S5E2: How Nikayla Russell Created an Inclusive Yoga Oasis in Her Community

“You have the control. You are your own superpower. When you start to understand that about yourself, you can do anything.” - Nikayla Russell

Discover the unexpected journey of a young entrepreneur who opened a thriving hot yoga studio at just 26, all while navigating pregnancy, a broken foot, and a studio relocation. You won't believe the resilience and passion that led to this incredible success. But that's not all – stay tuned for the surprising twists and turns that made this dream a reality.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover the mental health benefits of hot yoga and how it can improve your overall well-being.
• Learn essential tips for starting a successful yoga studio business and thriving in the industry.
• Overcome challenges as a young entrepreneur in the yoga world and turn obstacles into opportunities for growth.
• Explore effective ways to integrate yoga into your daily life for a more balanced and mindful lifestyle.
• Uncover the strategies for building a strong and supportive community through yoga studios that fosters connection and positivity.

My special guest is Nikayla Russell

Nikayla Russell, also known as Nikki, is a seasoned yoga instructor and the founder of Doza Yoga studio. Her journey with yoga began during her college days, where a transformative hot yoga class left an indelible mark on her. This experience sparked her passion for the mental and physical benefits of yoga, leading her to delve deeper into the practice. With a background in sports and a love for movement, Nikki's approach to yoga is dynamic and engaging, creating a space that fosters self-discovery and wellness. Her unique perspective on the mental health benefits of hot yoga makes her a valuable resource for medical professionals and yoga enthusiasts seeking to enhance their well-being through consistent practice.

Transcript:

00:00:03
Welcome to your next stop podcast.

00:00:08
Welcome back to your next stop. This is Juliet Hahn. And I say it every single time, but I might even mean it a little bit more with this guest. So I'm going to welcome Nikayla Russell, maiden name Mendoza. How are you, Nikki?

00:00:24
I am doing so well. I'm so excited to be here. Yeah. So we got to get a little background on this, because as anyone that's watching on YouTube, they can see my stupid smile right now because I, or my silly smile, I should say. I am so excited.

00:00:42
But first, I want people to be able to find you so you can find, really, you hung out on Instagram the most. And that's Doza yoga. And that's Doza. And then your personal is Nikayla Russell, right? Or what is your personal.

00:00:57
Yeah, it's at. That's your personal Instagram. Yes. Nikayla Russell. N I k a y l r u s s e l l.

00:01:07
Perfect. Perfect. And so that's where you can find Nikki the most I have known. I mean, really when we kind of went back, I mean, we're going to talk about that, like, last encounter where now I'm like an obsessed yogi. And my listeners know, like, this has changed so much.

00:01:25
I mean, you know, I've always had good paths. I've always had, you know, I have to say, like, you know, I've been very blessed in my life, but this was yoga and your studio, and you came back into my life at such a pivotal moment of so many things that it was such a beautiful thing. So. But we're. We're going to get into that.

00:01:44
So I would love what my listeners know. We always kind of start with a little bit of background where you grew up and a little bit of kind of your childhood, and then we'll go from there. Sure. So I grew up in West Hampton beach, which is where the studio is located. Went to elementary, middle, and high school in this town.

00:02:07
And, yeah, I worked in town for as soon as I can work, up until very recently. And that's how you and I first connected when I was like a little middle schooler, probably, or something, my mom. And then we went years without ever being in touch, or you guys, I guess, were part time at that point, too. And then what was it a year ago? Is it a year ago now?

00:02:41
It's a year ago. I want to say I started in the spring. Right around this time. I actually had one of the girls. I was like, can you look back?

00:02:50
Karen and I both had. Was like, when did I start? And I was like, wait, I feel like I started. Or like, I feel like I started April. Like, well, I actually know I started, like, April May, and maybe I had done one in, like, in March or something.

00:03:03
Right, right around this time, and just a little background. So, Nikki, you babysat the kids in the summer because your mom was an occupational. Or is an occupational therapist. Wonderful. And when we were going through, my listeners know about Montgomery's dyslexia, my dyslexia.

00:03:21
So we were going through kind of the early. It was really before. It was actually before he was diagnosed, and so we became friendly with your family, and I just remember the love and everything I had for you guys. And then over the years, as you said, in the summers, I would see you working at a shop, and you'd be like Juliet. And you always were like Juliet.

00:03:38
And now you were growing, and I would look at you and you'd be like, Nikki, and I'd be like, oh, you say Tina Mendoza's daughter? And I'd be like, oh, my God. Right? I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

00:03:46
Yes, yes, yes. And so that's really how we kind of stayed in touch. And then I started going through some hormone stuff. I always have been a big, avid workout person, but I always would do, like, the hard, heavy stuff I loved, like, the jumping and the heavy, heavy weights. And I started going through some hormone stuff and was like, all right, everyone's been telling me I gotta try hot yoga.

00:04:07
I'm gonna go to that local studio that I heard just opened up, you know? Cause you guys were around, what, eight months then? Yeah, I opened a year, 4th, 2022. So I guess whatever that is. Eight months ish this time that we had been open.

00:04:25
Yeah. And so I was going through, like, this almost. I was starting the Dyslexia podcast. I was really actually in the process of being like, should I be starting this dyslexia podcast with the co host that I have, Brent Sopel? And I was like, okay, what does this look like?

00:04:41
I need some signs. And it was probably. I was maybe only doing yoga for. I don't even think it was a month. I think it was actually my first or second class.

00:04:52
What? Cause you were there, I think, right? Yeah, yeah, it was. Yeah, I think it was like my first. Yeah, I don't know if I taught it.

