We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Pahl. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Jennifer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
If I was opening a new yoga studio:
1. I wouldn’t consider a chain or franchise
2. I would set up all teachers and staff as employees/W2
3. I’d require each teacher to teach at least 3 classes each week
4. Onboarding for teachers and font desk staff would be clear, intentional and KPI oriented
5. Each person on the team would get quarterly reviews
6. Each person on the team would be trained in our core values focused sales process
7. I’d use the direct to membership model vs. the traditional intro month to membership model
8. I’d hire a yoga studio business coach BEFORE I open to create strategies, pricing options, SOPs and KPIs before I open my doors
9. I’d have a founding member sale with the goal of selling 50 memberships prior to opening
10. I’d set my quarterly and yearly goals for the next 5 years
Jennifer, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
After many years spent dabbling in every fitness style known to womankind, Twist Yoga founder Jennifer Pahl literally ‘landed’ on the yoga mat with an injured shoulder and a body that can be described as anything but flexible. She was certainly not a traditionally “zen” person, but she immediately fell in love with how yoga made her feel.
It quickly became clear that yoga was more than just Jennifer’s personal passion — it was her calling. She wanted to share the incredible feeling of empowerment and presence she experienced from yoga with as many people as possible. So, she left her corporate career in finance behind to open Twist Yoga -a supportive studio providing yoga, meditation and functional fitness classes to the greater Portland community. Two years later, she launched Twist Your Workplace, providing corporate wellness solutions for American workplaces. Her students loved the in studio classes, but really wanted to be able to practice with the same amazing teachers from home or on the road. In 2018, she launched online classes at Twist Yoga Anytime.
When she’s not teaching, Jennifer can be found speaking at local events, writing for wellness magazines and blogs, traveling, and spending time with her two kids, husband, and two rescue dogs; Elmer and Dante. She is also a Yoga Business Coach with the Yogapreneur Collective, a certified Mindbody Business Consultant, a Legacy Ambassador for Lululemon and is part of Mindbody’s One Champion network as a Board Member. She served six years on the board of the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation and a proud public school supporter.
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
+ Twist Yoga Anytime – a VOD library we founded in 2017 + Yoga Retreats
+ Yoga Teacher Training and Mentorships
+ Corporate classes
+ Workshops
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Yogapreneuer Collective Books:
The Art of Gathering
Free to Focus
Start with Why
Contact Info:
- Website: twist-yoga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twistyoga_lakeoswego/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twistyogaLO/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pahl-974aa65a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twistyoga1634
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/twist-yoga-lake-oswego?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Image Credits
starkphotography