Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alyssa Manny, Founder of Ohana Yoga + Barre, located in Denver, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Ohana Yoga + Barre is a boutique studio in Northwest Denver serving our local community, as well as via live stream to the world beyond. Ohana is more than just movement. We are dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive space where folks can move, breathe and simply be. This family curates conscious connections so that we may live more empowered, more embodied lives in order to continue to learn, progress, and grow.
Tell us about yourself
In the beginning, there was yoga. And through the lens of yoga, everything else began to flow: movement, various fitness modalities, architecture + design. The day I graduated with my Master's in Architecture was the day I decided to create a space that would include these seemingly disparate and yet highly connected passions of mine. Ohana was born from a vision where living a life of your highest potential was honored and supported. Within our family, we move to clear the mind, we breathe to connect the mind to the body, and we cultivate community in order to share conscious connections. I am motivated to show up every single day to do what I do in complete service of a dream where we all may learn to ascend to our highest good.
Do you have daily rituals for work / wellness / fitness / mindfulness?
Living life as an entrepreneur and mother would be static and unsteady without daily rituals of health, wellness, and self-care. It would be extremely challenging to lead a team of over 40 employees and run a household as a single mom without fueling my mind, body, and soul.
Every single day, I come first.
It is with this ethos and integrity that I can then extend outward to take care of everyone and everything that deserves my attention and best performance.
My daily rituals include a 15-20 minute meditation utilizing breathwork and a given mantra, or sound anchor, to facilitate stillness and ease. I intentionally start the day this way before my children awake so that I can bind the edges that have frayed and begin the day with the rise of the sun. After I meditate, I plan my day with at least 20-30 minutes of movement in mind. Often, my movement comes in the form of high-intensity intervals, and sometimes, movement is more of a passive stretching practice. Regardless of the level of sweat, the opportunity for movement syncs up the mind and body. Everything we learn is through the body, and through this somatic lens, I am able to experience and explore.
The newest ritual I've been exploring includes a near-daily ice bath and infrared sauna practice. Both of these modalities provide "intentional stress" through the experience of hot and cold. They are powerful practices for learning to regulate the nervous systems and come with a wide variety of benefits—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. These ancient healing practices are intentional tools that support change and individual evolution.
It is through these intentional rituals of meditation, breathwork, movement, and intentional stress that I have become an extremely adaptable human, high achiever, successful entrepreneur, and loving mother, and I have experienced some of the greatest happiness of my life. The reality is that no one is here to do "it" for you. All of life is a choice, and it's all here for you to choose. Choose yourself.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been learning the art of leadership. Leadership is born through conscious actions of example, and it's maintained by holding space in order for others to be seen, heard, and felt. I have the best team in the world, and it is because each unique individual is highly supported while working simultaneously to co-create our ultimate goals.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a business owner has tremendous peaks and valleys. There is nothing like creating a vision and then taking intentional steps to build, honor and watch it grow. One of the most challenging aspects of business ownership is vast and expansive accountability. If something isn't working, I am responsible. If I have the wrong personnel in place, I am responsible. If a client or team member is dissatisfied, I am responsible. There is no one else to hold the container for accountability beyond yourself, and it truly never ends.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top three tips I would give to anyone looking into entrepreneurship are:=
- Get funding in place to support yourself, your team, and your vision for a minimum of one year post-opening.
- Become crystal clear on your branding and messaging—the more simple, the better.
- Make sure your vision aligns with a specific service or product that supports a niche need in the market. Just because you have a great idea doesn't mean it will be profitable.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ohanayoga.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhanaYogaBarre/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohanayogabarre/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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