00:05:00
And I saw you and you were like, oh, my gosh, it's you. I started crying. I started crying. Well, I was literally praying. And in yoga was like, I just need a sign to know that this next endeavor that I'm taking on is really what I need is this is what I, you know, what I do, what I need in my life, but also, I don't want to put expectations.

00:05:24
And I was really in, like, this kind of crazy spot in my life hormonally, but then also with my business and, like, where I wanted to be. And I said, I need a sign. I really need one. I think I'm good. And I walked out, and I saw you, and I go, wait, why do I know you?

00:05:38
And you go, it's Nikki, Tina Mendoza's daughter. And I went, oh, my God. And then I started crying, and I was like, I'm so sorry. You're like, you're okay. And I was like, I don't think you understand.

00:05:54
But I was like, I don't think you understand the impact right now that this is happening. And it's so wild to me that you are. This is, like, my sign. I mean, dyslexia. This is where Montgomery had his start.

00:06:05
I loved you guys, and I told you, and I kind of shared with you, and you're like, oh, my gosh. And then as the year went on, I mean, I think there was a time where I was coming, like, nine times a week.

00:06:20
I did. But the space that you created at Doza, I mean, not only your classes, but the other instructors you have, the people that would come, it just, like, I, like, walked in and I would be like, I love the smell. I love the feel. Like everything about the place that you created was so special. And from that day, I've been saying to you, we need to have you on the podcast.

00:06:43
And then I had, you know, some ideas. I wanted to do this series, and it, you know, both of our lives, you know, as we're going to get into you opening the new studio and stuff kind of happened. But it was just this most beautiful message that the universe God, like, slammed me with. I mean, it was really like a smack in the back of the head, and I was like, okay, I hear you. Okay.

00:07:04
I know I'm on the right path. This is crazy. And then as I grew in your space and then saying to you, I mean, there were some days that I would come out and I would say I found myself even more. And I didn't know that was possible. I thought I was in a pretty good space.

00:07:16
I thought I was a pretty put together human. And there was times where I was just in awe of all of this. So I want to get into how you created this space and how you got into yoga and what that path is. Yeah, absolutely. To start with, going off of what you said, one of the things that continues to humble me in all different stages of life through this practice is that yoga is something that continuously reintroduces yourself to yourself over and over and over again.

00:07:54
It is a never ending journey of learning and reflecting and epiphanies and just going inward that is such a. So unlike any other form of practice or even just exercise that I have ever experienced. So to get into it, I started, you know, growing up, I had taken yoga classes here and there. My mom would play, like, little vhs kids yoga things for us as we were growing up. I grew up Hahncing.

00:08:28
I played sports, so I was always a mover. But then, you know, I went to college, and a lot of that just kind of got put to the side and didn't really have any form of routine in a movement sense. And then there was one point in my freshman year of college, I had been going through a breakup, and I kind of had a change of plans with my holidays, and I went with my roommate to spend Easter with her family rather than going home. So it was kind of like a last minute switch up. And while I was with her family, we went to a hot yoga class.

00:09:13
So I didn't really think much of it. I was like, okay, yoga. I've done this before. Sounds good. I had no idea what I was walking into, or at least I thought I knew what I was walking into.

00:09:25
And it was something completely different with the heat and all of the added elements that that brings in. And I went through all the same, you know, ideas and going through my head of, like, is everyone else sweating like this? Is this. Am I the only one who's, like, struggling right now? Like, what is going on?

00:09:45
Is this the normal way that I should be feeling? But I got through it. It was a good class, enjoyed the movement. And then it came time for shavasana, which at that time, I had no idea what Shavasana was. I was like, okay, cool, we get to lay down.

00:10:00
And during that, I was able to just sit with myself for probably the first time ever in my life, truly with intention. And I had tears flowing from my eyes, and I couldn't pinpoint it to a thought, a feeling, a memory. I was like. It wasn't like, I'm not sad. I'm not happy.

00:10:24
I don't know where these tears are coming from, but something is coming out of me, and I don't know why. And I didn't really think much of it at the time. I move on with life, and I continued with school. I never went back to a class after that. For a while, I just kind of thought it was a fluke of, like, whoa, that was a crazy experience.

00:10:46
But that can't be what it's always like every time. I don't know what that was. Maybe it was because I was going through breakup. I didn't know where to place it in my life. Cause I had never experienced something like that before.

00:10:58
Fast forward. I studied abroad in Australia, partied, lived it up, drank, ate all the things. And I came home and I was like, okay, time to get back on track. I was ready to start a fitness journey again. Started working out at the gym, doing all the things that you think you're supposed to do to get into shape and feeling good.

00:11:25
So I did that for probably a solid six to eight months with really not feeling much of a difference in my body and in my mindset. Um, there was results seeing that I was seeing, but it wasn't like, anything significant where I was kind of getting frustrated and wondering why this isn't progressing the way I wanted to in my fitness journey. And I noticed that every time I would go to the gym, I would put on so many layers because I felt like all I need to do is just sweat. I just need to release some of this out of me. So I'd wear, like, leggings and sweatpants and a long sleeve under armour and then a sweatshirt on top of it.

00:12:07
And then I had this, like, clicking moment. I was stretching in the mirror, and I was looking at myself and thinking, huh, this feels. I feel like I'm misaligned or my stretching is off. And I used to be good at this. I know how to stretch.

00:12:22
I was a Hahncer, and all of these things are going through my head. And I was kind of like, what? What's missing here? And so I was like, oh, let me try going to a hot yoga class. I remember that one time in my freshman year, I got so much out of it, and I sweat unlike any other time before.

00:12:38
And I stretched, and I felt physically, like, worked. And so I researched, looked up a hot yoga place near me, went to a class, and I was like, 00000, okay, this is something here. And similar to your experience. It was kind of like it all. Everything just.

