Steph Alston joins for the first episode in a new series dedicated to yoga studio ownership. We're here to offer support to current and prospective owners and fill in some of the gaps in the larger conversation about not just studio ownership but the entrepreneurial life.
Some of what we explore:
The importance of knowing your why
Practical advice and seeking guidance from mentors, lawyers, and others
Understanding and living your values as a business owner
Recognizing and addressing your weaknesses
Confidence, overcoming self-doubt, and leaning into discomfort
If you'd like to do the Brene Brown's Dare to Lead Values exercise that we talk about in episode, click here.
Weekly stories by email from Bonnie’s HERE
Connect with Bonnie: Instagram, Email (hello@bonnieweeks.com), Website
Listen to Bonnie's other podcast Sexy Sunday HERE
The music for this episode is Threads by The Light Meeting.
Produced by: Grey Tanner
Steph Alston joins for the first episode in a new series dedicated to yoga studio ownership. We're here to offer support to current and prospective owners and fill in some of the gaps in the larger conversation about not just studio ownership but the entrepreneurial life.
Some of what we explore:
The importance of knowing your why
Practical advice and seeking guidance from mentors, lawyers, and others
Understanding and living your values as a business owner
Recognizing and addressing your weaknesses
Confidence, overcoming self-doubt, and leaning into discomfort
If you'd like to do the Brene Brown's Dare to Lead Values exercise that we talk about in episode, click here.
Weekly stories by email from Bonnie’s HERE
Connect with Bonnie: Instagram, Email (hello@bonnieweeks.com), Website
Listen to Bonnie's other podcast Sexy Sunday HERE
The music for this episode is Threads by The Light Meeting.
Produced by: Grey Tanner
Bonnie (00:03.179)
Welcome to the podcast, my loves. This is the beginning of something specific and new in that specificity. Wow. Is that even how you say that word? How, how specific it is. And that is that this is the beginning of conversations that are directly for studio owners and yoga business owners that also are online business owners.
And this is going to be an ongoing series that really is helping people talk about or giving space for people to talk about what business ownership looks like, to hear from people who are real ass humans doing the damn thing and what it means to be a business owner and how they have been able to structure their business, how they are able to face themselves in doing that.
get out of their own way in order to help their businesses and the people that they're supporting grow and to feel like they are a part of something and these communities are a part of something that's bigger than themselves and to really feel like it's a space to expand. So there's such needed conversations and there's not a lot of spaces that are created for yoga studio owners. And for myself, I don't own a yoga studio. So I'm going to be having lots of conversations with people who own yoga studios, but I work with a lot of people
been mentorship and within Flow School as well, but also directly mentorship that are opening studios or who are currently running studios. And there's a lot of things to hold as a yoga studio owner. And so for me, on my end, I will be talking about yoga business from the online space and being a studio, being an owner of a yoga business in the online space and then holding space also with other people who are in real life and navigating a team and all of...
and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I'm not gonna list it right now. So this is the beginning of this series and it's gonna be really important and it's also gonna grow into some opportunities for studio owners and for business, yoga business ownership conversations in a bigger sort of way. So I'm not gonna like give you any sort of like, that's as much as I'm gonna give you in that way, but it's gonna grow into more opportunities for us to connect. So with all of that.
Bonnie (02:25.415)
Today is the first conversation that's very specific to that with my friend Steph Alston, and she is from Loomis, California, which is near Northern California, Sacramento area. And we have been friends for a good while and go back actually in a long sort of way. And I'm going to leak in the show notes a previous conversation we've had here on Yoga Strong. So you're welcome to go back and listen to that.
where we share a little bit more about how we have connected prior to this very conversation. But I am stoked to have her here and to have her insight and her grace in sharing how she has stepped into the studio ownership and to hear a little bit about her story and we're gonna go back and forth between both of our stories and be here kind of co-interviewing each other and having a conversation of.
Like conversation numero uno, what does it mean to be in quote unquote ownership of a yoga business? So thank you, Steph, for being here.
Stephanie Alston (03:25.899)
Thank you so much, Bonnie, for having me back on the podcast. This is becoming a passion of mine to really share the leadership of yoga and business ownership. I feel like I've had an entrepreneurial spirit since I was very little and now bringing it
full circle to this moment is really beautiful and serendipitous. So I'm excited to have these conversations.
Bonnie (03:50.307)
Yeah. Well, and I like that we're going to have this word of leadership and ownership. So today we're going to talk about like, what's it like to be a business owner? But the overarching kind of theme of all of this is what does it mean to be a leader? And what does that mean over here? And what does that mean over here? What does that mean in this situation? And what about that situation? And how we kind of can't...
Like you're a leader no matter where you show up. If you're going to be, if anybody's listening to this as a yoga teacher, like someday maybe I'll own a studio, right? Like you're a leader already as a teacher and it's something I really try to share in flow school as well. It's like you step into any sort of position where people are watching you and paying attention, you're a leader. I mean, if you're a parent, you're a leader. If you're like, you're, we're leaders and we don't even realize we're leaders. So this conversation very much is how do we, how do we lead?
How do we lead on purpose?
Stephanie Alston (04:50.134)
Yes, yes. And to that, because I was a yoga teacher for many years before becoming the studio owner, when you are in those roles, practicing that leadership is so valuable because confidence is that feeling of being able. And I don't know that any of us really know how to do a thing until we get there. I don't think I could say I knew how to be a studio owner before I became a studio owner, but I could step into the feeling of leadership and that...
translated directly to my team, who I now lead. We were peers, co-yoga teachers at this studio first. So them being able to see me in that possibility of leading and our community of students, that was huge because they already knew me.
Bonnie (05:34.107)
Yeah. Okay, I wanna go back to like this idea of confidence is being able. Is that how you define confidence?
Stephanie Alston (05:41.422)
Confidence, I believe, is the feeling of being able.
Bonnie (05:45.459)
Hmm. That's so simple. I love how simple that is because, you know, let's like jump into this and say like, number one thing, what's the number one thing that gets in the way of any of us? And I think confidence is part of that. I think, you know, when we were talking, I'm like, I think it's us.
Stephanie Alston (06:06.254)
Mm-hmm. Yes. Yeah, there was a great question. And yeah, about what's your biggest barrier and how do you overcome it? My biggest barrier is myself, my feeling of, can I do this? The imposter syndrome. I mean, we could go on and on, but this, I don't have enough skills. I don't know enough yet. I thought this dream of studio ownership would happen once I'd been teaching 10, 15 years.
Bonnie (06:08.411)
ourselves.
Stephanie Alston (06:33.014)
You know, like there's so many things that get in the way, the stories we tell ourself. So yeah, I'd love to dig in there and even hear from you, Bonnie, like how you felt that for yourself stepping into online yoga community leadership space.
Bonnie (06:48.283)
Yeah, well, I think it's, I mean, this is honestly, this is the perfect place to begin. And so many of my conversations with people saying like, why me? Or if you were working as a peer alongside other teachers, like you were even, and then stepping into the space, being like, okay, now I'm going to be the owner, I'm the boss now. And you had to face that and be like, okay, now I'm in charge. And what do I know? And how do you reorganize relationships? And there's a lot of people in that circumstance.
so much of it can be leaned on in fear. And fear makes us feel small.
Stephanie Alston (07:23.236)
Yeah.
Yes, I don't think anyone would ever describe me as shy and timid. I think from the outside I come across very capable and confident. And in that there were the equal parts of leading into becoming a studio owner where I was so excited and ready to go. Like, hell yes, we're doing this! And there was also the part that was like, oh my gosh, what am I doing? Is anyone even gonna trust me? It's so humbling. There's like those big pieces of, am I ready for this?
Can I actually put my money where my mouth is? I've said for so many years that I wanted this, how much now do I really want it?
