaming; they're in flicks, TV demonstrates, adverts, etc. What's attention-grabbing is the fact several of the creators who make the game titles, flicks, TV displays, advertisements, and so on., are minorities on their own plus they make up the population with the earth. (Look for "environment population by race 2016" and click the initial 3 one-way links if you Do not believe me.)

Swift disclaimer: I'm not BASHING Any individual! Indeed, I was shouting that. This portion with the article is telling you what I understand, study, listen to and knowledge in gaming.

In case you Do not believe me go take a look at present day TV displays, motion pictures, advertisements, and games. A clearly show to have a look at forever illustration is Milo Murphy's Legislation. Two online games to have a look at as a reference once and for all representation are OverWatch and Atlas Reactor. Now in these fields it has gotten improved for representation specifically gender, race and just now starting off physique sort (precisely In this particular buy). Some games even add robots and creatures as playable figures in order to avoid getting problems with illustration. This gets rid of the situation of users wanting a character to depict their genuine or chosen gender, race, or body variety for the reason that now There may be a character most buyers can agree on. In fact, You can not remember to Absolutely everyone.

Alright, since I ranted and obtained the negative stuff away from the best way; let us go into The nice aspects of gaming! You've players as younger as three several years old and as previous as 90+! No matter your age, race, gender, faith, tradition, spolszczenie gry far cry 5 or spot gaming could be fantastic for any person. Gaming can not merely be enjoyable, but advantageous and academic.

A benefit with gaming is it can assist youth have more self confidence in by themselves and be much more social. When they Engage in a web based multiplayer recreation and talk with other gamers world wide, This tends to assist then get accustomed to conversing with Other individuals Other than relatives plus they get self confidence in what they're indicating. They are able to go from an introvert to the social fanatic! It might happen quick or bit by bit. Although it isn't really a video game but a spot for gamers, artists, vogue designers, automobile enthusiast, and many others. to talk; it can nevertheless aid them be additional social. Have in mind while, typing to anyone and after that voice chatting to someone are two unique encounters. Youth can be extremely social when typing but really shy when voice chatting.

This can be how I'm. Just before I used to be shy when speaking to people today I did not know no matter if it was on the internet or offline, now I have develop into extra comfortable with it because I know how to cope with myself and have self confidence in myself. But With regards to voice chatting on line, I'm the peaceful individual about the chat. Counterproductive right! You could possibly even ignore I used to be in a get in touch with with you! Right before once the individuals at the lender mentioned "Hello" I wouldn't say something, now I actually react and say "Hi. How do you think you're?" Following that I don't genuinely hope to talk with them so I'll be tranquil all over again lol. See what I signify? Soon after socializing, normally, with time you improve at it and come to be a lot less nervous and a lot more assured in your self.

A further reward with gaming is workforce perform. In some cases in games the sole approach to get or accomplish a intention is to operate with a number of players. In specified online games, players are allowed a task can be completed with just one player, but it might be more durable Except you might have far more players than you. Other times specified jobs can't be accomplished with 1 player and wish two or maybe more. There are occasions you make a gaggle with your folks or family members to complete the intention. Other periods you can also make a group with men and women you didn't know.

This is when it could get difficult. If it's a match where you can make a gaggle that is invite only, you'd just invite your pals or relatives. You could strategize with them, you'd be more comfy talking with them, and you'll all agree to perform collectively. If it's a recreation exactly where there is no team technique however, you can nonetheless work with Many others, aka cost-free for tumble, and you can talk with them there should be a aim which will only be completed with multiple players. Do You should Enjoy with other players you've never talked to right before If the friends and family won't be able to be part of you and you simply really want to accomplish this objective?

This is not a bad factor nevertheless! This is when you not just grow to be far more social but you learn the way to operate with other gamers you've by no means met in advance of. If You usually play together with your family and friends you equally by now learn how to get the job done jointly, how the opposite thinks, etcetera. However, if It is somebody you've got hardly ever satisfied it might be a little bit complicated. Me and my brother grew up doing anything collectively devoid of really getting any close friends, probably colleagues and associates but probably not buddies. So we ended up quite accustomed to recognizing what the other required or how they performed and many others. But whenever we really acquired two pals, it was quite challenging to agree on a lot of things. So should you Participate in and work with Other individuals now It'll be simpler later. Me and my brother have improved our capabilities to operate with Some others.

[amyddaniels]

The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Yoga Online: 10 Digital Platforms You Should Consider Right Now, Plus Pro Audio, Lighting, and Camera Tips

Keep calm, troubleshoot tech, and teach on: Here's what yoga teachers are leaning on for their classes, trainings, online courses, and community conversations, so you can build something that lasts beyond the pandemic.

As studios and retreat centers shuttered their doors in response to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, studio owners and yoga teachers had some choices: They could completely cancel their classes, workshops, and trainings... or they could get creative with their wifi and webcams. Many landed on the latter, and it's resulting in a defining shift in the business and teaching of yoga. 

So, how exactly are high-profile teachers making it happen? YJ spoke to ten folks, including Carrie Owerko, Jillian Pransky, and Tracee Stanley, to find out which online platforms they're leaning on and why, so you can get a snapshot of what's out there, along with some takeaways from their trial runs. Yes, in the last few months, you've probably already been on a class or call via Zoom, which is on the list below, but teachers who are using it on the regular and have discovered, even created, new platforms have some tips and tricks to share. We're confident that, from their great experimentations, you'll pick up a new idea, process, or perspective.

See also Tools for Teachers

And don't feel like you have to rush to do it all. "Identifying short- and long-terms goals will be extremely helpful, because that will factor into why you choose a platform," says Owerko, who recently launched The Playground, a subscription and live stream service. "Are you looking for a quick short-term fix while you're unable to teach in-person classes, or are you wanting to create something that will be around long after COVID-19 has passed?"

Finally, words of wisdom: Perfection is relative, and students are forgiving. "Building the plane as you're flying it" is a common phrase in these times—and it's assuring because teachers who seem to have it under control are in reality courageously figuring it out as they go. In a way, it's been a practice of yoga—the yama aparigraha, or letting go, comes to mind—to embrace new technology and everything that comes along with it. Every single teacher warned us of the inevitable tech hiccups, so there you have it: Even if you've been doing this awhile, expect out-of-the-blue mic mishaps and sluggish connections. Keep calm, troubleshoot, and teach on.

See also Struggling With Self-Promotion? How One Yoga Teacher Learned to Unleash Her Voice with Authenticity and Ease

To Stream Studio Classes... 

Try: Zoom + Mindbody

Who’s using it: Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of ISHTA Yoga in New York City

Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of Ishta Yoga in New York City, recommends that studios that wish to offer classes online incorporate Zoom into their MindBody account, to keep a sense of community intact.

How does it work?

“Students pre-register for class on the MindBody link on our website. We create a Zoom meeting for each class, and about 30 minutes prior to the class start time, we send a link for them to join the ‘meeting,’ including the props that they will need. The host opens up the space about 15 minutes before the class begins, so our students can turn on their webcams, see each other, and enjoy some community space.”

What are the upsides?

“The students can communicate with one another and with the teacher both before and after classes, so it creates a community feel—even though we are not physically in the same space. I love to be able to see the students' names, even if their cameras are off, so I can say hi.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Like any digital offering, there will always be technical issues. We highly recommend having at least one administrator to ‘host’ the session and answer any technical questions that come up for students along the way. It is very hard for the teacher to teach and tend to the tech side of it at the same time."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Zoom recommends having at least 2 hosts for groups of over 20, so you might want to consider that if you have a large class.”

Hot tip:

“You will not be able to use music by just playing it on your computer, because the sound gets muffled, and it will compete with your words. Instead, in advance, send a link to the playlist you’d like students to use.”

Pricing: 

Zoom starts at $14.99 per month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here. 

MindBody starts at $129 per month. Learn more here.

Try: Fiteo

Who’s using it: Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, and co-founder of Fiteo

Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, co-founded Fiteo to help boutique studios create premium digital classes

Why did you decide to build this? What problem did it solve?

When COVID hit and we closed our doors in early March, I knew we had to continue serving our community and preserve the business I've worked to build over the last six years. The Amana teachers and I started filming content as soon as we closed our doors March 12, and when I began researching how to give access to the content, I realized the options were very limited. You can put up free content on YouTube, but you're only granted a paywall option after 10,000 followers. Everyone was and is using Zoom for live classes, but the quality just isn't what we were hoping for. We realized that most boutique studios wouldn't have the capital to activate a quality live streaming component as well as have the team in place to get a solid library of on-demand classes up for their community. So we transitioned Amana Online, the name we gave our virtual yoga studio, to a shared platform called Fiteo. We have studios in Singapore, a leading US CrossFit Gym: CrossFit Roots, Yoga Pearl in Portland and many more signing on. I like to think of Fiteo as a virtual class pass, but where the studios see the lion share of the revenue.

How does it work?

Any gym or studio can contact us at join.getfiteo.com and fill out a questionnaire. We share best practices for filming content and help you set up your live streaming offering. Once you've filmed content, you send it our way and we brand your videos and get them up on your studio's page on the Fiteo site. We also help you set up a schedule for your live stream offerings and offer tech support along the way. You charge your community whatever membership fee you'd like, and you provide Fiteo with a list of folks you'd like to have authenticated onto the site. We just ask for $7/subscriber. No additional fees.

What are the upsides?

A quality online offering that combines both live streaming and on-demand content that is easily accessible for your members. All of your live stream classes can be recorded and they are incredibly high quality (especially compared to Zoom). You members just need to log in and hit play. They don't have to worry about different invites for each class, passwords, and more. Your members also get an added benefit of experiencing amazing studios throughout the country, and have access to a variety of workouts. This is a long-term solution to the hopefully short-term problem of COVID. Plus, it can be a passive revenue stream when you re-open.

What should teachers keep in mind?

To remain in an abundant mindset and think about the long game. We've all been navigating a ton of change, and moving online sometimes feels like a hefty feat. Thanks to Fiteo, you can bypass all of my trials and errors and benefit from our experience and team of tech savvy individuals.

Any challenges to watch out for?

You need a good internet connection!

