1. When I “fired” my clients, that meant I dropped private clients who weren’t matching my vision and dedication. For example, I had a handful of people who had the money/could afford me, but who were not dedicated. This meant I would often be left outside their home during a scheduled session time b/c they forgot to let me know they’d be gone. They’d still pay me, but that’s not the kind of relationship I want to have with my clients. It’s as much an energy exchange as a financial one. Letting go of those clients freed me up to take on the clients I have now, who are all enthusiastic about their yoga practice. We create a mutually positive experience!

2. The car. Oh, the car. Seems to be causing quite a stir. To be clear, my car is a ‘97 Lexus. A bit up on the scale, but it was so well taken care of (had less than 100 000km when I bought it), previously owned by a little old lady who used it to get groceries and almost never drove it in the winter. I couldn’t pass it up. Yes, I could’ve let those payments be lower and pay longer, but I simply preferred to have the thing paid off right away. Now, as of next month it’s paid and I’ve adjusted in the meantime to spending an extra $400/mo. Once my last payment is done, I’ll seamlessly redirect that $400/mo to a better health insurance plan and more investing in marketing.

Hope that provides more clarity!

@Amy–How did you find your locations, and what sort of agreement did you work out with those spaces? I like your site, by the way. Very clean look and well organized.

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Amy, that view is fairly narrow-sighted. There are MANY fine examples of cars in that price range that will last, price has NOTHING to do with the mechanical needs of a car. I’ve heard many horror stories about brand new cars having failing components, all the way up to total engine failure before 10k miles. (The newest bad stories I’ve heard involve the Mitsubishi Evo X, all sorts of things go wrong with some and they’re BRAND NEW. I’ve had at least two stories from two different people about two different problems. Same car, though.) My $6k car works just fine and has never left me stranded, and is also raced regularly while still being a daily driver.

Of course, it’s all up to opinion. If she wanted, she could see about tax benefits for claiming part of the car for business purposes. That would maybe let her have a newer car, though it sounds like the older one was indeed a choice.