Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Madeleine Hesselink, Owner of Yoga Teacher Resource, located in Asheville, NC, USA.

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

The yoga teacher resource supports yoga teachers with teaching and business skills so they can build sustainable careers without poverty or burnout.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in the jungles of Hawaii. As a child, I always had a book in my hand (actually stacks of them up to my chin). I had asthma and found exercise to be pretty excruciating. Scene shift to college (in Northern Iowa), where the change in climate activated seasonal affective disorder. I started exercising to mitigate the symptoms, leading me to martial arts and yoga. I fell in love with yoga because it was the only movement practice I’ve ever tried that left me feeling both calm and competent.

I’ve now been a yoga teacher since 2004, which is most of my adult life. I have a passion for sharing what I’ve learned with other teachers. In 2018 I had 100 conversations with yoga teachers in order to learn how I could best support them. Based on those conversations, I started the Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast.

My business now consists of two membership programs and several online courses. My team and I are grateful to support yoga teachers to improve their teaching and business skills while staying true to the ethics and values that drew them to yoga in the first place.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The yoga teacher resource podcast has over one million downloads. I regularly receive messages from yoga teachers who tell me that the podcast has helped them improve their teaching, feel more confident, and stay connected to their purpose as yoga teachers.

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

The hardest thing is setting and holding clear boundaries. I think most business owners (and definitely most yoga teachers) want to help everyone - but without boundaries, it's easy to exhaust your own resources. I do my best to create structures where I can contribute to more equity in the world while being fair to the many people who want help and realistic about my own capacity.

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

  1. Take the time to do market research and planning before you start a new business. And if you jumped in with two feet, it's never too late to circle back to market research and develop a plan no matter how long you've been in business. The startup/planning phase of a business will usually take 3-6 months. That might sound like a lot, but in the scheme of things, when you look back ten years later, you will be very glad you took your time. If you don't know how to start with market research and planning, this is a place that is very worth investing in education and/or mentorship.
  2. Don't copy people who are much farther along in their business. Now that we are exposed to so much information on social media, the age-old comparison trap has gotten a whole lot stickier.

    The things a business owner does when they are well established may not be the right things for a new business owner. Plus, you’re only seeing the visible part of the proverbial iceberg, so if you copy the parts of their business that you can see, you may well be missing the most important keys to their success. Instead, find teachers and mentors who will peel back the curtain to show you the full picture and help you figure out what to focus on now.
  3. Take time to check in regularly with your vision and values. Running a business takes a lot of effort and stamina. It’s easy to lose steam and burn out if you don’t stay connected to why you started your business in the first place. It helps if your business idea is something you'd enjoy doing even if you weren't getting paid. But no matter how much you love what you do, you won’t love everything about what it takes to do it for a living. That’s why I do reflection, planning, and goal setting four times per year. Each time I reconnect with my intentions for being in business and evaluate how much I’ve stayed in alignment with my values. This gives me guidance about when to stay on track and when to pivot.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://teachingyoga.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogateacherresource
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoga.teacher.resource/

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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