Sweat, Beats, and Infrared Heat: The Y7 Studio Revolution with Sarah Larson Levey

In this episode of Yoga Biz Champ, Michael Jay welcomes Sarah Larson Levey, the innovative founder of Y7 Studio, with locations in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin.

Sarah shares her journey of creating a unique, inclusive yoga experience that breaks traditional barriers and emphasizes personal practice over physical perfection.Highlights:

- Unexpected Beginnings: Sarah’s story of starting Y7 Studio from a humble pop-up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and growing it into a nationally recognized brand.

- Inclusive Yoga Philosophy: The importance of no mirrors, candlelit rooms, and infrared heating in creating a non-judgmental, inclusive yoga environment.

- Music and Movement: How Y7 Studio integrates music into its classes to enhance the yoga experience and help practitioners connect more deeply with their practice.

- Overcoming Personal Challenges: Sarah’s journey from a corporate fashion career to opening a yoga studio, motivated by a personal injury and a desire for a more meaningful yoga practice.

- Building a Strong Brand: The strategies and philosophies behind Y7’s branding, from the dark, mirrorless rooms to the emphasis on individual experience.

- Leadership and Growth: Insights on managing multiple locations, maintaining consistency, and fostering a supportive teaching community.

Apps, Websites, and Tools Mentioned:

- Y7 Studio Website: https://www.y7-studio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/y7studio
- SalesARM:  A service used by Y7 Studio to enhance client retention and engagement.
- MindBody: The studio management software utilized by Y7 Studio, noted for its customization and branding capabilities.

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Sarah Larson Levy’s story exemplifies the power of innovative thinking and personal passion in transforming the traditional yoga experience into a unique, inclusive practice that resonates with a diverse audience.
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Michael Jay - Yoga Biz Champ 

Michael Jay, the Yoga Biz Champ, stands as the go-to Yoga Business Consultant, embarked on a mission to elevate yoga studios from mere survival to genuine thriving.

With a rich background as a yoga teacher, former studio owner, marketing expert, and yoga studio business coach, he possesses the insider knowledge necessary to elevate your yoga venture to new heights.

His passion for yoga, combined with a sharp business acumen and a sincere desire to see studio owners excel, encapsulates his professional ethos. Michael is not one to offer one-size-fits-all advice; instead, he's dedicated to providing tailored guidance, tangible outcomes, and supporting your studio to emerge as the next Yoga Biz Champ in your community. 

• Certified Yoga Biz Consultant • 
• FitTech Partner •
• Yoga Studio Launch & Growth Specialist

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Transcript

YBC- Sarah-S7

[00:00:00] Hey, hey, hey, welcome to another episode of Yoga Biz Champ. I'm Michael J. And I have been away for a little bit because I came back to Canada and not conducive conditions for recording a podcast when There are roadworks and two construction sites literally all around me. Anyway, we're back at it. We're making it work.

And today I'm really excited to have Sarah from Y7 join the podcast because I love this story because they started from such a humble place and I really love that because I went into this podcast with a preconceived idea that they started with this really slick branded studio experience. That they are now.

So enjoy. Welcome to another episode of Yoga Biz Champ. And today I'm thrilled to have Sarah Larson Levy, founder [00:01:00] of Y7 Studio. Welcome, Sarah. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm thrilled to have you here. You were introduced to me by a lot of people on this podcast already know her Stephanie bro, Bradley, and she was just like, this person is going to be a great fit for your podcast.

So I'm really great for that introduction. I'm just going to read your, um, bio out and then we'll get going learning. Sarah Larson Levy is the founder and CEO of Y7 Studio, which has locations in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin. She is an innovator, entrepreneur, 200 hour registered yoga instructor, author, mother, and certified integrative health coach.

After working in fashion for five years, Larson Levy launched Y7 Studio. At, at 26 as an answer to her personal desire for something other than the mainstream yoga experience offered since launching in 2013, the Y seven brand has expanded to a national [00:02:00] business with studios across New York, Los Angeles, and Austin disrupting the fitness space and flexing real influence uniquely positioned Y seven combined 60 minutes of intentionally sequenced yoga postures with infrared heat and strength accompanied by breath and meditation.

That is driven by the beat of the music. Larson Levy's goal to break down the perceived barriers of yoga, making it accessible and inclusive for anyone wanting to explore their practice with dark rooms and zero mirrors to eliminate the distraction of physical comparison, both thrilled to have you here.

I mean, you've got also a whole bunch of accolades here that I could list them entrepreneurs, 100 most powerful women in 2019 women. Magazine annual Inc. 500 list, all star entrepreneur of the year magazine, uh, featured in Forbes, Vogue, Bazaar, Shape, Instar, Refinery29, Women's Health. Like you know how to get out there.

I try. Welcome. I really [00:03:00] would love to start at the beginning for you and just kind of, I'd really love to know, you know, kind of a short synopsis of, of way started and how your journey came to be to open up this really incredibly branded experience. I can't wait to talk more about that. Yeah, I, it's, I always, I, I love being able to tell this story because I think it really speaks to, you know, Starting a business or starting something that you feel really, really passionate about.

