Serving Diverse Practices From Around the World - Yoga Belly
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aaron Goodnow, co-founder of Yoga Belly, located in Mountain View, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Yoga Belly is a sanctuary space where you can sit, practice, and learn the deeper meaning of yoga. In addition to offering you “light on tradition, heavy on workout” Yoga Belly classes, we are also committed to helping cultivate a deeper mind/body connection, paving the way for you to become your own Yoga teacher. We host deep-dive training and have a private room for one-on-one sessions. Our Yoga Belly family members are not afraid to put in the work to live a balanced, full, and mindful life. We want to enjoy the life we have been given and live as our most vibrant selves.
Tell us about yourself
Our journey began over 16 years ago when we stepped into our first power yoga class, which changed our lives forever. We went down the path of becoming certified yoga teachers, and in 2010 we brought to life Yoga Belly at the heart of Silicon Valley. During the pandemic, we transformed Yoga Belly into a live-stream platform, and we sought out higher education: Will became a 500-hour certified Yoga Teacher and 50-hour certified Yin Yoga Teacher, and I am now completing my 1000-hour program in Yoga Therapy. As we both come back to the in-person experience, our goal is to introduce and deliver more embodiment practices that explore the relationship between our physical being and our energy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Having taught at Wanderlust, being an ambassador for companies such as Lululemon and Brutal Buddha, bringing together hundreds of yogis together to practice yoga on the Mountain View City Hall steps, and owning our own yoga studio for the last 12 years, there has been a lot to be proud of on this journey. Our greatest accomplishment has been the hundreds of yoga teachers we have helped groom and mentor. The lives that they have touched and the work that they have put into developing a perspective that embodies yoga is our greatest accomplishment in this lifetime.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Staying inspired for the work is the hardest part of being an entrepreneur and running your own business. Keeping yourself in a place of serving from fullness rather than burning the candle at both ends behind the scenes running the operations and being customer-facing / present. To help others live life fully aware and inspiring people to put in the work necessary to live a life that they love is at the heart of the work we are doing. That requires being an example of your truth in action, not just in words.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Understand what makes you unique and powerful, lean into your strengths, and put in the work to discover what you love, and let that influence what you put out into the universe.
- Enjoy the process of creation, coming up with ideas and learning to execute them and not get tied to the end results. Not all ideas are winners, but we can learn from putting your ideas out into the universe and make better choices moving forward until we tap into what people really want from you and what you have to offer.
- Follow your passions in parallel to the work of creating. Being inspired by new ideas and thoughts will help stimulate the creative process and take your ideas to the next level.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://yogabellyworld.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogabelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoga_belly/
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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