Hey, I'm Megna Paula and I'm a Rocket + Ashtanga vinyasa yoga teacher based in New York City.

Tell us all about your business...

I teach yoga in the most authentic, inspired, mind-body blowing way I can. With 17 years of teaching experience (I started when I was in high school!), I've learned to love teaching the accessible level for Equinox and yoga studios.

My passion is the personal practice: I am on my mat 5 hours a day, and I share that depth with my private clients. My clients are my inspiration. They have a deep respect for their health on all levels— mind, body, energy, creativity— and are willing to work their way into their own highest potential. Our connection, our journey, and our setting (I teach from my home studio space in the East Village) makes every hour an unforgettable, immersive experience.

What's your background and motivation to get into the solopreneur life?

My plan, since childhood, was to be a doctor by day and novelist by night. At Duke, I was pre-med, and at Georgetown Neurology, I focused on fMRI neuroscience research. All the while, my love for meditative movement and deep philosophy was growing.

In 2013, I made the transition from science to yoga, and have been teaching/healing by day, writing by night ever since. Every day is a fulfillment of my dreams, and I never forget that. I feel honored to embody the wisdom of my Indian culture, to share my love with those who seek, and to have the freedom to live as an artist in NYC.

As a solopreneur, what does success ultimately mean to you?

Freedom.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is the best thing: to be independent, to trust ourselves to make the decisions that feel correct, and to freely move in new directions.

What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run or grow a business today?

Do what you love
Learn the rules, then break the rules
Keep growing, changing, perfecting your art

If there was one thing you could do repeatedly to help grow your business, what would it be?

Social media! This is the hardest project for me, and I have so much respect for those who devote themselves to creating great content. It means stepping away from fully doing what we love in order to portray ourselves doing what we love. What a gift to our community.

What are some of the things you put in place to maintain a healthy work/life balance and to keep it all together?

Growing my own vegetables at home. Playing the guitar. Sketching. Long walks. I love stepping outside, in to the East Village, and seeing how much life goes on. I've learned how joyful it is to take time to talk to the friends and neighbors I meet on the streets. Life lesson: It's important to be close with people who don't know you for your work-- they're the ones who see you, and care for you, without any expectations. That's a liberation.

Who are some of your favorite entrepreneurs and best business resources/books?

I've been working independently for a decade, but never studied business! My readings are all on philosophy, kinesiology, and art. I admire the free thinkers, the free spirits: Jimi Hendrix, Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci.
For recommendations: keep your eyes open and learn from everyone and everything you see.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Stay centered in the work that you love -- everything else will flow naturally.

Where can people find you online?

You can find my personal website here , rocket yoga here and for philosophy here. I'm also on Instagram @megnapaula.

If you like what you've read here and have your own #GoSoloStories that you'd like to share then email bethany@subkit.com, we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.