I, you know, as I was growing up, yoga was always kind of in and out of my life. I've done like yoga classes here and there, but, um, I was, I was playing sports and I wasn't really someone who, you know, was really gym or kind of workout classy. Um, and then in, 2012, I actually pinched my sciatic nerve at the end of 2012.

And as I was recovering, you know, my doctor was, uh, [00:04:00] was talking to me and it was really kind of, for me, what I needed for my body was to really focus on my core strength and. He said, yoga and Pilates, he said, you really need to focus on, you know, your own body weight, really what you're doing with it, how you're moving.

Like you've got to stop with the spin classes, like no running, like just really focus on that, you know? And bodies is a little out of my budget as a 25 year old who worked in fashion. Um, and you know, this was really before the huge boutique fitness studio boom. And so yoga was, and I spent a lot of time going to studios, uh, all over New York city and while there was nothing, you know, they were all totally fine, great studios, but none of them really resonated with me.

But they mostly, is that mostly what you were, it was, it was, I kind of ran the gamut. It was, I [00:05:00] had tried Bikram, I, I had tried, he did, um, Vinyasa, I had tried, um, you know, a lot of different modalities and, or, you know, different kinds of yoga. To be honest, a lot of the time I left just feeling a little bit worse about myself and I did better and not in a physical way, but more in a way of, you know, a lot of at the time, a lot of the kind of rhetoric around yoga was look like this in a pose.

You want to master a pose to look like this and as someone who has a chronic injury, that's not always possible Depending on where my body is that day. Yeah, and You know, I and I say this and this is still true this day Like I'm not somebody who needs a six pack or to see like insane muscle definition.

I just want to feel good Yeah. Like, I just want to feel good. My body. I want to be happy with the way I look. It doesn't need to look like anybody else's. I just want to be like the best [00:06:00] version of my body and what feels good for me. And they really was, you know, spent so much time during those classes, you know, being told to empty my head, to be this way, to start thinking this way.

And I was being told all of this stuff, but I wasn't really given permission to get there on my own or in a way that made sense for me. And I really felt like that was disheartening because I like, I love yoga, like I love everything it stands for, but it felt really inaccessible to me in that moment.

Yeah, I think back then too, it was, it was all the yoga journal pictures were perfection. There wasn't right now where everybody's a little bit, a little bit more raw and real online. Everybody looked the same. You know, like every, every wheel pose looks the same, every down dog looked the same. And it was always the same body type, the same kind of woman, the same kind of man.

And that was, it [00:07:00] just didn't, it was something where I was like, I looked at it and immediately just because of those visuals and that conversation, I was like, maybe this isn't the space for me, but knowing what yoga is and what it, what it teaches us is that it is for everybody. The practice is everybody's own individual journey.

It's not just a physical thing. It's spiritual. It's the way you live your life. And yes, a lot of people get into it via the physical aspect, which is really what we focus on because, you know, that I think that was the entry point I was looking for. And that's really what, And that was the catalyst to start the business was this idea that like, First, I think you need, you need to meet people where they are.

Right. And so with Y7, there are no mirrors. It's candle. It it's dark. We use infrared heating. And that was. That was big. The no mirrors is because of your experience. I mean, my studio had no mirrors for that reason, too. Yeah, I, I didn't want to spend an entire hour, hour and a half [00:08:00] looking at myself and looking at other people and trying to fit into the shape that I thought I should look like.

I remember one of my clients watch, looking in one studio with, with mirrors distracted by her own boobs and Yeah, throughout the whole class, I was probably like, or, you know, it really, it really does take away from everything you could gain in that space, right? It's can I sit through this pose? Can I think a little bit deeper?

And however, You know, much more you think if you're in a chair pose or whatever it is, that's up to your body. It shouldn't be what somebody else's body is capable of. Nobody knows, you know, each other's stories when it comes to what's going on inside them. And I think that it is so important for us to pull our focus back inward, especially in today's world where there's so much noise.

We're always consuming images, media, everything that we really don't get a lot of those moments, [00:09:00] you know, especially now, even like, you know, post pandemic, even more. So we all spend, I've never looked at myself so much. I I'm on zoom calls all day. I'm like, I'm so grateful for the, like, you know, the digital connection, but it's like, I've never stared at myself as much in my whole life as I have the last, like, four years.

And I think when we're trying to, you know, when we get our, when we make it to the mat, that should be the last thing on our mind, right? It should be all about the, what we're trying to feel, how we feel, letting those feelings, like sitting with those feelings. Like, yeah, I am uncomfortable in this pose.

Like, can I hold it? It's just as much of a mental game as it is physical. And I wanted to, I just, I wanted people to feel free to explore their practice on their mat without this fear or trepidation of kind of judgment, whether it's coming, you know, I'm afraid someone else is going to judge me or I'm judging myself for how I look.

So all of those choices were, you know, they've [00:10:00] come, they kind of got a bad rap for being like trendy and trying to make yoga, like something it's not, but really it. It was what allowed me to feel really free in my practice and really, you know, try that handstand hop, maybe try to lift my other toe and trying to get in a crow pose.

