Today we’d like to introduce you to Ava Pendl.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After working long hours in the corporate marketing world for seven years, I decided to enroll in my yoga teacher training at Indie Yoga in Ocean Beach. I had been a slave to my desk for the entirety of my career and suffered from health problems. It was at the conjunction of beginning this yoga journey and realizing that I was tired of working for someone else’s dream that I launched Kicking Asana.
At first, it was just an outlet to blog about my experience in teacher training, but it started gaining traction quickly through Instagram and I noticed that my experiences resonated with a worldwide audience. At that point, I knew this was my path and I vowed to devote all of myself to building a community of wellness enthusiasts and yogis.
Now, Kicking Asana is made up of over 25,000 – and counting – individuals that truly want to make a difference in the world through movement and mindfulness. It’s one of the most supportive and inclusive communities I’ve ever been a part of and I’m so grateful for the opportunities it has presented including working with brands like MindBodyGreen, Wanderlust, and more.
This year I decided to take it a step further and provide these tools to others looking to build their own authentic community online. Combining my career skills of digital marketing and branding with my love of yoga, I just released my course, Kick Ass Branding that speaks directly to wellness professionals and walks individuals through the process of building a brand from the ground up and engaging an international audience. I want these tools to be accessible to the masses because I’ve seen how powerful my community is and know that if more yoga teachers, life coaches, health coaches, etc. have the power to do it themselves, we can change the world together.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am a firm believer that nothing in life that is worth something is easy. Creating an online brand has forced me to get outside of my comfort zone, to be okay with being vulnerable and real online, and to get used to rejection.
Each of those were very challenging at first, but the rewards of having people messaging me or finding me in person and telling me how big of an impact my words have had on their life make it all worth it in the end though. All I want to do is help and inspire people, and if that means there are some rough patches along the way, then I’m okay with that.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kicking Asana – what should we know?
Kicking Asana is a global community of wellness professionals and yogis that believe in the power of authenticity, personal development, and community. It began as a blog and Instagram but has now begun to develop into an online course for wellness professionals to learn how to market themselves and build a brand (without spending thousands). The online course was created because I found that there were virtually no resources online that were specific to our industry so I wanted to provide something that was not only *the only resource online* but a step-by-step realistic approach for those that are “against the grain” of the traditional 9-to-5.
I would say I’m most proud of the community it has created overall. I meet with my followers or students in person or on the phone as often as I can because I truly believe in the power of collaboration and community support. We are all in this together and I love to see relationships or friendships form because of people connecting via my blog, course, or profile. It’s wild and I am still in awe of how it continues to develop.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’ve tried a lot of different things – looked to a lot of different people for inspiration – and have fallen short dozens of times. I have never equated falling with failing though, only a learning experience. The most important and pivotal quality of all of these trials and experiences was the necessity of maintaining authenticity. I think we often see someone else doing something that is “cool” or “influential” and we get into a comparison mindset and try to replicate what they are doing. This stifled my creativity.
Now, instead, I create without looking to anyone else. I do things that feel good to me intuitively and I’ve found that my audience responds so much better than when I tried to be like someone else. I guess my point is, remain true to yourself and that will resonate far more than attempting to be a poor man’s version of someone else.
Pricing:
- Kick Ass Branding Course for Wellness Professionals for $99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kickingasana.com
- Email: contact@kickingasana.com
- Instagram: @Kicking.Asana
- Facebook: facebook.com/kickingasanaca
Image Credit:
Corey McComb (www.coreymccomb.com)
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