Bonnie (08:02.467)
Yeah, oof. Yeah, and it, I mean, let's also, even for my own experience, let's also like say that this wasn't day one. You weren't like, you know, wake up one day and then all of a sudden you're like, oh, I'm gonna be a student. Like there has been years of growth. And I would say the same for me. It's like stepping into business online, like there's different parts where we have to face fear and be like, who am I? Why am I the person here? Like, what do I have to...
give, you know, et cetera, right? So we might have these kind of doubts about ourselves, but at the same time, we're walking this path of learning along the way. And it is a growth kind of cycle and where if you're feeling really comfortable, then it's probably time to grow. Like, actually, let's step where it's uncomfortable again. And I definitely have felt that in my own online journey space. And I mean, I think about
Like COVID really was and shut down, it really was the gift for me because as much as I was showing up online prior to that, I was terrified to actually put myself live on video or to record videos. I was terrified, which is kind of hilarious now because if you just go to my Instagram, it's just all videos.
Stephanie Alston (09:23.39)
Ah, but isn't that so true? I love hearing you share that, Bonnie, because I'm sitting here going like, what? You were? I would have guessed.
Bonnie (09:30.163)
Hmm. Yeah. Well, and I think this is why landing, you know, what is that? Seven-ish months ago, like last July, I made a video and I said, I hope yoga teachers own the hell out of their voice. And I didn't plan that. I didn't plan to say that, but it is like now the tagline is now the thing that I say. And I just kept showing up and sharing until
and then it got more clear. And I think that's so much of my advice for other people where they're like, I don't know what I'm doing or how to do it. And I'm like, you gotta keep showing up. It is not a fast thing to step in and know exactly what you're doing. And sure, there's some cases where you might, but it's probably because you also have some prior experience around something that gives you enough insight to know, like I know exactly where I'm going. Like right now this conversation, I'm not starting my podcast like this, we're not starting our relationship like this.
We're here because, and we know where we're going, but that's because we have prior kind of experience we're pulling from. So it is a gradual sort of experience to step here. But yeah, I mean, I think for me then stepping back to, I think making videos of myself was terrifying for talking. And I just kept showing up and now it is this, I will have my own personal journey of sharing my voice. And as a leader in,
Stephanie Alston (10:29.726)
I'm going to go ahead and start the presentation. So I'm going to start with the first question.
Bonnie (10:56.779)
any industry and in any part of the world for any type of people, whether they're like three-year-olds or, you know, 70-year-olds, it doesn't really matter. Like you have to have like this ownership of voice, like a literal voice of your words coming out of your mouth and the ability to speak and say things. And there can be other forms of expression or writing that are also your voice.
but I think it feels really exciting for me personally, for my own journey and business to feel really clear. And since this last summer to be like, this is where, this is what I am doing and this is how I'm showing up and to have felt. And I think when I landed on that phrase and then people started responding back to me with it or about it, I was like, oh, that's like, huh. It didn't even feel like work and.
I think that's where it is. Where does it not feel like work that is just what you can give, which is a lot of also the gift of using like a lot of personality sort of tools to discover yourself or give yourself language around how you show up in the world. It can be so influential and has definitely been part of my journey. But yeah, I was terrified. I was terrified to share my voice and it has come in stages. And...
Stephanie Alston (11:57.596)
So, I'm going to go ahead and start with the question of the
Bonnie (12:18.595)
shut down from COVID gave me the opportunity to really like face some of that fear and make shit happen.
Stephanie Alston (12:25.611)
Ah, so yeah, let's work it back from like when I became the studio owner, even when I got the call of would you like to buy the studio, there I who in that moment, I mean, there were more conversations before I said yes, but I had to in that moment decide, do I feel able to do this? Do I have the confidence to say yes to this ask and this opportunity? And I
Bonnie (12:34.152)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (12:47.854)
only was able to because I had already, like you said, I had some other skills that translated well that I thought, okay, yes, I know enough. To this point, I will learn the rest going forward. And part of that was I had managed teams both at a yoga studio and other businesses. I had been the general manager of a business before. I had run my own sole proprietorship on my own. Now, does anybody need to have these skills before?
doing a business, no. But that's part of what made me feel able to say yes to this bigger project. And if we go back a little further, like you mentioned the shutdown, the first time I ever had coaching where someone coached me was in 2020. And it was someone who graduated from the program I went through a few years before me. And she was offering coaching to people who, women specifically that had been affected by the shutdown in their careers. I was a yoga teacher. My studio got shut down, like probably many of ours.
And I was like, what now? I need to work, I want to work, I feel this sense of responsibility to my students, but I didn't feel able to go off on my own. I did not feel confident to pave my own way. I thought, what do I do? The studios aren't there. Like they are the ones who give me the ability to teach. And through coaching, I learned, oh no, I give myself the permission to teach.
Bonnie (13:49.137)
and
Bonnie (14:12.531)
Mm.
Stephanie Alston (14:13.266)
and do this and find a way. And that's what started my prior business, Nomad Yoga, which I had for a number of years. I taught private classes, I taught small groups, I taught on grant programs, I taught online. And because of that experience coaching into like, oh yeah, okay, I can create my own little yoga business. I could be my solo, my own yoga teacher, gave me the confidence.
the feeling of ability to then step into managing a team at a brick and mortar studio here locally that gave me even more skills, right? So it is those steps, like you said, it wasn't I just landed here and all of a sudden like boop, there's Steph and she's ready to be a studio owner. It was very much stages and getting the help to own my voice. Like you said, I coached with you during the whole transition too. It was huge to have other people in my corner to help me see what I couldn't see in myself.
Bonnie (14:47.921)
Yeah.
Bonnie (15:09.483)
Yeah. And gosh, I love that you do. You come with so many background skills to then step into the space of owning a studio and you can say, can I do it? Do I know enough? Am I confident that I can hold this? Yes. And you can also be scared as hell and nervous and like, what the hell am I doing?
Stephanie Alston (15:35.406)
There have been many moments where I have thought, what did I do? And I don't regret it at all.
Bonnie (15:42.843)
Well, and I remember you getting to the point, I mean, especially for anybody who's just barely stepping into it. I mean, we were working together and you were the teacher at, um, Yoga Six and left that studio, didn't know where you were going and then the opportunity to buy the studio, which you had kind of already had in your sites as like a possibility maybe someday. And then it was like, Hey, do you want to buy this? You're like, okay, I guess this is what we're doing now. And then you bought the studio. You.
We're like, okay, great. I'm going to do this thing. And what was it like maybe six months in? I remember talking to you and you're like, I'm, this was good. I'm done. Like, this is hard. Like, like we're still doing this.
Stephanie Alston (16:24.07)
Yep, I was like maybe, maybe I can say I've done it. Yep, I had the experience. That was a fun ride. I'm ready to get off now.
Bonnie (16:33.647)
Yeah, I remember I remember you talking about that and I like that part of your story too and feel like it's really important because It's hard.
Stephanie Alston (16:44.65)
Thank you. I appreciate you saying that and acknowledging that that's part of my story too because how many parents have gone through having a newborn and then being like, this is not as fun as I thought it was going to be. And yet parenting is amazing and wild and there's so many days that I'm so grateful for it. And I look at these little humans and I'm just in awe of what they teach me. And there are many days when I'm like...
Um, where's the closest boarding school where I can break up for a little bit? It's both. It can be both. Scary, terrifying. You don't know what you're doing. Every phase is new and also just the ride of your life.
Bonnie (17:27.247)
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And, you know, yeah, I mean, it's not something that you can set down very fast either. Very much like parenting, you're kind of like, you're like, well, I guess this is what I'm doing for the rest of my life.
Stephanie Alston (17:43.574)
Yes, commitment. Yeah, yeah. So that, that it's not an easy thing to quit. So when it comes to studio ownership, business ownership, there is a bigger piece to what are you committed to and what does that look like through all the different stages of hard?
Bonnie (17:50.963)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (18:05.306)
there's the hard and the starting off. We talked about it a little bit before. I didn't personally go through the experience of building from scratch, which many people do, literally building their building from scratch. I had the studio ownership experience of taking over a studio that was already in existence. And I know there are many, not only in my area in Sacramento, but nationwide and maybe worldwide, where that's the case. You're taking over a studio for someone retiring or maybe there for whatever reason needs to be a change in ownership.
