Building Profitable Classes: A Practical Guide for Wellness Experts
Sep 11, 2025In this audience-focused episode, Anna and Kendall tackle practical questions from community member Lauren about launching wellness classes. Drawing from their extensive experience with movement offerings at Vancouver Wellness Studio, they provide detailed insights into the complexities and considerations involved in adding classes to a wellness practice.
The conversation begins with Kendall sharing their evolution in offering classes, from a full schedule of yoga, dance, meditation, and sound healing to a more strategic approach. A pivotal realization came during COVID: "The energy and marketing it took to get 15 people to one class at one time and bring in less profit than getting one person to one healthcare appointment." This insight led to a fundamental shift in their class strategy.
The hosts discuss the challenge of balancing mission-driven goals with profitability. Kendall explains their original motivation: "Movement has always been foundational to our vision... having a movement studio is very important to me and bringing the community together." However, they learned that sustainable business practices required aligning passion with profit.
Their solution involved transitioning from drop-in classes to series-based offerings: "Why don't we offer classes only in a series and people have to pay for it beforehand. And then we know that we have enough people to cover the class." This approach eliminated the uncertainty of hoping people would show up and provided more targeted, healthcare-focused offerings like "yoga for back pain" and "yoga for gut health."
When addressing Lauren's technical questions about booking platforms and payment systems, the hosts emphasize that the choice depends entirely on business vision. As Anna notes: "What's your why? What are you actually building?" This clarity determines whether to use specialized yoga studio software like Mindbody or comprehensive platforms like Jane for multidisciplinary practices.
Regarding employment structure, both hosts strongly recommend the W2 employee model over contractor arrangements. Kendall explains: "If you're really trying to build one brand and have everyone support the common goals of the brand and business that you're building, then we always would recommend a W2 model."
Anna emphasizes the importance of establishing solid systems from the beginning: "Whatever you choose, make it solid from the beginning. Don't fudge things until you know better... you need to be able to show everything from the beginning." This includes proper bookkeeping, consistent payroll systems, and documented processes that support future growth and analysis.
The episode concludes with practical advice about pricing and profit margins. Kendall advises: "Really get so clear on the profit that you need to take home from each hour... it's very easy, especially with movement classes... to look at the person down the street from them and say, oh, they're charging $20 a class." Instead, she recommends calculating backward from required profit margins to determine appropriate pricing and minimum class sizes.
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About Anna Rudel
Anna Rudel, L. Ac is the owner and founder of Lokahi Acupuncture Clinic in San Jose California, founded in 2003. Anna is a master organizer and clinician, and as a Coach she specializes in working with Clinic Owners in the state of California, and Acupuncturists and Acupuncture Clinic Owners, or groups wanting to add Acupuncture worldwide, as well as teams that need support with employee retention and satisfaction. Born in the UK, Anna has traveled extensively in Asia and now has a thriving multi-practitioner clinic in the US!
Anna's Website and Links
- Website: https://lokahiacupuncture.com/
- Learn Group Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/group-coaching
- For info about Individual Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/individual-coaching
About Kendall Hagensen
Kendall is a Somatic Mental Health Therapist, Multidisciplinary Clinic Owner and Business Coach. She specializes in, and is passionate about, working with healthcare professionals to create the businesses of their dreams. Big goals always have a psychological component beneath the surface, so Kendall uses her background in Somatic Psychotherapy and EMDR Therapy mixed with Business Coaching tools to help clients develop a healthy relationship with their business and their strength as a leader.
As someone who lives with a chronic illness herself, Kendall feels that health happens best within community, which is why she takes a holistic, integrative, and collaborative wellness approach to her personal and professional life.
Kendall’s Web/Social Links