Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie La Bue Robles.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Stephanie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey to become the Ambassador of Fun began when I was a special ed teacher on the verge of burnout. I had low energy and although I loved working with kids, I began to feel that a traditional school setting was no longer a fit for me. I came up with ways to replenish my depleted self through taking fun mini breaks such as blowing bubbles, dancing and even starting a 31 Days Of Fun Challenge. I realized there were many more professionals out there that need help with burn out and I wanted to provide an activity that would spread more joy and whimsy into their lives.
I was already a certified yoga teacher as well as a huge lover of all things nerdy. There were no movie themed yoga classes that encourage light cosplay and so I created them. I had a fun time teaching Back To The Future, Moana, Star Wars and other light-hearted, movie-themed classes. Not only do I provide fun, beginner yoga to adults, but I also got certified to teach yoga to kids. I feel fun yoga is what everyone can use more of in their lives; young or old. However, yoga teacher didn’t seem to fit what I did and what my big plans are for High Five Tribe. My goal is to create a community where people feel safe to have good, clean fun. That idea sparked into a job title I created for myself: Ambassador of Fun. One definition of ambassador is a person who is a “promoter of a specified activity,” and I am a big promoter of sharing fun times. I host game nights, trivia nights and other fun adventures High Fivers can participate in. It’s been about a year and it has been fun joining other High Fivers on our mission to spread joy.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey to building High Five Tribe has been a winding one, but I can say that parts of it have definitely been fun. My goal is to have a large space where people can come in and do yoga, play board games, get some tea and have office spaces for entrepreneurs who are in need of a workspace. I can see it clearly and I know I will get there. I heard Gary Vee talk about how building a community takes time and I am in it for the long haul. There are times where I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing or times where I suddenly get very shy in networking events and many times where I feel like my goal is far off. But then I come back to my ‘why,’ the whole reason I want to provide this for others and then I shake it off and keep moving forward.
One advice I want to give to others is to make time for fun in your busy schedule. We all know the phrase “it’s about the journey,” but it really is. You are going to get to that goal you set yourself! I 100% believe that. So why not make the journey fun? Everyone is very busy, especially entrepreneurs, but fun doesn’t take much time. It can be a quick five minute break where you indulge in something you love. I got to hear Dr. Srini Pillay talk about the importance of these breaks and how productivity goes down when we don’t. Make time for it and get creative about it. I have learned that the opposite of burn out isn’t rest, although that is very important to do. I have found that replenishment comes through doing a fun, maybe even mindless activity that lights you up.
We’d love to hear more about High Five Tribe.
I provide a safe space for people to come together and have good, clean fun. I teach movie themed yoga classes with songs from the soundtrack as well. In my classes, we talk about our favorite scenes while in asanas and light cosplay as a character from the movie is highly encouraged. I make yoga accessible and welcoming to beginners and can tailor classes to what themes people would like to see. I also teach kids yoga and the class format changes depending on the age. For younglings, we have part yoga, part dance/yoga games, and storytime. For the older ones, we will sometimes add in art to the class depending on the theme.
Having people who have never tried yoga before is very exciting for me. Many people have a certain idea of what yoga is and it can be intimidating. I’m glad I can be the one to introduce them to a yoga practice and see them excited to try another class.
What sets High Five Tribe apart is that we are big on silliness and adding more fun to a yoga practice. I want people to know that yoga doesn’t have to always be a quiet and still practice. It can be as vibrant and social place to hang out with your friends as you gently stretch to good tunes.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I feel like there are many opportunities for women today and it will grow exponentially in the future as more and more lady leaders get out there and create the change they want to see in the world. It’s very exciting to see what has happened in just these past couple of years for women and young girls. There is a video I used to show my students to get them inspired and know there are no limits to what they want to give to the world. It is of a short video of a young girl who wanted to learn how to dance. She taught her self through tutorials she found online and became a skilled dancer who danced for the joy of it. Today there really are no limits to what we can do. All you need is the passion and the patience to make it happen.
Pricing:
- Kids Yoga at Japanese Friendship Garden: $8 members, $12 non-members (includes admission)
- Themed Yoga (indoors) – $15
- Themed Yoga (outdoors) – $5 suggested donation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highfivetribe.fun
- Email: Hello@HighFiveTribe.Fun
- Instagram: @High5Tribe
- Other: https://www.buzzsprout.com/408235
Image Credit:
Sunset yoga photo: Nam Chanterrwyn; Remaining photos: Adolfo Robles
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