00:13:03
It was like a sense of knowing came over me, and it was like, this is where I'm supposed to be. And I was hooked immediately. That. That pouring of energy and feeling your body be so present in movement, especially as someone who had a ADHD diagnosis growing up and had a lot of those, the monkey mind. In just life, it really brought me to being present with just my mind, my body and my breath for that 1 hour.

00:13:43
Because with the heat, there's really no mental capacity to be doing anything else other than breathing and getting through the class, following along and just being present in that sense. So I started very consistently, took as many classes as I could. Never in my life have I prioritized something in the way that I practice, that I prioritized that I was always someone who had slept in and waited till the very last minute to get ready for work and to get out the door. And I was waking up at 05:00 a.m. to get to the 530 class so that I could get my class and before I went into work.

00:14:20
And that was something completely new for me, that it was just crazy how it became such a priority that I need to fit this in my day. And if I don't, I will just be. It'll feel missing if I. If I don't get that in. And you know that I think that's happens a lot in the beginning, too, where you're like, this is everything.

00:14:42
I have to do this every single day. And if I don't, I'm not gonna feel good, because that's how our mindset works. It's like all or nothing. Over time, I've given myself some grace in that and taken classes as it feels good for me, but that's basically how I really got into it. And with that, I saw my body completely transform.

00:15:03
I was in better shape than I had been my whole entire life. My eating habits changed. I became a lot more mindful of just how I operated within the world, how I presented myself, how I. How my energy was being experienced by other people. And I remember so distinctly when I first really got into the practice, maybe a few months in, I was driving home and it was like all of my senses were completely heightened.

00:15:36
And it was like I could see the colors of the trees and this color of the sky and smell the flowers as I was driving in my ride home and taste the coffee that I had drank in my mouth so much more vividly, like everything was amplified after having that hour of presence. And just being able to experience that for the. It was like, again reintroducing myself to the world of, wow, this is how you can experience life. It doesn't have to be so on to the next thing. On to the next thing, not even being where you're at in that moment.

00:16:18
And that really just changed my life in tenfold in so many other ways, in my relationships, with myself, with my body, in tons of different ways. So that's how it became a no. I love that in my life. Yeah. Yeah.

00:16:33
And so I want. There's a couple things I got totally. When you were saying about laying there, I got totally welled up because that's exactly what I felt and mean. And I've had it in my, you know, I mean, obviously, you know, being ADHD and dyslexic, all those different things, I always have been just someone that. That goes, right.

00:16:52
That's just my personality. I'm high energy. I go, I go, I go. And I have, you know, when I talk about it a lot, when I walk my dogs is like, really my peaceful time. I really connect, and I do all these things.

00:17:02
And so I have that space, and I've always had that space. I've always known that's, like, my time. It's good. I can be in my head and do whatever. And so that has always been my space.

00:17:11
I think as I've gotten older, it was. I needed something else. So I remember for the first time doing that, and I had done yoga probably five or six years ago and maybe a stint for a couple months, and it was good. But I don't. It wasn't.

00:17:27
It wasn't the time, you know, finding you in your studio again. That was my time. But I remember that first time laying down and literally being like, oh, I have nothing in my mind. And that is one of my favorite questions I would ask people. I remember my husband and I one time before we got married, and I was not someone that's like, oh, it's in your mind.

00:17:46
But it was one of these points where it was such a beautiful. We were on our first vacation. It was when we were dating, and I remember looking at him and just being so happy that we were together and me thinking the warmth and all of this, and I was like, I never asked you this, but what are you thinking? He said, nothing. What?

00:18:03
I go, that's not possible, because it's possible. And I go, no, there's no way. You cannot be thinking anything. You might be thinking insignificant things like, oh, the sun feels really good. Oh, look at that bird.

00:18:15
Oh, the sand looks really interesting. Look at the water. And he looked at me and he goes, no, I don't do that. And I went, what do you mean, you don't do that? I go, who doesn't do that?

00:18:24
Which led to me calling my brother, calling my best friend. I mean, like, can you ever, like, it was so bizarre to me that someone could not have a thought. It didn't mean that you had to have an anxious thought or you were thinking. Like, could just be insignificant things. My brain really never has no thoughts.

00:18:40
I am always thinking. And so one of the times is, like, on a boat, I can get some where for a very short time. But in yoga, I have learned that I am present. I am there. I'm thinking about the movements.

00:18:54
I'm thinking of my breath. And you taught me that. I mean, really, really well. It was like, I don't have to be thinking what I'm doing next. And there's times where my life is really busy and I have to stop and be like, pause, go back to your breath.

00:19:08
And that's something that you have really, I mean, in your classes. That's one of the reasons why I love your classes so much, particularly, is because you. I know that you know how to talk to some. Some minds. You talk to all minds, but, like, the way your mind talks is the way my mind needs to hear.

00:19:23
So it's been really helpful for me to just. To be like, okay. And that I have an hour sometimes of where I'm just thinking of my breath and thinking of what I'm doing. And that is bizarre to me until it's now all the time. So I got so well done, because that was really, like, my first experience in your studio was that, oh, my gosh, this is incredible.

00:19:44
Now I've gone through where it's been harder at times, where then I'm challenged back to be like, stop. Like, yes, you have so much going on in your life, but this is. You got to get back to that first. You know, that first class. I remember one of the times we laid on our side.

00:19:59
What. What is that position called? Garbhasana, like the fetal position. The fetal position. And you said, relax your eyes.

00:20:07
And I remember I was like, oh, I'm not relaxing my eyes. And I remember my eyes literally feeling like they were going to fall out of the socket. And it was the best feeling I've ever felt. I was like, oh, yeah, this feels so good. This is ridiculous.

