We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Hitz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for Bend & Blaze started where I think a lot of business ideas start- I felt something was missing. I saw a large group of people lacking a space or container to connect with one another.

We’re certainly not re-inventing the wheel, people have been using cannabis to support their wellness journey and elevate their yoga practice for thousands of years. But in today’s world (and especially 8 years ago when Bend & Blaze was born) there’s a stigma attached to cannabis and cannabis users. So I wanted to create a space to build a community of weed-loving yogis like myself to help normalize the productive stoners and break the stigma of the lazy stoner.

Yoga studios can be stuffy and feel unapproachable for newcomers. Especially when you roll in with glossy eyes and smelling skunky. So creating a yoga space for stoners was a no-brainer, and the magic happens pretty organically.

Amanda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Amanda Hitz, Founder of Bend & Blaze Yoga. I moved to Denver from Wyoming where I grew up, right at the beginning of legal weed. I got all caught up in advocating cannabis for wellness pretty immediately. At the same time, I started studying to teach yoga. I guess you could say Denver quickly got ahold of me.

Combining my two loves was never a career goal, Bend & Blaze was born really organically. Turns out people wanted to be able to smoke weed on their yoga mat with other cannabis users and then practice yoga. One monthly class turned to a weekly class, then to several a week. As the community grew, we started to offer retreats, online classes, and eventually, we expanded to multiple locations and cities.

Bend & Blaze is always an approachable, safe space to explore an elevated practice. Not much woo-woo and all classes are beginner-friendly.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like most businesses and people, the 2020 pandemic put me and Bend & Blaze in a position to figure out how to adapt. And like most fitness brands and teachers, I took my classes and community online. We started on Instagram Live, because that’s where I was most familiar and comfortable, but eventually, we moved to Zoom where we could still enjoy our time together.

Despite being back in person now, we still have a full Zoom calendar, as well as pre-recorded content for those on a tighter schedule.

At a time when a lot of fitness and yoga studios were forced to shut down, we were able to not only adapt but also expand.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I strive to keep my team tight-knit. I always make sure to hire teachers and work with brands that align with the Bend & Blaze vibe and values, but are also great at what they do. I feel really lucky that Bend & Blaze is a brand that people believe in, feel excited about, and want to be a part of. That in itself boosts morale.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bendandblaze.yoga
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendandblazeyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bendandblazeyoga

Image Credits
ani paoletti jake holschuh