We recently connected with Alana Samuels and have shared our conversation below.

Alana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

My entire life, school has been of the utmost importance. I have always been studious and academic, and have valued learning tremendously. I still do, however my perspective has shifted a bit.

I earned my bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University in psychology and Spanish linguistics. My intention was always to help others, and this manifested as a goal to go on to get my masters’ degree in mental health counseling once I graduated. However, COVID altered this trajectory. I found myself by the end of college mentally and physically drained and burnt out. More school seemed like the only option for so long, but there was so much more to be uncovered.

Spring of 2021 I decided that I was going pivot my efforts into helping others towards something more meaningful to me. Instead of pursuing school, which was supposedly the “right” decision, I decided to take a gap year and get my yoga certification. I knew that I wanted to put all of my energy into this endeavor, which is why I dedicated all of my time to it. I also knew it was going to be a huge risk. There were voices in the back of my head telling me that if I didn’t get my masters’ now, then I would never do it, and that scared me. Instead of letting these voices dictate my future, I simply thanked them for their input and proceeded to following a different dream.

Not only did this risk allow me to uncover the potential to help others in a vastly different yet just as important way, I also was able to help myself. Little did I know that I needed yoga to change the trajectory of my life. Little did I know how much yoga would transform my life, both personally and professionally, for the better. I am so happy I took an unconventional route, and am so excited for all of the opportunities it has yet to bring.

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

I am an Events Coordinator for a wellness center, event venue, and retreat destination. My specialty is organizing wellness events and retreats, as well as leading these events and retreats.

When I began teaching yoga, I knew I didn’t want to be a studio teacher. Once I got my certification, I joined forces with my mother to grow the wellness center that she had started, and from that I grew my own business The Halo Sanctuary. This business is essentially an Airbnb for wellness events: wellness practitioners (think yoga teachers, sound healers, reiki masters, life coaches, etc) rent out our space to host their event. This is an incredibly fulfilling and enriching job because I got to learn so much about different modalities of healing, as well as how to bring people together.

It didn’t stop at The Halo Sanctuary because I knew that these wellness events could exist on a larger scale. In 2023, I decided to take on promoting and planning wellness retreats at our sister organization Full Circle Farms, which previously was just being listed as an Airbnb. The 21-acre property is a luxury estate with a converted garage yoga studio with Himalayan salt wall, perfect for yoga retreats. Since coming on board, we’ve hosted 4 different retreat facilitators who have each led a few of their own retreats, and I am planning the first retreat led by myself in the fall!

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

The absolute most important strategy for me in my specific business is being personable with my clients. Many of my clients see me as someone they can talk with not just about their events, but about life in general. They feel comfortable coming to me if there is an issue or if they have a question. They know that I am the real person behind the service that they are being offered, and this type of dedication travels mouth to mouth. Many of my clients have referred their friends to come and host an event or retreat with us not because the spaces we provide are beautiful (though, this is a big part of it too), but because I am the one behind the whole process. When it comes to something as vulnerable as a yoga or wellness practice, clients need to feel as though they are being taken care of. I always make sure that this trait shines through above all others.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I first started hosting events at The Halo Sanctuary, I had one person come to my first class, and one person host an event in the first month I was there. In the months following, I would sometimes have zero people in my class. Sometimes though, I would have a good month where 8+ people came to my class and I had 5+ events per month (which was good for me in my first year). This taught me the value of not letting a failure or the lack of an audience discourage me. This also taught me that there are ebbs and flows to a business, and that some months are better than others. Sure it was embarrassing to not have anyone show up to a class, but it gave me the fuel and courage to reach out to more people the next time. Similarly with offering the space up to others, I learned how to build relationships with my clients so that they wanted to return or refer others. Starting from ground zero is a great because you can only go up, and it teaches you how to persist and show up consistently.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/adyoga
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanadanielleyoga/

Image Credits

Headshot of Alana: Dennis Murphy Photography