Like those little moments are so powerful. And sometimes you're like, well, I don't want to make a sound and fall, you know, like my, Favorite thing ever that makes me just like brim over with joy is like being in a Y7 class and a teacher will cue like some handstands hops or something. She's like, just try it.

And you just hear thuds because everybody's hitting the ground because they tried it. And that to me is like, we created something really special, like environment where people feel like it is okay for me to fall and to make mistakes. Yeah. And feel and, you know, be in a safe space about it. So I, you know, that was really all [00:11:00] that to say.

Like that was my, I know you asked for a short version. You didn't get it. I'm so sorry. Um, that were you a teacher then though? Were you a teacher then? You weren't. So when you started students. So the spark, like the spark for the studio, I'm kind of really curious, like what got you there? And, and I'm also, if I can just dig a little bit deeper ahead of time is, did you open, did your brand evolve or did you know, because it was very branded, like the classes and the music experience kind of thing.

Did that, did that evolve? Evolve or did that happen right away? Anyway, but the spark, yeah, that was really the spark. And my husband is actually my co founder and he is of the two of us, like a serial entrepreneur has like a hundred different ideas every day. It's like, should I start this business? I'm like, please, sir.

And he was like, you know, we could just open a yoga studio. I was like, excuse me. And we did, we found like a tiny [00:12:00] little month to month spot in Williamsburg and Brooklyn, and it, it held about, it was like 300 square feet. It held like eight, it held eight people max. We like checked people in, in the hallway.

Oh, I love hearing that just because when I look at your brand now, right. It's just like, I love, you know, it, I kind of assumed that you probably started out boom and I love hearing that you didn't, this actually really wasn't even supposed to be a business. It started as a pop up and you know, we, we put Craigslist ads up.

For instructors and kind of like told them how we wanted them to teach and made them teach us a class. And, you know, I, I was very, very surprised that other people wanted. The same experience and had the same reservations about yoga and the same experiences with yoga as I did. I had no, I had no clue. And so, you know, we started out really, really [00:13:00] small.

Um, I And was it just a space like you, weren't you, that wasn't like the Yeah. Fancy by the like No, we, yeah. For our pop up the first like month, we were like, let's just try this. See if it works. It doesn't, it doesn't, you know, whatever. And it was actually, um, this empty, it was on the fourth floor. Um, it was above this restaurant called the Roebling Tea Room.

In Williamsburg, which is now closed, um, but it was like part recording studio part like practice space and they have this big empty room and it was like soundproofed and so a great acoustics and only had like one window so we were able to cover that with like we literally covered it with a cardboard box and brought in space heaters to start it.

And that. That was it. You should have that on your website. Like loved it. [00:14:00] And so again, we found this like great little space and it was just like one of those. It's it's amazing. This space is actually so cool. And I think this is. You know, such a New York, it was like such a New York moment. Cause I don't think there's a lot of places where you can find these like month to month.

It was meant to be like artists lofts. Like the woman next to us used it as her creative space. He made pottery. So she used it as her like wheel studio. She had like all of her supplies there. Someone else was doing voice lessons down the hall. Um, someone else is like doing eyelashes. It was just a really cool space for people to really like try out their businesses.

And it was so, it was so fun. And I, I mean, we opened that in September of 2013. And I worked, um, in my career, um, as an account executive, um, with fashion brands until March of 2015. Um, I. I kept my job. I didn't know that this was going to be a thing. It, you know, [00:15:00] the intention was never to be like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna start a business.

I'm gonna make a ton of money. And it was always like, I love this thing. This is the thing I want. This is the thing that I want to share with people. And, um, It, it grew into something beyond my wildest imagination. Um, so that, that was, that was kind of the beginning. Um, and as far as the brand and like the music, not much has changed.

So I got to think now that your background. In the fashion industry. I got to think like, if your husband's superpower, I always ask my studio and as I work with what are their superpowers, what did they bring to the table? You know, cause it's like triple down on that and hire out for the shit you hate.

Right. So I, you know, he's bringing him, I assume he's bringing in this entrepreneurship to the, but I feel like I'm guessing that you'll bring in the brand to the experience. You know, the brand was [00:16:00] a little bit It's actually a lot of both of us. It's kind of he, he goes a little bit extreme where I'm able to kind of pull him back.

What I really bring to the table in terms of strength is kind of this consumer. It's a reason why I've actually never taught, uh, on the schedule at the studio. I've never taught a single class. I will, I've taught events and such, but, um, I will not teach on the schedule solely because I am the client. I started the studio for people like me, people who were craving an experience that I was also craving, and I didn't want to lose sight of that.

Because that's who's coming in the doors. Right? Yep. Yep. And I think that when you, you know, it's, and having my teacher training, I know how, you know, how deep you can get into sequencing and into the nitty gritty and what is this really opening? What is the strengthening? And there's so much to explore.