And so knowing what you're stepping into in that, what am I committed to, makes all the difference getting through the newborn phase of your business.
Bonnie (18:46.087)
Hmm. Well, and I think this feels like it leads into your idea of, um,
your idea of remembering why you're doing the thing.
Stephanie Alston (19:02.526)
Yes. So I'm a big believer in purpose, in that everybody has purpose, whether you recognize it yet or not. Everyone has a purpose. And if we want to go back to the deeper philosophies of yoga, it's everyone has something to learn and something to give. If we were to boil it down just to that. And yoga is this practice of paying attention to not only ourselves, but our relationship to all others and all things. And so if we...
are able to be in a place where we can dig into our why. Why are we here? What is our thing to learn? What is our thing to give? There is this deeper connection to your reason for driving forward in a business. There can be the superficial potential surface level reasons of like, well, I wanna make money, which there's big reasons for making money. The making money isn't the why.
I want to make the money so that I can support myself and my family because I want to thrive. So there's that. But for me, my purpose became really clear years ago before I really was even in this role at all. And my bigger life purpose is what drives now how I channel it through the business. And so I think getting clear on what is your reason for showing up in this space? What is your reason for owning a business?
and then having that inform how you lead your team and your staff to keep it sustainable.
Bonnie (20:34.107)
Mm-hmm. Awesome. And this makes me think about an experiment called the five whys. And to put it into this context, and I would say like, okay, well, Steph, why do you want to own a yoga business? You don't have to answer this, but I'm just gonna give this as an exercise to everybody who's listening to this, like answer the question, like why do you wanna own a yoga business? And that can be clarified of like.
online or in person, like in person, it can be a studio with a large staff, a small, like it doesn't matter. Like you can specify that for yourself. So why do you want to do that? And then you answer the question. And then you ask another why about the answer that you just gave. And then you answer it again. And then you ask why about that answer. And so do that five times.
and see what you find at the bottom of that to get really clear on like the why that's really in there to be like, okay, well, why do I want a yoga studio? Because I want to make money from teaching yoga. Okay, but why? Like that's okay. And I really think I was like, okay, like, we're going to talk about money. Like that's an important piece of this. And it's like being able to talk about sex. Like it's just a part of life. We should be able to talk about this and not have it be like a taboo sort of thing. We're going to talk about money. It's not taboo.
It's part of our life. And so you could put that at the top and then see what happens, see what comes. So, well, why do you want to make money? What does that, you know, why? Like what's going to happen with that? I think it can get, it can be really a helpful tool, like the five whys to get clear on what it is.
Stephanie Alston (22:12.887)
Yes, thank you for saying that. I think you very succinctly put in what I was talking about. I wanna dig and drill down to the very base bottom level
Like, what is your reason? What is your why? One of the projects that I did early on in my days of being part of coaching world was I've gone to purpose workshops actually, and having a coach or someone to help you dig in can be really helpful too, because sometimes we only ask ourselves the question we already know how to ask. So having someone else ask curious questions can really be helpful.
But in a coaching context, we did an experiment of drawing a timeline, just one line across a big piece of paper. And above the line, you write all the experiences of your life where you felt in fulfillment, in satisfaction. When you knew you were in, like, this is it. This is how I want to show up for life. I feel purposeful. I feel fulfilled. I feel driven. And then under the line, you put all the life experiences that are like, that was not it. This was the thing that was like...
There might have been some good things to it, but I could have gone without that experience, job, whatever it is. And then you look at what is similar about all of the things above the line. What connects them all? What was the underlying thing that made them all feel like you were alive in those moments and you were really living in your purpose? And then you kind of boil it down to like, what were the key values that were being met there?
and values conversations and coaching can also be a really huge resource to know, okay, this is what I'm committed to. I'm committed to showing up for these things in the world. And that drives through all the muck of my contractor did not show up. They put a window in the wrong wall. They put the flooring over the sewer cover. These are all literal problems I've heard from studio owners before.
Stephanie Alston (24:09.91)
You know, there's like those pieces. And then also where I stepped in, like I am managing a blended family of a team. And that was tricky. There were teachers that had been there for years and years. And then teachers I brought in who were brand new and are they going to mesh? I knew why I was doing it. And so that made it worth it to figure it out. Um, really valuable to drill down first.
Bonnie (24:30.087)
Hmm. Yeah. Well, this makes me think about Brené Brown, who I love, and this conversation about values. And it's something that I share with almost all the people that I work with. They're like, okay, what values are we showing up with? And I've done this in studio with my team that I was running for a little bit as well. To be like, okay, how are we showing up?
It makes a big difference when you know how somebody is operating or what they're operating from, what feels important to them. And I'll share this in the show notes as well, the link to go to Brené Brown's page for Dare to Lead and read the book Dare to Lead. Like if you're leading a team, read Dare to Lead and do the values experiment and have that be an experiment you do maybe with your team. So, you know why people show up in the way they do and why they think the things...
that they do are important and how that actually can benefit your team as well to have that. So Steph, let's like talk about that for a second where like for me, my values that I show up with everywhere and the mission is, the direction from Brené, is to narrow it down to two.
to two values, which can be really tricky to do. But sometimes when you get down to like, you're like, okay, there's still 10 that I'm choosing. Sometimes those are really nested into those, those like final couple that you can choose. But the ability to hold and be really specific about your values is really helpful then to help hold yourself in those times where you're like, what the hell am I doing? How can I get through this?
So my values that I really try to bring everywhere are bravery and curiosity. And how can I lean into something and be brave? And how can I be curious? How can I keep asking questions? And how can I say like, I don't know all the answers. And I think the tricky part about this is to remember that other people's values may not be our values, which...
Bonnie (26:41.823)
I know I have come up against in my own self. Like, and so I show up in the world that way. I'm like, okay, great, brave and curious. And that's part of my coaching. So if you're gonna like hire me as somebody to be on your team and help mentor you in some way, like I am going to help you be brave and curious because that is how I'm showing up in the world, which is really helpful as you're leading into maybe some scary and uncomfortable territory. And it might not come naturally to you. And you have other values that...
you have which are fantastic. So this is not me saying that everybody has to have that, but knowing that I come and show up in the room like that is going to be important for anybody else who's working with me and important for me to remember that other people don't show up in the world with those as their top two. And so to give people grace and remember that like I don't know what their values are. So this is why it's a good conversation, but Steph, what are yours?
Stephanie Alston (27:35.773)
Well, I will tell you, but I want to say first, I see that in you. I believe that you embody bravery and curiosity.
I see it in how you move and how you speak, and it shows up in your offerings. The way that you flow school, you're encouraging others to be brave and curious. Having gone through flow school and then also just watching you from the administrative side and everything that you do, I can say that I do see you showing up that way in the world. Not really powerful. My top two are stewardship and compassion and kindness, which I would say go hand in hand. I couldn't really pick just one.
Bonnie (27:48.749)
Mm.
Bonnie (28:02.7)
Thank you.
Stephanie Alston (28:14.294)
But stewardship and kindness in not only how I show up, but in how I lead for my team to show up. And you're totally right. They have their own values. They have their own things that they're coming with. But noticing how that is inherent in perhaps what I hope for and expect from others has also been interesting in
collaborations I do when I have contractors, and I'm speaking more from guest teacher, contractors that come in and do projects at my studio, lead trainings. I can tell when the values are being stepped on, right? If something's like, oh, they maybe did not lead with the same level of kindness or stewardship. That sense of responsibility, I guess I should define stewardship for me, is that sense of care and responsibility that we have for either our students, our customers.
for our teams and then the greater community at large. So stewardship, our sense of responsibility in the world is really important to me. And so when other people show up and maybe we're not jiving on those same values, I can say, oh, what got poked there? Okay, we're speaking a different language. And then how can I help navigate the way we're gonna lead where for me, it's gonna come from stewardship and kindness.