00:20:19
This feels so good. I didn't even realize I was stressing in my eyes, right? I didn't even think, oh, I have tension in my eyes. But that is, like, your whole face. And it was that first bunch of months.

00:20:31
That's what I was feeling every time and that's why, you know, all or nothing, I was like, oh, I gotta do this, like, constantly. Now I'm in a stage in my life where I know if I do it three or four days, I'm okay. I'm still good. I need to do it every other day. You know, I've gone through where it's like, no, I need to do it three days in a row or the next two.

00:20:50
I don't. No, I need to do it every other day. And when I don't, I do. And even my husband and my kids can feel like I'm going to be traveling next week and a half. I know.

00:21:00
I take a breath. Cause I know that it's an adjustment for me. And when I come back, like it is, I'm so excited to get back to the studio. I've been working out my whole life, right? I was an athlete, a college athlete.

00:21:13
You work out because of things that you said to get your body fit, to get your mind fit, to do all these different things. I can't say that I've ever, like, been like, oh, I'm so excited to go lift weights and work out. Like, it's not, it's not like a. I do it out of necessity. Cause I know that's what my body needs.

00:21:29
I look forward to going to yoga. Like, I am excited to go to yoga. And it's such an incredible feeling to have that and to know that that's going to be my rest of my life. Right? Yeah.

00:21:43
It's such a beautiful thing to be able to share with people. And hearing your experience is so fulfilling for me because that's exactly why I wanted to become a teacher, is because this is such a powerful, impactful development in my own life that I was like, honestly, when I first started, I could not shut up about it. I was preaching to people about it, whoever would listen. I was like, you have to try this thing. Hot yoga.

00:22:10
It's incredible. I promise you. Get something out of it, and then that's kind of becomes a theme with people once they start to really get into it. You can't stop talking about it because it has such an impact in your own life that you just want everyone else to be able to experience it. And I think that's why we become kind of obsessed in the beginning, because it's like you're grasping for that feeling because it's so new and it feels so good.

00:22:38
And then you start to take those lessons that you learn in the room, outside of the room, and then you're able to kind of manage and control it a little bit better, which is also one of the incredible benefits of the practice, is that you can take it anywhere. It's not just physical of being in class, going through the movements. There's so much more that comes with it that you're able to access out in the real world, like your breath and being able to notice what's going on internally and like, ooh, I was really impulsive in that moment. Let me just take a minute. And maybe, why was I like that?

00:23:14
Why did I react that way? Or why did I snap at that person? Or why did I take that so offensively, whatever it is? And you kind of have that awareness now. Once you start to feel it in the room and in your body, you can recognize those same sensations outside.

00:23:32
So then we kind of calm down, and we're like, okay, let's regulate a little bit here. I don't need to go, you know, to every single class that's listed on the schedule. I can go three or four times a week when it fits in. But that's also some of the beautiful thing about yoga is that, like you said, lifting weights, strength training, all of that is good, and you need some of that to balance all the stretching and lengthening as well. But I always say yoga is like the long game, the lifting, the weights, the strength training.

00:24:07
That's kind of the short game where it's like you're looking for results. You see the results, you get them. Great. We move on. Yoga is the long stretch.

00:24:16
You do it from when you're in the womb. You can do it until the day you die. And that's what the practice is. That's what the journey is. We start in a fetal position in that pose, Garbhasana, which is our birthing position, and we end in Shavasana, which is corpse pose, which is the death.

00:24:34
So it's like, that is what is reflected in every single class, and it goes through the cycle of life. There's the ebb and the flow, the things that are more challenging, the things that come more naturally. And we experience all of that in the class setting, so that when we are experiencing it in the outside world or just outside of the studio, we're able to navigate through those emotions, feelings, sensations, whatever it is that we're going through. So, yeah, it really touches people in a very special and personal way that they're able to leave with whatever it is that they were able to take from it. Like that day for you, it was the resting of the eyes.

00:25:16
Sometimes it's the clenching of the jaw. Sometimes it's the release of the shoulder. Sometimes it's finding a new court engagement that they've never felt before, and they feel really empowered in that. Whatever it is, maybe it's a quote that was said or the way something was explained that really clicked for them. There's so many different ways that it can click for people.

00:25:38
And just being able to share that with so many in my hometown is like a dream come true. Yes. So that's what I want to get to. What. When did you decide?

00:25:50
Okay, I want to open Doza. I want. I want to do this. I mean, because I'm going to. You're young.

00:25:57
I mean, you're really young. How old are you? Sorry. Yeah. I knew you were in your twenties.

00:26:02
Yeah. And so for you to grasp this, I mean, that's what I love also about you, you know, and your family. You guys are your action people, right? You're not going to sit on an idea. It's like, I have this idea, I'm now going to, like, do something.

00:26:15
And so that's like my kind of people, right? Those are the kind of people I love that energy around. But so when you decide, like, we're thinking about it from start to finish, how did that look? So you can kind of take the listeners through, especially a listener that's sitting there going, I always had a dream to do something. I've always had a dream to open something up, to start my own business.

00:26:32
What kind of advice? And with your story, can you share? Yeah, absolutely. So my journey is kind of interesting, and I've, a lot of things make sense as I've reflected and as I explain this to other people, it's like it clicks for me as I say it out loud. But I originally went to school to college for broadcast journalism.

00:26:56
That was my major. I loved it. In high school, I had an incredible teacher, and my teacher's husband is Sean met who owns island Surf, which is in West Hampton beach. He was my boss that I worked for for ten years. So between the two of them, they were big inspirations in my life of just, like, where I wanted to see my life go, who I was surrounding myself with.

