From burnout Yoga Teacher to Six-Figure Coachpreneur
Click here for the audio and video version - read by the author herself.
The thing about chasing your dreams is that sometimes, they lead you straight into a financial nightmare.
Nine years ago, I was a yoga teacher making $250 a month. I’d wake up before the sun, roll out my yoga mat like a dutiful disciple of inner peace, and teach class after class until my legs felt turned into noodles.
At the end of each month, I’d add up my income and think, If only passion could pay the bills!
I didn’t start this journey with a business plan; I started it with heart and a dream the size of Mount Fansipan. I turned down cushy corporate offers to become a yoga teacher because I wanted my life to matter.
So I opened a studio. I got my 200-hour YTT certification and spent every spare moment reading books, practicing techniques, and improve my skills by teaching students. The business side? I ignored it like a pile of unopened bills.
My mantra was, Do what you love, and money will follow.
Oh well, it didn’t.
Once, I organized a dreamy three-day mountain retreat for my students. We meditated at sunrise, ate organic food, and dance around bonfire at night, buzzing with joy like a hive of enlightened bumblebees. I was on top of the world - until I did the math. After all the expenses, my grand profit was… $48.
Forty-eight dollars. I could’ve made more babysitting my newphew’s Pomeranian.
The Rock Bottom Breakdown
For two years, I lived in my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house. The room still had the Inuyasha manga posters I’d stuck on the wall at 14.
While my friends climbed corporate ladders and flew business class, I was stuck—broke, burnt out, and wondering what had went wrong. .
When I finally shut down my studio, I felt like a failure. I spiraled into depression so deep that some days my partner had to carry me into the shower because I couldn’t do it myself.
Rock bottom is humbling, stripping away everything you thought you knew. But it’s also clarifying. When you can’t go any lower, the only way out is up.
Two BIG Mistakes
As I picked up the pieces of my broken dream, I realized I’d made two big mistakes:
I ignored the business side. Passion and skills alone won’t pay the rent. It doesn’t matter how good you are if no one knows about you or values what you offer.
I tried to figure it out alone. Even Yoda needed Obi-Wan. Michael Phelps has a coach. What made me think I could do this without help?
So I made a decision. I found a business coach - a $2,000 investment that felt like a million at the time. They offered a payment plan, and I scraped together the first $500 and took the leap.
From Burnout to Blooming
That investment in myself was the catalyst for a complete transformation. I devoured every business book I could find, attended workshops, and implemented my coach's strategies even when it was uncomfortable.
I learned how to market my services, price my packages, and build a strong online presence. Slowly but surely, my client base grew, and my income followed.
Fast forward eight years. Today, I run a global coaching business that brings in consistent six figures. I work four days a week, some week even less, from my sunlid home office and private studio - both are jungles of plants and inspiration.
My team spans six people across three countries. We’ve served clients in over 25 countries within a robust offer suite that includes 1-on-1 coaching, mastermind program, membership program, retreat, and online course ranging between $97 to $20,000.
I still have to pinch myself sometimes.
But this isn’t just about money. It’s about creating a life that feels true to me. I live in a sunlit five-bedroom home with my partner and our daughter. I go to dance classes on Mondays, practice yoga in the mornings, get a massage 2-3 times a week, and once in a while perform poetry live in KL.
A Message to My Younger Self (and You)
As a little girl growing up in Vietnam, I never felt like I was enough. Our house flooded every time it rained, and I was too ashamed to invite friends over. My darker complexion earned me cruel nicknames like the “black goat.”
Even as an adult, I carried those wounds. I had to shatter so many inner glass ceilings to arrive where I am today.
I sometimes look back at my 7-year-old self, who felt like she was a mistake, and my 13-year-old self who thought of ending her life and whisper: You see, my love? We are enough, just as we are.
To my daughter, who constantly tests the limits of my patience with her fiery spirit, I say: I’m doing this for us.
And to you, dear reader, I say: If you’ve ever felt like an underdog, if the world has ever told you to stay small, hear me now: you’re made for more.
5 KEYS TO Turning Your Passion into Prosperity
Learn the business side, or the business side will humble you.
Do what you love AND make your customers love what you do, and learn everything you can about the business side of things, and transform your money blocks, THEN money will follow.It makes for a lousy bumper sticker, but it’s true.
Bet on yourself—every single time.
I used to feel so stingy with myself. I didn’t feel worthy of investing in myself in a big way. But that kind of thinking made me broke. Betting on yourself is always the safest bet because the only person you have control over is YOU.Make an investment to make a return on investment.
Want to make 10,000? Be willing to invest at least 1,000. Want to make 100,000? Be willing to invest at least 10,000. I’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars in learning everything about the business side of things and getting coached to transform my inner blocks. Every single investment has come back 10-fold or more.Ask for help.
Repeat after me: Ask. For. Help. Going at it alone is just too hard. You need your “success team”. Mentors, coaches, community, peers. Every time you start a project towards an ambitious goal, ask yourself: “Who do I want on my success team?”
Fail forward.
Every failure is a lesson in disguise. The Universe doesn’t give you what you want. The Universe gives you the lessons you need to get what you want. There’s no failed entrepreneurs, only those who quit before they succeed.
Closing Thoughts
The journey from a burnout yoga teacher to a six-figure coach wasn’t linear or glamorous. It was messy, humbling, and full of faceplants. But every stumble was worth it.
If you’re standing at your own crossroads, scared and unsure, let me tell you this: The first step is always the hardest. But once you take it, the path begins to reveal itself.
And that's the funny thing about chasing your dreams. Sometimes they lead you into a financial nightmare, but if you're willing to learn and grow, they’ll carry you into a life beyond your wildest imagination.
xo Milena
PS: I wish I’d had THIS when I was starting out…
I started my coaching business with nothing but a dream, a lot of mistakes, and zero clarity.
If I could go back and give my younger self one thing, it would be this: The Zero to Launch Manual - the 5-step framework I wish I had when I was starting out.
Skip the $48 retreats and start your coaching business the smart way, click HERE to download.
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Hey, fellow purpose-driven human!
I’m Milena. When I was 24, I said no to corporate job offers to “do my own thing.”
9 years, some major fumbles, 3 TEDx Talks, 1 published book, 50,000 followers, and hundreds of clients (from 15+ countries) later…
I make a multi-six-figure living as a coach while spending most of my time walking barefoot in my apartment. #introvertgoal
I know you want to make a difference.
I’m here to help you turn that calling into a financially sustainable coaching business — while staying away from the hustle, and skipping the pitfalls that trip up most new coaches.
Quit your 9-to-5. Move to a paradise island. Slow yoga every morning. Work from sunlit cafes. Make time for loved ones (including yourself). Grow your influence. Wake up excited about your day. And serve only the clients who light you up…
All of that (and more!) is possible, once you have the right support.
Let me help you shine.