Hot tip: As Yoga teachers, I think it's really important to remember we didn't invent the wheel and that we are stronger together. Community is where it's at and Zoom classes won't work forever.

Pricing: Starts at $7/subscriber. Learn more at getfiteo.com and amanayogaonline.com

To Stream Your Own Classes and Trainings...

Try: Zoom (yes, again!)

Who’s using it: Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author of Deep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart

Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author, recommends offering Zoom classes, workshops, and trainings—and maintaining grace, and a sense of humor, in the face of tech blips.

How does it work?

“I set up free Monday Meditations, along with paid live classes, workshops, and trainings. For classes and workshops, I use the webinar feature, which integrates with my Paypal account; for trainings, I use the meeting format so we can all get on the webcam. I share my schedule of offering through my newsletters, website, and social media accounts, and students can click on each class and sign up through Zoom’s registration page. (You can set up an email opt-in manually.)  Zoom sends out reminders a day and an hour prior to class; I use the automatic follow-up emails to share links to the recordings as well as my upcoming classes.”

What are the upsides?

“It’s an honor to share virtual space with so many students, all over the world, during this time. After class I spend time in ‘chat’ connecting to every student who sticks around and says hi.

Also, in my trainings, I’ve set up a poll for students to answer at the beginning, so we know who’s in the room. As a host, you can also group students together in small virtual breakout rooms so they can get to know each other or complete an exercise together.

Plus, my dog Sunday has managed to become my star pupil on camera, whether he's napping or sitting calmly: He’s an example of what it’s like to restore and relax.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Approach your sessions as you’d approach your practice: With an open mind, free of judgment. You’re juggling so many technical aspects of class—lighting, mic packs, sound quality, students figuring out how to join class—and things are going to happen. Get to know the platform and interface, plan and prepare as much as possible, and maintain a clear, calm mind to get through crackling sound or weak wifi with grace… and a sense of humor.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Make sure you have enough bandwidth. (You may have to ask your family to forego Facetime and Netflix during class.) If you use a mic, keep a backup around in case something goes awry with the sound. And understand you can’t do it all: Enlist help to handle customer service or technical difficulties during class.”

Hot tips:

“Record your practices and make them available for a limited period of time after each class. You’ll create your own bank of classes that you can share in various formats and subscriptions later on.

You can spotlight your video so that, when you record, zoom is recording your video, and not your students.' However, if you wind up recording students, Zoom let's you set up a waiver that students must check so they know they will be captured if they enable their webcams."

Plus, I just discovered that you can feed in a separate audio input for a cleaner background music. Just make sure you have rights to the music if you plan to distribute the class recording later on.”

Pricing: Starts at $14.99/month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here.

To Create Subscription & Live Stream Services...

Try: uscreen

Who’s using it: Carrie Owerko, founder of The Playground

Carrie Owerko, founder of the online yoga subscription called The Playground, suggests using this time to build something that will last beyond the pandemic. 

Why did you choose it? 

"My creative partner Jamey Welch and I were busy creating an online subscription learning platform several months before the Covid-19 pandemic. I teach all over the world and wanted to have a way to stay connected to teachers and students. My platform is an ongoing and ever-expanding library of classes and live events. The pandemic simply accelerated our launch. We embraced the idea that perfect is the enemy of the good, and just went for it. The spirit of The Playground is just that: It is about getting in there and diving into the process of a practice that is a discipline infused with PLAY!"

How does it work? 

"Uscreen has various packages depending on your needs. We were interested in the level we chose because, among other things, there was a live stream option. Before our soft launch, I used Zoom to conduct live classes. I knew that was temporary, and we were already working on getting the first iteration of The Playground up and running. Once that was accomplished, we switched to streaming our Live events directly from The Playground. No Zoom needed."

What should teachers keep in mind? 

"I can only speak to my own experience, which is that of building this ongoing and ever-expanding platform. The live classes are only a part of it. To launch a platform like this takes a lot of work, but I love my work—so it's okay. Like everything these days, there is a lot of new learning required, so be prepared for the feelings of confusion that may arise!"

What are the upsides? 

"An investment in building relationships, a community, in the future. It is like the difference between reading a book, an article, or something that requires some concerted focused effort on your part, versus reading a tweet or a short social media post that you will forget soon after. There is an emotional investment as well. The more of ourselves we invest in something (in terms of energy, time, and heart), the better and more rewarding it is."

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Well, I am not very well-versed in technology. I've done a lot of online learning (both as a student and as a teacher) and am grateful, really grateful, for what technology offers. But it can also be frustrating (like all learning as adults!) for those of us who are not very tech-savvy. Consult those who know more than you! Don't worry about feeling silly or stupid. Ask for help. Embrace the suck, as the saying goes. Be willing to make mistakes, and make them in public! Be willing to fail temporarily in order to reap the reward of putting your heart and mind into something you believe in."

Any hot tips? 

"Well, my friend and inspiration The Movement Maestro says 'go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will see farther.' That is it. Do it. Try it. That is how you will know if something works for you and your goals."

Pricing: Basic plans start at $99 per month. (Learn more here.)

To Host Your Online Courses...

Try: Thinkific

Who's using it: Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and Yoga Nidra, creator of Empowered Life Oracle Cards

Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and yoga nidra, built her self-led online meditation and self-inquiry course via Thinkific. 

Why did you pick it? 

"This platform was recommended to me by my website designer, Sari Gelzer, when we were looking for ways to easily create evergreen course content for my students. It was very easy to upload content and keep things organized for a multi-week course." How does it work? 

"Thinkific is a full-service online platform that hosts your courses so that all you have to do is upload the content. They offer a range of prices—from Free to Pro—so that you can scale your investment in the software as usage of your courses increase."  What should teachers keep in mind? 

"This platform is great for everything from a month-long course to a longer certification program. The platform does have a linear course feel, which works well for certain courses when you want to release the content over time. However, if you plan to have a membership where people receive content monthly and can browse the content, you may prefer a different design."  What are the upsides? 

"Thinkific makes it easy to set up a meditation course, for instance, that is beautiful and easy-to-navigate for our students. The sales page templates work well at featuring content that's included in the course. And, you can integrate your course with mailchimp and other online marketing platforms." Any challenges to watch out for? 

If you wish to fully customize the look of your platform so that it's in line with your brand, you need to get the Pro+Growth version to have CSS editing access. You may wish to design a separate sales page over which you have more design control, and link to the Thinkific checkout link from there. Hot tip: 

"Use a subdomain such courses.yoururl.com to maintain your branding.

See it for yourself:

"Check out Empowered Wake Up, a self-led course I created on Thinkific here." 

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $49 per month. Learn more here.

To Host Online Courses or Trainings...

Try: Kajabi + Zoom

Who’s using it: Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga

After deep consideration, Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, is offering his first-ever virtual training through zoom and Kajabi because he believes the latter offers a simple, streamlined user experience. 

Why did you pick it?

"I chose Kajabi for my first-ever Accessible Yoga online training because it's a learning management system that offers lots of tools in one integrated package. I really like that it has a very clean and organized user experience so that the online training experience is easy and accessible. It also has lots of marketing and website building tools, as well as a vibrant community of users."

How does it work?

"It's a very substantial tool for building all kinds of online businesses, but most often it's used for online schools and courses. It houses all our needs in one place: mailing lists, marketing email pipelines, special offers, and support for online learning with the ability to track students' progress through a course, as well as assessments."

What should teachers keep in mind?

"This system may be too big and expensive for someone who is only offering public classes. But if you're offering online teacher training, this could be a great tool for you. It's not a streaming service, so we also need to use Zoom to stream the classes and then we'll upload the videos to the platform."

What are the upsides?

"One thing I'm really excited about is Kajabi's potential for growth. Over the years I've found that I eventually outgrow most software that I use, so I was really looking for a system that had a lot of flexibility and active developers who are working to improve the system. I'm hoping I can eventually offer more courses through my platform and house it all there. I also love how simple and clear its design is."

Any challenges to watch out for?

"Well, offering online teacher training is new to me, so I'm just figuring it all out now! It has a monthly fee, so there is a substantial investment and consideration about paying the monthly fees for a long time if I want to keep growing on this platform."

Hot tip:

"Kajabi has a great Facebook user community where many of our questions are already answered. It's a great addition to the regular support."

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $119 a month. (Learn more here.)

To Facilitate Mentorship Sessions & Community Conversations...

Try: WebinarJam

Who’s using it: Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author of Evolving Your Yoga: 10 Principles for an Enlightened Practice

Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author, facilitates mentorship sessions and community conversations through WebinarJam. 

How does it work? 

“WebinarJam is a live webinar platform. It offers unlimited webinars, live chat, automated reminders, recordings, a registration page builder, and payment integration.”

What are its benefits?

“It allows for cleaner delivery of live presentations then video-conferencing services like Zoom because you don’t have the distraction of extraneous noise, participants’ cameras, or people coming in and out. It can also handle more participants than many video-conferencing services. There is a solid registration process, and payment integration is easy. You can customize as many email reminders as you want. Events are recorded and can be automatically emailed to participants who miss the live event.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“It’s a good option for paid classes and content. It’s less efficient for free offerings because of the registration process. However, you always know those who participated because they sign up with their email addresses.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Participants can only participate via chat, so one constraint of this platform is that you can’t see people, and there’s limited interaction with your audience.”

Hot tip: 

Professional and enterprise plans include a “Panic Button”—if your connection starts getting sketchy, hit the button and it’ll reboot you and all participants into a fresh room.

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $499 a year. Learn more here.

For No-Fuss Live Classes...

Try: Instagram Live

Who’s using it: Bee Creel, yoga teacher in New York City and co-founder of the wellness community Mood Room.

Yoga teacher Bee Creel invites her students on the mat through scheduled Instagram Live classes and call-outs for Venmo donations 

How does it work?

“I have created a weekly schedule that I publish on my Instagram on Sundays so that people can plan ahead for the week. Then I just set up my phone on a tripod and go live on Instagram. Many of my classes have been donation-based, and I’ve been simply asking students to donate via Venmo @bridget-creel. Venmo is an app that syncs right up to the bank account. It is safe, secure, and easy to use.”

What are the benefits?

