Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ebony Bitner, Owner of Light & Love Yoga, located in Fort Wayne, IN, USA.

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

I am the owner and creator of Light & Love Yoga, a community-oriented virtual yoga studio that I launched in the spring of 2020 during the uncertainty of the pandemic. I wanted to create a safe, welcoming, and consistent virtual space where people could practice yoga together, as well as chat, laugh, share, and be in community with each other since we were all feeling so isolated. I reached out to a core group of people I knew from my in-person classes and set up a schedule, hoping people would log in. Not only did people log in, but they also logged in for every class and told their family and friends about the classes. The community grew beautifully in a totally organic way. Many of those who took those first virtual classes with me in the spring of 2020 is still practicing with me regularly today.

Tell us about yourself

I had a modest professional career in modern dance as a performer and teacher after receiving my BA in Dance Performance & Choreography years ago. Teaching fitness is often a natural transition for many former dancers, so I started in the fitness industry by getting certified to teach Pilates, cardio, and kickboxing classes. I eventually found my way to yoga, first as a practitioner and eventually as a teacher. I always aspired to own my own yoga studio, so when the opportunity to launch a virtual studio presented itself, I decided to go for it. With the rise of so many apps, streaming platforms, and home-based fitness technology, the world had made a lot of things possible for yoga teachers that would have been simply unheard of when I started teaching yoga in 2008.

I am motivated every day by the idea of showing up and being present for my community. They give me so much love, positive energy, and support. I feel an incredible sense of gratitude for every person that has taken a class with me through the years. Even if I don't see or hear from them any longer, I still carry them in my heart.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

That I'm still going! I started my business because of COVID. I had no idea whether or not people would still want to participate in virtual classes after studios reopened. While I was prepared to let Light & Love Yoga fly away if I needed to let it go, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that some people truly enjoyed the experience of being guided virtually in a live setting as opposed to following along with a video. They also really appreciated having the chance to chat, engage, and interact with both myself and the other class participants like you would be able to do in an in-person studio setting.

I now focus less on group classes and instead have shifted towards offering more private single and small group virtual class sessions. I have retirees, couples, people with limited mobility, busy moms, and folks who just prefer exercising in their own safe spaces rather than being in a studio setting. Just as there are people who prefer the in-person class experience, there are people who prefer virtual classes. I don't feel that one is better or worse than the other. I just see them as different roots of the same tree.

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

To decide when the working day is done! I work from a home studio, so I am essentially always at work. In addition to offering classes, Light & Love Yoga also has an e-commerce store that sells leggings, jewelry, and other items, a blog, and a virtual entry-level teacher training program called Virtual Yoga Pro. So, in between teaching classes, I often have a lot to do in terms of managing my website, packing/shipping orders, following up on emails, writing blog content, etc. Even though there is always work to do, work-life balance is still extremely important.

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

  1. Don't overthink it. You will probably never feel 100% ready to start. Start anyway.
  2. Celebrate the small accomplishments just as much as you celebrate the big ones.
  3. Don't forget to breathe!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.lightandlove.yoga/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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