Bonnie (29:39.331)
Yeah, one, I'm just going to quote Brene Brown all day, but clear as kind is one of her other, one of her quotes that I sound like all the time. As a teacher, how can you be direct? How can you show up and be compassionate, but clear and direct and kind? And these values that we have, they show up everywhere. They show up in our parenting. They show up in our.
lovership with other people, they show up in our friendships, they show up in our families, wherever we are, they are there. It's not like we have one set of values for one thing and another for another thing. They're just what we carry as a person.
Stephanie Alston (30:20.79)
Yes, I appreciate you saying that because that is so important, I think, to know and understand if you're just starting to like name your values and define them. Um, it's not the ones you want to have. And those are good. You can still look and say, oh, I want to cultivate this. I would like to have more of this virtue. The values you are the ones you are living right now. So like that was really helpful for me to know that one of my values is comfort. And part of that is the way that I noticed that I
dress, like I literally have a fuzzy blanket on me right now. I really appreciate comfort. And so that's a good signal for me when I am in uncomfortable situations. It's neither good nor bad. Values are just really important indicators of like, what are we honoring in our life? How are we going to bump up against others? And then how can we respect our values and, and hold them?
carefully in all of the work that we're doing because probably when you're feeling unfulfilled and stuff is not going well and you're stressed out of your mind, the value is not present.
Bonnie (31:22.739)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Well, and even if, I don't know, I even want to say like, even if it feels like they're not present, they are, but it doesn't mean, I even think of you being brave and curious. I'm like, that does not mean like in every situation I am being that way. It means that it also is like, that is how I want to show up. That's how I feel like I do show up. But that doesn't mean it's not going to be.
like the test of my life also. And be like, okay, Bonnie, wait, how, like we wanna be curious. We have like open brain here. Like what are the other ways that we can think about this thing? Which is also a sticky point because if I'm thinking about how there could be other directions, then I'm like, well, other people are thinking about how there could be other things, which is not true, because that's me. That's me thinking about that. And so I have to continue to be like, well, okay, be more curious, be more brave. Be like, be more willing to like step into this space.
And so it doesn't mean that we're perfect because perfect is boring, but it means that we will keep asking questions and be like, oh, this is a value that feels like there was, I like how you kind of use as an example of if somebody's coming in and being in your space and you're feeling like they weren't being good stewards of the space or of the people that were there, how that affected you and how you get to ask questions of yourself and of that relationship.
Stephanie Alston (32:47.494)
Yeah, I appreciate that you saying like it's not going to be perfect because it's not. We're humans, we're figuring it out as we go and it is a practice. So just like in our yoga, it is continually realigning. I had a teacher this weekend who just so profoundly said...
Bonnie (32:52.42)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (33:04.094)
Yoga is the practice of continuously making choices that bring you into greater alignment. Whether that's physically, mentally, emotionally, how you show up in the world, it's paying attention and watching, right? Like, okay, I can tug a little bit here, I can move a little bit there, and am I continuously bringing myself into alignment with the vision, where we're going, and what I'm committed to.
Bonnie (33:09.586)
Mmm. Yeah.
Bonnie (33:20.656)
Yeah.
Bonnie (33:26.731)
Yeah. Hmm. I love that. Okay. I'm going to get nitty gritty a little bit. So let's jump into some studio ownership questions. I did put a question box out on Instagram, so I'll have a couple of questions that we'll share from that and maybe answer for folks there, but you kind of gave us a little background that you, the studio was in existence.
and you were a teacher there, then you took over the studio ownership, so you did not build from the ground up. You did rename the studio and now you have a mixture of teachers who were there for a long time and teachers who were there, who are newly there. There is a lot of nuance to talk about and I love that before we started having this conversation, you would Google.
when you were first in this space and you were like, okay, I'm gonna take over this studio and you would Google how, quote, how to take over a yoga studio and there was nothing there.
Stephanie Alston (34:29.532)
Yes, and I'm not sure that I necessarily expected that someone would write an article outlining the exact steps that were relevant 100% to my situation, but I'd hoped, I knew people had done it. And I hoped that someone out there had shared their story of, hey, I took over a yoga studio in 2011 and this is what I learned. And I could have been like, oh, great. Someone who understands.
maybe, yeah, the nuance. But I found a lot of different pieces of, well, here's how to buy a business from one that's already in existence, and then here's how to do this part. So I kind of mashed it together to my own journey, and I learned a lot on the way.
Bonnie (35:05.459)
Mm-hmm.
Bonnie (35:10.703)
Okay, so taking that, let's say that somebody is in the stage of Googling how to take over a yoga studio, what would be one of the first things that you would hope that they would see in the list of things that would pop up?
Stephanie Alston (35:25.27)
The first thing that came to mind for me was hire a business lawyer. I don't know, I don't personally know business law. And so taking over and buying and selling a studio is an art. I will say the valuation of the business and all of the pieces that go along with that, like oh my gosh, my business lawyer was my best investment and she's a super rad badass human and we'd met at a women's leadership retreat actually. And so I already knew her.
and knew what she did and I said, hey, will you help navigate this with me? So she was like part educator, part consultant, part like, I mean, literally wrote the contracts, helped me see what I was missing. From inventory to agreements on what's part of the sale, what's not, deferred revenue, that is a huge thing that I think not every business owner understands. The deferred revenue is gift cards, pre-packs.
Bonnie (36:17.991)
What does that mean?
Stephanie Alston (36:23.538)
Many studios have memberships or class packs, and they are very different things. Memberships, you're buying time. Class packs, you're prepaying for service. If a business has sold gift cards or class packs, people have pre-bought a service to that studio that the studio, any business, this can go for Target, Walmart, anyone. You have pre-agreed that they will be able to redeem that forever and ever. Amen. So if you ever sell your business...
you are still liable to provide the service for that. And so that comes out of the bottom line of the sale for the seller, I should say. So if you're selling your studio and you have sold a bunch of packs ahead of time, that's going to come out and it's that's percentage. There's a whole math formula to it. I think it ends up being like 85%. Anyway, so hire a business lawyer because they speak this language and helping me understand that. Like I would never even have thought of that when I was going into buying the studio, it was like
Oh, you want me to take over on this date? Uh, great. I'll write you this check. And here we go. That is not, it's like buying a house. There's, um, like a closing period. There's lots of documents that need to be signed. There was a whole non-compete clause. Like there's a whole lot of things that go into it. Like what time are we going to change the name? When will the announcement be made? What is the responsibility to keeping on employees? What does that transfer look like? I had to create my corporation.
Bonnie (37:26.861)
Hmm.
Stephanie Alston (37:47.458)
first so that I could buy out the business that was in existence and swallow it up in my new corporation. So business lawyer number one.
Bonnie (37:59.645)
Awesome. I love it. Okay, what's number two?
Stephanie Alston (38:03.574)
Second biggest thing was hiring a mentor, consultant, coach. And I would say arguably those are three different things, but you can have one that does it all or different. So Bonnie, you were coaching me at the time when I went through the transition of, can I do this? Am I gonna do this? Like a coach is really there to, I think one be your cheerleader, but more than that, a coach is there to help you stay steady. A coach is the person that helps you
get clear on your vision and values and your purpose, understand your goals, so they're speaking the same language as you, and they take a stand for you to take action and get results. That's what a coach is for. So they're all about the results, like we're gonna keep going, we're gonna keep driving, you said you wanted this, what needs to shift here? And then I had introduced to me through one of my teachers, her yoga teacher trainer, who they were a-
They are still a couple that owned a studio in the Bay Area for over 20 years. And she graciously introduced me to them and we had a great conversation. And I said, hey, I'm stepping into ownership. I really don't know how to run a yoga studio. You've done it for 20 years. Will you kind of teach me the ropes and tell me what you learned? And so I hired him. I actually paid him for three months was the agreement to come in weekly and consult with me on where my eyes should be.