You know, [00:17:00] there's so much to explore in the physical aspect. Like there's even more to explore in the, um, you know, in the spiritual aspect and, you know, The whole breadth of yoga. So I wanted to, I wanted to make sure that we weren't losing sight of our why. And the reason for the studio even being in the first place.

And, and again, like that's really, it's, It's hard to always keep your eye, you know, your eye on that. And I, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't getting lost in nuances of that aspect, like we have such an incredible teaching team. Like we have always had such incredible teachers that who really felt passionate about teaching.

That, and I had to really sit with myself and be like, Am I really passionate about teaching? And I'm, I'm not, I want to, I want to take the class. [00:18:00] I, you know, so I, I always felt pretty strongly that it was important for me to stay on that, like that side of the business. Um, you know, because. It's kind of 50, 50, right?

Without, without the customers, there is no business either. So you really have, it's a delicate balance. And I, yeah, I made that choice kind of early on and, you know, I did get my, um, My 200 hour because I wanted to be knowledgeable, especially when having conversations with my teachers about why we sequence the way we do, why we practice the way we do.

You know, I want to be able to have intelligent conversations about that. Um, and it was really important to me to have that also that background when, you know, we decided to, you know, Expand and, you know, it's going to be a real thing. So tell me about that, that moment between pop up and first, it was a pretty, you know, it was pretty seamless to go from like pop up.

We had people asking us, you know, they wanted to like, Oh, like [00:19:00] wonder, you know, where's the permanent space going to be and things like that. And, um, you know, we had this space that we found was so great. It was like. A thousand dollars a month. Like we were able to do it with our salary, like, yeah, you can build a profitable business with a thousand dollar rent, it was, it was great.

And we, you know, we had eight spots. We were able to fill up, we were able to pay our teachers, make anything extra, but it was like, we could keep doing it and it was fun for us. And so after that, we, we moved into a bigger space in Brooklyn. Um, we felt comfortable, you know, signing a lease. We had the, the cash from the, you know, smaller space and then we took out loans and, um, opened.

So did you do the fancy bill out at that stage? Like, did you go, you know, 'cause it looks like, you know, you got the sound and the lighting and did you do that at that stage or did that evolve? That evolved. We had infrared pretty early on. We [00:20:00] had infrared from not our very, very first. Location, but from our, like, we had a very tiny location, Williamsburg that we were in for like that eight person studio, we had it for about six months.

Then we moved to like a 20 person studio from that studio. We started with the infrared, um, and we were able to do it in Fred was still very new. We actually had partners who were starting an infrared business and wanting to, yeah, like a heating panel business and wanting to use, uh, the studio as their showroom.

To like showcase how the panels worked. And we were like, great. They were like, we'll install them. We were like, sick, awesome. Love that, you know, cause for them to just get a space and pay rent on a space, just to kind of have people come in and sit there, um, that was a lot of capital for them. So, um, you know, we were able to find really creative ways to make it work.

Um, and we started off that way and, you know, because, you know, My husband also, um, he [00:21:00] didn't leave his career until his previous career until August of 2015. You know, we were able to really put everything back into the business that we were making. So everything we really put back into the business, into new leases, to paying off the little, like we were able to get small SBA loans to, you know, put down the deposit for, um, spaces.

And then, so we had opened Williamsburg, we had opened, um, Within another studio in New York called it was a cycling studio called the monster cycle. They had an extra they had a yoga room that they weren't really using. We took that, um, and kind of like sublet that from them to get ourselves into Manhattan.

Um, we did that and then we opened Flatiron and about a month into Flatiron being open, I was working the front desk. I usually worked the early morning shifts because my office was like 10 blocks away and it was like a quick, you know, quick walk over to be there. And I [00:22:00] remember being at the front desk and we had a client come in and she goes, wow, they really work you a lot here, huh?

And I was like. What? She's like, well, I've seen you work the front desk at like every studio. It just seems like a lot. And I was like, Oh, I was like, ah, I was like, well, okay. I was like, yeah, you know, we're busy. I was like, oh my gosh. I was like, okay. And things just were, you know, really ramping up quickly.

And, you know, my husband and I kind of sat down and was like, okay, like, He made more money. He was in digital advertising. Like he made more money than me. I was like, all right, like, let's do this smartly. Like I'll leave my job first. It doesn't work out. I can always go back into kind of, you know, accounting roles are kind of the skills are transferable anywhere.

It's account management. It's, you know, I can kind of go wherever. And so I was like, I'm confident, like my skillset will still be relevant in a year or two, if [00:23:00] this doesn't work out. And like, you know, we'll figure it out. And the time is now and I never went back, so, and he ended up leaving his job and, uh, you know, we, we just have kind of continued to grow the business.

Do you have any of those same locations? Are they? We do. You do have those same locations? We do. Flatiron is still the same. We, uh, we actually took over another floor. Um, we were originally just on the fourth floor. We now have the third and the fourth. Williamsburg we relocated because we were in like this kind of funny basement space.

Okay. That was actually just us when we moved in there and then it ended up, they ended up making it into co working spaces also. So it was kind of. Interesting. So we moved that one, but yeah, Flatiron is the only one that is still there from like the very beginning that we were in. Well, that's not true.