00:27:20
And so I followed sort of in their footsteps in certain ways. So I originally went to school to be a broadcast journalist, and I loved the idea of entertainment and being a face of something and talking with people, connecting with people similar to you. And that was, like, where I had my sights were set. I. My dream at the time was to like be a talk show host or something of the sort.

00:27:52
That was me, too. Yeah. Yeah. As I went through school.

00:27:58
Things, you. Know, shifted and I learned the reality of what that is and what that looks like at that same time. Like I said, my freshman year of college is when I took that first yoga class. Then I studied abroad. When I studied abroad in Australia, that major didn't directly transfer, so then it was into media.

00:28:17
When I came home from Australia, I ended up going to community college for a little bit. And then I started getting into a lot more of the business side of things. And that's when I really started focusing and being interested to learn how things operated. Like the reality of owning a business and what does that look like and what goes into it. So my major at community college changed to business, which from there, this is like a little tangent, but my professor, my business law professor is now my father in law.

00:28:56
I met his son, who ended up being my husband and I. So I kind of just started to shift in that business direction. And my boss at the surf shop really kind of took me under his wing and started saying, like, let me show you, like, how I. How I work this out or how this ordering of this product goes and where my finances lie and how we budget this and, you know, things like that. From there, I went to fit the fashion Institute of Technology.

00:29:29
My major there was international trade and marketing for the fashion industry and my minor was design thinking. So that gave me the marketing business side of things in my major. And my minor was more so to break it down in a more not so theoretical sense of design thinking. It was kind of more so. Like, as a business person, how do you work with creatives to execute their ideas?

00:29:58
So I want to write a book. Great. That's a beautiful idea. How do you actually make that happen? The step by step process?

00:30:06
I want to open a boutique. Who do you need to recruit to open that boutique? And what goes into that? So that was where a lot of my training for actually executing this vision that I had came from. And as my ideas started to change and my goals started to change, I had always had, or I should say it started to develop into I want to open up a business.

00:30:31
I'm not sure where, what direction I want to take that, like, what's going to be in my niche. I don't want to just do a boutique necessarily, what's going to differentiate me from other places that are successful. And then that's when, at the same time, I had really started my yoga practice consistently. So when I had those moments of being like, I just need to share this with people. I was selling it for the business that had existed that I was going to.

00:30:59
So it was kind of starting to click with me of, I think I can do this. And this is where my passion is so strong right now, more than I felt it in any other area of life. I feel so passionate about this subject and feel the need to share it with people, like, desperately. And so how can I make that happen? So in the back of my mind, that was always living there, like, yoga studio, yoga studio, yoga studio.

00:31:29
And so I put myself in positions to work in yoga studios. So I did that. I worked. I got my yoga teaching certification right when I graduated college, that I went from graduation basically straight into yoga teacher training. That was like, check one, check the box, step completed.

00:31:54
And that was also a beautiful journey of, you know, learning more about what goes into it, what being a teacher is, the philosophy behind why we're doing what we're doing, why these poses are called, what they are, the sequence of why we teach, the way we teach. And that was a huge, like, wisdom bomb for me. I was really in all of that. And then, you know, I just kind of, like, worked here and there. I started teaching at studios, at gyms, trying to just get some practicing experience under my belt of teaching.

00:32:26
And then Covid hit. So when Covid hit, I kind of moved from our little apartment that we were living in back to the suburbs of West Hampton area, eastern Long island, and I started working at a studio that I had been consistently practicing at for a few years before I was in college and stuff, which was like my. My home studio for a while. And I ended up managing that studio, which was the best experience I could have ever had to prepare me to do this one day. I really kind of took the ropes of the place and did scheduling and saw exactly what goes into building out a yoga studio.

00:33:21
Like I said, this is also during COVID So there was a lot of navigating that had to be done of how to make this work in a weird situation and what that looks like, the logistics of it, of literally, okay, the heating aspect of it, the humidity aspect of it, the working with other instructors, and how different personalities come into play with operating a studio. Especially because yoga is such a personal thing that people hold so dearly. There's a lot that can go into how people teach and how they like to present those ideas. And it's not just like hiring an employee. It's more than that, for sure.

00:34:11
So all these things I learned. And then with help from my community of people that I grew up with, my boss from island surf, my in laws, my parents, everyone kind of just, like knowing that I had this vision and dream to one day open up a yoga studio, and I wanted it to be in West Hampton, which is where my people are and where I felt like I had a good understanding of the clientele, what to expect seasonally. And it just would have been such a special, full circle moment for me after having grown up and worked in this area my whole life, to be able to give back to the community in that way and to kind of plant my roots here. So over about a year of looking for different locations, we found a spot. This was after, like, four other places that had kind of fallen through for different reasons.

00:35:16
There is a spot that became available that was doable, and we were able to make it work for the price and the space, and it was in a great location to start small and see how it went, just take the risk of. All right, let's see how this goes. I've never done this before, but let's try it. And I used a lot of my old projects, actually, from my miner to plan out, make up my business plan, which is kind of a really cool thing, too. I was like, oh, my degree is actually coming in handy here.

00:35:55
And I basically just had business plans already written out, and I kind of plugged in the information of what I had envisioned for what my space would be, from the coloring of the space to logo designs to different fonts to vocabulary that would be used to explain the descriptions of the classes, and really just kind of laid all of that out so that I could present it to the people who were helping me find and curate the space, basically. So once we found our location, it's kind of like full gung ho. Like, let's do this thing. We got it all set up. I ended my job at the yoga studio I had been teaching at in June.

00:36:48
It was like, June 8 that I stopped there, and I opened by July 4. We did basically everything in one month, and by then, it was peak season in this town, and it was like, full throttle. You're in it. So. Yeah, yeah, I love that.

