My first Yoga Studio… the Epic Story

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Yogis Studio Dreams

There comes a point in a yogi’s life where we ask ourselves… what next? The most logical progression is start and open a yoga studio. Of course! Do you want to know how and why this happened? The evolution of it all? In a moment I will share how this all came to be, why the most perfect and imperfect people came into my life during it and how it taught me to shape up or ship out!

 

But first, let me introduce the key players:

  1. The Russian
  2. The Jersey Yogini
  3. The Argentinian
  4. The slumlord

Sounds a bit like a spy drama doesn’t it? Picture the Russian with a mysterious je ne sais quois about him and the Argentinian dancing tango and throwing knives while doing it. Well it’s kinda like that but way way less dramatic!

So about 5 years ago I had coffee with my friend, the Russian and he said – “Hey you want to open a yoga studio with me?”. All this in a thick Russian accent of course. I immediately said “YES!”. You can get an idea of my impulsive nature as I am a gemini, a monkey in my Chinese astrology and Vata/Pitta in my dosha.

Now mind you I had never owned a brick and mortar business. Much less, had never really had a “business” that involved others.  I was a lone wolf in the yogi and freelance world and had never even thought of what owning a business meant. An entrepreneur at heart, but not to this level.

Second, I had no idea the Russian came with a partner. So I jumped head in to a massive investment.  These were my life savings!!! With someone I had maybe met 3-4 times in my life. This turned out to be the best decision ever.

Meet Michelle. The Jersey Yogini with a heart of gold and the hustle of a pizza bagel (as we lovingly call Italian Jews). She is now my soul sister, a lady who works as heard as I do because without her help nothing of this would be a reality today.

 

So the story begins.

After agreeing that this was a great idea, getting the location, starting the build out, jumping for joy after signing our lease we realized we had no more funds, no more energy and no vision. The “oh shit” happened and reality came crashing down. The Russian is a yogi who traveled and disappeared for weeks in caves or with a swami. Michelle and I had been left to our own devices dealing with the unfriendliest and slimiest cigar smoking, name calling landlord in the universe (enter the slumlord). He made our build out process a nightmare from cheating, delaying, lying – well you get the picture. Know that at the end of the day good always wins and we definitely won because of our grit and hard work!

 

Life of a Yoga Studio Owner During Opening

All I can remember is sitting in my car talking to the permits man crying hysterically on WHY we had gotten denied AGAIN and had to now pay another few thousand dollars. To make the long story short, we were in dire straits. I studied architecture for a year in college so I had some idea of something but not to this degree. When you have a small budget you get creative. You hustle and learn to do things on your own quickly. Michelle took to the city and department of building to expedite our permits. I chose flooring, dealt with engineers and architects. A killer team ready to make it happen.

At the end of the day we had an opening day and were going to stick to it. If you are thinking about opening a studio- do your homework and make sure you have the funds and needs to make one from scratch or invest and buy one already made.

In comes the Argentine to save the day. With help from his ninja business skills we made a studio that would sky rocket to success. All of us made a killer team- business brain, yogis on a mission and lots of good will. We finally opened TRIO Studios the day before a 30 person training we had scheduled months before.

 

NOTEWORTHY TIPS

Top 5 Tips to Success with Your Yoga Studio

So you know anything you are trying to build out will take twice as long, and twice as much. Our classes steadily grew because to have a successful studio you need a few things:

  1. REALLY GOOD TEACHERS
  2. A KILLER SCHEDULE
  3. A GREAT TEAM
  4. A BRAND THAT STANDS OUT
  5. A UNIQUE APPROACH

Good teachers make or break a studio. Because the owners always have a bigger pull if you open a studio, give yourself the top and best time slots furthermore always share some of those slots with your best teachers so when you decide to step out of the teaching the studio is still busy.

The schedule should reflect the people who live near you, your niche clientele, your ideal student. If you live near young professionals know that the might want later classes or really early mornings. Study your neighborhood and cater to what they want.

To mange or not to manage is the question that seems like has an easy answer.  I decided I am a better teacher than a manager. Hiring someone else to take care of the smaller things is a great idea and as a result it created space for me to be creative, to see the bigger picture and to create a lifestyle that I wanted. The hiring process is critical because your manager is the face of your studio in addition to the front desk. Whether yogis turned business owners realize it, sale are number 1. Make your team represent you. Create a family of workers that care and want to grow with you.