Flatiron and Upper East Side are still in their very original location. Is it nine, how many locations? Nine locations. Yeah. We, yeah, we were, [00:24:00] uh, 14 before the pandemic and unfortunately had to close them. Um, just to kind of, you know, be able to reopen and have enough, you know, cash to reopen whenever they decided to let us open.

So, you know, we did make some strategic closures during the pandemic. We reopened with, uh, five locations, and are now back up at nine. Tell me about, I'm curious now about your, because now you're, You've got all these locations and so growth happens. Right. So I always say, you know, to my studios, I'm like, get your first one.

rocking first, like work out all your shit in your first location. All the kinks. Yeah. All the kinks and then systemize it that you can, can grow. So I'm kind of curious about how your couple of things, lots of things actually, but, um, the, how did the team develop? You know, you know, a lot of, you know, hiring and consistency and now [00:25:00] you're with growth across the country.

You still have to keep an eye on those things. So I'm kind of curious about how your team and how you, how you've kept everything kind of in control over the growth. Yeah, it's, well, we're, we're still working on it, to be honest with you. It's, you know, and things change. The team I had in place, I had a full C suite when, you know, in the beginning of 2020, we do not now, um, I am kind of the only one at that level, um, at the moment, just because we, we, we know how to operate, we know, there are things that we know very, very, very well.

And there's stuff that we've had to kind of put on the back burner and outsource a little bit. So whereas we did a lot of our partnerships and social media and marketing in house, we now outsource that via an agency that we use. [00:26:00] Sales arm helps, right? Yep. We love, love sales arm. Um, we outsource a lot of that stuff now.

So we're able to really focus on what we need to, to get really, really tight on. In order to grow the business, I think even further, you know, even up until last year, like we didn't know if it was going to be possible for us to grow. We're still seeing fallout from COVID a lot of closures happening, you know, across our industry, across food and Bev.

So it's, you know, we're still seeing a lot of that. And so we we've been very cautious as we've kind of decided to go back into growth mode to see what that looks like. So we have really. You know, chosen to grow our team in a way that is focused solely on operations and studio experience. So teaching our teachers development, they're pouring into systems and efficiencies.

When it comes to operation side, we get a lot [00:27:00] of traffic. Into our doors. So how are we putting into place, you know, systems and policies that are really working not only at this level, but as we grow even further, right? And I think that's the hardest thing. I think sometimes something works for 1 to 3 studios, but doesn't necessarily work once you get, you know, 678.

And that's, that's where it gets a little tough. So, Hey everyone, it's Michael J interrupting your regular programming with a quick minute to talk about something that might be just the game changer. You need. I know many of you looking ways to bring in new leads or boost your team's participation and increase a class attendance.

So that's why I've designed the grower studio program specifically to help you create structured freedom. Doesn't it sound shitty when I'm just reading a fucking script? All right, let's talk about the real reason. Honestly, chatgpt be gone. Listen, the Grower Studio program is designed [00:28:00] to get your studio back into shape where things have gone astray, teams have gone astray, classes have gone astray, you're trying to hold it together, you don't have a price structure, if you're in any of these Camps.

If you're not sleeping, well, please just book a call with me. Honestly, I'll spend 30 minutes or so with you. No charge. Just to see if I can be of any help to you. I know that investing in a coach can be a big deal. I've done it myself, but I, and I'm doing it right now. Big time. But I also know The fast track and the clarity that that can bring.

So I hope to be that for the people. I hope to be the sidekick for people that I work with, um, to help them. Honestly, it's like being a detective, right? It's like really being a detective, looking at your numbers, looking at what's happening and figuring it out together. And then coming up with a strategy that.[00:29:00] 

Makes you feel in control again. So honestly, if you feel like any of that is you, please take a moment to go to my website with yogabizchamp. link forward slash pod link and, and, uh, book a chat with me if you want a quicker, easier way. There's a new feature in my podcast. If you look at your, um, podcast.

And look at the episode, you will see, send me a text message. So in there, you can send me a direct text message. Please know, I can't send you a message back from that, but if you just click there, send your email address via that text message, I promise you, I will send you the booking link. That will be the fastest way or head over to yogabizchamp.

link forward slash pod link. Oh, We're definitely still working out, you know, I can appeal it real back to, you know, like if, you know, like the community studios owners here, you know, what about [00:30:00] the expectations when you onboard, you know, uh, how has that evolved as well? You're hiring a teacher and hiring them into your expectations.

Yeah. And how has that evolved? Yeah, we, you know, I, before it's really evolved into a really efficient process. We, we have a very, very tight audition process onboarding instructors and also lead with the expectation that we expect everybody to teach an incredible, we flow hard class. That is the class that is 90 percent on our schedule.

It is the three flows. It. Alignment, breath to movement, flow on your own. That is our expectation. And you know, a teacher could have 10, 15 years of teaching experience and not connect with the, what we are doing at Y7. And that's like, okay. And always because [00:31:00] not everybody wants to teach the same style of yoga.