00:37:06
And the thing that is, you know, it's really also special is, as you said, you went in it, but you had a lot of the training, all a lot of the kind of forethought of what it's going to take. But one of the things that people might not understand if they're not from around this community, and, you know, I've only. I was a summer person, and now I'm a full time. But it's. It's a different clientele.

00:37:23
And so you have to kind of be like, okay, I have to have the mindset of when the summer people come in and they are people that want things now. Right? Like, it's. It's not. It's a beach community, but it's a New York City beach community more.

00:37:35
Let's just say that. So there's the intensity of that, and then you have the locals, which are actually very different. And so a lot of locals have lived. Have lived their whole lives here, you know? So when I first moved, when we first moved full time, people would be like, well, you're still a summer person.

00:37:48
I was like, no, we've had those over 21 years. Whatever. No, we are. We are here. You know, but it is.

00:37:55
It's a. It's an interesting thing to think about that because it is important. And one of the things that I'm like, have been so impressed by you. I didn't realize that the studio had just opened. Cause it was like I found yoga at the same sort of time as you have been eight months in.

00:38:10
But it was. The way you run it is you're always so calm. I mean, again, that's a yoga thing. But sometimes there's a lot of people trying to get in. People don't always come in with a yoga mindset.

00:38:23
They come in with more of, like, I want this kind of mindset. And you just do it so beautifully, the way you navigate the personalities and. And if there's any, you know, ever. I don't think I've ever really been in the studio where anything have seemedly has been off, if that makes sense. Like, so if.

00:38:40
Even if things are, like, running behind the scenes, like, oh, this is a little intense or whatever. Like, it never is given to the people that are coming in and even people that know you and close friends. Like, you know, it's always so professionally beautifully, but cozy and homey. Like, that is, like, the feel. Like it's so professional, but then so real and cozy.

00:39:00
Like, it's almost like. It's almost like two words that don't go together, right? It's like you either have the business or you have the codes and you can't really have them together, but you do it so absolutely beautifully. And I love that you had the people rallying around you to be able to help you kind of see that. That vision, because it really is beautiful.

00:39:18
And then going from the studio that you had to then the bigger studio, I mean, take us where it was like, okay, we know we have to do this. And Doza was really the only studio in town, which. Right. I mean, I'm correct on that. There was.

00:39:31
There was other studios in other towns, but not one in West Hampton. And so that was also why I found you guys, because I was like, I want something convenient. Like, I'm such a convenient person that, like, I want to be able to go and, oh, I saw this. You know, I saw that there was a yoga studio, and I was, you know, walking or doing something. And so it really was such a great location to grow because people just happen to come sometimes just happen upon the studio.

00:39:56
Right. Yeah. Thank you for saying all that, by the way. Of course. And that's exactly how I want it to come across and feel for people, because.

00:40:06
Because yoga is so personal. I've walked into a lot of different places where I feel judged or intimidated or it feels clicky or it doesn't have that sense of warmth and a bringing in and welcoming. And I think that's so important, because what we do in there is vulnerable. It is intense. It is personal.

00:40:31
People go through such a wave of emotions. A lot can come up when you're in your practice. And just having a place that feels safe in that way was always incredibly important to me. And then also having other instructors who believe in those same values and provide that experience as well in their own unique way, was something that was non negotiable. So to hear that, that's incredible.

00:41:00
No, and I. And I mean, it's. And I, you know, I. Again, we haven't talked to, like, what your vision was. And it literally.

00:41:05
I mean, that's how I feel every single time I go in. And even with the new space, like, one of the things about the old space I love, like, the sage, the smell of just, like, the yoga, and you still have that as you're growing the new studio, which is. Which is a lot bigger, I mean, there's. You're going to be able to have the growth because you grew so fast, because you created that. You know, again, I think yoga and really any business, if you go in and you don't have the best experience, a lot of times you're not going to get that repeat customer.

00:41:33
Maybe someone will be like, okay, I'll give them another try. But usually, you know, you might not. And so that's why you grew as fast as you grew, because people, time and time again, I mean, how many? I'm trying to think of how many people in my circle, because of course, when I started, then they're like, well, what the hell are you doing? I just see some zen and, like, what's happening with your body?

00:41:52
What the fuck are you doing? You know, I was like, oh, I haven't told you. I found hot yoga. Where are you going? Dozen that I would tell them the experience.

00:42:01
I walked in, I needed to sign, and then I see beautiful Nikki, and it was, like, this crazy. So I had a number of people that were like, oh, well, I want that. Like, I'm coming, and I want that. That now have kind of done that. I've had friends that are.

00:42:16
It's not their time for yoga yet, right? They've maybe come in and been like, okay, it's not my time. I see why you love it. You know, it's a great space. But the other thing that I love about the community that you have created is people can stay and talk and chat, or you can be in business mode.

00:42:32
I'm gonna go lay. No one's gonna talk to you. I'm gonna go. And I am such a social person, but I am on a schedule when I'm doing my yoga, so I'm, like, in. I take my time.

00:42:40
I usually come in a little early so I can have that, like, kind of quiet in the beginning, and then I know, like, the second class is over. I need to go out. But you also. Even in the old studio that didn't have the space, the new studio with the space is just. It has to make you sit behind the desk and just smile because you can see the people that also want to.

00:42:57
Want to chat with their friends. And the people that maybe they met, maybe they weren't in their regular circle, because that group of people that are there are such a. Also, I mean, I have not met one person that I really would be like, eh. I mean, not that I really do that. I usually pretty much welcome a lot, most people, but interesting and, like, just kind and, like, it's the.

00:43:18
Even the people that are there, you want to stop and talk, and I usually will say, I can't today. You know, maybe another class, but you want to sit, and that's what you've created, even in the new space, because you saw the need from the old space. Okay, what do some of my clientele need? They really need this, like, gathering space. So for you to have that insight as well and do it is just.