“One of the biggest benefits to recording an Instagram Live video is that you can publish the video on your account for 24 hours. If people cannot make it at the time you record it, the class is available for their viewing pleasure for 24 hours.”

Any learnings you want to pass along to teachers?

"Consistency is important, along with making things as 'normal' and routine as possible."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Frustration. We are working with technology, and there are mishaps. My biggest advice is to be gentle with yourself. It is a gift that we are still able to teach and provide content, and your students will show up for you if you do your best!”

Pricing: Instagram is free when you sign up. Venmo takes minimal fees (up to $10) if you request an instant transfer, otherwise the transfer is free. Learn more here.

For DIY Membership Offerings...

Try: Patreon + a video platform like Vimeo or YouTube

Who’s using it: Britt Tagg, yoga teacher

Yoga teacher Britt Tagg created a Patreon to sell her online class recordings, which have to initially be uploaded into a separate video platform, such as Vimeo or YouTube.

How does it work?

“Patreon is a platform that functions similarly to social media, except you can create paid memberships in order for students to access your content. I offer different membership options that make it affordable. The pre-recorded classes vary in length and style and are made available anytime. The various memberships each include different packages and perks.”

What are the benefits?

“You have a platform to create your own business. It's not just for yoga instructors. It's for artists, musicians, cafes, too. You create the content and determine what, when, and how students can access it.

Patreon is pretty user friendly. You create your profile, similar to how you would for other social media outlets. Then you decide what pricing 'tiers' you would like to offer. You can't store videos on Patreon, so you have to upload your video to a third-party platform, like Vimeo or YouTube, and then embed that link into Patreon. There are tons of helpful tutorials as your create your Patreon account. 

Sharing your Patreon on other social media outlets helps spread the word. People pledge money/become patrons and are charged once a month. They can cancel anytime."

Any other useful tips?

“Stay engaged with your patrons. And use other social media outlets to help spread the word. Also, create polls and special offers whenever you can. It keeps patrons interested.”

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Getting people excited to see you online rather than in person is kind of a challenge."

Pricing: Patreon's Pro plan starts at 8% of your monthly earnings. (Learn more here). Vimeo starts at $7 per month. (Learn more here.) YouTube is free with registration but a Premium plan starts at $11 per month. (Learn more here.)

For All-in-One Virtual Studio Classes & Subscriptions...

Try: Union Fit

Who’s using it: Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author, says that Union Fit feels like an all-in-one virtual yoga studio—all you have to do is schedule your class, show up, and teach.

How does it work?

“It’s like an online yoga studio that in some ways functions similarly to MindBody, in which students sign up for a class, but then they click on it at the time of the class, and wait for the teacher to live stream. It's drawn teachers like Gary Kraftsow, Schuyler Grant, and Shiva Rea. I think it’s eventually going to replace some physical yoga studios." 

What are its benefits?

“It’s a one-stop shop for students to pay and practice. As a teacher, it’s relatively easy to navigate: You can set up one-off or regular classes and workshops, along with membership subscriptions. There’s an option to record classes so they can be played back later to paying customers or seen by members who have an unlimited plan. 

In order to film your classes, teachers use the app Larix Broadcaster on your phone or via OBS: Open Broadcaster Studio application on your computer. You can use a regular mic or noise-canceling AirPods as a microphone for better sound quality. Make sure you have the right setup, which includes visually appealing surroundings and a strong, reliable upload wifi speed.

As a teacher, it automatically records your classes to your library, and you can download it after you’ve taught."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Sometimes the wifi gives out when the upload speed isn’t strong enough. Also, like all live streaming, technical issues—like with audio and visual continuity—come up, but the team at Union.fit try to assist as much as possible, and are very customer friendly. 

You also can’t see who’s taking class, like you can in Zoom, but there are some pros to that. However, the team at Union.fit is always updating the platform features to be competitive. Bottom line: You could have your own virtual yoga studio and reach hundreds of thousands of students internationally!"

Pricing: Learn more here.

Pro Camera, Audio, and Lighting Tips 

We asked Alia Sebben, co-founder of Fiteo, to serve up some quick how-tos on the gear to invest in and the strategies to employ for making top-notch yoga videos at home or in your studio space. Watch the below for her sage advice and to get started.

Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:14)

Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:19)

Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:45)

[krisiunicornio]

Keep calm, troubleshoot tech, and teach on: Here's what yoga teachers are leaning on for their classes, trainings, online courses, and community conversations, so you can build something that lasts beyond the pandemic.

As studios and retreat centers shuttered their doors in response to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, studio owners and yoga teachers had some choices: They could completely cancel their classes, workshops, and trainings... or they could get creative with their wifi and webcams. Many landed on the latter, and it's resulting in a defining shift in the business and teaching of yoga. 

So, how exactly are high-profile teachers making it happen? YJ spoke to ten folks, including Carrie Owerko, Jillian Pransky, and Tracee Stanley, to find out which online platforms they're leaning on and why, so you can get a snapshot of what's out there, along with some takeaways from their trial runs. Yes, in the last few months, you've probably already been on a class or call via Zoom, which is on the list below, but teachers who are using it on the regular and have discovered, even created, new platforms have some tips and tricks to share. We're confident that, from their great experimentations, you'll pick up a new idea, process, or perspective.

See also Tools for Teachers

And don't feel like you have to rush to do it all. "Identifying short- and long-terms goals will be extremely helpful, because that will factor into why you choose a platform," says Owerko, who recently launched The Playground, a subscription and live stream service. "Are you looking for a quick short-term fix while you're unable to teach in-person classes, or are you wanting to create something that will be around long after COVID-19 has passed?"

Finally, words of wisdom: Perfection is relative, and students are forgiving. "Building the plane as you're flying it" is a common phrase in these times—and it's assuring because teachers who seem to have it under control are in reality courageously figuring it out as they go. In a way, it's been a practice of yoga—the yama aparigraha, or letting go, comes to mind—to embrace new technology and everything that comes along with it. Every single teacher warned us of the inevitable tech hiccups, so there you have it: Even if you've been doing this awhile, expect out-of-the-blue mic mishaps and sluggish connections. Keep calm, troubleshoot, and teach on.

See also Struggling With Self-Promotion? How One Yoga Teacher Learned to Unleash Her Voice with Authenticity and Ease

To Stream Studio Classes... 

Try: Zoom + Mindbody

Who’s using it: Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of ISHTA Yoga in New York City

Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of Ishta Yoga in New York City, recommends that studios that wish to offer classes online incorporate Zoom into their MindBody account, to keep a sense of community intact.

How does it work?

“Students pre-register for class on the MindBody link on our website. We create a Zoom meeting for each class, and about 30 minutes prior to the class start time, we send a link for them to join the ‘meeting,’ including the props that they will need. The host opens up the space about 15 minutes before the class begins, so our students can turn on their webcams, see each other, and enjoy some community space.”

What are the upsides?

“The students can communicate with one another and with the teacher both before and after classes, so it creates a community feel—even though we are not physically in the same space. I love to be able to see the students' names, even if their cameras are off, so I can say hi.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Like any digital offering, there will always be technical issues. We highly recommend having at least one administrator to ‘host’ the session and answer any technical questions that come up for students along the way. It is very hard for the teacher to teach and tend to the tech side of it at the same time."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Zoom recommends having at least 2 hosts for groups of over 20, so you might want to consider that if you have a large class.”

Hot tip:

“You will not be able to use music by just playing it on your computer, because the sound gets muffled, and it will compete with your words. Instead, in advance, send a link to the playlist you’d like students to use.”

Pricing: 

Zoom starts at $14.99 per month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here. 

MindBody starts at $129 per month. Learn more here.

Try: Fiteo

Who’s using it: Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, and co-founder of Fiteo

Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, co-founded Fiteo to help boutique studios create premium digital classes

Why did you decide to build this? What problem did it solve?

When COVID hit and we closed our doors in early March, I knew we had to continue serving our community and preserve the business I've worked to build over the last six years. The Amana teachers and I started filming content as soon as we closed our doors March 12, and when I began researching how to give access to the content, I realized the options were very limited. You can put up free content on YouTube, but you're only granted a paywall option after 10,000 followers. Everyone was and is using Zoom for live classes, but the quality just isn't what we were hoping for. We realized that most boutique studios wouldn't have the capital to activate a quality live streaming component as well as have the team in place to get a solid library of on-demand classes up for their community. So we transitioned Amana Online, the name we gave our virtual yoga studio, to a shared platform called Fiteo. We have studios in Singapore, a leading US CrossFit Gym: CrossFit Roots, Yoga Pearl in Portland and many more signing on. I like to think of Fiteo as a virtual class pass, but where the studios see the lion share of the revenue.

How does it work?

Any gym or studio can contact us at join.getfiteo.com and fill out a questionnaire. We share best practices for filming content and help you set up your live streaming offering. Once you've filmed content, you send it our way and we brand your videos and get them up on your studio's page on the Fiteo site. We also help you set up a schedule for your live stream offerings and offer tech support along the way. You charge your community whatever membership fee you'd like, and you provide Fiteo with a list of folks you'd like to have authenticated onto the site. We just ask for $7/subscriber. No additional fees.

What are the upsides?

A quality online offering that combines both live streaming and on-demand content that is easily accessible for your members. All of your live stream classes can be recorded and they are incredibly high quality (especially compared to Zoom). You members just need to log in and hit play. They don't have to worry about different invites for each class, passwords, and more. Your members also get an added benefit of experiencing amazing studios throughout the country, and have access to a variety of workouts. This is a long-term solution to the hopefully short-term problem of COVID. Plus, it can be a passive revenue stream when you re-open.

What should teachers keep in mind?

To remain in an abundant mindset and think about the long game. We've all been navigating a ton of change, and moving online sometimes feels like a hefty feat. Thanks to Fiteo, you can bypass all of my trials and errors and benefit from our experience and team of tech savvy individuals.

Any challenges to watch out for?

You need a good internet connection!

Hot tip: As Yoga teachers, I think it's really important to remember we didn't invent the wheel and that we are stronger together. Community is where it's at and Zoom classes won't work forever.

Pricing: Starts at $7/subscriber. Learn more at getfiteo.com and amanayogaonline.com

To Stream Your Own Classes and Trainings...

Try: Zoom (yes, again!)