So yeah. So can you, so what I'm hearing there is that a branded class experience, right? This is. This is what we expect this in this name of a class, what we expect at every studio, every studio. And we have, uh, a feedback process. We have a teaching support team that takes every single instructor's class at least once a quarter.

Uh, and we'll give them feedback on that class. We rely a lot on consumer reviews as well. Obviously some are subjective. So we're able to kind of like, I can tell when something's subjective and. You know, actually it's relevant. So it's, well, I, I actually read through your, I do my work. I've read through your reviews and they're mostly good.

And the ones that are not with people that don't enjoy music and sound. Right. And like, that's so for me, those are like, it was really, it was dark in there. There were no mirrors and the music was loud. I'm like, well, Yeah. [00:32:00] Cool. Five stars. That's a five star in my book. So, you know, it's, it's kind of, it's weeding those out and also understanding that this, what we are asking of teachers is very, very different, right?

It's not just come in and teach your class because you're Sarah and whatever you teach is fine, which is, I think what there are a lot of students that do that, which is great. But that's not what, but the hell to a standard, right? Because you're only as good as your teachers in your classes. That's it. I mean, that's it.

And you know, understanding also that like I, there were a lot of, there's been a lot of evolution in terms of two of how I've had to look at criticism at our business and understand that like, just like the type of yoga that I was experiencing wasn't for me. Yes. Why seven is not going to be for everybody.

And that is. O Pay. Well, even as a teacher at the studio, I had to be very conscious that as the [00:33:00] owner of the studio and the top teacher in the studio, I'm not everyone's cup of tea in the studio. And that's okay. Super. Okay. That is so okay. And I, you know, we really have to, what I try to do, um, is really be clear again on the why.

And the why. The studio exists in the first place and something that another thing I felt really strongly about was I want our clients to be able to rely on an experience no matter what time they are able to come. If you are coming at 9 30 AM because you have kids, you're doing drop off, you're in a small, you know, a room with like not as many people, it's not as packed.

Maybe the energy like doesn't feel as like high, you know, that you are still going to get an experience that you love. You are going to listen to great music. You are going to sweat, you're going to get your heart rate up, you're going to have fun, you're going to get time on your mat to explore your practice and your body and [00:34:00] that was really important to me when starting the studio was this aspect of consistency because I really felt that when I was going to studios like I'd find a class that was like, Oh, this could be for me.

And then it would be something completely different the next week. On a Tuesday at 6 PM. And it's the biggest mistake. I mean, I can't imagine what that's like trying to keep consistent across the nation, that's going to be a little bit more of a challenge, but it is something when I go into studios that are struggling to figure things out, a lot of the time, it is the consistency of the class experience and what people are used to.

And that needs fixing so quickly because that affects. Retention is based on the client experience. Yeah, and it's, you know, I think realizing that, you know, so I think everybody is time poor, right? Everybody needs more time in their day. And, you know, being able to rely on this, like one hour, be [00:35:00] like, I know I'm going to this, I'm going to get this thing.

And I know, like, you know, I thought I was going to be awesome, but it's actually in class because the teachers left it out. And this one can't, and this one, she only teaches in you're like, well, I guess I'm here. So I'm going to do it, but now I have to go for a run. And that's like, you know, not that anyone has to go for a run, but it's.

You had your head set on this idea of like doing something. Well, yeah. And one of, one of the studios that I was working with, they didn't know any better, but they, if there were not many people coming to the class, there were new, new operation. If there were not many people coming to the class, they'd be like, um, canceling the class.

Like ahead of time, it's like, Oh no, even if it was two people, those two people are, they showed up, they showed up and they've, they've, they've invested money and time and maybe got kids aside and all of those things just to make that one hour class, right? So, yeah, yeah. And obviously, you know, there's. Oh, I was gonna say there's things that [00:36:00] happen, you know, people get sick and you know, some stuff happens But it's it's something we work really hard to do is like, you know, really Be clear of what we expect of our instructors and of the experience.

So everyone's being set up for success, right? Like I can't, you know, imagine being a teacher and thinking you're, you know, you're just like, Oh, I'm just excited to teach. And we're like, Nope, you got to teach. You got to DJ, you got to manage the fans. If it gets a little hot, like all this stuff. So it's, um, It's a lot.

So we try to be really, really clear with what we expect from them. So, so your, your structure now, because it's multiple lotions, do you have key people in those locations now overseeing? Do you have general managers or what's this kind of structure look like now? And so, so I imagine most of your time is spent with them.

Yeah, I, I spend a lot of time, uh, I spend a lot of time with our teaching director, who does he oversee the whole operation. He's [00:37:00] based out of New York. He oversees all of our other lead instructors and other markets report into him, but he is mainly in New York. And then I have my key people in Austin and also in LA who are kind of on the ground, taking classes, giving feedback, things like that.

Yeah. Can I, um, I think even for, I find studio owners that aren't teachers, it's best that they have a team lead on the teacher side of things. Do you, do you have any comments on that? I agree. Yeah, I think it's super important because and it's really I will tell you it is hard to find it is it is hard to find someone who is equally as talented and passionate about teaching a class, and then also able to handle the spreadsheet.