Branding. One of my favorite topics. First of all you want a killer logo that represents you. Since you want to be top of mind a name that is easy to remember is KEY therefore helping you stand out more. TRIO is in English & Spanish and short and sweet. Don’t confuse people who don’t speak sanskrit. Make the branding something that appeals to your ideal client and stands out from the others. Because branding is so important, check out this free mini video or my complete course which has a whole section on creating your brand.

aerial yoga - trio yoga studio

Finally, a unique approach which in TRIO’s case, is aerial & acroyoga, and over 65 classes a week. We cater to people who want to expand their horizons with yoga and explore different avenues. We want people to be able to come to class whenever so we make the studio available almost all day so that they have easy access. ALSO owning a studio is about real estate management. If the room is empty, you are losing money. Don’t leave money on the table- ever!

With all this being said and done, TRIO has created a community of yoga lovers, people who’s lives change for the better daily. It created a job for Michelle and I who are the main teachers, lead the trainings and yoga retreats. Our studio is probably one of the best in Miami because we provide a level of service and quality unmatched by others and as a result make a big impact on the lives of many. Our vision and dedication teaches us daily on how to be better business owners and yogis. It’s a fine line but at the end of the day it’s worth seeing the smiles on peoples faces.

 

SUCCESS STORY

A legacy in the making.

In conclusion TRIO is a HUGE hit and continues on its way up. Profitable on year 1, top 10 yoga studio in Miami 3 years in a row. Unique in scheduling, class style and the first in Wynwood Arts District. A team that kicks ass and a legacy of quality.

To learn more how to be a yogi entrepreneur, a creator, a proliferator of goodness then check out Bizzy Yogi Online Business Academy. Most of all you will learn all the ins and outs of being a successful business owner, a top of mind yogi entrepreneur and grow your yogi business mind that surpasses what you think was possible.

Take action today and join the tribe of movers and shakers who want to change the world one om at a time so that yoga grows and continues to impact the world daily.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Stress and Yoga

According to www.stress.org – an organization dedicated to educating people on stress and its effects – 77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress including fatigue, headaches, upset stomach, and muscle tension.

A whopping 73% of people experience psychological symptoms caused by stress like irritability or anger, anxiousness, lack of energy, or feeling the need to cry.

All of that from STRESS… Is it ruining your life?

Living in our modern world is awesome. It’s fun, fast-paced and convenient! But, let’s face it… Living in the modern world is also… stressful!

Take a moment to think about what creates stress in your life. I’ll wait.

We as yogis aren’t impervious to stress, we can meditate all we want, but can we actually avoid it?

Stress is a mentally and emotionally disruptive condition that is created in response to adverse external influences as seen in the dictionary. It can actually be a good thing for health and safety but also can wreak havoc on your mental and physical bodies.

I know you’re saying, how is stress good for me? Well, it sends more oxygen to the brain so we can be sharper, quicker, and helps us solve problems easier.

But if you are constantly getting bombarded with stress in our lives then we have an excess, and as good yogis we know excess is unbalanced and just plain overwhelming.

You want to eliminate chronic stress as much as possible as it causes many negative effects in our lives. It affects our immune, endocrine and nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, muscular and reproductive systems.

That sums up the entire body! Why would we want anything to mess with our entire being? You don’t! Keep reading to find out how Yoga comes into play!

Let’s dig a little deeper!

Immune System:

The release of cortisol over long periods of time creates inflammation and prevents histamine secretion. This can actually delay our healing process and can increase chances of viral infections.

On a good note, a little stress can actually heal wounds, but how many serious wounds do you get in your life vs battling constant inflammation due to chronic stress.

Yoga Journal published a piece that expertly sums up how different Yoga poses can help boost your immune system and how meditating for only 20 minutes a day can decrease your daily cortisol production.


Endocrine & Nervous System:

Adrenaline & cortisol. Your 2 great friends that play go, go, go in the fight or flight responses. Now this is great if you are getting chased by a bear and need to run 10 x’s faster to save your life, but do we need constant pumping of these chemicals in our adrenals? NO.

If there are symptoms of chronic stress, your CNS (Central Nervous System) never shuts down or goes back to normal causing depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Using yoga we can battle this overproduction of adrenaline and cortisol by practicing asana, using mulabhanda and meditation. Don’t take my word for it, read from the Harvard Health blog how meditation eases stress and its physical & psychological effects.

