Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health & wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Danielle Collinsworth, Founder of Sky's The Limit Yoga Co., located in Norfolk, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My name is Danielle Talley, and I am the owner of two businesses, Sky’s The Limit Yoga Company (STL) and The Caffeinated Yogi Company. I will be diving into mostly everything STL in this interview!

Sky’s The Limit Yoga Company (STL) was founded in 2017 as a community-based yoga company and expanded to a brick-and-mortar in 2021. Community is still the backbone of the company’s mission as we strive to bring yoga to everyBODY, both on and off the mat. This means (no matter how cliche it might sound) our clientele is everyone! From kiddos to college kids, hard-working parents, and granny too! All are welcome at STL. :)

Tell us about yourself

I fell in love with yoga as I was looking to fill my long-lost love for dance. I danced competitively and taught dance for 15 years and found yoga when I was in college. Years later, I left Corporate America to take on yoga full-time! My original vision was to open a yoga studio + coffee shop.

A place for the yoga community to grow off the mat. Hundreds of miles away from my hometown and years after leaving Corporate America, I am now the owner of a yoga studio + and an online coaching business. Some things have changed, but the mission of keeping the community at the forefront of the brand is still there and continues to grow!

At STL, we are not slinging the espresso (thanks COVID), but we do have a co-working space in the studio + we offer classes at coffee shops, breweries, and other events spaces throughout 5+ cities in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The motivation piece is easy. My students are forever what motivates me. Students come to the mat because they are looking to move their bodies, minds, and hearts.

I’ve known about so many pregnancies before close friends and family are aware that there is a bun in the over. I have helped students overcome mental health struggles and even brought people together for the first time who now share their last names. The students will forever be my driving force for everything I do on + off the mat.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have to break this one down to 3!- Moving to another state. I had an idea of what I wanted, and I knew that my vision was not possible (for me) in my previous town of St. Petersburg, Florida. Norfolk, VA, was the farthest north. I looked and moved here, not knowing a single soul! I arrived in VA in June of 2017, and within less than 30 days of living here, I hosted my first class in a brewery with 18 attendees! Moving here was one of the scariest but best things I have ever done for myself.

Yoga studio awards before opening,  I’ve earned just over five yoga studio awards (from the CoVa Best Of to different awards with The Virginia Pilot), all without having a physical brick-and-mortar. Touching so many lives and growing a community with limited resources is something I am very proud of and grateful for.

Virtual launch with COVID- when our world was turned upside down in 2020, I panicked (as did everyone). I took a few hours to cry and freak out and quickly shifted gears to a virtual platform. In less than 48 hours, I created an online membership, and we had 50+ members join within the first week!

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

The term “task” is the first thing that comes to mind. From managing tasks that you would NEVER think of to delegating tasks. No one tells you how hard it is to deal with permitting in a city to what is needed to manage a storefront. Let alone the hours' needs on social media and cleaning the space. Task delegation is therefore needed for success, BUT it can be hard to overcome. Be comfortable with hiring and learn how to delegate tasks because your time and energy will always be needed in the areas you least expect!

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

  1. Stick with your gut/ plan - One of the reasons why it took me years to move into a brick-and-mortar is because I stuck to my gut. I knew how much square footage I needed for my vision to shine. I was aware that I needed to build a community BEFORE opening doors. I was told time and time again that I was going about it all wrong OR that I could not succeed with the limited resources I had. I easily could have changed the vision of STL and followed the advice of business bankers, city council, and architects alike to have opened the studio earlier, but if I did, we would not have the community-based company people you see today that people have grown to love.
  2. Make adjustments with a mission in mind. I am going to counter what I said in number 1, so bear with me! I stuck with my gut and knew I needed community space in the studio. I made adjustments to cut the coffee shop from my vision by making an adjustment and keeping my gut in the forefront of my mind rather than completely changing gears. My biggest piece of advice here is to adapt BUT think outside of the box to keep your vision a reality.
  3. Learn how to spend your money. For four years, Sky’s The Limit lacked a website. I operated the business using only social media and Eventbrite. I knew my marketing resources were needed elsewhere - like a photographer for events to help promote and build STL on free platforms (Instagram and Facebook).
    The term “think outside of the box” is one that I would again apply here. I hired a fantastic contractor for the build-out of the brick-and-mortar studio, but I saved money in as many areas as I could. From driving miles away to pick up all lighting for the studio to searching for hours on end to find doors to fit our unique open concept, “Lotus Room.”

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://skysthelimityogaco.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3rM241W
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysthelimityogaco/

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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