Membership Growing Pains
In September 2020, Three Queens was at a crossroads- a prolonged pandemic and a community that could no longer afford to prioritize yoga. The start of the pandemic that prior March, many of our zoom classes were being accessed for free with promo-codes. We knew there was a need to be met. In truth, this need wasn’t new, as access to yoga in our dominant culture is problematic.
Our response was to pivot towards Community Membership, a tiered structure where the cost for entry was significantly reduced for those who needed it, and make access easy - pick the price that works for you.
This model was likely a first in Philadelphia for a for-profit yoga studio. The pandemic made income variables unknown, even ours and, in many ways, Community Membership allowed us to test a threshold; could we sustain and grow a membership interdependently?
When launched, we projected 75% of base community membership continuing at the current costs of $108 - 15% reduced, and 10% at a premium supporter rate. We based this metric on those accessing classes for free, and what donations looked like when we hosted events. We worked hard to craft intentional language- that felt inclusive, welcoming, and promoted Three Queens' community values.
Community Membership promised a membership that would supplement itself with the many paying for the few, allow free classes, provide scholarships for teacher training, and offer fair compensation for our yoga teachers. A blind spot for us, was that we did not have a lot of buy in from our community to support that vision. We simply took a leap.
“A thriving membership should support an active schedule with equitable pay for our teachers, healthcare as a human right, and a living wage base salary for our leadership. ”
Community Membership has not been able to deliver that promise. Metrics showed that membership grew but turned over the highest, with those paying a reduced rate, nearly 50%. A year later, in September 2021, membership showed 60% of members joined at the reduced tier of membership, 35% median, and a 5% premium supporter rate. This membership model wasn’t supporting itself.
We flexed our prices some, but stayed true to our course. As our costs grew and the pandemic waned, we had to ask ourselves if our model for access was also a burden for the business. Another blind spot for us, when pricing the Community Membership, our lowest tier was a deficit. We have learned through business coaching, that was a perilous mistake. Our lowest cost, still needs to cover operations.
To date, our monthly membership revenue sometimes covers the cost of classes on the schedule and one full-time salary. Three Queens was been able to stay open through the pandemic (with reduced schedules, grant monies, and truly a miracle.) We have been able to offer free classes on the waterfront subsidized with external funding; but the promise to scholarship teacher training, raises for teacher (Mariel and myself have not had living wage increases in several years) have come at a deficit. This practice is note sustainable.
A thriving membership should support an active schedule with equitable pay for our teachers, healthcare as a human right, a living wage base salary for our leadership and our rent.
Today, two years in, Community Membership is no longer sustainable for Three Queens in a post-pandemic, high inflation world. The cost for Three Queens to successfully operate and pay our teachers and staff needs to be $125-$150/month per new member. As such, we have adjusted our pricing and streamlined our model to reflect these changing needs. Three Queens has rarely increased membership over the last 10 years, opting to ‘grandfather’ people in, rather than having tough conversation about the impact of a changing economy. The pandemic has taught us that practice is also not equitable or sustainable. Three Queens has shared a new tiered pricing plan for our current members adjusted for inflation, along with options to meet them where they are at if needed economically. No current member of Three Queens will be left out of membership, if they can’t meet these changes.. But as a community, we need to be in conversation.
We continue to be committed to the conversation about divesting from dominant yoga culture's history that excludes some by allowing us to share Three Queens' offerings regardless of ability to pay. As such, we will continue to offer limited community supported membership options by application. We know there is inherent stigma in this process, and will continue to work towards more meaningful ways. We will also continue to offer a community supported discounted price for many workshops, and trainings. Lastly, our Work Exchange program is always available.
Making this change and offering transparency about financial success and shortcomings is never easy. We are proud of the Community Membership and look forward to how this new iteration brings success and future collaboration. As always our email is open for feedback and comments.