We recently connected with Albina Rippy and have shared our conversation below.

Albina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Chasing your dreams as entrepreneur and living life on purpose requires massive courage. It is not always easy and challenges and obstacles appear along the way. AND when you trust that you are on the right path, when you are absolutely certain that you are following your heart, your faith is your major ally. As I think back to reflect on the pivotal points on this path, they are not all about the joy and ease that comes from following your passion, they are often the moments that bring you to your knees that bond you deeply to your purpose. I remember a particular moment at 3AM when my husband and I were super stressed out and worried, we were full of fear and uncertainty. We haven’t slept in weeks. We were in the middle of leading a 10 day yoga teacher training all day every day. That year we opened 3 new yoga studios and were stretched super thin. On the eve of the day that we received a $500K construction bill for our brand new studio, our prospective partner bailed on us.
We were hurt, terrified, and confused and we felt betrayed. We were facing tremendous financial challenges and it seemed our team, our finances and our life was falling apart. We didn’t know how we’d be able to cover our payroll, our rent and pay off our debt to the contractor. The worst part however was we started doubting ourselves. Was this yoga business that we thought was our calling, that we gave all of our energy, time, love, all of our money, was it the right thing to do? Or were we simply fooling ourselves?
And then at 3AM, my husband asked me something he has never asked in the 10 years of our marriage at that time. He said “honey, would you pray with me?” We sat together holding hands and we asked God for guidance. We prayed for a sign to show us if we were on the right path. We cried and then we went to work at 5AM. That day we led a training for 50 people. To give you context, these trainings take tons of emotional energy to lead, inspire and transform people. It was a 15 hr day and at the end of that day, a lady came up to me in the locker room. She told me that she tried to commit suicide 3 times and one day when she made up her mind to do it for sure, she saw one of our yoga studios on her way home. She was called to go in. She told me ‘Albina, I know that you don’t know me. AND you and yoga studios saved my life!”
All I could do is cry. She was our Angel. She was the answer to our prayer. She was the sign from God that we yearned for.
Now I know the difference between working HARD and doing GREAT work. When I look at the amazing community of 7 yoga studios and a beautiful retreat center in Taos NM that my husband and I created, where we got to live our higher purpose: to help people live a happy, healthy and inspired life, I can say in celebration THAT WAS GREAT WORK! Our Yoga Studios were our passion, our love, our joy. When you follow your heart, when you do what you are called to do and not what you are supposed to do, when you live with passion, your hard work transforms into great work! And every once in a while, in the moments of doubt and incredible challenge, Grace smiles at you and you get a sign to go on, do great work and rock on!
The cemetery is full of people who worked HARD. I believe we are called to do more than work hard. I believe we are each called to greatness, to do great work. What is your passion? What is your calling in life? What is your higher purpose? What’s the one thing in your life that you’ve been putting off, that you’ve been waiting for, that is calling you? And what’s one step you could take toward that? Could you take a class, could you make a call, could you start a conversation that takes you one step toward your calling? Life is too short to just work hard, follow your passion and do great work.

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

Albina Rippy is a serial entrepreneur, success coach, inspirational speaker, hotelier and world traveler.

After a decade of starting and growing her businesses into thriving communities of yoga, healthy, holistic lifestyle, personal growth and transformation, Albina Rippy sold all of her worldly possessions to travel and explore the world together with her husband and daughters and fluffy dog, Dante.

Albina Rippy adds massive value by contributing to the success and happiness of people around the world through her success and business coaching.

A native of Kazakhstan, after graduating as high school valedictorian at age 16, Albina Rippy came alone to the US to attend university. She graduated from the University of Houston double-majoring in Accounting and Finance. After a few years in public accounting as a CPA, she started her first business, YogaOne Studios, together with her husband, Roger. Roger and Albina grew YogaOne to a thriving community of 7 yoga studios, which was later acquired by YogaWorks Inc. Some of Albina’s other business creations are Blue Sky Retreat Center in Taos, NM, One Love Juice Bar, mat2mat on-line platform and her online coaching platform.

“Let me help you by coaching and mentoring you in what has worked for me to create a life beyond my wildest dreams. My greatest privilege is helping you to create yours.” – Albina Rippy

Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.

I started, expanded and eventually sold 2 successful businesses, YogaOne Studios with 7 locations in Houston, TX and Blue Sky Retreat Center and boutique hotel in Taos, NM. I admit that my secret to success comes from the most unusual and unorthodox source. You can call it The Source. From over 2 decades of my personal experience in studying and being fully immersed in the science, the practice and the mysticism of yoga, I learned that there is a way of creation (which includes the creation of massive success) that lies outside of hard work, pushing through and struggle.

It is meditation, which is one of the eight Limbs of Yoga.

When you sit quietly in the stillness of your mind, you tap into The Source energy, creativity, inspiration and guidance. With practice, you can learn to put aside everything known and predictable in your life (your problems and challenges, the way things have been, your analytical mind) and you step into the unlimited realm of everything possible. It is a skill that can be developed by every human. It just takes commitment and discipline.

This is how I come up with innovative ideas to start, grow and expand my businesses and this is exactly how perfect buyers came to me in perfect timing and in a perfect way. In meditation, I got an inspiration to sell YogaOne in the most ideal time, at the peak of the yoga industry, just before the pandemic that wiped out the vast majority of yoga businesses. I simply obeyed the guidance. I surrendered to it. The same process of intuitive guidance to sell Blue Sky came to me in my meditation. I sold it with effortless ease. When you step out of the way, life can bring to you the most perfect opportunities with effortless ease, in a way that you could never come up with on your own.

Please know that it doesn’t mean that I don’t hustle. Of course I work and do everything I know how in the physical world. However, I start my day with my 5AM meditation practice in the stillness of my mind, where I open up to guidance to embody effortless ease.

If you are curious about the mystical power of meditation, join my 5AM Meditation Club that takes place daily on zoom. It is totally free. https://albinarippy.com/meditation-club/

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

On my journey as entrepreneur I have had many moments of near death experiences when I did not know how I would make payroll or pay rent.

The most unexpected lesson I’ve learned in a situation like this was the mind-blowing power of vulnerability.

When my business partner left me with a massive construction bill, I thought this was the end of my business. I literally did not have any money to pay this huge bill, make payroll or pay rent. I gathered my team and I opened up to them about what happened and the struggle I was facing.

I was blown away by how my team stepped up. Instead of quitting, they worked harder, they came up with new ideas to generate revenue, and most importantly, they gave me emotional support to carry on. Together, we got through that challenging time. We grew bigger. We expanded in every meaning of this word. I am forever grateful to my team for their support and for the lesson they taught me: open up and ask for help. You have no idea how generous and loving people can be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://albinarippy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albinarippy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlbinaRippySuccessCoach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albinarippy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@albinarippy

Image Credits
first photo: Bryan Williams Photography second photo: Megan Fine