He taught me the mistakes that they made, the things they learned. So it was like a fast track to, hey, skip over these. But he gave me like a list actually. And that's the difference too, is like a mentor is gonna actually give you some advice and give you some tips on like, here are some things that you might wanna look at and consider. It was absolutely worth the investment and he believed in me more than I believed in myself. And he...
was so confident. I would tell him, well, these are my goals. And I kind of felt like a baby. I was like, well, I have baby goals. I want to do these things and I need to make this kind of money so that the studio can be sustainable. And he was like, double that. You're going to hit this number. And he said, you're just going to follow these steps and keep going. And by the end of this year, you will see this and this and this. And I kid you not, he was right about every single thing. That when I got to the end of the year, I sent him a message and they said, you were right.
Bonnie (40:09.426)
Thank you.
Stephanie Alston (40:19.562)
everything you said that would happen like came true and it wasn't magic it was consistency and it was hiring people that had the skills I didn't to help me see the things I needed to see.
Bonnie (40:32.15)
Hmm. Hiring the people to help you see the things that you couldn't see. Yeah. Well, and I think this idea of hiring people along the way who will help you so then you eventually, I think as coaches and mentors, we're trying to work ourselves out of a job.
Stephanie Alston (40:39.89)
Yeah, ask.
Stephanie Alston (40:55.211)
Yes!
Bonnie (40:57.224)
So it's like hire the person to help you and then like you're not going to need them and you have to very much like teaching, like hire the people to help you teach. And if you're going to change how you're teaching, I think of flow school where people have been teaching for a long time, but they're like, wait, I want to teach in a different way. Like, okay, hire me. Like let's work together for a second. And then you just had to put it on and you're going to have to put it in your own body. And then maybe you hire somebody else in the future that helps you tweak in a different sort of way. And I think that's the gift of, you know, we need each other.
And we each have different skills. And I think it's wild when I even go into the grocery store sometimes and I, and one being like, wow, all these people have hard things in their lives that I can't even see. There's like a piece of grace of that. And then number two, like these people all have different skillsets and could teach me so much. And, and holding that, that nuance and generosity, I think of like, where, where are my blind spots and how can I, how can I see those? And actually,
That's one of the things that I know he shared with you. It's about blind spots.
Stephanie Alston (41:57.796)
Yes, and I love what you said about there's that quote, which I don't know who to attribute it to, but everyone you ever meet knows something you don't. And there's so much value in learning from other people. And I said from the beginning, I want to hire people who do it better than me. I know that I am not the best yoga teacher ever.
Bonnie (42:04.083)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (42:20.186)
I know that I'm not the best yoga studio owner ever, but I believe that I've been given this opportunity because I'm willing to listen and to learn and help navigate all of the pieces to make this opportunity available for others. You're right, as mentors and coaches and consultants, our job is to empower other people that they don't need us anymore, that they can see their own strength and step into that.
Bonnie (42:37.095)
Hmm.
Stephanie Alston (42:50.842)
That's huge.
Bonnie (42:52.927)
And you are such like, like when you're like, I'm going to listen and I'm going to learn. And gosh, like you embodied the hell out of that. Like you in all of my interactions with you, you are just like, okay, tell me more. Like you lean in, there is no pretense that you come with. And so I love like being able to see you in this leadership role and our friendship and you know, years and stuff together that like that's so how you show up.
open-minded and at the same time you hold such a clear direction and vision for what you're doing and where you're going. Both.
Stephanie Alston (43:32.8)
Thank you. Thank you.
Bonnie (43:36.803)
Yeah, yeah. One of the things that I love that you have shared with me in the past was how this mentor that you hired said that every owner has a weak spot and to learn what it is and hire someone to help you there. Can you talk more about that in your learning?
Stephanie Alston (43:53.566)
Yes. So early on, and I think as many business owners do, I was wearing all the hats. I'm the janitor, I'm the marketer, I'm building my website, I'm also teaching the classes, I'm doing all the jobs, I'm at the front desk, I'm learning the scheduling system. And I thought for a while that I probably could do most of the jobs. And very quickly, there were some jobs that I realized I was avoiding. Some things that my business
consultant would come back and it was he'd given me a task and assignment and after like two or three weeks, I consistently had not done it. And this is a really powerful thing in coaching as I'm sure you've experienced Bonnie coaching others and mentoring others. It's when you start to notice the pattern of things not happening, we say, wait, we're going to lean in here because this thing is consistently like you keep declaring you're going to do this thing and it's not getting done. So what's getting in the way? We all have them.
if you are human, you will have the thing that you avoid and it's sneaky. Sometimes you don't even realize you're avoiding it. And he said, okay, what is getting in the way here? We're going to sit down right now and dig into this. And he pointed out like, okay, this is your weak spot as an owner. And I was like, I don't have weak spots. And he was like, everyone will, there might be the things that are intimidating or that you just don't, you don't have the background knowledge about it. So for some people that could be marketing and social media.
Bonnie (44:50.451)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (45:19.662)
That could be the, like, how do I create content and put it out there and share my voice? I might be super skilled hiding in my office and doing the numbers and crunching all the things to do the budget. Like, that might be your strong suit is like the behind the scenes. But maybe being out front, leading at the front desk might be your weak spot. Like I just am not the people person. I'm not the like salesy one. So learning what your weak spot is and normalizing that, that you will have one. When he said that, I was like...
It almost took the shame away from it. Go back to the ground. There's that vulnerability in being able to say, I do not know how to do this thing for my business. I wish that I did. That's the signal to find someone who can teach you or to hire someone else that can do it. For me, I outsourced it. That one thing that was hard for me, and for me it's the numbers, really getting clear on...
our cash flow and where we might need to apply for a loan or defer some things. Anyway, like numbers, bookkeeping is a whole thing in business. Get someone to do that job. So that was a big thing for me was, okay, I need to outsource. And ever since it's been such a relief, I have someone that I know that designated job, they do great at it. And I am so happy to be back doing the things I do love to do. So it's not it's not a weakness.
to hire out the things that you are not as skilled at.
Bonnie (46:48.843)
Yeah. Okay. Let's go with numbers. Let's keep leaning in there. I mean, I kind of just like, what's the hit list of how to take over a yoga studio? Let's like get to top 10 on Google search, but like, we're going to like pause that. I think all of these will like lead into it. I had a question on Instagram in my pop-up question box and my stories and somebody had asked how long until you were profitable in your business?
So will you share how long you have been the studio owner first and kind of go into that?
Stephanie Alston (47:23.586)
Yes, so I have been the studio owner for a year and a half, maybe a little longer, which is not very much time in the business world. I do also want to share that this studio has been around since 2012, so technically 12 years this studio has been in existence. And I would say very honestly right now, I do not feel that we are profitable in the way that I would like us to be.
Are we paying the bills? Yes. But with expansion also comes more spending. So as you grow, your expenses are also going to grow. A general rule of thumb for startups, and this is kind of like what I've heard and people might have different numbers, is you can expect like between two to five years before you really start to turn a profit. Our goals at our studio have been to become between 20 to 40% profitable, which would mean that with all the revenue that you bring in,
Bonnie (48:19.689)
Thank you.
Stephanie Alston (48:22.306)
After everything you spend, what is left? What are the things that you are putting in the bank to invest longer term? Right now we're still in this stage because I took over a business and so we kind of started over. It's kind of like we're both an established business and a startup at the same time. We were in the stage where most of my profit right now just goes right back into the business because we are expanding and growing. So it's really, it depends. There's a lot.
Bonnie (48:26.589)
Thank you.
Bonnie (48:51.169)
Yeah. Yeah, well, because you have expanded the size of your space recently, and then also with that, then you've expanded your scheduling and the teacher kind of showing up and so paying your teachers as well.
Stephanie Alston (48:51.882)
a lot of nuance to that.
