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

Allison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

More than anything, I wish I had started my business so much earlier that I did. Being fired from a major corporate yoga studio left me feeling burnt out and frustrated, and as a result I didn’t want to teach yoga for awhile. Looking back, I wish I would have put some of those feelings behind me and started maybe six months or so after instead of an entire year. When I decided to start my online yoga business, a lot of the momentum had disappeared. There was still interest when I did finally get things going, but I wonder if it would have been higher if I had just gone for it. But, everything happens for a reason, and it was a good learning lesson for me as I move forward.

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

I started practicing yoga regularly around 2014-2015 and just immediately fell in love with it. After completing teacher training at a corporate yoga studio in 2016, I started teaching about ten hours a week and I was building my community and having so much fun. It was truly one of my favorite things. Being able to share yoga with other people is something I love- it makes me feel purposeful. When the pandemic hit, the studio fired everyone, no warning, and I felt like a huge part of me was taken out from underneath me with no warning. It was hard and there were a lot of emotions. After about a year, I decided I wanted to find a way to keep teaching and share my love of yoga with others. I hired a business coach and started working towards building what I have now. There were certainly bumps in the road- I had to change what my business was, I had to build a new website and change directions, and although I’m still learning and trying to figure it all out, that’s what makes it fun. Instead of an online yoga class business, it’s moving towards a more blog and eventually video style yoga and self-care business. Right now my focus is on building my blog, and figuring out a way to make a better in-home studio for filming.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media for me is all about building your community and continually interacting with the people you follow. I started following and communicating with other instagram yogis whose pages and content that was resonating with me. It’s not about just posting and then sitting back. I make a conscious effort to reply to my messages and show support for my followers and their content too. It also takes time. If you’re just starting out, be patient and keep putting in the work. It’s easy to be frustrated that things might not be happening right away, but consistency is key. You’d be surprised how much things can change if you’re willing to be patient.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Initially when I started my business, it was going to be focused mostly on online classes and having a set time for classes. If there’s been one thing that’s really changed as a result from the pandemic it’s the amount of flexibility people crave. Structured set times weren’t working for everyone, and I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. I had to redefine what I wanted to do and how I wanted to rework my business. It’s still a work in progress, but learning how to make changes and try something different always comes in handy, especially in business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.allisonrachaelyoga.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonrachaelyoga/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbBLs70xwUuSKmR8IXC7hJQ
• Other: https://www.zazzle.com/store/allison_rachael_yoga I have a zazzle store with a yoga mat and water bottle with my tagline “Live Your Bright and Golden Life” and hoping for more products soon :)

Image Credits
All photo credits are to Purely Perspective Photography | @purelyperspectivephotography

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