Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Valerie Allibe, Founder of POPYOGA, located in St Symphorien d'Ozon, Rhône-Alpes, France.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the creator of the yoga brand Yoganimé, which specializes in kids' yoga. It is my second business; my first is an e-commerce site on yoga, I am a specialist in teaching kids yoga, and I created a book and a course on how to teach yoga to kids.
My customers are a school's yoga teacher and other people working with kids. The purpose is that they can introduce yoga in their class or in their session (therapy session) so the children can use yoga to develop skills like flexibility, concentration, strength, mobility, emotion handling, etc.
Tell us about yourself
I am a yoga teacher and a mother of three, and I have started teaching yoga at school. I really enjoy the fun we have during class trying to figure out how to make shapes and trying new postures. The energy in the class is wonderful, and the children, while learning how to move their bodies, also learn how to handle their own feelings and emotions when they succeed, when it’s challenging, and when they cannot do the pose.
I really believe that yoga is beneficial for everybody, and in France, yoga is popular for adults but not for children. I would like all kids in France to know yoga and its benefits of it, so I decided to teach yoga to the school’s teachers and other people working with children, so they can teach yoga everywhere.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have already trained more than 60 people, even if we were in a pandemic period, and sold 500 books. I hope that my business will grow and that more people will benefit from my training. My other website, is getting more and more traffic, and I started it from scratch.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is reaching out to the right people and targeting ads that will resonate with our potential customers. We have to be patient, and everything takes time, but we don’t always have the financial security to be patient.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- My first piece of advice would be to be confident and believe in what we do. If we have a strong belief and are passionate about it, we can share it, and more people will join.
- Have financial security because if the financial pressure is too strong, we will make bad choices that are not aligned with our values.
- Be present, and don’t be afraid to communicate on all the channels that are available: social media, advertising, magazines, etc.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://maboutiqueyoga.fr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maboutiqueYoga
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoganime_officiel/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/maboutiqueyoga-/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieallibe/
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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