by Wellnesscookingacademy | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Offer Value Beyond the Recipe
Sherri Mraz teaching a cooking class
Have you ever found yourself wondering why some cooking classes always seem to have full sign-ups, happy students, and plenty of repeat faces? I remember my early days as an instructor every new class felt like a leap of faith and soooo much work! Would my students love the class enough to come back? Over the years (and more than a few stumbles), I discovered that truly memorable experiences are about much more than recipes. They’re about real connection, simple systems (hint they should direct people to your product and services), and a healthy dose of fun.
3 Secrets to Keep Students Coming Back for More
- Create Community
From the first class, welcome students by name and encourage them to share stories or personal cooking goals. Don’t make it a lecture 🥱Share your clients successes, build them into stories. Small gestures, like sending a quick follow-up message after class, go a long way. The most-loved classes always feel like a gathering of new friends, not a formal lesson.
- Keep it Simple — and Personal
Don’t feel pressured to over-deliver information. Start with simple, achievable skills that build confidence. My students always appreciated when I explained not only the “how” but the “why” behind each recipe, have handouts that describe the benefits of the ingredients. You want to make the classes easy enough that they can recreate at home and not feel intimidated. Personal stories or little kitchen mishaps included!
- Offer Consistent Value — Go Beyond the Demo
Try and tell a few stories, whether from your own experiences in life, your kitchen or your clients. I often tell about my Nana preaching to chew each bite 50 times. I don’t expect people to count, but it does bring a laugh when I demo. Bonus: Along with the recipe a printed handout with ingredient benefits and tips. It’s the difference between a one-off class and an experience they’ll rave about. It’s been almost 20 years of me teaching classes and I still have people share that they are making one of my recipes, then send me screenshots of a printout. Pretty cool 😎 actually.
Whether you’re starting out or looking for ideas to re-energize your classes, the Wellness Cooking Academy gives you both the system and support you need to succeed. You bring your passion and we’ll help with the rest!
Happy Cooking
by Wellnesscookingacademy | Feb 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
How you lay out your calendar will determine your success. Whether you have read the book “The 12 Week Year” or not you can be assured that you must be thinking ahead.
You don’t have to go as crazy as the department stores and start putting out Christmas decorations on Valentine’s Day but you do have to map out a plan.
When I was the Lifestyle Center Specialist, which is a fancy term for cooking instructor, at Whole Foods Market I always gave my upcoming months plan for classes to the marketing department on the 15th of the preceding month, that is a great habit to get into. For example by March 15th you title and schedule all of your April classes. You will get bonus points for doing May too!
This is an example of what your next 12 weeks (quarter) could look like after you get started with the Wellness Cooking Academy (WCA)…
April
- Place an ad in local paper and on Facebook inviting people who want to get in shape for summer or to get ready for that spring wedding, to call, email, or register with link for Spring Cleaning Cooking Class (you will sign them up for your detox/cleanse program) DFY provided from WCA
- Attend local health fairs, bridal shows, or other events where you can leave your flyers, or get your own demo booth (we will talk more about this in the course)
May
- Hit your goal for clients for the first time ever by converting participants from your detox class into paying clients
- Schedule Green’s and Cooking on a Budget classes DFY provided. You set your schedule the more classes you teach the more potential clients. Goal of one to eight classes per month.
- Get creative with Titles, use same material, “Spring Bounty of Vegetable for ________” or make up mocktails and call your class, “Wine and Dine” you want to title according to your niche.
- Mother’s Day class to treat yourself to a delicious fresh meal for vibrant health, so easy you will be able recreate on your own in record time.
June
- Book kids classes for the summer camps or if that’s not your thing, put the kids in camp and use our corporate Lunch & Learns packages (use proposals provided).
- Hold your summer classes and start booking for fall, getting the kids back to school, always think a couple months ahead with you’re planning.
Planning your business calendar
I think you get the point. These examples are just to jog your brain into laying out a plan. When you are a health coach or any wellnesspreneur there are so many ways to build a business that it can get confusing and overwhelming at times. It’s hard to know what to focus on first.
The Wellness Cooking Academy is not just a cooking school for that very reason. We teach how to use classes and food education to capatalize on your niche market. The classes are the perfect lead in to paying programs, if done correctly.
When you are looking at your calendar this month think about creating a rinse and repeat schedule. Maybe you teach on the same nights or days each week. This allows people to know what to expect. And as always keep it simple!
Any questions about the course or the new self study option leave a comment below and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Happy Cooking