Who’s using it: Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author of Deep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart

Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author, recommends offering Zoom classes, workshops, and trainings—and maintaining grace, and a sense of humor, in the face of tech blips.

How does it work?

“I set up free Monday Meditations, along with paid live classes, workshops, and trainings. For classes and workshops, I use the webinar feature, which integrates with my Paypal account; for trainings, I use the meeting format so we can all get on the webcam. I share my schedule of offering through my newsletters, website, and social media accounts, and students can click on each class and sign up through Zoom’s registration page. (You can set up an email opt-in manually.)  Zoom sends out reminders a day and an hour prior to class; I use the automatic follow-up emails to share links to the recordings as well as my upcoming classes.”

What are the upsides?

“It’s an honor to share virtual space with so many students, all over the world, during this time. After class I spend time in ‘chat’ connecting to every student who sticks around and says hi.

Also, in my trainings, I’ve set up a poll for students to answer at the beginning, so we know who’s in the room. As a host, you can also group students together in small virtual breakout rooms so they can get to know each other or complete an exercise together.

Plus, my dog Sunday has managed to become my star pupil on camera, whether he's napping or sitting calmly: He’s an example of what it’s like to restore and relax.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Approach your sessions as you’d approach your practice: With an open mind, free of judgment. You’re juggling so many technical aspects of class—lighting, mic packs, sound quality, students figuring out how to join class—and things are going to happen. Get to know the platform and interface, plan and prepare as much as possible, and maintain a clear, calm mind to get through crackling sound or weak wifi with grace… and a sense of humor.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Make sure you have enough bandwidth. (You may have to ask your family to forego Facetime and Netflix during class.) If you use a mic, keep a backup around in case something goes awry with the sound. And understand you can’t do it all: Enlist help to handle customer service or technical difficulties during class.”

Hot tips:

“Record your practices and make them available for a limited period of time after each class. You’ll create your own bank of classes that you can share in various formats and subscriptions later on.

You can spotlight your video so that, when you record, zoom is recording your video, and not your students.' However, if you wind up recording students, Zoom let's you set up a waiver that students must check so they know they will be captured if they enable their webcams."

Plus, I just discovered that you can feed in a separate audio input for a cleaner background music. Just make sure you have rights to the music if you plan to distribute the class recording later on.”

Pricing: Starts at $14.99/month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here.

To Create Subscription & Live Stream Services...

Try: uscreen

Who’s using it: Carrie Owerko, founder of The Playground

Carrie Owerko, founder of the online yoga subscription called The Playground, suggests using this time to build something that will last beyond the pandemic. 

Why did you choose it? 

"My creative partner Jamey Welch and I were busy creating an online subscription learning platform several months before the Covid-19 pandemic. I teach all over the world and wanted to have a way to stay connected to teachers and students. My platform is an ongoing and ever-expanding library of classes and live events. The pandemic simply accelerated our launch. We embraced the idea that perfect is the enemy of the good, and just went for it. The spirit of The Playground is just that: It is about getting in there and diving into the process of a practice that is a discipline infused with PLAY!"

How does it work? 

"Uscreen has various packages depending on your needs. We were interested in the level we chose because, among other things, there was a live stream option. Before our soft launch, I used Zoom to conduct live classes. I knew that was temporary, and we were already working on getting the first iteration of The Playground up and running. Once that was accomplished, we switched to streaming our Live events directly from The Playground. No Zoom needed."

What should teachers keep in mind? 

"I can only speak to my own experience, which is that of building this ongoing and ever-expanding platform. The live classes are only a part of it. To launch a platform like this takes a lot of work, but I love my work—so it's okay. Like everything these days, there is a lot of new learning required, so be prepared for the feelings of confusion that may arise!"

What are the upsides? 

"An investment in building relationships, a community, in the future. It is like the difference between reading a book, an article, or something that requires some concerted focused effort on your part, versus reading a tweet or a short social media post that you will forget soon after. There is an emotional investment as well. The more of ourselves we invest in something (in terms of energy, time, and heart), the better and more rewarding it is."

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Well, I am not very well-versed in technology. I've done a lot of online learning (both as a student and as a teacher) and am grateful, really grateful, for what technology offers. But it can also be frustrating (like all learning as adults!) for those of us who are not very tech-savvy. Consult those who know more than you! Don't worry about feeling silly or stupid. Ask for help. Embrace the suck, as the saying goes. Be willing to make mistakes, and make them in public! Be willing to fail temporarily in order to reap the reward of putting your heart and mind into something you believe in."

Any hot tips? 

"Well, my friend and inspiration The Movement Maestro says 'go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will see farther.' That is it. Do it. Try it. That is how you will know if something works for you and your goals."

Pricing: Basic plans start at $99 per month. (Learn more here.)

To Host Your Online Courses...

Try: Thinkific

Who's using it: Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and Yoga Nidra, creator of Empowered Life Oracle Cards

Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and yoga nidra, built her self-led online meditation and self-inquiry course via Thinkific. 

Why did you pick it? 

"This platform was recommended to me by my website designer, Sari Gelzer, when we were looking for ways to easily create evergreen course content for my students. It was very easy to upload content and keep things organized for a multi-week course." How does it work? 

"Thinkific is a full-service online platform that hosts your courses so that all you have to do is upload the content. They offer a range of prices—from Free to Pro—so that you can scale your investment in the software as usage of your courses increase."  What should teachers keep in mind? 

"This platform is great for everything from a month-long course to a longer certification program. The platform does have a linear course feel, which works well for certain courses when you want to release the content over time. However, if you plan to have a membership where people receive content monthly and can browse the content, you may prefer a different design."  What are the upsides? 

"Thinkific makes it easy to set up a meditation course, for instance, that is beautiful and easy-to-navigate for our students. The sales page templates work well at featuring content that's included in the course. And, you can integrate your course with mailchimp and other online marketing platforms." Any challenges to watch out for? 

If you wish to fully customize the look of your platform so that it's in line with your brand, you need to get the Pro+Growth version to have CSS editing access. You may wish to design a separate sales page over which you have more design control, and link to the Thinkific checkout link from there. Hot tip: 

"Use a subdomain such courses.yoururl.com to maintain your branding.

See it for yourself:

"Check out Empowered Wake Up, a self-led course I created on Thinkific here." 

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $49 per month. Learn more here.

To Host Online Courses or Trainings...

Try: Kajabi + Zoom

Who’s using it: Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga

After deep consideration, Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, is offering his first-ever virtual training through zoom and Kajabi because he believes the latter offers a simple, streamlined user experience. 

Why did you pick it?

"I chose Kajabi for my first-ever Accessible Yoga online training because it's a learning management system that offers lots of tools in one integrated package. I really like that it has a very clean and organized user experience so that the online training experience is easy and accessible. It also has lots of marketing and website building tools, as well as a vibrant community of users."

How does it work?

"It's a very substantial tool for building all kinds of online businesses, but most often it's used for online schools and courses. It houses all our needs in one place: mailing lists, marketing email pipelines, special offers, and support for online learning with the ability to track students' progress through a course, as well as assessments."

What should teachers keep in mind?

"This system may be too big and expensive for someone who is only offering public classes. But if you're offering online teacher training, this could be a great tool for you. It's not a streaming service, so we also need to use Zoom to stream the classes and then we'll upload the videos to the platform."

What are the upsides?

"One thing I'm really excited about is Kajabi's potential for growth. Over the years I've found that I eventually outgrow most software that I use, so I was really looking for a system that had a lot of flexibility and active developers who are working to improve the system. I'm hoping I can eventually offer more courses through my platform and house it all there. I also love how simple and clear its design is."

Any challenges to watch out for?

"Well, offering online teacher training is new to me, so I'm just figuring it all out now! It has a monthly fee, so there is a substantial investment and consideration about paying the monthly fees for a long time if I want to keep growing on this platform."

Hot tip:

"Kajabi has a great Facebook user community where many of our questions are already answered. It's a great addition to the regular support."

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $119 a month. (Learn more here.)

To Facilitate Mentorship Sessions & Community Conversations...

Try: WebinarJam

Who’s using it: Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author of Evolving Your Yoga: 10 Principles for an Enlightened Practice

Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author, facilitates mentorship sessions and community conversations through WebinarJam. 

How does it work? 

“WebinarJam is a live webinar platform. It offers unlimited webinars, live chat, automated reminders, recordings, a registration page builder, and payment integration.”

What are its benefits?

“It allows for cleaner delivery of live presentations then video-conferencing services like Zoom because you don’t have the distraction of extraneous noise, participants’ cameras, or people coming in and out. It can also handle more participants than many video-conferencing services. There is a solid registration process, and payment integration is easy. You can customize as many email reminders as you want. Events are recorded and can be automatically emailed to participants who miss the live event.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“It’s a good option for paid classes and content. It’s less efficient for free offerings because of the registration process. However, you always know those who participated because they sign up with their email addresses.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Participants can only participate via chat, so one constraint of this platform is that you can’t see people, and there’s limited interaction with your audience.”

Hot tip: 

Professional and enterprise plans include a “Panic Button”—if your connection starts getting sketchy, hit the button and it’ll reboot you and all participants into a fresh room.

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $499 a year. Learn more here.

For No-Fuss Live Classes...

Try: Instagram Live

Who’s using it: Bee Creel, yoga teacher in New York City and co-founder of the wellness community Mood Room.

Yoga teacher Bee Creel invites her students on the mat through scheduled Instagram Live classes and call-outs for Venmo donations 

How does it work?

“I have created a weekly schedule that I publish on my Instagram on Sundays so that people can plan ahead for the week. Then I just set up my phone on a tripod and go live on Instagram. Many of my classes have been donation-based, and I’ve been simply asking students to donate via Venmo @bridget-creel. Venmo is an app that syncs right up to the bank account. It is safe, secure, and easy to use.”

What are the benefits?

“One of the biggest benefits to recording an Instagram Live video is that you can publish the video on your account for 24 hours. If people cannot make it at the time you record it, the class is available for their viewing pleasure for 24 hours.”

Any learnings you want to pass along to teachers?