00:43:38
Well, it just says who you are. I mean, it really does. Thank you. Yeah. It's been really incredible to see the friendships that have blossomed just from seeing familiar faces in the studio.

00:43:52
Like, there are people who are all different ages, all different backgrounds, who now hang out, and they go to trivia every week together and after class, and it's like, that's their social hour when they come to the studio and they get to hang and chat and talk about whatever it is that was never. There wasn't really a place for that other than going to the bar or whatever it is around the area that you can do that. So it has become a big community feel. But to go back to how we got into this new space and everything. There was another studio in town when I first opened, but it was non heated, and so there was a pocket in West Hampton beach, like you said, from the other surrounding studios where there was not a hot yoga studio.

00:44:46
So I was like, I got to do it before somebody else does. Yes. So I kind of had, like, a pep in my step to make it happen. And again, never in my life could I have predicted that I would open a studio at. I think I was 26 when I first opened it.

00:45:04
And that was like a I thought that would be ten years later type of thing. But luckily, and with a lot of help, like I said, I was able to make it happen at that time, which was incredible. It's your path. It's the path. Yoga has taken me down this path, and it's brought me beautiful things.

00:45:23
So this is one of the many beautiful things. So the studio that we started out with, for context was 750 sqft, which is small for a yoga studio. We could fit probably max 25 people tight. We fit a few more than that in the busy months, but it was barely functional. People rolled with it, and we're great.

00:45:51
And our lobby area was. It was like eight by 14. It was very, very small. It was kind of just like, okay, I'm here. I'm gonna just tuck my stuff right there, and I'm gonna scurry into the room.

00:46:04
The bathroom was in the studio room. There was a lot of things that we kind of had to work around. And people, luckily, were very receptive of all of those kinks. But I think that the quality of class was worth kind of some of those weird aspects of that space. So let's see, it was right around the end of the summer last year that I got noticed that my building that I was in was being sold.

00:46:44
So I was on a timeline of, okay, your lease is up May 14. You are going to have to be out by then, and good luck. So I was like, okay, well, I just opened here, so let's start all over again. And it was crazy, because that same week, I found out I was pregnant. My due date was May 13, and I also broke my foot in the same week, and I was like, whoa, life is happening.

00:47:21
Okay, here we go. Yeah, there was a lot of change that was in the forefront that I had to kind of prepare myself for, and I didn't even know where to begin. Moving into a bigger space was definitely something that was on my mind just because of, like you said, how quickly we grew as a studio and the capacity needed to expand. We couldn't really hold the amount of people that wanted to come during those busy months. And like you had mentioned before, it's a very seasonal town, so the summer months are busy, busy, busy action.

00:48:06
People are everywhere, and in the wintertime, it's much more mellow. It's just the local people. So there's a big fluctuation business wise, and just population wise of how things go throughout the year. So being mindful of. Okay, like, there's a big drop off in the, you know, the off season, and there's a big influx during the summer season.

00:48:32
So preparing basically, in the summer season, we could not accommodate everybody who wanted to be there in the. In the off season, it was great. Plenty of room still on the weekends, it would be packed sometimes, but totally manageable. So moving forward, I had to. I knew that this was something that was going to come eventually, where I would want to expand and, you know, grow the business, be able to accommodate for more.

00:49:02
But I was comfortable with where we were at for another year or two, so I can really hone in on how things are running and fine tune things and keep it small so that I could have more room to grow. But this kind of put a pressure to figure it all out and do it fast. So another thing about this town is that it's very small, so there's only so many places that you can go. Luckily, there, this place that I'm currently in was available. It was actually a Hahnce studio before it was a yoga studio, and it was a Hahnce studio that I grew up coming to.

00:49:46
It wasn't the same location, but it was the same company that had moved from the location I Hahnced in growing up, and they had moved to this space. So it was. That alone was kind of like a, whoa, okay, another full circle moment here. And I really wanted to stay in the main street area. That's like, something that people really loved about the studio is that they could have a whole experience of going to class, getting a smoothie, getting their coffee.

00:50:14
So that was important. And basically, this new space is 2200 square feet, so it's triple the space that we're coming from. I was able to build out a beautiful lobby area that has couches and chairs and seating. A lot more space to have, like, Doza, merch, and retail. We're having a shower in this new space so people can shower after class.

00:50:47
There's just a lot more potential to grow. We also are able to have a non heated room now in this space, so we can tap into all different types of practitioners, which we weren't able to do before. A lot of people would never come to the studio because they would just hot is not their thing. So now we have. We were able to be accessible in that way for all different types of clients and practitioners and different types of classes that we can offer.

00:51:20
We offered some prenatal classes, some kids classes, meditations, just regular non heated classes and as well, with. Along with everything that we already were offering. So it's a big, big upgrade. Yes, I'm excited. A month before I give birth, which was a huge goal of mine.

00:51:42
Yes. And you were doing it, and I loved how you were sharing with us all that was happening through your social media. So, again, you guys can go to Doza yoga, and that's do za. And you can kind of catch as your baby girl comes into this world. I mean, even if you're not local, if, like, listening to the story, I know my listeners right now are just so happy because there's so much.

00:52:04
Again, you're 28. We can all think back where we were when we were 28. I wasn't opening business, certainly not drinking my face off. I think it was actually right around when Hahn and I were getting married, so I was becoming a little bit more of an adult. But this was your path, and that's what I love, having a space that I can share people's paths and, you know, have always.

