We were lucky to catch up with Alanna Zabel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alanna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

I created The World’s First Yoga Doll®, the first moveable plastic fashion doll on the market. For two decades I persistently reached out to toy manufacturers and corporate buyers, advocating for greater mindfulness in the selection of toys for our children. I am a firm believer that the nature of play that our children enact significantly influences their development of essential relational skills, compassion and empathy – qualities that are pivotal to upcoming generations participating in a healthy society. I have met with every major toy company, network media executives and mass retail buyers, urging them to choose wisely what toys they place on the shelves and what kinds of shows they produce. We are seeing a huge shift in these trends and choices, and I know that I have had a great influence on this positive change.

Alanna, 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?

I am the founder of AZ I AM®, bringing over 25 years of fitness/wellness experience, with a passion for helping others connect with their truest and most organic self. I hold a double BA in Psychology and Human Services, with a concentration in Child Development. I am a Trauma-informed Yoga instructor, a registered ERYT-1500 teacher trainer, a Sound Healer and Program Director/Trainer, the creator of Yoga Barre®, as well as a Stott Pilates and fitness instructor.

I have an eye for style and impeccable design, which led to the launch of the premium AZ I AM® Active Wear collections, the Modern Goddess®. Beyond my accomplishments as an instructor, performer, program director, writer, and designer, I am passionate about teaching kids wellness. In addition to fourteen children’s books with yoga and wellness themes, I single-handed created The World’s First Yoga Doll® and Soul Model collections.

I am the author of As I Am: Where Spirituality Meets Reality and Meaningful Coincidence: Synchronistic Stories of the Soul. My children’s book titles include The Seven Doors, a children’s version of Deepak Chopra’s best selling The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. I star in five fitness DVDs: Yoga Total Body Makeover and Pilates Yoga Fusion, as well as Beginner Level Yoga for Toning, Flexibility + Stress Relief, Cardio + Conditioning Yoga, and Beginner Level Yoga which became a nationally bestselling fitness DVD in 2016.

Currently I oversee operations of my own Yoga Studio and Wellness Center in Santa Monica, AZ I AM. We offer diverse Hot or Not® yoga and fitness classes, sound journeys, breath work, dance, meditation, Reiki, events and much more – come visit us!

AZ I AM is set apart from the rest because, in a world where everyone is trying to be someone else, we welcome you, accept you, and guide you to be exactly who you are, as you are.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The past two years (COVID) have not been easy for most of us, and yoga studios have been hit hard. As a sudden turn of perspective, I watched a portion of the yoga community grow increasingly aggressive during the California lockdowns; many expressed their anger at the state (Governor Newsom) onto me and my staff, as if I had anything to do with the state wide ordinances and protocols; I was simply following orders, irregardless of my beliefs.

Because of how we were treated, I no longer allowed certain communities into my space, and strangely it had the most positive effect! Although it wasn’t intentional, by having little tolerance for disrespectful clientele while maintaining strong boundaries, our entire environment changed and elevated. People who attend my studio always comment, “Why is everything so amazing here, every teacher, every class?” and my answer is always, “It’s not by accident.”

Be sure to set your brand mission statements, protocols and boundaries. Be specific and stay true to who you are; it will serve you and your business well.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When I was starting out, I had several clients who would tell me that “I was a brand.” I’ll be honest that I didn’t even know what that meant. My personal website was AZIAM.com because it represented my initials; Alanna Zabel I AM. I had no idea that it would later become my business and brand, but there is no doubt that if you do what you love, your journey will unfold in front of you, and will have the energy to overcome obstacles.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aziam.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/aziamyoga
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aziamyoga
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/aziam
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/aziam