"Consistency is important, along with making things as 'normal' and routine as possible."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Frustration. We are working with technology, and there are mishaps. My biggest advice is to be gentle with yourself. It is a gift that we are still able to teach and provide content, and your students will show up for you if you do your best!”

Pricing: Instagram is free when you sign up. Venmo takes minimal fees (up to $10) if you request an instant transfer, otherwise the transfer is free. Learn more here.

For DIY Membership Offerings...

Try: Patreon + a video platform like Vimeo or YouTube

Who’s using it: Britt Tagg, yoga teacher

Yoga teacher Britt Tagg created a Patreon to sell her online class recordings, which have to initially be uploaded into a separate video platform, such as Vimeo or YouTube.

How does it work?

“Patreon is a platform that functions similarly to social media, except you can create paid memberships in order for students to access your content. I offer different membership options that make it affordable. The pre-recorded classes vary in length and style and are made available anytime. The various memberships each include different packages and perks.”

What are the benefits?

“You have a platform to create your own business. It's not just for yoga instructors. It's for artists, musicians, cafes, too. You create the content and determine what, when, and how students can access it.

Patreon is pretty user friendly. You create your profile, similar to how you would for other social media outlets. Then you decide what pricing 'tiers' you would like to offer. You can't store videos on Patreon, so you have to upload your video to a third-party platform, like Vimeo or YouTube, and then embed that link into Patreon. There are tons of helpful tutorials as your create your Patreon account. 

Sharing your Patreon on other social media outlets helps spread the word. People pledge money/become patrons and are charged once a month. They can cancel anytime."

Any other useful tips?

“Stay engaged with your patrons. And use other social media outlets to help spread the word. Also, create polls and special offers whenever you can. It keeps patrons interested.”

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Getting people excited to see you online rather than in person is kind of a challenge."

Pricing: Patreon's Pro plan starts at 8% of your monthly earnings. (Learn more here). Vimeo starts at $7 per month. (Learn more here.) YouTube is free with registration but a Premium plan starts at $11 per month. (Learn more here.)

For All-in-One Virtual Studio Classes & Subscriptions...

Try: Union Fit

Who’s using it: Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author, says that Union Fit feels like an all-in-one virtual yoga studio—all you have to do is schedule your class, show up, and teach.

How does it work?

“It’s like an online yoga studio that in some ways functions similarly to MindBody, in which students sign up for a class, but then they click on it at the time of the class, and wait for the teacher to live stream. It's drawn teachers like Gary Kraftsow, Schuyler Grant, and Shiva Rea. I think it’s eventually going to replace some physical yoga studios." 

What are its benefits?

“It’s a one-stop shop for students to pay and practice. As a teacher, it’s relatively easy to navigate: You can set up one-off or regular classes and workshops, along with membership subscriptions. There’s an option to record classes so they can be played back later to paying customers or seen by members who have an unlimited plan. 

In order to film your classes, teachers use the app Larix Broadcaster on your phone or via OBS: Open Broadcaster Studio application on your computer. You can use a regular mic or noise-canceling AirPods as a microphone for better sound quality. Make sure you have the right setup, which includes visually appealing surroundings and a strong, reliable upload wifi speed.

As a teacher, it automatically records your classes to your library, and you can download it after you’ve taught."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Sometimes the wifi gives out when the upload speed isn’t strong enough. Also, like all live streaming, technical issues—like with audio and visual continuity—come up, but the team at Union.fit try to assist as much as possible, and are very customer friendly. 

You also can’t see who’s taking class, like you can in Zoom, but there are some pros to that. However, the team at Union.fit is always updating the platform features to be competitive. Bottom line: You could have your own virtual yoga studio and reach hundreds of thousands of students internationally!"

Pricing: Learn more here.

Pro Camera, Audio, and Lighting Tips 

We asked Alia Sebben, co-founder of Fiteo, to serve up some quick how-tos on the gear to invest in and the strategies to employ for making top-notch yoga videos at home or in your studio space. Watch the below for her sage advice and to get started.

Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:14)

Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:19)

Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:45)

[cedarrrun]

Keep calm, troubleshoot tech, and teach on: Here's what yoga teachers are leaning on for their classes, trainings, online courses, and community conversations, so you can build something that lasts beyond the pandemic.

As studios and retreat centers shuttered their doors in response to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, studio owners and yoga teachers had some choices: They could completely cancel their classes, workshops, and trainings... or they could get creative with their wifi and webcams. Many landed on the latter, and it's resulting in a defining shift in the business and teaching of yoga. 

So, how exactly are high-profile teachers making it happen? YJ spoke to ten folks, including Carrie Owerko, Jillian Pransky, and Tracee Stanley, to find out which online platforms they're leaning on and why, so you can get a snapshot of what's out there, along with some takeaways from their trial runs. Yes, in the last few months, you've probably already been on a class or call via Zoom, which is on the list below, but teachers who are using it on the regular and have discovered, even created, new platforms have some tips and tricks to share. We're confident that, from their great experimentations, you'll pick up a new idea, process, or perspective.

See also Tools for Teachers

And don't feel like you have to rush to do it all. "Identifying short- and long-terms goals will be extremely helpful, because that will factor into why you choose a platform," says Owerko, who recently launched The Playground, a subscription and live stream service. "Are you looking for a quick short-term fix while you're unable to teach in-person classes, or are you wanting to create something that will be around long after COVID-19 has passed?"

Finally, words of wisdom: Perfection is relative, and students are forgiving. "Building the plane as you're flying it" is a common phrase in these times—and it's assuring because teachers who seem to have it under control are in reality courageously figuring it out as they go. In a way, it's been a practice of yoga—the yama aparigraha, or letting go, comes to mind—to embrace new technology and everything that comes along with it. Every single teacher warned us of the inevitable tech hiccups, so there you have it: Even if you've been doing this awhile, expect out-of-the-blue mic mishaps and sluggish connections. Keep calm, troubleshoot, and teach on.

See also Struggling With Self-Promotion? How One Yoga Teacher Learned to Unleash Her Voice with Authenticity and Ease

To Stream Studio Classes... 

Try: Zoom + Mindbody

Who’s using it: Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of ISHTA Yoga in New York City

Sarah Platt-Finger, co-founder of Ishta Yoga in New York City, recommends that studios that wish to offer classes online incorporate Zoom into their MindBody account, to keep a sense of community intact.

How does it work?

“Students pre-register for class on the MindBody link on our website. We create a Zoom meeting for each class, and about 30 minutes prior to the class start time, we send a link for them to join the ‘meeting,’ including the props that they will need. The host opens up the space about 15 minutes before the class begins, so our students can turn on their webcams, see each other, and enjoy some community space.”

What are the upsides?

“The students can communicate with one another and with the teacher both before and after classes, so it creates a community feel—even though we are not physically in the same space. I love to be able to see the students' names, even if their cameras are off, so I can say hi.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Like any digital offering, there will always be technical issues. We highly recommend having at least one administrator to ‘host’ the session and answer any technical questions that come up for students along the way. It is very hard for the teacher to teach and tend to the tech side of it at the same time."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Zoom recommends having at least 2 hosts for groups of over 20, so you might want to consider that if you have a large class.”

Hot tip:

“You will not be able to use music by just playing it on your computer, because the sound gets muffled, and it will compete with your words. Instead, in advance, send a link to the playlist you’d like students to use.”

Pricing: 

Zoom starts at $14.99 per month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here. 

MindBody starts at $129 per month. Learn more here.

Try: Fiteo

Who’s using it: Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, and co-founder of Fiteo

Alia Sebben, founder of Amana Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, co-founded Fiteo to help boutique studios create premium digital classes

Why did you decide to build this? What problem did it solve?

When COVID hit and we closed our doors in early March, I knew we had to continue serving our community and preserve the business I've worked to build over the last six years. The Amana teachers and I started filming content as soon as we closed our doors March 12, and when I began researching how to give access to the content, I realized the options were very limited. You can put up free content on YouTube, but you're only granted a paywall option after 10,000 followers. Everyone was and is using Zoom for live classes, but the quality just isn't what we were hoping for. We realized that most boutique studios wouldn't have the capital to activate a quality live streaming component as well as have the team in place to get a solid library of on-demand classes up for their community. So we transitioned Amana Online, the name we gave our virtual yoga studio, to a shared platform called Fiteo. We have studios in Singapore, a leading US CrossFit Gym: CrossFit Roots, Yoga Pearl in Portland and many more signing on. I like to think of Fiteo as a virtual class pass, but where the studios see the lion share of the revenue.

How does it work?

Any gym or studio can contact us at join.getfiteo.com and fill out a questionnaire. We share best practices for filming content and help you set up your live streaming offering. Once you've filmed content, you send it our way and we brand your videos and get them up on your studio's page on the Fiteo site. We also help you set up a schedule for your live stream offerings and offer tech support along the way. You charge your community whatever membership fee you'd like, and you provide Fiteo with a list of folks you'd like to have authenticated onto the site. We just ask for $7/subscriber. No additional fees.

What are the upsides?

A quality online offering that combines both live streaming and on-demand content that is easily accessible for your members. All of your live stream classes can be recorded and they are incredibly high quality (especially compared to Zoom). You members just need to log in and hit play. They don't have to worry about different invites for each class, passwords, and more. Your members also get an added benefit of experiencing amazing studios throughout the country, and have access to a variety of workouts. This is a long-term solution to the hopefully short-term problem of COVID. Plus, it can be a passive revenue stream when you re-open.

What should teachers keep in mind?

To remain in an abundant mindset and think about the long game. We've all been navigating a ton of change, and moving online sometimes feels like a hefty feat. Thanks to Fiteo, you can bypass all of my trials and errors and benefit from our experience and team of tech savvy individuals.

Any challenges to watch out for?

You need a good internet connection!

Hot tip: As Yoga teachers, I think it's really important to remember we didn't invent the wheel and that we are stronger together. Community is where it's at and Zoom classes won't work forever.

Pricing: Starts at $7/subscriber. Learn more at getfiteo.com and amanayogaonline.com

To Stream Your Own Classes and Trainings...

Try: Zoom (yes, again!)

Who’s using it: Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author of Deep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart

Jillian Pransky, yoga teacher and author, recommends offering Zoom classes, workshops, and trainings—and maintaining grace, and a sense of humor, in the face of tech blips.