Respiratory & Cardiovascular System:

Deep breathing. Slowing down the inhales & exhales is a great way to combat the effects of chronic stress on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Stress causes us to breathe faster and more shallow, causes your blood vessels to constrict and raise your blood pressure. By relaxing and practicing pranayama as well as poses like sun salutations, we actually can help the heart slow down and work less.

The American Heart Association posted this on their blog about Yoga and cardiovascular health.


Digestive System:

When we are under chronic fight or flight our bodies, the liver in particular, produces extra sugar. If you have excess sugar and your body can’t use or transform it, then diseases like diabetes can creep into your life.

Stress can also cause ulcers, nausea and/or vomiting. It will also prevent absorption of nutrients which can cause additional symptoms of fatigue and not feeling “well”.

At the end of the day our yogic practices create a sense of overall calm in the body and mind. Savanna is a sure way to allow our bodies to rest, our muscles to let go of tension and to realign our minds to let go.

With a daily practice of meditation, pranayama and asana, guaranteed your body will be more prepared to battle stressors! Also understanding that stress is not caused by external sources is HUGE! We must not let negative situations or people get to under our skin – literally!

There are many tools to combat chronic stress with Yoga & meditation at the center, we just need to use them. Start by checking out my Yoga For Beginners: Sun Salutations video.

Find this post helpful?! Please share it with anyone you feel could use some de-stressing!

 

For all of my Yoga Teachers, this is a MUST READ! >>> The REAL Reason I Quit Being A Yoga Teacher

 

 

Have specific questions? Let Ari, the Bizzy Yogi answer them! Ask your question below and we will answer it in our weekly email OR in a FB Live webshow – we’ll even give you a shoutout!

 

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I’m a hustler baby, I just want you to know.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NK1FgO_O18″ el_width=”90″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]Yup, this is what us in the wellness industry are subject to. Yoga teacher, waitress, massage therapist, receptionist… you name it. How has it turned into such a rat race? At the end of the day aren’t we just trying to help people?

Over the last decade there has been a surge of yoga teacher, holistic coaches, fitness experts that are all trying to make it doing what they love. But why is it so hard to make good money?

I have friends who teach 30 classes a week! This is insane when you think about your physical limitations of training, teaching, adjusting… the list goes on.

How can we create abundance without losing ourselves in the hustle? 35% of millennials have a side jobs according to Forbes Magazine. Either the system is set up that living expenses vs debt and wages aren’t even, or we are getting paid too little for what we do.

When I started teaching yoga, I was 25 and had 3 other jobs. I was a graphic designer, photography assistant and yoga teacher on the side. It took me about 3 years to shift this into yoga teacher and graphic designer on the side. We all have these double lives as we don’t go to college to become yoga teachers or fitness instructors. We choose to do a teacher training for many reasons, but the main ones being unhappiness in our status quo or wanting to fill a gap in our spiritual and daily lives. For me it was both.

Working in advertising or having 10 hour long photoshoots wasn’t my idea of success and had no value at the end of the day. What was my legacy to the world? How did I allow myself to feel complacent in creating for others?

Here are some answers on HOW you can earn doing what you love!

  • Have you decided on what it is you are most passionate about offering? Is there a training you did that makes you stand out?
  • What is your most UNIQUE quality? (and be really specific here!)
  • How can you use your time wisely so there is no burn out?
  • Have you started an email list? If so, how often do you connect with your readers?
  • Do you have goals? Have you written them down?
  • What does your resume look like? If it needs a re-write, go for it! Make sure you keep yourself up to date.
  • As a wellness practitioner you are in the service industry. Read up about your opportunities from people who are already doing it! Those who’ve been there done that.
  • Get a mentor! This is so valuable I can’t even begin. This is probably one of the reasons why I am successful.
  • Make sure you are ethical and professional ALWAYS! There is nothing like losing clout and getting coined as the “flakey yogi”.

 

After all we are all on the same boat. We all have desires, dreams, ambitions and a higher purpose. We have spouses, families, pets, bills and such that we need to take care of. So if having a side hustle is still the way to go, keep doing it until you can shift your focus and attention directly to what you want. (by the way I still work on my photography stuff… but why? CA– USE I LOVE IT!)

SCHEDULE A FREE CALL TODAY!

Let’s chat to see how we can grow your vision, your passion, create a brand you love with consciousness and let the hustle work for you!

Namaste,

Arianne Om[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]