Stephanie Alston (49:08.018)
Yes, yeah. And so I think how long until you should be profitable, if we're looking at it from that perspective, you really need to talk to your own CPA and business consultant. Everybody's maybe going to have different opinions on it, but I would say it really depends on your goals. One thing I really loved from my business mentor though, to share this is...
you would say you're gonna be stingy. You're gonna be really careful about what you spend. Anything that goes out, you're gonna know exactly what you're spending it on and why you're spending it. So spending isn't bad in business. That's the whole, you gotta spend money to make money. You do, you need to invest in your people. You need to invest in good quality equipment. We sometimes need to replace props when they get worn out or my kids bite them, which has happened. So there's bite marks in the blocks, time to get new blocks. So there's just things that are gonna happen, asset loss.
But you're going to be stingy. And then he would also say, you are paying for results, not time. And so I really think of that with my team, like not to just be that money grubber, but if we're putting the hat on of like, hey, now I'm in business owner number mode, because that's an important skill. Like you do sometimes need to step back and say, I'm going to now look at the pieces of the business.
What results are we getting? What results are we getting from certain teachers? I have had to pull teachers from the schedule. Like it happens where you're like, oh, this class is not thriving. That's my last resort, I should say, and we can talk all about that. But sometimes you do need to look at, hey, this class needs to be pulled. This time needs to be pulled. The class name needs to be changed. And also on the admin side, are we meeting the numbers we need to meet for retention of memberships? And if that's not happening, then I put my people,
more directly into our project where we're going to see the results generate that we need. So I'm paying for results, not for time. I don't just pay people for the hours that they're going to sit there and babysit the studio. So that's really important.
Bonnie (51:06.438)
Wow. There's
So many good things in that. One of the things that I really love here though is, and from a comment from somebody else, or a question was this narrative around yoga businesses even being profitable. And this idea of, can we make money off of yoga? And is this even something that we should be talking about? And the answer is yes. That's the short answer.
Stephanie Alston (51:32.45)
The story is yes. The perhaps slightly, again, nuanced answer is it needs to be sustainable. If you're, I mean, yes, there's a lot of ethics and things we could talk about and also like is your goal to be a multi-million dollar yoga industry empire? Those exist. And I have a single family owned boutique yoga studio.
I don't intend to franchise and no shade at all to those who do franchise. That can be a really amazing business model if that's the way you want to go. My goal was to keep my studio open for as long as possible to be multi-generational. And I have a lot of deep purposeful reasons for that. I got to eat to be able to show up for the studio to do the things it needs to do. I have to pay for the maintenance of the building. There's things that need to happen. So it's an energy exchange.
Bonnie (52:27.945)
Yeah.
Stephanie Alston (52:28.17)
Now, looking more at profitability-based businesses, wow, say that three times, that versus a nonprofit model where maybe you do want this to be more of a karmic experience that you're just turning over the money to go into something that you find really valuable in the world that's more of a charitable type of model. Absolutely, you can do that. And there's different pros and cons to how you would set up. I'm a corporation, I had reasons for that.
Bonnie (52:35.133)
Right?
Stephanie Alston (52:56.482)
Some people set up nonprofits. We have a little coffee shop next door to our studio that's a nonprofit. They have a homeless housing ministry and it's beautiful, but they still need to keep the doors open. So it's like if.
Bonnie (53:05.743)
Right. Nonprofits still make money.
Stephanie Alston (53:08.318)
Yeah, exactly. Nonprofits make money. They pay their people and they have to order the coffee shop. They got to order the food. They got to pay for the business license. There's things if you want to have your doors open and you Bonnie, I would love to hear from the online side, you have to pay for a website. You have to pay for the podcast hosting. If you want to get your message out and you believe that what you're offering in the world has value, there is some need to make some money.
Bonnie (53:33.127)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (53:36.062)
Now, how much money do you make? And how, like, that could be a different.
Bonnie (53:39.175)
Right. Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I think the idea too, where there's so many conversations within yoga land about teachers pay, and it varies very widely of where you're at in the world. Like your currency across the United States alone, where we live, is the very, it's like, there's a huge difference from city to city and state to state of what people are paid for a single class.
And then if you go worldwide, then it just increases. And currency exchange and popularity of yoga, even vinyasa, which we do, you and I both do a bit of, is not practiced in a lot of places, or it's pretty new in some places too. So that is also interesting piece of it.
And just like a shout out for those who I know in some places, I have worked with some studio owners slash teachers who are opening up studios. And in your country or a city where you are, there are people who opening a studio there looks like a single person and you, and there's a whole bunch of single studios within a city where you're hosting classes, but they're called studios, but it's just a single person.
And then I know there's some people who are branching out in countries where that's pretty normal to then include other teachers and that that's a new thing actually for also a lot of people who are stepping into studio ownership. So there's a lot of nuance for different people's circumstances.
Stephanie Alston (55:18.13)
Absolutely. And I love that you're speaking to that because I have a teacher friend that we collaborate with often. She's a yoga therapist, an actual certified IAYT, and she has her own yoga space on her property. She's it.
So it's one-on-ones or small groups and there is then my studio where I have a team of four And we do a lot of offerings seven days a week. It's continuously going we have hundreds of people that come through our studio weekly Totally different models, but we still have very similar conversations of okay. What is your capacity to hold what?
what can you do and offer? And for people that go to my friend, she's like, I can't teach classes seven days a week. And I also need to see my family. She's kind of this one woman show. And Bonnie, I'm sure for online, you sometimes feel the same way, but I'd love to hear your experiences. You are it, you are your business. There's a difference too of what I'm supporting for my team and making possible that I wanna be able to pay them because they show up, I can't teach seven days a week.
Bonnie (56:11.955)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (56:22.478)
24 classes plus workshops, like no way. But that's what our community needs where I'm at there. So like I want the people to feel valued and that's part of it too is like if I'm only paying the minimum wage and I like that, but there's a lot of conversation around that. It's yeah, so that's hard too. I help them see value, not just in my words of affirmation and my praise and my appreciation, but like are they getting compensated? Are they getting paid regularly? Am I on top of it?
And then there was the conversation when I took over of contractors versus employees. That is a huge thing in the United States of do you hire? And technically the law is, and at least in California, if you're hiring people for the scope of work for which your business provides, so I'm a yoga studio teaching yoga. If I hire yoga teachers, they are employees. If I'm hiring a plumber or I'm hiring an electrician, contractor, they don't do the scope of work I hire for at the studio. So.
Bonnie (57:21.727)
Mm.
Stephanie Alston (57:22.45)
getting really clear on that is important. It changes your insurance. It changes what benefits you are required to offer. So if we're going with like maybe number three, I hired an HR person. I hired an HR company to teach me the laws in California of employment so that I knew what paperwork I was required to give them, what paperwork to keep on file, how I set up payroll. Do I hire a payroll company? Do I pay them bi-weekly with a direct deposit? Oh my gosh, it's a can of worms. So knowing the value of making money
so that you can pay your people is really important to keep your doors open. I need my teachers and I hope that they feel like they need me too, but to make it available for them to teach the kinds of things they wanna teach and get their word out to students, sometimes it's hard when you're a one woman show, one person show.
Bonnie (58:11.442)
Yeah. Hmm. I'm so grateful for.
this conversation because the amount of teachers that I work with and the different experiences that people have with studios and studio owners and there's a broad spectrum of experiences and there's some hard experiences that people have had or are currently having within their studios. And we need each other. And we cannot.
do this without each other and teachers need a place to teach. And especially if they're not interested in, if you're not interested in, in building like a something that's just you. And it's a different thing to try to get people to come to just you. I think about for me, I'm like, you know, I think for, since the very beginning, I would say, you know, I was teaching classes out of my garage and, and strike training and when I found yoga and then thought like, okay, well, I'm, I found yoga and I knew that I was going to teach yoga.
And from then, I mean, you could call that 10 years. I've thought, you know, I've looked at places that have a rent sign in front of a window and I'm like, is this a good place for a place, for a studio? Is this this? I've thought that for so long and I don't have a public studio space. And so when I do things, if I...