How does it work?

“I set up free Monday Meditations, along with paid live classes, workshops, and trainings. For classes and workshops, I use the webinar feature, which integrates with my Paypal account; for trainings, I use the meeting format so we can all get on the webcam. I share my schedule of offering through my newsletters, website, and social media accounts, and students can click on each class and sign up through Zoom’s registration page. (You can set up an email opt-in manually.)  Zoom sends out reminders a day and an hour prior to class; I use the automatic follow-up emails to share links to the recordings as well as my upcoming classes.”

What are the upsides?

“It’s an honor to share virtual space with so many students, all over the world, during this time. After class I spend time in ‘chat’ connecting to every student who sticks around and says hi.

Also, in my trainings, I’ve set up a poll for students to answer at the beginning, so we know who’s in the room. As a host, you can also group students together in small virtual breakout rooms so they can get to know each other or complete an exercise together.

Plus, my dog Sunday has managed to become my star pupil on camera, whether he's napping or sitting calmly: He’s an example of what it’s like to restore and relax.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“Approach your sessions as you’d approach your practice: With an open mind, free of judgment. You’re juggling so many technical aspects of class—lighting, mic packs, sound quality, students figuring out how to join class—and things are going to happen. Get to know the platform and interface, plan and prepare as much as possible, and maintain a clear, calm mind to get through crackling sound or weak wifi with grace… and a sense of humor.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Make sure you have enough bandwidth. (You may have to ask your family to forego Facetime and Netflix during class.) If you use a mic, keep a backup around in case something goes awry with the sound. And understand you can’t do it all: Enlist help to handle customer service or technical difficulties during class.”

Hot tips:

“Record your practices and make them available for a limited period of time after each class. You’ll create your own bank of classes that you can share in various formats and subscriptions later on.

You can spotlight your video so that, when you record, zoom is recording your video, and not your students.' However, if you wind up recording students, Zoom let's you set up a waiver that students must check so they know they will be captured if they enable their webcams."

Plus, I just discovered that you can feed in a separate audio input for a cleaner background music. Just make sure you have rights to the music if you plan to distribute the class recording later on.”

Pricing: Starts at $14.99/month per host for up to 100 participants. Add-ons include additional storage space for recordings and additional hosts. Learn more here.

To Create Subscription & Live Stream Services...

Try: uscreen

Who’s using it: Carrie Owerko, founder of The Playground

Carrie Owerko, founder of the online yoga subscription called The Playground, suggests using this time to build something that will last beyond the pandemic. 

Why did you choose it? 

"My creative partner Jamey Welch and I were busy creating an online subscription learning platform several months before the Covid-19 pandemic. I teach all over the world and wanted to have a way to stay connected to teachers and students. My platform is an ongoing and ever-expanding library of classes and live events. The pandemic simply accelerated our launch. We embraced the idea that perfect is the enemy of the good, and just went for it. The spirit of The Playground is just that: It is about getting in there and diving into the process of a practice that is a discipline infused with PLAY!"

How does it work? 

"Uscreen has various packages depending on your needs. We were interested in the level we chose because, among other things, there was a live stream option. Before our soft launch, I used Zoom to conduct live classes. I knew that was temporary, and we were already working on getting the first iteration of The Playground up and running. Once that was accomplished, we switched to streaming our Live events directly from The Playground. No Zoom needed."

What should teachers keep in mind? 

"I can only speak to my own experience, which is that of building this ongoing and ever-expanding platform. The live classes are only a part of it. To launch a platform like this takes a lot of work, but I love my work—so it's okay. Like everything these days, there is a lot of new learning required, so be prepared for the feelings of confusion that may arise!"

What are the upsides? 

"An investment in building relationships, a community, in the future. It is like the difference between reading a book, an article, or something that requires some concerted focused effort on your part, versus reading a tweet or a short social media post that you will forget soon after. There is an emotional investment as well. The more of ourselves we invest in something (in terms of energy, time, and heart), the better and more rewarding it is."

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Well, I am not very well-versed in technology. I've done a lot of online learning (both as a student and as a teacher) and am grateful, really grateful, for what technology offers. But it can also be frustrating (like all learning as adults!) for those of us who are not very tech-savvy. Consult those who know more than you! Don't worry about feeling silly or stupid. Ask for help. Embrace the suck, as the saying goes. Be willing to make mistakes, and make them in public! Be willing to fail temporarily in order to reap the reward of putting your heart and mind into something you believe in."

Any hot tips? 

"Well, my friend and inspiration The Movement Maestro says 'go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will see farther.' That is it. Do it. Try it. That is how you will know if something works for you and your goals."

Pricing: Basic plans start at $99 per month. (Learn more here.)

To Host Your Online Courses...

Try: Thinkific

Who's using it: Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and Yoga Nidra, creator of Empowered Life Oracle Cards

Tracee Stanley, teacher and guide of meditation and yoga nidra, built her self-led online meditation and self-inquiry course via Thinkific. 

Why did you pick it? 

"This platform was recommended to me by my website designer, Sari Gelzer, when we were looking for ways to easily create evergreen course content for my students. It was very easy to upload content and keep things organized for a multi-week course." How does it work? 

"Thinkific is a full-service online platform that hosts your courses so that all you have to do is upload the content. They offer a range of prices—from Free to Pro—so that you can scale your investment in the software as usage of your courses increase."  What should teachers keep in mind? 

"This platform is great for everything from a month-long course to a longer certification program. The platform does have a linear course feel, which works well for certain courses when you want to release the content over time. However, if you plan to have a membership where people receive content monthly and can browse the content, you may prefer a different design."  What are the upsides? 

"Thinkific makes it easy to set up a meditation course, for instance, that is beautiful and easy-to-navigate for our students. The sales page templates work well at featuring content that's included in the course. And, you can integrate your course with mailchimp and other online marketing platforms." Any challenges to watch out for? 

If you wish to fully customize the look of your platform so that it's in line with your brand, you need to get the Pro+Growth version to have CSS editing access. You may wish to design a separate sales page over which you have more design control, and link to the Thinkific checkout link from there. Hot tip: 

"Use a subdomain such courses.yoururl.com to maintain your branding.

See it for yourself:

"Check out Empowered Wake Up, a self-led course I created on Thinkific here." 

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $49 per month. Learn more here.

To Host Online Courses or Trainings...

Try: Kajabi + Zoom

Who’s using it: Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga

After deep consideration, Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, is offering his first-ever virtual training through zoom and Kajabi because he believes the latter offers a simple, streamlined user experience. 

Why did you pick it?

"I chose Kajabi for my first-ever Accessible Yoga online training because it's a learning management system that offers lots of tools in one integrated package. I really like that it has a very clean and organized user experience so that the online training experience is easy and accessible. It also has lots of marketing and website building tools, as well as a vibrant community of users."

How does it work?

"It's a very substantial tool for building all kinds of online businesses, but most often it's used for online schools and courses. It houses all our needs in one place: mailing lists, marketing email pipelines, special offers, and support for online learning with the ability to track students' progress through a course, as well as assessments."

What should teachers keep in mind?

"This system may be too big and expensive for someone who is only offering public classes. But if you're offering online teacher training, this could be a great tool for you. It's not a streaming service, so we also need to use Zoom to stream the classes and then we'll upload the videos to the platform."

What are the upsides?

"One thing I'm really excited about is Kajabi's potential for growth. Over the years I've found that I eventually outgrow most software that I use, so I was really looking for a system that had a lot of flexibility and active developers who are working to improve the system. I'm hoping I can eventually offer more courses through my platform and house it all there. I also love how simple and clear its design is."

Any challenges to watch out for?

"Well, offering online teacher training is new to me, so I'm just figuring it all out now! It has a monthly fee, so there is a substantial investment and consideration about paying the monthly fees for a long time if I want to keep growing on this platform."

Hot tip:

"Kajabi has a great Facebook user community where many of our questions are already answered. It's a great addition to the regular support."

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $119 a month. (Learn more here.)

To Facilitate Mentorship Sessions & Community Conversations...

Try: WebinarJam

Who’s using it: Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author of Evolving Your Yoga: 10 Principles for an Enlightened Practice

Barrie Risman, yoga teacher and author, facilitates mentorship sessions and community conversations through WebinarJam. 

How does it work? 

“WebinarJam is a live webinar platform. It offers unlimited webinars, live chat, automated reminders, recordings, a registration page builder, and payment integration.”

What are its benefits?

“It allows for cleaner delivery of live presentations then video-conferencing services like Zoom because you don’t have the distraction of extraneous noise, participants’ cameras, or people coming in and out. It can also handle more participants than many video-conferencing services. There is a solid registration process, and payment integration is easy. You can customize as many email reminders as you want. Events are recorded and can be automatically emailed to participants who miss the live event.”

What should teachers keep in mind?

“It’s a good option for paid classes and content. It’s less efficient for free offerings because of the registration process. However, you always know those who participated because they sign up with their email addresses.”

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Participants can only participate via chat, so one constraint of this platform is that you can’t see people, and there’s limited interaction with your audience.”

Hot tip: 

Professional and enterprise plans include a “Panic Button”—if your connection starts getting sketchy, hit the button and it’ll reboot you and all participants into a fresh room.

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $499 a year. Learn more here.

For No-Fuss Live Classes...

Try: Instagram Live

Who’s using it: Bee Creel, yoga teacher in New York City and co-founder of the wellness community Mood Room.

Yoga teacher Bee Creel invites her students on the mat through scheduled Instagram Live classes and call-outs for Venmo donations 

How does it work?

“I have created a weekly schedule that I publish on my Instagram on Sundays so that people can plan ahead for the week. Then I just set up my phone on a tripod and go live on Instagram. Many of my classes have been donation-based, and I’ve been simply asking students to donate via Venmo @bridget-creel. Venmo is an app that syncs right up to the bank account. It is safe, secure, and easy to use.”

What are the benefits?

“One of the biggest benefits to recording an Instagram Live video is that you can publish the video on your account for 24 hours. If people cannot make it at the time you record it, the class is available for their viewing pleasure for 24 hours.”

Any learnings you want to pass along to teachers?