00:52:25
It's crazy that you were in my life at a time where, you know, I was having kids. My little, you know, you babysat, and then now, you know, you're bringing your baby girl into this world, but also, you brought this studio that I will always. I can start crying. I mean, like, it has changed so much and has brought so much clarity, and just all the stuff that I'm doing in my life business wise, it's been able to help me get to that next level, and that's what's been, like, just so incredible. So I just, you know, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking that jump and doing it, because there's so many of us out there that have found your studio, and that's what it does for us.

00:53:09
Thank you so much. Seriously, like, it. It warms my heart so much to hear that, because, again, I know that feeling. And to be able to provide a space that allows other people to have that experience is more beyond anything I could have dreamed of. And we didn't even talk about how Montgomery worked at the studio last night.

00:53:31
I know. Well, I mean, you introduced special thing. Yeah, well, you introduced him to it, and I know that he'll always go back. I mean, he's now practicing again, you know? Cause of his hips and stuff.

00:53:42
And you were such a mentor to him in so many ways that it was like, the relationship and friendship that you guys have will be a lifelong. He'll. I mean, there's times where in his life where I know he's spinning that. He's like, I know he's texting you, right? He's like, hey, how you doing?

00:53:56
Like, it's such a beautiful thing to be able to have that in a community, in a small community. But then, you know, sharing it with the kids, you know, my other two, they start, and they're like, eh, whatever, mom. But Montgomery. And they'll do it when they get older. It's not their time yet.

00:54:12
And Montgomery even said, like, where he's going to college, that it's a very small town, but they have a yoga studio. And he. And he's like, I know that I'll probably go there. And that's one of the things that I also want people to hear, because yoga is nothing. Some people think of a yoga person, right?

00:54:29
And they think of a yoga man. Like, Montgomery is as teenage boy, as man as you can get. Your husband who comes in and practices. Like, it's not, you know, over the years, it is more of, like, an athlete has taken to it because it is so good for so much. And, you know, I think that sometimes that stereotype that was back then was like, you know, a yogi is just like, ah, peaceful flower.

00:54:55
And it's not. It's so many different things. So, yes, the fact that you brought him in and really, you know, worked with him, we did lesson, you know, we. Because I was like, you gotta do some privates with the boys because they're tight as hell, and I. They need to not have the issues that I've had older because I didn't have yoga.

00:55:13
So. Yes, no, I love that, you know, you and him have that relationship as well. Yeah, I'm so grateful for that. And he has been. He was just such a he someone again.

00:55:24
Like, it was like, came in at the perfect time right when I needed him and he needed a place to work and learn. And that was such an awesome connection. But like you said, just speaking further on the stereotypical yogi, it's like, that's why people get intimidated or they feel turned off to not taking that first step of just even walking into the studio and inquiring, because it's like, oh, la dee da, the birds, the flowers, hippie dippy. And luckily, I've been shown over the years, like, no, you can be a real person and who's, like, going to work and having a very serious job, but also, there's room for this time to stop and slow down and pause. And I think all of our teachers, too, are so unique in their own way of what they bring to the table of.

00:56:20
Some of them are very. Are more in that spiritual, philosophical mindset, and that's what they offer. Some of them are hardcore. I'm going to kick your butt, and you're going to feel it in all these different parts of your body. And then there's the fusion of the two where you get a little bit of both and to.

00:56:40
And there's something for everybody. And, you know, not every single teacher is going to be who you jive with the most. And as instructors, we understand and are not offended by that. It's like if you have someone or instructor that you connect with and you get the most out of whatever you're looking for from this person. Beautiful.

00:56:59
I'm just happy that you're coming. If you want to branch out and try some other new ways of experiencing this similar thing that we're all trying to get the same kind of point across. Great. When you're ready for that, you explore. But there's something really incredible about trying to, like, understand that and knowing that there's.

00:57:20
It's not just what the stereotypical yoga person is. There's so much more. And there's something that every single person, I truly believe this, on planet Earth can benefit from if they just commit to doing it a few times, even more than once, try it more than once, because you're gonna get something new every time. But it's so expansive. There's a reason why this practice has been around for thousands and thousands it's probably the thing that's been going on the longest out of anything that I can think of.

00:57:59
It has such history and such a future where, like I said, you can do this until the day you die, whether you're just sitting in your chair, breathing, maybe you're sitting and you did it when you went on your vacation, and you don't have a yoga teacher training, but you were able to take what you've learned and execute it in your own way. That felt good in your own body. And, like, how awesome is that? That all you need is your own self. You don't need anything extra to get something from it.

00:58:29
It's just you. It all comes from within you, which is another huge lesson. And something that we try to reiterate is, like, you have the control. You are your own superpower. Like, and when you can start to understand that about yourself, it's like, you can do anything.

00:58:47
Yeah, no, I love that. And I'm going to leave it there because we're up on time, but we're going to bring you back because we could talk for days and days, but really give really good information. But thank you so much for joining your next stop. And again, you mean the absolute world to me. And I'm just so proud to have seen all that you've done and cannot wait to meet your little one soon.

00:59:15
Yay. So soon. Yeah, so soon. Gosh, it's amazing. So you guys know what to do.

00:59:21
Like, rate, review, and share. I always say this, but share because you don't know who needs to hear this. You don't know who right now in their life is a little bit, maybe stuck a little bit, like, looking for something and they might say, you know what? I've been wanting to do yoga. I'm just gonna bite the bullet.

00:59:35
It's what I did. I was like, I haven't done it. I really don't know what I'm doing. I don't know the names. I can't say the names.

00:59:40
But I'm gonna do it and I'm going to embrace it. I'm gonna give myself. I think I did two weeks. I was like, do two weeks and then see where it goes. I wanted.

00:59:47
I was going to buy the month after the first day and I was like, wait, stop. Just do the two weeks and then see where it goes. But that's what I want for you guys. So don't forget to, like, rate, review, and share. And thank you again for joining your next step.