Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Arias.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Elite Yoga is a boutique style yoga studio. I have owned the studio for about five years. My journey as an owner started 28 years ago. I have been a stay at home mom since I married my husband 28 years ago. My husband started his own company, and I have watched him grow into a successful businessperson.
I stayed home with our four kids, and I have been really happy to raise them, take care of them, help them through their lives in school, at home, etc. After living in Hong Kong for several years, I realized that I would love to come back to the US and start my own business. When I moved back to the US ten years ago, I started taking yoga classes, and at the time I was probably over 200 pounds and had a challenging time going back to high impact classes such as spinning, aerobics, even Zumba. These classes were really challenging on my body and my joints.
In my youth, I was a professional ballerina, so I already had quite a few injuries. When I started practicing yoga I realized that it was gentle on my body, the benefits were incredible. The peacefulness and calmness I felt in my mind were noticeable. I started to lose weight right away; however, as I moved through studios, I realized a lot the studios did not help my situation. Some of the classes were busy, catered to women that were a little bit more fit.
The studios were not clean or neat. The instructors were not as gentle or attentive in my yoga practice so I noticed that I was not advancing at the rate that I thought my body could. I realized that I would love to start teaching, so I got certified with a 200-hour teaching certification. I started teaching friends. From two it went to eight to ten to thirty. Then would I could no longer fit in a garage, I decided to apply to an SBA loan with a lot of advice from my husband and I was able to purchase my own small little place.
In that studio, I first started to teach to women only but as the business grew I opened it up to men as well. The classes still remain fairly small. Through the years, I have noticed a big change in my life, my yoga practice advanced, but also in my mental wellbeing. Elite yoga is a place where people can come in and not worry about what’s going on in class, they just need to come in, arrive, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting Elite Yoga has been quite challenging, it was not a smooth road at all. From applying to an SBA loan being that I am a woman, Hispanic and not experienced at all. Getting an account setup was rather challenging.
The second challenge was to keep up with the different areas the business that would fall on me: running payroll, knowing who to hire, letting people go and being concerned with reviews as I have never been a public person. Running a business is not a 9-5 job. It really is a constant engagement with the business.
Another challenge is keeping up with what’s new, what’s better, coming up with new ideas, but at the same time very rewarding as I have listened to the needs of the clientele, the needs there, and the pulse of the studio. The biggest challenge is learning to balance the business and family.
The balancing act of being a mom, a wife as well as being involved in the church that we are a part of, I do not want to let go of that as well. My plate is full, it has not been an easy ride, but it has nevertheless been the most rewarding time of my life.
Please tell us about Elite Yoga.
What I believe sets us apart is based on a comment made by a few of our clients: that when they come to our space, they are blown away and have not expected the spa-like feel. The studio is spotless, the space is welcoming, the teachers care for the clients, and the classes are crafted to perfection.
The music perfectly accompanies the classes, we have different types of classes, we have a full schedule of classes each day, but the most important thing is that they feel like Elite Yoga is place that they can come in and leave everything that is going on in their lives behind and even more so their yoga practice can reach new levels.
Clients feel that they get very personal help in their personal yoga practice.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to do it all over again, I would have taken a little bit more time setting up the business, getting more input from consultants and would worry less about the process. I would have given myself more grace and patience. Oh, and I would have taken more vacations!
Contact Info:
- Address: 5715 Girard Ave #3 La Jolla, CA 92037
- Website: www.elite-yoga.com
- Phone: 8585396408
- Email: info@elite-yoga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elite_yoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteyogalajolla/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elite-yoga-la-jolla-la-jolla?osq=elite+yoga
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