"Consistency is important, along with making things as 'normal' and routine as possible."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Frustration. We are working with technology, and there are mishaps. My biggest advice is to be gentle with yourself. It is a gift that we are still able to teach and provide content, and your students will show up for you if you do your best!”

Pricing: Instagram is free when you sign up. Venmo takes minimal fees (up to $10) if you request an instant transfer, otherwise the transfer is free. Learn more here.

For DIY Membership Offerings...

Try: Patreon + a video platform like Vimeo or YouTube

Who’s using it: Britt Tagg, yoga teacher

Yoga teacher Britt Tagg created a Patreon to sell her online class recordings, which have to initially be uploaded into a separate video platform, such as Vimeo or YouTube.

How does it work?

“Patreon is a platform that functions similarly to social media, except you can create paid memberships in order for students to access your content. I offer different membership options that make it affordable. The pre-recorded classes vary in length and style and are made available anytime. The various memberships each include different packages and perks.”

What are the benefits?

“You have a platform to create your own business. It's not just for yoga instructors. It's for artists, musicians, cafes, too. You create the content and determine what, when, and how students can access it.

Patreon is pretty user friendly. You create your profile, similar to how you would for other social media outlets. Then you decide what pricing 'tiers' you would like to offer. You can't store videos on Patreon, so you have to upload your video to a third-party platform, like Vimeo or YouTube, and then embed that link into Patreon. There are tons of helpful tutorials as your create your Patreon account. 

Sharing your Patreon on other social media outlets helps spread the word. People pledge money/become patrons and are charged once a month. They can cancel anytime."

Any other useful tips?

“Stay engaged with your patrons. And use other social media outlets to help spread the word. Also, create polls and special offers whenever you can. It keeps patrons interested.”

Any challenges to watch out for? 

"Getting people excited to see you online rather than in person is kind of a challenge."

Pricing: Patreon's Pro plan starts at 8% of your monthly earnings. (Learn more here). Vimeo starts at $7 per month. (Learn more here.) YouTube is free with registration but a Premium plan starts at $11 per month. (Learn more here.)

For All-in-One Virtual Studio Classes & Subscriptions...

Try: Union Fit

Who’s using it: Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

Rina Jakubowicz, yoga teacher and author, says that Union Fit feels like an all-in-one virtual yoga studio—all you have to do is schedule your class, show up, and teach.

How does it work?

“It’s like an online yoga studio that in some ways functions similarly to MindBody, in which students sign up for a class, but then they click on it at the time of the class, and wait for the teacher to live stream. It's drawn teachers like Gary Kraftsow, Schuyler Grant, and Shiva Rea. I think it’s eventually going to replace some physical yoga studios." 

What are its benefits?

“It’s a one-stop shop for students to pay and practice. As a teacher, it’s relatively easy to navigate: You can set up one-off or regular classes and workshops, along with membership subscriptions. There’s an option to record classes so they can be played back later to paying customers or seen by members who have an unlimited plan. 

In order to film your classes, teachers use the app Larix Broadcaster on your phone or via OBS: Open Broadcaster Studio application on your computer. You can use a regular mic or noise-canceling AirPods as a microphone for better sound quality. Make sure you have the right setup, which includes visually appealing surroundings and a strong, reliable upload wifi speed.

As a teacher, it automatically records your classes to your library, and you can download it after you’ve taught."

Any challenges to watch out for?

“Sometimes the wifi gives out when the upload speed isn’t strong enough. Also, like all live streaming, technical issues—like with audio and visual continuity—come up, but the team at Union.fit try to assist as much as possible, and are very customer friendly. 

You also can’t see who’s taking class, like you can in Zoom, but there are some pros to that. However, the team at Union.fit is always updating the platform features to be competitive. Bottom line: You could have your own virtual yoga studio and reach hundreds of thousands of students internationally!"

Pricing: Learn more here.

Pro Camera, Audio, and Lighting Tips 

We asked Alia Sebben, co-founder of Fiteo, to serve up some quick how-tos on the gear to invest in and the strategies to employ for making top-notch yoga videos at home or in your studio space. Watch the below for her sage advice and to get started.

Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Filming Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:14)

Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Audio Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:19)

Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online

Going Digital: Lighting Tips for Teaching Yoga Online (; 4:45)

[biofunmy]

It’s Called ‘Plant-Based,’ Look It Up

The terms “vegan” and “plant-based” are often used interchangeably, but there’s a growing effort to define just what it means to follow a plant-based lifestyle.

According to Brian Wendel, the founder of the “plant-based living” website Forks Over Knives, going plant-based is “for people who are very enthusiastic about the health angle” of eating mainly whole plant foods.

Reynolde Jordan, who runs a food blog called Plant-Based Vibe in Memphis, said it’s also a way to distance oneself from the rigid ideology of veganism, which calls for abstaining from animal products of all kinds.

“When you classify yourself as vegan, you’re now being watched,” said Mr. Jordan, who posts vegan recipes for dishes such as Cajun seaweed gumbo and raw beet balls along with photos of the vegetarian meals he orders on trips. “In my DMs, I’d get all these messages from activists for protests. I’m just not that guy — I did this for the purpose of eating better.”

Mr. Jordan is one of a growing number of health-conscious consumers embracing a plant-based lifestyle. Unlike many vegans who adhere to a philosophy of animal rights, those going plant-based tend to be inspired by research showing the health benefits of a diet made up of largely fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, grains and nuts. Free from specific ethical constraints, plant-based eaters often have no qualms buying or wearing items made with or tested on animals.

Awareness of the term is growing. And though just 6 percent of Americans eat vegetarian, according to Nielsen, almost 40 percent now make an effort to eat more plant-based foods.

Plant-Based Eating Enters the Mainstream

In 2015, Beyoncé wrote in an email to The New York Times: “First it’s important that you know I am not a vegan.” However she and Jay-Z co-own a food company with Marco Borges, their personal trainer, called 22 Days Nutrition, which promotes what is essentially a vegan diet.

But as Mr. Borges later explained to The Times, Beyoncé eats a “plant-based breakfast daily” and consumes no meat on Mondays. Jay-Z, meanwhile, eats “2 plant-based meals a day,” he wrote in an email.

The number of food and drink products made in the United States that use “plant-based” in their labeling spiked 287 percent between 2012 and 2018, according to the consumer research firm Mintel.

Plant-based items such as jerky, ice cream and protein bars are becoming increasingly common on supermarket shelves. Fast-food chains including Dunkin’ Donuts and Burger King have even started offering plant-based menu options such as the Impossible Whopper.

Some restaurants, such as Café Gratitude, a small chain in Southern California, have even rebranded themselves as entirely plant-based after originally characterizing their menus as vegan. In 2016, after a website dug up a year-old blog post by the restaurant’s owners revealing they had begun raising and slaughtering animals on their family farm, many vegans boycotted and picketed the chain while its founders reportedly received death threats.

In the wake of the controversy, the restaurant made a “conscious choice” to rebrand as entirely plant-based, according to its head chef, Dreux Ellis.

But with the abundance of plant-based choices now available, customers are increasingly looking for options they know reflect vegan values, Mr. Ellis said. In response, Café Gratitude employees have again begun describing the restaurant as vegan, and there have been discussions about restoring the term in its branding.

“We feel like there’s nothing to be lost by trying to regain that confidence in the vegan community,” Mr. Ellis said. “It’s us reclaiming what is rightfully ours.”

The implications of a plant-based diet

Thomas Colin Campbell, the Cornell University biochemist who claims responsibility for coining the term plant-based, said he came up with the phrase to help present his research on diet to skeptical colleagues at the National Institutes of Health in 1980.

“I wanted to emphasize that my work and ideas were coming totally from science and not any sort of ethical or philosophical consideration,” he said.

Mr. Campbell now advocates a “whole food plant-based diet,” which he termed to draw a distinction between more nutritious whole plants and processed food products such as veggie burgers. He said he’s noticed the term catch on since the release of the 2016 edition of his book “The China Study,” which summarized his findings from a survey of 6,500 Chinese people on their eating and other lifestyle habits. The study’s results suggested that following a plant-based diet may help reduce the risk of certain cancers and diseases.

But not everyone thinks eating only plants is always healthy. “Anytime you’re restricting a whole food group or number of food groups, it’s a red flag for a possible disordered eating mentality,” said Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “That’s not always the case, but it’s important to figure out how to get all the nutrients you need to prevent chronic conditions within your diet choice.”

“The Game Changers,” a documentary released on Netflix in 2019 about plant-based diets and athletic performance, has both broadened the appeal of plant-based diets and drawn criticism for some of its health claims.

According to Joseph Pace, a producer and writer on the film, the vegan and vegetarian movements carry connotations of New Agey-types or PETA activists, which don’t always resonate with male viewers.

“Using ‘plant-based’ allows people to feel they’re not joining a specific group for eating a specific way,” he said.

Mr. Campbell sees the plant-based concept as a way to educate people on the environmental consequences of eating meat. A recent report from the World Resources Institute pointed to raising livestock as a significant source of carbon emissions and recommended reducing meat consumption as a way to combat climate change and stem deforestation.

“The environmental issue is a big one, and this plant-based phraseology works well when you think about it in a broader context,” he said.

The trouble with labels

Yovana Mendoza Ayres, the vlogger formerly known as Rawvana, was a star of the expansive world of vegan YouTube — until she was caught eating fish in another YouTuber’s video earlier this year.

The backlash was swift. “Fishgate,” as the ensuing controversy was dubbed, triggered a deluge of outraged comments and videos chastising the 30-year-old influencer for misleading her followers.

Some disgruntled fans flooded her social media pages with taunting fish emojis and GIFs. Others made death threats, which Ms. Ayers said she continues to receive.

“Just like how the vegan community welcomed me, when this came out, I became their enemy,” she said.

In an apology video titled “THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING,” Ms. Ayers said she began eating meat after experiencing a variety of health problems including a gastrointestinal disorder and the loss of her period, which occurred after completing a 25-day water cleanse during which she consumed nothing but water. In an interview, she added that she had planned to tell her followers about giving up her raw vegan diet but “didn’t want other people’s opinions to affect my transition.”

