Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lauren Rudick, Founder of Yoga Academy International, located in Kingston, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
All the yoga experiences. We provide top-notch yoga education, incredible immersive retreats in gorgeous locations, and yoga teacher training both online and in person. Our customers (students) are people who are looking for more. They are invested in their personal growth. They're usually at a crossroads in their lives, whether it be ending a job, getting out of a relationship, or finishing school; they're at a point where they want to get to know themselves better and take some time to breathe and heal.
Tell us about yourself
I started practicing yoga 18 years ago and teaching 13 years ago. Yoga Academy International was born from meditation. I had a vision of people smiling, laughing, dancing, hugging, and practicing yoga in a gorgeous sunny location overlooking the ocean. It was so convincing and so vivid that I just knew it was my colleague. 1 hour later, I bought the domain name. 2 weeks later; I had a website. 4-weeks after that, we launched our first training and have been growing ever since! What motivates me? Working with people who inspire me, learning, and challenging myself to grow alongside my students.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment in starting this school has been to create something bigger than just me. My business used to be my personal brand (LaurenRudick.com), running yoga retreats and travel blogging. Then one day, I realized that if my business was centered around me, I could never take time off. I could never go on maternity leave. I could never get sick... If my name was on every yoga diploma and every festival poster, I would always be limited to what I could do on my own. In starting Yoga Academy International, I have been able to create something that goes WAY beyond myself and my own reputation. I have invited mentors, teachers, and friends who inspire me and have so much to offer. Teachers and colleagues have come on who have so many different skill sets than me. Their names are alongside mine. Yoga Academy International now has its own following and its own reputation that is so much bigger than mine alone. I get to step back and smile as it all unfolds. One day I will just watch quietly from far back and know that I planted the seed that has germinated and grown into this beautiful, big and diverse garden that is Yoga Academy International.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is that it is lonely at the top. I have recently joined a mastermind of other female entrepreneurs because, as the business owner, boss, and leader, I don't have peers. I wish I had someone who I could cry to sometimes at the end of the day! It isn't appropriate to share all that I feel and all that I am going through with my colleagues who work for me. I feel very alone sometimes. I sometimes feel like I have no one on my personal team.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just go for it! Don't be scared, and don't look back. Keep moving forward.
- Failures are PART of growth. There will be many. Your ultimate success will be in your resilience and ability to learn from and bounce back after each failure.
- Sometimes, work feels like work. Not every passion has to be monetized and turned into your profession. Even when you do something you love, it will sometimes feel like work. There will be days that you resent your passions if you make them your job, so choose wisely.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://yogaacademyinternational.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenRudickYoga/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laurenrudick/
https://www.instagram.com/yogaacademyinternational/
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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