Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shell Andrea, founder of Shell Andrea Yoga + Kirtan, located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is called Shell Andrea Yoga + Kirtan, and I am a Yoga Educator with a home-based studio and classroom space. A Yoga Educator might be considered a bit different than a Yoga Teacher in that all aspects of Yoga are offered, not just the physical components. I believe in Yoga as a lifestyle and not just an hour-long practice, though that's important as well!
I offer gentle movement classes, breathing and energy practices, deeply rejuvenating restorative relaxation classes, meditation sessions, and even live music mantra meditations called Kirtan. My students are made up of a variety of people, some who have practiced Yoga for years and others who would call themselves beginners or might not have had success in other strong physical classes.
Some may have injuries, or they may just be seeking a deeper understanding of Yoga Philosophy and wanting something more. Students who attend classes are looking to settle their minds and gain the benefits that Yoga has to the whole self, including mental health.
Tell us about yourself
I first came to Yoga because of a physical injury. Like many other people in the western world, physical practice is the first contact or experience with Yoga. I started to see changes in my life the more I practiced – not just physical changes but mental and emotional changes for the better. This was 20 years ago!
Then, life happened, and I was in the grips of the most challenging time and situation, and my mental health crashed. Something inside me kept saying I would be ok, no matter what happened, which I attributed to the work I had done on myself through Yoga. The only thing I could manage to do was get myself into a dark warm local Yoga studio, often with tears running down my face. I feel to this day that it saved me.
This was when I realized I needed to further my studies. I embarked on a journey of training in 2011, and I haven't stopped yet; many certifications and pilgrimages later. Through this study with my esteemed teachers from India, I realized I had to share what I learned with others. To give people a chance to uncover their connection to their true selves or even just have a glimpse of it motivates me each day. Imagine if people could come from the heart five more minutes a day – the world would be a different place.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am proudest of my Yoga Self Development & Teacher Training 6-month intensive program and the students in the first cohort that are four months in. Starting out, I offered a small class out of my home studio but mostly contracted my teaching out to other studios. In the second month of the pandemic, I reached a turning point. I shifted to focusing only on my own studio, offering virtual live classes, and developing a library of over 180 class recordings on my virtual membership website. At the time, I set a goal of developing and offering the program within five years. Instead, I poured my attention into a curriculum and manual that was accredited and ready to offer a year and a half later!
I feel that even though these are great accomplishments, the most joy comes from seeing positive change in my students.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner, with no staff, might I add, is selling. Selling myself, my classes and workshops, and reaching people. Marketing has come easy to me; content is easy to me because Yoga has a vast amount of content to write about, and it is a passion of mine to share that information. It's fun for me. But outreach and selling my services has become my biggest challenge, even though I have improved greatly at it.
Conceptually, the fundamentals of Yoga and "Selling" may seem to clash. But in order for me to help people connect with Yoga in these modern times and contexts, it's necessary and acceptable!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Your self-worth and value are not dependent on how much you sell, how many customers you have, or how much revenue you bring in. Not everyone needs your product or service, and you are not the right business for everyone. But you are meeting the needs of some people, and there is room for competitors and other businesses. Celebrating their successes as well as your own will help you to find more peace within. Do your best and trust the rest.
- Step out of your comfort zone. It's the only way to make progress, learn and grow. Learn from things that don't go the way you want them to, and be grateful when things end up in your favour. Falling is not failing.
- Patience, time, and self-care. Cultivating the ability to give something time to grow and having patience while it develops can be challenging but rewarding. Self-care and REAL self-care are also taking time for you. Not buying things, not filling voids in your life, but real-time to relax your body and mind will keep you fueled, preventing you from giving up during these times.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.shellandreayoga.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shellyogakirtan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellyogakirtan/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellyogakirtan/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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