In the months since her public apology, a half-dozen popular influencers have roiled the vegan internet by renouncing veganism after claiming to have experienced health complications caused by their diet. Ms. Ayers, who now goes by her first name online, said that as she and other vloggers have left veganism behind, she’s noticed more discussion about what it means to be vegan as opposed to eating a plant-based diet.

“A lot of us used the word ‘vegan’ because that was a way of communicating that we ate only plants,” she said. “Maybe after seeing us, people are learning not to put labels on themselves or on their diet,” she added.

Sahred From Source link Fashion and Style

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[v2-childhoodobesity]

Fighting Childhood Obesity

For the last few weeks, we have been working really hard on coming on with an essay that talked about the importance of physical education and better school lunches in our children. We hope that you enjoy this paper and feel free to message us with questions or even ways that you think you could help aid in the fight against childhood obesity. 

Sincerely, 

Venezia & Victoria 

                     In the last thirty years’ childhood obesity has been on the rise in America. According to Healthier Generation, “Nearly one in three children ranging from two to nineteen years old are considered overweight or obese.” With obesity on the rise something must be done to help those suffering from childhood obesity, and prevent others from getting it. Obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, struggle with self-esteem, and much more. Adults need recognize this epidemic, and become raise awareness of this disease. To decrease the percentage of childhood obesity the society needs to educate children about physical health, implement healthier food choices, and increase physical activities within the country’s public school systems.

           Educating children about physical health is the foundation of establishing a healthy life. There are numerous benefits to one’s life because of having physical education at a young age. Through physical education children develop a habit of having fitness-based activities on a regular basis, learn about health and nutrition, and build self-confidence. According to NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), “From kindergarten through eighth grade roughly 50 percent of schools have district, or state requirements for students to receive nutrition education.” While schools focus on educating students’ knowledge about what good nutrition means, they lack influencing students’ attitudes, motivation, and eating behaviors. Alliance For A Healthier Generation has created The Healthy Schools Program, which watches what children eat, and giving them more time to be active. They also focus on programs available for children in, and outside of school to help them remain, and maintain an active lifestyle. While Alliance For A Healthier Generation is not implemented in every school across the nation they are on the right track to putting an end to childhood obesity.

           The World Health Organization defines physical health as: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence on disease or infirmity” (Lynch, B). This definition is not one that we can just read verbatim to children; we have to break it down so that they can understand at their level. Physical health incorporates eating habits, exercise, and sleep. In order to give our children a chance at have good physical health, we need to make sure that are incorporating all of these aspects in a positive way. More children are falling into the overweight and/or obese categories because of poor food choices and inactive lifestyles. Foods high in sugar and calories as well video games fuel the unhealthy epidemic that we see in this generation. We, as adults, have to start stepping in and showing the younger generation why it is important to take care of their bodies and ways to get started.

           In February 2010, previous First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama introduced her “Let’s Move” campaign. This campaign was dedicated to solving the problem of obesity in order to allow children the opportunity to grown up healthier and be capable of doing anything in life they set their minds too. This campaign not only incorporated ways that parents and communities could get involved, but also heavily suggested that schools become part of the solution to the problem. Since, many children consume at least half of their meals at school, Mrs. Obama felt lead to make sure that her campaign was committed to providing healthier food options at all schools in the nation. After consulting with the Institute of Medicine, school meals were changed to include:

·      More whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; low-fat milk dairy products; and less sodium and fat.

·      The right portions with menus planned specifically with portion sizes appropriate for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Additionally, they campaign also decided to allow for in their budget additional funding to be made available to schools that meet these standards (Healthy Choices, 2011). Not only did this campaign focus on eating healthy but it also focused on getting active.

           In February 2013, Let’s Move! Active Schools became a new entity of her Let’s Move campaign. There is a lot of statistics that show that 75% of children are not physically active in their everyday lives. This new entity of Obama’s campaign equips schools with tools that will help them to increase physical education activities for all their students. In order for a school to be considered an active school they have to integrate physical activity before, during, and after school for at least 60 minutes every day (Healthy Choices, 2011). The fact that The White House considered this epidemic to be so severe that they made this a top priority says a lot about what obesity is doing to our children.

           Physical education promotes lifelong fitness, boosts the brain, promotes social skills, and teaches healthy food choices. Obese adolescents are likely to develop prediabetes. This is a condition where blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes, and also bone and joint problems. While physical activity is the first step against childhood obesity, educating children how to have a healthy lifestyle will carry with them into adulthood. Scientists have discovered a link between brain functionality and physical fitness in kids. Researchers have found children who are more fit have a larger hippocampus. The hippocampus is connected to memory. These children perform better on memory tests, than less-fit peers. Studies have also found an increase in physical education during school causes an increase in concentration in school. Children are more likely to focus on their studies without distraction after a physical activity. Children currently are known as the fast food industry babies. Majority of parents look for a quick, ready to go meal without thinking if the meal will harm their children overtime. Nutritional diet is imperative for growth and development. Young children who lack nutrients in their childhood often have difficulty focusing, show emotional side effects, and are more susceptible to illness.

           Increasing physical activities within public schools will help lower childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over the past three decades the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled in children from 2-5 years old, tripled for children ranging from 6-11 years, and doubled for adolescents from 12-19 years old. Children in the United States are spending too many hours in front of television and computer screens, and hardly any hours engaging in physical activities. Currently statewide budgets are being cut, and certain programs are not seen as essential to schools such as, HPE (Health and Physical Education). When people think of Physical education they automatically think of a gym class that emphasizes sports competition. Physical education has made a change over time. Instead of emphasizing on students competing with one another it now focuses on creating lifelong fitness activities by exposing students to a wide range of various exercises and sports. Physical activities offer psychological benefits. Physical movements develop brain cells that stimulate endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling of calmness, and happiness as well as a relief from stress, and pain. A workout can leave a student feeling better about themselves, their life, and ready to focus on their education, while an inactive student may feel lethargic, depressed, and lack focus. Physical activities in schools help students develop strong healthy social interactions. Activities like running for example build muscles and improve cardiovascular health. Exercises also help children’s self-control and develop cooperative skills, and empathy towards others.

           According to the CDC, children should be exercising at least 60 or more minutes a day. While some schools offer a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity other public school systems are cutting physical education, and activity in order to make more room for student’s academics. The importance of physical education, and physically active students’ needs to be recognized by every state in order to help the youth fight against childhood obesity.

           In an article about about how school lunches can reduce rates of childhood obesity, I learned that more than 30 million students receive their lunch at their school’s cafeteria and about 14 million students receive breakfast at their school’s cafeterias. These numbers were a really eye opener for me because I never realized just how many kids rely on school to supply them with two out of three of their main meal courses. I rarely ever ate breakfast or lunch at school because my mom packed my lunches for just about my entire elementary-high school years. However, I remember not really liking the way my school lunch looked when I did have to get it since it was completely different than what my mom would fix for me. School lunches have come a long way from my experiences with them. The United States nutritional guidelines now recommend that a variety of fruits and vegetables fill half the plate (Black, J; 3). This change in guidelines happened after the government realized that school meals were getting increasingly high in the amount of processed foods served that were high in fat, sugar, and sodium content. It was because of this that Congress made the decision to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010. This act required that that U.S Department of Agriculture update school meal standards to be better aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Maslow-Haynes, L and O’Hara, J.; 2-8).

           School lunches are not known for being entirely nutritious; they tend to include foods that are the cheapest for the school systems. While I understand that budget in public school systems are a huge source of conflict, it is time that those in charge start weighting the pros and the cons of serving unhealthy meals to kids during lunch. Healthy food promotion will always begin at home; parents first have to make the decision to teach their children about why certain foods are better for their bodies than others. However, there is a lot of literature out in the world that supports schools as being vital to educating students on how to eat appropriately and choose the best meal (Mailow, T; 1). When schools incorporate nutrition programs that are providing extra tools for children to learn. These programs can be very effective at preventing childhood obesity when they are taught right and allow student participation.

Obesity in children is a serious issue that we need to draw more attention to. As adults and parents we need recognize this epidemic, and raise awareness of this disease. In order to help prevent obesity, we need to limit the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, limit television and other screen time, encourage consumption of recommended daily fruits and vegetable, and encourage more outdoor activities in both school and at home (Hockenberry, Marilyn J., and David Wilson; 778, 815, 821). Children have to be educated about their physical health and ways that they can be more health conscious. By continuing to incorporate more opportunities for children to get up and move throughout the school day as well as providing healthier school food options we can make a difference in the amount of childhood obesity cases we see going forward and change the lives of children who are already suffering for the better.

WORKS CITED

Alliance For A Healthier Generation. A Healthier Generation, 2017, www.healthiergeneration.org. Accessed 14 October 2017.

Black, Jessica Donze. “Healthy School Lunches Can Reduce Childhood Obesity and Diabetes.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Charitable Trusts , 5 Apr. 2016, www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2016/04/06/healthy-school-lunches-can-reduce-childhood-obesity-and-diabetes. Accessed 23 October 2017.

Haynes-Maslow, Lindsey, and Jeffery K O'Hara. Lessons from the Lunchroom: Childhood Obesity, School Lunch, and the Way to a Healthier Future. Union of Concerned Scientists, 1 Feb. 2015, http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/02/lessons-from-the-lunchroom-report-ucs-2015.pdf Accessed 01 November 2017.

“Healthy Schools.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 19 Feb. 2011, www.letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/healthy-schools Accessed Nov 1. 2017

Hockenberry, Marilyn J., and David Wilson. “19.” Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children, Vol. 10, Elsevier/Mosby, 2015, pp. 763-821.

Lynch, Bob. “What’s The Definition Of Physical Health & Does Good Health Naturally Mean All Natural Is Good?” LinkedIN, 31 Aug. 2015, www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-definition-physical-health-does-good-naturally-mean-bob-lynch. Accessed 19 October 2017.

Mailow, Tonia. “Implementing an Education Program in Elementary Schools to Improve Healthy Food Choices.” Journal of Childhood Obesity. vol. 2, no. 2:9, 2017 pp. 1-4.

Nutrition Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. National Center for Education Statistics, 2017, ttps://nces.ed.gov. Accessed 31 October 2017.

Physical Activity. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 June 2017,             https://www.cdc.gov. Accessed 1 November 2017.