Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What is your favorite hobby other than yoga?
"I’m from the Midwest. I grew up in northwest Indiana and came down to Richmond for work at the time, I loved it so much I stayed! In terms of other hobbies, I’m really into sports. I spin, I work out a ton, anything outdoors! I also love reading, travelling, and listening to music of all kinds. I listen to a ton of folk music and really all genres, though I’m not super big on country."
When did you first become interested in practicing yoga?
"I started freshman year of college. That was 16 years ago! Actually, I was an athlete and injured at the time, so through that, it was kind of recommended to me. Although looking back, I’ve always been really tied to a more holistic, mindful lifestyle and definitely have incorporated rituals and lifestyle habits that align with that for quite some time. It really just fit and opened up a lot for me."
When did you decide to dedicate yourself to yoga personally and professionally?
"Personally, I made the dedication to the practice a few years in. At first, it was simply another movement modality and then it started to become more of a lifestyle."
"Professionally, I opened the studio here 6 years ago. Our 6th anniversary is actually coming up this month! There was that commitment with opening here, and two or three years in, I moved out of my corporate career and into teaching yoga and managing the studio full time."
What/Who inspires you most?
"I’m deeply inspired by my parents. They both were entrepreneurs and just visionaries. They were my biggest fans and I’m their biggest fan! I’m really deeply inspired by my students as well. I feel like that’s the greatest gift of teaching. Each and every time I teach, students come in and are working through things on their mats and just the dedication and inspiration that they send is so, so amazing. It really truly is the greatest gift."
What keeps you motivated to work hard when you’re feeling low?
"My whole life motto is to be of service and to follow my heart. I’m always thinking about how I can better my life, but also how to better the lives of those around me. I kind of take the approach of you have to put your own oxygen mask on before you can put someone else’s on. So, I think that’s the biggest thing for me, taking the time to ensure that I’m coming always to a place of honesty and compassion, and really making an effort to allow that to be shown, whether it be through my words or actions or relationships."
What does yoga mean to you?
"Yoga really boils down to one word for me, which is connection. That’s connection more deeply with myself. It’s connection with others (teacher-student, human beings) and as well, it’s connection with nature and our environment."
Tell us how you started OM ON, what inspired you to start your own business?
"I wanted to do something that gave back. I’ve always been personally steeped in the practice of yoga and in movement-based modalities, as well as living a holistic lifestyle. So, it kind of all came together: my desire to help others and this being the best way that represented my skill set to do that. That’s really the reason why I decided to open a studio and that’s still the guiding light. I hope to empower others and offer a place that brings many people into a community that can support and inspire them, not only on the path of yoga but also in life. We have what we consider our Om On family and we really mean that. Students are like family and growing with them in the practice and in life is beautiful. It’s really an awesome thing to be able to do."
What have been some challenges that you faced in starting Om On?
"I started and we had a full-time team here, but I also worked full-time. So, any of the time I was spending on the business was mainly like weekends, so that meant a lot of long hours and not a lot of breaks for me. I think with any new endeavor, you hear a lot of opinions and views as to what’s the best step and what you should or shouldn’t be doing. I would say it was always a struggle for me to come back to what I knew I should do and just try and move forward knowing that I could only do the best in that moment, as well as to know that there was no need to necessarily look outside for all of the answers."
How did you attract customers/how did you market Om On?
"We really opened here with very little marketing aside from a website. We did some personal mailers and things like that. Then from that, we really started to bring in social media, which has been very beneficial to us. But, to be honest, I still think that our best marketing is word of mouth. We really try and exceed our expectations of what we consider a great, empowering experience and community, and so if and when we do that, someone may say something to their friend about it, and new people may come and hopefully stay."
What is some advice you would give to young entrepreneurs who want to start their own business?
"I think that it takes a clear cut vision, really knowing what you’re passionate about and figuring out all of the tangibles that go with that. So, what exactly that experience you’re looking to create looks like. And then also, asking the question “why?” Sometimes we move forward but then we don’t really know why we’re doing it. Always come back to that question of “why?” I think it also takes a dose of practicality and reality because starting any new path, especially the small business path, is difficult. It takes getting the right team in place and having the right vision, it takes a little bit of luck, and definitely a lot of hard work and long hours. Some people maybe think there will be a lot of freedom in moving into their own thing, and there certainly can be pockets of freedom, but you always carry that tie and responsibility. It’s different from a typical 9-5 job in that aspect."