Kind of scheduling, not so fun piece of things, you know, there's some people who love [00:38:00] data, but like, they probably wouldn't make good, you know, instructors. And so it is hard to find that balance too, right? Yeah. Uh, but we, we've been very fortunate where we have teachers who are really able to do both and are successful at both.

Um, You know, with with minor kind of adjustments and just getting used to stuff and working on a different schedule. Um, you know, a lot of a lot of teachers didn't get get into teaching to work a 9 to 5 necessarily. And sometimes, you know, what is required of, you know, having something in a leadership position like that is doing some of that stuff.

That's not, you know, so So, so fun. Um, but I think if you're not a teacher, you want someone to develop them, your teachers into being the totally the best type of teachers that they can be. And also be able to really relate like, yes, I, I've been in that room so many times and as someone who has taught, I do understand kind of the nuances and difficulties, but I don't do it on a regular basis.

I [00:39:00] don't do it three, four, five, Five times a week. I'm not in there constantly. So having the person there who is understands both, right? It's kind of a, it's a both and situation. I understand, I understand what it's like to teach the class and be in that room and to give so much to your students. And I understand what we're trying to do as a business and what the goals of that business are.

So having that bridge between the two is really important. And I find that today it's very Interesting because entrepreneurship and, you know, business ownership has been glamorized so much and everyone kind of thinks that it's just like this fun, easy thing to do. And so having, having kind of the middle person to really help explain things in a way, um, that is digestible without having to go into a full P and L, um, is very, is very [00:40:00] helpful.

I, can you talk a little bit about your, the music? I'm kind of a little bit curious on the music side of things, because that's really important to you, but what I also, um, I read, is this true that you have an exclusive music licensing deal? We do, yeah, we, that is strictly for our online platform. Okay, okay.

Which is really, really cool. It's, you know, something that. Yeah. Is that on MindBody? I saw you're using MindBody and I think you have probably branded MindBody the best I've ever seen. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Because it doesn't look like MindBody. Um. Thank you. Yeah. Music, you know. I have such my relationship with music is it's so visceral for me.

I, there are songs that make me cry the second they start. There are songs that can instantly change my mood. And I think that music is so powerful. And, you know, yoga is [00:41:00] really, you know, for speaking group fitness wise, or even, you know, when you're alone on your mat, yoga is one of the only things where You are being asked to just use your mental strength to get through things.

You know, there's no resistance to turn up. There is no, maybe everyone's grabbing a heavier set of weights. Everyone's doing one more rep. This is you and your breath. It is literally your choice to continue to hold that pose. It's you and your body. You don't have an aid. You don't have a resistance band.

It's like, I know, I will say, I will say, where else in the world will you get an entire room of people willingly do nothing? Lay on your back or sit and yeah, and people are like It's amazing. I can't. And it's so, it's such a beautiful thing. And it's also something that I struggled with in more traditional class [00:42:00] where I was like, where's the clock?

How long have I been in this? And I was so in my head that I couldn't get out of it. Mostly screaming in your head in those experiences. Get me out of here. And I was judging myself at the same time, like, why can't you just sit through this? You should be able to sit through this. Like, you can do this.

You've done this before. And it was so much of a mess. And for me, music completely empties my mind. And really has allowed me to kind of just like lose myself in movement. And, you know, I, and again, like, this was something that like, I felt so strongly about the experience that I wanted that I can't believe that other people want it too.

And I love it so much. I think that's what makes our community so special too, is that like everyone is like there and has kind of the same mindset of like, You know, I, I love this so much. And the music is such a big part of that. And I do think that, you know, Life has a tendency to get so serious all the time and to bring a little music and fun and lightheartedness [00:43:00] to our practice and bring a little bit of joy into it is really beautiful and special.

Yeah. Thank you for everything you've done. Share today. It's been so nice to hear your story. Thank you. I love not, I do my homework, but not knowing too much. Because there's surprises in there, right? I just, I was looking at all this very, you know, you have a you know, I'm from a brand background, right?

Yeah. When I look at, you know, it's like everything you've just got on par, it really is. It means a lot, not in every front. I mean, everything's very, very branded. Um, I love it. Um, I'm going to ask you a few questions, uh, to wrap up our chat here. So it's something about you that most people wouldn't know. I have an insane sense of determination.

Um, I pretend to be very. Carefree. Um, and the best example of this is that I actually [00:44:00] taught myself how to like olives. Um, I never liked them, um, about eight years ago. I felt like I was really missing out on them because they're things that, in essence, I should love. They are bite sized, snacky, salty. And do you actually really love them, Lynn?

I eat them now. That's amazing. And I do enjoy them. I never met. I was like, I'm gonna, I was like, you know, they always, they're always on an appetizer menu and they look so good. They pair well with cheese boards and I was like, why don't I like these? I'm upset about it. It feels like something I should enjoy and I can 100 percent say that I do now.

