What’s changing and what it means
When The Garden was first launched, we offered different tiers, where you could get different features if you paid more, or less. We dropped that in favour of just one price-point, where students could access all the content we offered within the membership.
One thing I love to do as a small business owner, is get to actually know my students. No one who joins any program with me is a number, which I know is a bit of a slogan large companies now use, but as someone who only has two subcontractors by my side, I actually mean it. I do not have thousands of students, so it is easy for me to recognize who joins my live classes, who replies to my emails, so I can actually have conversations with those people.
Fun fact, my last housemate was originally a student of mine!
By directly chatting with those in my flexibility world, seeing what is going on in each other’s lives, the stress of the state of the world, the little joys that we find, I have a deeper understanding of what is needed with what I can provide.
Currently, we (Canadians) are a part of a trade war, and there’s a lot of uncertainty that comes with it. Not to mention the rising prices of groceries, housing, and other basic needs we are seeing in many countries. I know my community is feeling a tightening grip around their wallets – I am, too.
When it comes to the community surrounding Flexibility with Vera, I want them to feel supported in whatever way feels best for them. Supported in their flexibility journey, and in their bodies, and I want to expand that to feel economically supported as well.
I’m excited (and scared) to announce I’m offering a managed sliding scale for The Garden.
Because everyone deserves movement that is accessible to them, and that has to include equitable pricing.
Moving forward, The Garden will be offering three tiered prices based off The Green Bottle Method by Alexis J. Cunningfolk. Each tier will grant students access to the same great content in The Garden. Before getting into the new pricing, I’d like to share this graphic from Alexis on The Green Bottle, which can help be a reminder where one may fall on the economic-stability scale so people can make informed choices.
This graphic above is meant to be a map, and as a way to look deeper at their levels of privilege or systematic barriers, and as a way to challenge the classist and capitalist society we live in. We want everyone who wants to access The Garden to be able to fully participate while still compensating my team fairly.
Based off this model, we will have the following tiers available for The Garden:
Standard Membership – 29CDN / 21USD
The actual cost of the membership.
Supported Membership – 16CDN / 12USD
For those who would qualify this membership as a sacrifice but it would not create hardship. For those who feel this would still not suit them but want to join The Garden, please message Vera to have a discussion on accommodation.
Pay It Forward Membership – 45CDN / 33USD
If you feel financially comfortable, and want to financially support students who face greater barriers. Extra money from this tier would directly be going into continuing the work in The Garden, as well as future free and low-cost classes.
I hope to communicate to all that I want to support people’s ability to access my work and want them to feel welcomed from the very start of their journey… the same way I want to support people’s ability to move, in whatever way that looks like for them. Talking about money can be awkward, it is for me, but I aim to create clear expectations so there is none to little stress about these prices. That said, talking money, and this new pricing model is a work in progress and I am learning as I go along.
Trust is a core value in Flexibility with Vera, and truly believe the amazing power of trust. I trust you to be honest in your assessment of your economic reality. This managed sliding scale is a tool of accountability, and an ongoing conversation about our own economic experiences. This pricing is meant to help grow The Garden’s community into something strong and sustainable while also respecting the work, like myself, who have families and bils to pay.
The Garden will not be changing what it offers, rather, it’s bringing in more (keep an eye on the newsletter for that information in coming months) to flourish into a movement community that focuses on support within our own bodies but also with each other.
Changing how The Garden’s membership runs is scary to me, as a entrepreneur and especially in a society that tells us we should constantly be raising the costs of our services. But I’ve never been one to go directly alongside what our (capitalist) society says, and frankly, raising the cost of The Garden while knowing current community members are financially stressed very wrong. To instead shift to an equitable model where people can take a moment to consider the best option for them and choose what feels best for them does feel right for me and the Flexibility with Vera brand.
This model may shift and settle over time as we watch to see what is best for our community. For now though, I am hopeful for this community to support each other, grow and thrive, all while getting strong and flexible.
What are your thoughts on this sliding scale model? Shoot me a message, I’d love to hear what you think!
