We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adrianna Audoma a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Adrianna , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

Throughout my life, my mom has alway encouraged and supported me – even when I told her I wanted to be a professional dancer, even when I wanted to drop out of college, even when I moved 1,000 miles away to Portland, Oregon, even when…

While she may not understand why I do the things I do, she listens, she shares her concerns, and asks how she can help. She knows she has raised a stubborn, strong willed person who learns by experiencing life for herself and so rather than trying to stand in my way, she takes my hand and we go along together.

2023 was a big year for me. The tectonic plates of my inner and outer life shifted in major ways. One of the major quakes I experienced was being laid off. I was hopeful at the start of my job hunt – I got interviews right away; first interviews, second interviews, third interviews, I was meeting the team! Yet, at the end of each process, at the final gate, I kept encountering “no, thank you’s”.

During a visit to Southern California to be with family after a major loss, I went out with my mom for a drink and a laugh. We reminisced and mused as we do, and the conversation turned to the future.

Over the last 3 years, my mind had casually flitted to the idea of reopening the yoga studio that I had practiced at and grown to love. This studio had become a second home – the owners were passionate people who brought the community closer and created a space for expression, connectedness, and laughter. And it wasn’t just my home; it was a home to many. When the studio closed in 2021, the community was devastated and quickly dissipated. There was no longer a space to gather and practice. The shell of the studio sat on one of my regular routes, so I would often look longingly over hoping someone would restart the engine.

For years, the idea to reopen the studio was only just a quiet notion, a whisper. But the more “no’s” I was met with during my job hunt, the louder the notion grew.

I hadn’t shared the idea of opening a studio with anyone, ever. It was too silly. Too out of reach. Too…
At a bar, with my mom, in Long Beach, California, I shared my secret, spilled the beans on my pipedream. And instead of scoffing or brushing off the idea as an unattainable, risky endeavor, she encouraged me. As she always did.

Since opening the studio only 7 months ago, I have been met with numerous, unexpected challenges that have brought me to the brink of quitting. I call my mom in tears and what I want her to say is, “Ok, you’re right. It’s time to stop”, but instead, she says, “Try for another month. Just keep going. Not yet, don’t quit yet.” So I don’t. I try for another month. And another.

My resilience, my ambition, and my strength have been cultivated by her. She planted the seeds when I was a young, instilling in me the idea that I am capable, I can. Over time, with care and encouragement, I’ve become someone who is not afraid of taking risks, trying something new, learning on the fly – and when I am fearful, I do it any way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My background is in the arts – I’ve been a dancer for 25 years and a dance educator for over 10. I’ve worked in studio across Southern California and the Pacific Northwest, with ages 2-adult. I entered into a more serious relationship with yoga in 2018, when I took my first hot yoga class. I immediately fell in love with the practice – it was exactly what I needed at that time in my life. I spent many hours at the yoga studio, practicing, cleaning, working, talking, laughing. I grew close with the owners, their family, and the community of practitioners.

I hadn’t ever imagined owning a yoga studio until the owners approached me with the idea. They had decided that the States was no longer the place they wanted to raise their family and were planning a move to Mexico. They attempted to sell the studio, to allow the community to continue practicing, but were unsuccessful and eventually decided to close.

For years, the space sat empty. I drove by it nearly everyday and would daydream about reopening. I watched and waited and hoped someone would eventually breathe life back into it. I knew how important the practice was; I had experienced how healing it could be.

Original Hot Yoga, also referred to as 26 & 2 or Bikram yoga, is a therapeutic practice that focuses on spinal health and utilizes compression and relaxation to heal the body and optimize functions of the body. The class is 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in 90 minutes. The sequence never changes, yet every class is different because every day, you are different. The beauty of a repetitive practice is that you can observe your progress (which is not always linear) and you can more quickly deepen your understanding of the postures.

The practice is considered a beginning practice and so it is open to all body types, skill levels, and ages. My clients are a diverse group who use this yoga to heal their knees, backs, and ankles, improve their posture, manage their arthritis, improve their heart and lung health, prevent injury, aid in managing anxiety, treat their depression, and so much more. Everyday I hear stories of healing and transformation.

While the yoga itself is important, the space and the ecosystem in which we practice also serves a purpose – to cultivate community; to foster generosity, safety, and friendship. I think just as intentional as the yoga is, so must the practice space be. What’s special about practicing at Mija is that we know your name and we’re glad you’re here; when you’re here, you are not alone; when you’re here, you are seen and supported. At Mija, there is space for you and to be you.

A client said to me the other day that he was looking into yoga studios closer to his home. He lives 20 miles away and there are hot yoga studios in his area. But while conducting his search he found that he didn’t connect to any of the studio near him. He said he would much rather drive the 20 miles to take class at Mija because he felt comfortable, welcomed, encouraged, at home.

I am proud that I am able to create a space that both provides people with a practical healing modality and that offers warmth and authenticity – where all bodies can practice without fear of judgment; where all bodies can sweat, struggle, connect, and grow.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding the studio turned out to be a personal learning experience for me. As someone who is hyper-independent, it is difficult for me to ask for help or to be indebted to others. At the start of my quest to find funding, I explored loans and grants, but as a start up without much collateral, I didn’t have much luck.

While I was home in Southern California for the holidays, I visited with my childhood best friend. I told her about the studio and the trouble I was having securing funding. She asked questions, we brainstormed a bit, and finally she said, unwaveringly, “I’ll give it to you.”

I felt uneasy about taking a loan of this size, especially from a friend. But after mulling it over and talking with colleagues, I decided to accept. I could see that she wanted to support me, she wanted to see me succeed. Once I was able to truly see that others genuinely wanted to support me on this journey, I slowly began to accept help from others.

I shared my idea and plans of reopening with community members and even more support came pouring in. People who knew me well, believed in me and people just starting to get to know me were excited by my moxie.

The doors of Mija opened with the pooled support of family, friends, and community members.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

While it may not be the most efficient strategy, my method of growing my clientele is through true, genuine connection and interaction. Every person who walks through the doors of Mija is not just a customer – they are whole beings with rich lives and endless potential. I recognize that every interaction is an opportunity to see them, get to know them, hold space for them to process, or make them giggle. Our world moves very quickly and is often loud and cold – Mija is a space where people can take refuge and put down what they have been carrying.

Of course some energy and effort must be focused on attaining new clients, more of my energy is spent on retaining and winning back lost clients. I generate leads and attain new clients through social media advertising, community events, and local publications, but I retain my clients by having conversations with them. Through conversation, I learn of their needs and I seek to meet their needs, which makes them feel heard and included. In this way, I build community and establish returning clients and long-term relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mijahotyoga.com
• Instagram: instagram.commijahotyoga
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/mijahotyoga
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mija-hot-yoga-portland?osq=mija+hot+yoga

Image Credits

Nikki Hall