Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William Cooper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi William, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Mainstream yoga in the U.S can sometimes lack inclusion and diversity. I am trained in Rocket Yoga, which is big on modifications and creating space for all to practice. My classes are suitable for all fitness levels, combine yoga with a bit of cardio, and I encourage my yogis to listen to their bodies and create their own practice.

Furthermore, I offer group classes at a reasonable rate to encourage folks to keep coming back. I am more concerned with helping others find the benefits of consistent mindfulness and movement, as opposed to making big profit. Additionally, I take special care in curating a new theme and/or music playlist for each class.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Coop’s Apothecary, LLC was initially founded to offer all-natural body products and other services, but now yoga is the primary offering. For years, I encouraged my friends and loved ones to move and stretch with me. Then during the pandemic, I decided to make it official and complete a yoga teacher training.

I help my clients find the joy in yoga by creating space for all to practice. I encourage modifications and listening to your body and I curate my flows to accommodate first-time yogis as well as advanced yogis. For most of my classes, I offer #ghettobeatz yoga, which is an interactive, energetic yoga flow (with a bit of cardio) and we traditionally flow to rap, r&b, pop, and a diverse range of music. Furthermore, I offer private group classes at a discounted rate, curated to the groups’ needs (i.e. chair yoga, yoga for folks with physical limitations, non-profit, church groups, etc.). My goals is to work with my clients to make yoga as inviting as possible so that they want to start and maintain a practice.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word-of-mouth advertising & discounted rates are how I obtain the most new clients. Often times, I’ll offer special ticket rates such as “bring a friend for free” to get new yogis through the door. Additionally, I offer donation-based sessions periodically to thank my yogis for their consistency. Giving back/creating space for new clients is often appreciated and can create returning customers.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My side hustle has not yet turned into a full-time business. Initially, I thought that all business owners should be able to shift to a full-time business as some point as a marker of success. That is not the case. I had to unlearn this by realizing that each business/business owner is unique and it is okay to work on your business part-time. Furthermore, I had to think about aligning my personal and professional goals, realizing that I’m not interested in being a full-time business anytime soon.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coopsapothecary.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/coopsapothecary
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/coopsapothecary