I will work at different studios and offer my classes there, or I have people come to my own space here. And it is a different thing to have people come to a home space or a more private space than it is to come to a public space. And I think that there are different pros to both. Like there is more intimacy that happens if you come to your home space. There's also like, I mean, there has to be like this side note of...
Bonnie (59:56.527)
Like if you're going to put your address out there to like a public sphere, they're going to know where you live. So make sure you're comfortable with that or however you want to like, you know, check yourself, make sure you're feeling safe. But some people want the anonymity and the ease of dropping in into a public space. So that's a pro of a public space.
rather than having it be a home space. So you're gonna pull different people, the location of where you're at, suburbial land, you know, with your house and what's available. But you can also be a traveling teacher. You could be like, I'll come to you and teach in your home rather than having people come to you. So it's such a, there's a lot of different ways to do it. But I think this conversation really, we're trying to, like you and I here, Steph, I think we're really trying to say like, studio owners and teachers, like we need each other just as much.
As a teacher can't teach a class unless there are students there. It is, and that's why it's like, it's a whole community of people that make this possible for a studio owner to be able to step in and practice leading in that ownership role. And for teachers and all this staff, the admin staff of all the people, right? And teachers and then the people who are students showing up. Like it's a big, it's a whole thing we're doing together.
Stephanie Alston (01:01:10.518)
Yes, yes. And as you were talking, I was thinking, oh my gosh, and the liability. Like, yeah, if we're doing like, here's my top five things, right, that I wish I'd known. Or I did know some of these things, but like if someone were to put together a guide for me of here's how to become a studio owner, it is understand the insurance piece and liability of any model that you're going to do here. Like what could you have at your house? What are you responsible to cover?
Yeah, like what if someone gets injured or anything on your property? Like, what are you liable for? And then I did go through an experience during the shutdown kind of end of the pandemic, where a friend and I were looking at commercial spaces together and went through that process with a broker of looking at all these different places in our area. So things to consider not only are square footage, you know, like what am I actually trying to put in here? And can I see the vision of my studio in this space? But parking.
How are people going to be able to access your building? And then there's also the things you need to consider as I'm sure many people who build from scratch do. Like, do you have the right number of bathrooms for the populace that you're trying to bring into your space depending on like the occupancy of your space? Like then you have to put in restrooms. Like there's so many things you need to consider. So knowing insurance and getting someone on your side to help you understand.
that liability. There's also a piece which I learned in lease negotiations recently as we came up on our term and coordinating with the landlord, which again, my business lawyer communicated with his lawyer and it was great. I am on speaking terms with my landlord, but there are certain things you do through the lawyers and that's really important because there were things in the lease that I needed to pay attention to, which was what parts of the building are my responsibility to cover and what will the landlord allow?
because as part of my expansion, I had some ideas on like, oh, we'll offer Pilates, we'll offer some other movement in conjunction with yoga. And then there was the concern of, please don't mount Pilates equipment on the wall. And I was like, oh, well, we were not going to do that, but good to know, right? There's certain things that your landlord has the right to say, I will allow this kind of business in my space and not, because they also hold liability. And I asked my lawyer like, well, isn't it all on me? I'm the business owner.
Bonnie (01:03:21.478)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (01:03:26.706)
Once I have the lease, I say, well, now my insurance covers it. And that's not always the case. And they also have property concerns. And once someone steps out of your building and onto the parking lot, who's responsible for it. So these are important things as a business owner to consider and know and be willing to be in those conversations. I don't think people realize I'm doing all that in the background.
Bonnie (01:03:48.53)
Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think this is such the BTS, like such BTS of, you know, behind the scenes of what it takes to help everybody land and make it easy. You don't see so much of the administrative work that goes into making an experience what it is.
and it really is, you're really blind to it. And I know some of these things and it's lovely to like hear you list them out. And for some people to maybe hear them and think, oh, MG, I'm never doing that. Like this sounds like terrible, which is actually great. Like listen to this and if that sounds terrible, then do something else. Like there's something else that's gonna sound like an exciting problem to solve. And that's really the phrase that I like to use for everything. Like what feels like an exciting problem to solve?
Is it teaching a yoga class? Is it learning how to have an online business? Is it running a team in person? Is it running a team in person, but not the administrative part of that? Maybe you don't wanna own a business. Maybe you wanna help run a team. Like there's a lot of different sorts of problems that you could solve. And I think in my own personal life right now, I'm like, I don't think I'm interested. There's a part of building a team and having that. And I think my vision of what it...
a business could be for a movement space that makes me feel excited. But I know what my capacity is at already. And it is not, there's other problems that feel more exciting for me to solve, which includes holding this very space right now. So for the questions like, well, why don't you just open a studio, Bonnie? I'm like, I, I can't host this conversation then. I can't hold this space and be like, Steph, when can you schedule a time to come talk in the middle of all of your things?
I won't have the capacity to do that. And there's a bigger vision of why that I have for being able to gather studio owners and teachers that I will not have the capacity for. So it's not an interesting enough problem. It's an interesting problem, but it's not like the most interesting one for me right now. I have other things that I want to do. And maybe that is down the road. Cause again, I've like, I will look at random places and be like, there. But that it's, but for some people, I think hearing this list is
Bonnie (01:06:07.591)
pivotal, right? It's really, and it is all like the numbers people, it's the lawyers. I know I had a lawyer who I talked to, I have a lawyer friend who was like, okay, if people come to my classes in my garage or we do retreats, like what's the waiver? What's like the thing that they need to sign? How do I cover my bases here for my home? And for anybody who is listening, who even just wants to host things themselves, like that is an easy thing.
Stephanie Alston (01:06:18.305)
I'm going to turn it over to you. So, I'm going to turn it over to you.
Bonnie (01:06:35.727)
to kind of go about doing, there's some resources and people online, especially because of our temperature of our like online space. There's some resources out there. Gosh, I can visualize a couple on my head. The person I worked with does not work with anybody else right now, or is not like offering that as part of her business. But I know there's some other people that are out there who are doing business things that could help you with waivers and kind of like the law side.
and liability things, which is again, there's a gray area within yoga spaces that this isn't always addressed, but can be just like a peace of mind. Be like, this is a business, we're going to do it well. We're going to try to help people know that we're taking care of them by paying attention to the small details, even when it might feel annoying or overwhelming.
that is like kind of part of it. And then for you, Steph, you like started with it. You're like, okay, that's like, it set up a really solid foundation for you to grow from.
Stephanie Alston (01:07:44.597)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I have to say two things. One, it's been...
absolutely 100% worth it to me. This is the puzzle I like to figure out and I'm thriving in my direction in the work that we're doing. Does it mean I have it all figured out? No. Would I call myself an expert? Absolutely not. And in 20 years when I look back, am I going to say, haha, I did not even know yet all of the things. I hope so. I hope in 20 years our studio is still thriving. Look back and we go, this has been the most
Bonnie (01:08:17.063)
Hmm.
Stephanie Alston (01:08:18.026)
ride and I have the best job ever and I would never want to be anywhere else right now than where I'm at. And the second thing is when people say those comments like, but can't you just, can't you just open a studio Bonnie? Why don't you just do this? I'm like, wow, I think there is an oversimplification, well meaning absolutely in business ownership in general and then ownership of a yoga space. I had a
Bonnie (01:08:34.119)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (01:08:45.086)
a dear friend when I was buying the business who said, we're not selling sandwiches. It's true. This is not a Little Caesars. Like even if you are a franchise yoga studio and you have consistency from place to place, there's many wonderful fitness resort style gyms and places that like they have their style and you learn it from place to place and like they have a model. But even still, like you're not just prepackaging things to hand to people. You are working with people's bodies, their minds, their lives.
and my community and what I see happening, like the magic that's created when we're in the space together and practicing together, I would figure it out a million times to keep that happening. Like, there's nothing better in my mind, and that's part of my why. But it's really powerful when you can.
have someone help you understand all of the pieces and all the background to know this is what you're getting into. Like when you say yes to this kind of vision and this dream and keep those dreams. If you keep walking by spaces and saying, maybe there, I hope you keep that because those visions are sustaining the imagination of what's maybe had a little inkling of like, ooh, maybe someday. But that part gets to be like squishy and fun and vibrant. And that's so important. I...