That's hilarious. What's your favorite business tool, website or app? It is a love hate relationship, but I. Go back to Slack all the time. You know, how many, how many owners on this and how many people have you said Slack on here is incredible. You know, I, I have [00:45:00] a, I have an axe to grind with it because I think things can get lost.

It's like a massive group text sometimes where you're like, Oh my God, 45 missed messages. And for you to communicate with a team cross country must be essential, right? Yeah. And it really is it, you know, It upgrades the ability to, especially when you're working remotely, to really be like, Hey, is this something we can solve like via email or like, do we just need to hop on the phone?

And you can make those snap decisions instead of having to like email back and forth, you go pee, you miss the email. You know what I mean? It's kind of one of those things. So it's like, do we just need to hop on the phone? And I find that like very effective for communication. So it is my favorite, but it's a love, it's a love, Kate.

What's your favorite personal fun website app? Where would you hang out? What's your, what draws you in? I actually love Etsy. I have, and this is like, I'm not like shopping on it a lot of the time, but I, I am not what one would call classically artistic or creative, [00:46:00] and I just have such a great like respect and awe for, and I feel this way about musicians too, because I'm not musically inclined at all.

And I just, like, I love seeing what people create and I love, like, I love looking at that. Yeah, I'm a browser, I'm like, you know, someone's making homemade this, homemade that, like these beautiful, so I'm like, wow. And it's just really fun to see. And I, You know, I think I, a lot of business owners too can get very tunnel vision, right?

If it's so focused on what you do and what you're working on that you forget there's this whole world of just like totally beautiful creation and stuff like that. And I think it's a, it's a nice reminder that, you know, it's one of those marketplaces that it, it really is. Like, if you want to try something, it really empowers like that small seller, that small creative to just like, go for it.

Like you never know who's going to. Something or resonate with something. Right. And I think that's like, I don't know, it makes me happy. I [00:47:00] love that. This is a new one. I pre warned you of this one. If you are a yoga pose, what would you be and why? This one took me, I'm, I'm very appreciated for the pre warning.

And cause I don't know what I would have said if you would just put me on the spot, but it is actually my favorite pose is it's half moon. And I think I love it because. There is this aspect of finding balance in opposition, right? It's this, I am in the business of yoga and. The yoga is all about this introspection and slowing down and, you know, sitting with uncomfortableness and, and growth and this business owner aspect of it is so much of like the outward world.

And noise and having and how are you balancing the two and making it and stretching yourself and I just think it's like a really [00:48:00] beautiful. I don't know that's me right now, but it's what I strive to be like beautiful balance in a world that's so opposing and, you know, it's and can and can take a while to learn.

Yeah. Right. I remember, I remember that one, you know, you know, those aha moments and that was for me where it was, that was one of the ones for me that pose was where I used a wall for the longest time. Yeah. Just to learn to get that hip in over the foot. And it's just like, once you get that, like little, you hit that little micro like point and you're like, Oh, you're like, I got it.

Yeah. Yeah. So I think it's, I think it's such a beautiful pose. It's so challenging and, um, I just, I, something about it like just resonates with me a lot and the expansiveness of it. I, um, I want to thank you. I mean, you have just had a big lit smile the whole time you've been talking on here. I adore you already.

I've just met you. I just think you're awesome. And I love hearing your story. [00:49:00] I think it's really inspiring to people, you know, um, quite often I go into studios that are struggling. Um, but, you know, Yeah, but you, you gotta, you know, do the foundations to figure it out right before. Totally. And, you know, congratulations on your growth.

Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm in California. I will be visiting your Silver Lake studio for sure. We cannot wait to have you in. Yeah. So, thank you. So how, where, how do people find you, Sarah? Oh, you can. We are at Y7 Studio, um, on social media, so you can find us there. You can find us online if you want to book a class, uh, Y7 studio.

Oh, our intro offer! That's a great question. Three classes for two weeks. Okay. I was like, it changes. We switch them up a little bit to see what, you know, depending on the season, sometimes we do two week unlimited. So, you know, keep an eye out. That's a smart thing. Everybody listened to that because it doesn't affect anybody, but new people [00:50:00] doesn't affect your rest of your business.

So you can test things out. Yeah. Sarah. You can test things out. Thank you. Thank you. Bye bye. And that's a wrap on today's episode of the Yoga Biz Champ podcast. Thank you again for tuning in and sharing this time with me. And remember your journey to opening or growing your yoga studio is unique. And I'm here to walk the path with you.

If today's episode sparked a new idea, A question, or even if you're ready to take your yoga studio dreams to the next level, let's connect. Visit Yoga Biz champ link slash pod link to book your free strategy call with me. It's time to turn those yoga dreams into a thriving reality. And don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.

So you're never going to miss an episode. And also follow me on social media at, at Yoga Biz Champ to stay updated on all things Yoga Biz and also shout out [00:51:00] now that all of these episodes are going out on video on YouTube. So go check out Yoga Biz Champ. Also on our now expanding YouTube channel and again, if you want to book a, um, a appointment with me, a free chat with me, head over to your podcast episode and you will see a link at the top of every episode that says, text, send me a text message, send me your email address, and I will send you my booking link until next time.

Namaste.