Bonnie (01:10:02.291)
Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Alston (01:10:04.722)
in the coaching world that I'm in and the coach training I did especially and I do this with people I coach with It's always purpose is the biggest your why is the biggest then it's your vision your vision your dreaminess Then it's your outcome. What do you actually want to make happen? Then it's the how the process all these pieces like this really is the final step and it's so crucial Um, but you can't get to that if you don't have the dreamy part. So thank you for dreaming it
what you've created online. I've always loved seeing what you're putting out in the world and I really believe in it and the value that it is for yoga teachers and even myself included to get to where I am now.
Bonnie (01:10:41.909)
Thank you, thank you, Steph. Yeah, well, we'll keep dreaming, keep dreaming. I mean, I have a, I think the fun part for me is like, I have a vision of what it would be. I know some of my people I would first hire. Like, I already know some of those things, but to your point of, you know, is it time or is it results? Like, what are we, and I...
And I'm like, I know there's a result that I would want, but there's an amount of time. And you were kind of talking about, we're paying for results, not for time. But to kind of use those same words, there's an amount of time that would need me for the results that I would want to get or to give, like both. I think that's the same thing, like get, give. Like the results of what I would want it to accomplish to open a studio, there's an amount of time that would require
So it's not out of the question. It's, you know, it'll be the right time. And I guess I really trust the timing of things and of showing up with the things that are in front of me. And I think for all of us, there's a lot of teachers who are stepping into studio ownership that I've been talking to recently that are like, I, this wasn't the plan. This isn't where I was gonna go. And to trust the timing of things and even when it's uncomfortable.
and very much like teaching yoga where we say, okay, is it pain? Like let's stop teaching to fear. Like do this to protect that or watch out for this because you're gonna injure this. Like that kind of language is not very helpful within like movement and teaching spaces to like get rid of the fear-based language and say, and teach people about like if it's pain meaning if it's sharp and hot, like back out of those places. But if it's a little uncomfortable, that's okay. We can go into a little bit of discomfort. And
I think it's the same way for all of us in our growth of leadership and ownership of business and the many ways that business looks or can look.
Stephanie Alston (01:12:45.337)
Absolutely. And thank you for sharing that too, because there's been a lot of uncomfortable the past few years. And I would not be able to do all of this without my family that supports me. Really specific people in this journey that have made it possible.
monetarily and also my time. Like you said, for me to show up the way that I do, my family has sacrificed a lot of time with me, which just means the time we do have, I make it really quality. I committed to going on a family date every month with them. So my kids really look forward to that because I was this first year of business ownership was also my coach training and that was like taking a college course to be certified. So,
my spouse, my partner, and also I live close to family and that's really possible with my kids. Maybe right now is not the time if you have little kids. That's a question you've got to answer because my kids are 11, 9, and 4 and running a studio right now is a choice. I try to incorporate them as much as I can. But so considering all those things, it's the ecology. When you change anything, it affects every area of your life. So that's really important to consider too is like, there's the dream.
and what will you sacrifice to make the dream happen? And yeah, like that's again, a really important thing to maybe get coaching on if you're not sure.
Bonnie (01:14:05.839)
Yeah.
Bonnie (01:14:15.096)
Yeah. And that's like a little asterisk of Steph does coaching, especially for some of these things. I mean, but you and I both show up in different ways here. So like reach out everybody. If you're like, if you're having the feels and both Steph and I are definitely in the camp of like, if we're not the person, there's somebody else that's the person to help you.
And I think of that always when people come to me and be like, okay, am I ready for this? Or can you help me do this thing? And if I cannot, then I will direct you to somebody else if I know that person, because it's not about me. It's about you and how you're best supported. And I know that Stephanie are both in agreeance of that.
Stephanie Alston (01:14:52.46)
Yes, absolutely. And thank you. Because I love that. I found such a passion in helping leaders and wellness professionals and not just those professions but like to own their dreams, to say like, okay, this is my dream. How am I going to get there? There's a lot of nuance along the way.
Bonnie (01:15:10.467)
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. There are a lot of conversations to come, but we're going to wrap here for now. Conversations I am looking forward to having with you specific stuff too will be like the different roles of people that you have hired and the idea that you don't hold all of the leadership in the studio as a studio owner.
and that is something that you have created a team to help hold that leadership that's outside of the teachers being leaders, but that it's also other people holding that along with you. So that conversation to come and so many more. This is an exciting place to be because we have, you and I have some big vision and some of those other people that are included in this big vision for how to help people who are in the yoga business.
have a really solid why of what they're doing and what they want to do with community and with those people around them and how they want to serve and give and thrive. So thank you for being here today, staff.
Stephanie Alston (01:16:21.395)
Thank you for this and hosting this conversation. It's been such a joy to talk with you and hear about what you do as well. I'm so grateful that we each have our different
spheres in yoga business and you know there's that quote of a rising tide lifts all boats and as you build what you're building online and the knowability of yoga, the searchability, it makes things like I do, like what I do possible also, people being able to in-person community too. Like I think we need both and all of it.
Bonnie (01:16:45.705)
Hmm.
Bonnie (01:16:50.452)
Yeah, we absolutely need both. Oof, what a gift, what a gift. I'm so here for all of this. Okay, we're gonna have more conversations coming up. We will continue to share with you all as listeners what we are up to as things become more succinct and how you will be able to participate and join us for things that are coming in the future. So this is the beginning slash not beginning.
Stephanie Alston (01:17:17.227)
Okay.
Bonnie (01:17:20.531)
Right, of things as they are and unfold. So thank you, Steph. Everybody check the show notes. You can find Steph's information there. Go look at Santoshia Yoga that's located in California. If you're located in Northern California especially, or you're visiting Northern California, then go find a yoga class. Go find a yoga class with Steph.
Stephanie Alston (01:17:44.262)
Bonnie, you'll be there in May, which I'm super thrilled about bringing in real life flow school to Santoshayoga Collective. So yeah, Sant and also through Bonnie's website, we're looking at in real life flow school, our pictures on there. And I'm just excited to continue connecting together.
Bonnie (01:17:51.288)
Yes.
Bonnie (01:18:01.687)
Yeah, actually a good call out to you. Like I'm going to be there. And what, how many months is that? Like about just like three and a half, three and a half ish months. I am going to lead a flow school. And I think that's one of the fun things before even like you jumped into the ownership of that and you were like, okay, Bonnie, and we're going to bring you down here and then now it works out to host flow school there. So flow school and taking flow school to other places right now is an experiment of this year. I'm not just having it be hosted just in Portland, although I'm
I love hosting it here in Portland and having people over to my house and whatnot. But being able to go to other places and maybe make that, you know, and sometimes it can't be at a studio because we need a full day, which is because of your new space, it is going to allow for that. And so that's to be clear when I talk to different studio owners, they're like, come to do flow school. I'm like, well, I really need a space that's not a studio because you would have to cancel classes for a whole week.
does that work? So I'm glad that this works and that we can, I don't know, that you're part of my experiment too of flow school expanding and trying to make it easier maybe for some people to say yes, who really might need it and I get to be closer. So thank you. Okay, everybody, stay tuned for more conversations about yoga business and ownership and.
Stephanie Alston (01:19:17.279)
Absolutely.
Bonnie (01:19:26.311)
Connect with us, let us know what your takeaways are. If you have other further questions, reach out to Steph for some coaching in specific then as somebody who really has feet on the ground and the nitty gritty BTS, then she's gonna be your person for that right now. Between the two of us, like Steph is gonna know more things about studio ownership than I am because she is there and in the space. So please don't hesitate to ask people for help.
You don't have to do all the things alone. Like we need each other.
Bonnie (01:20:02.019)
Until next time, sending you big love.