We recently connected with Diana Vitantonio and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

This is the third time that I have opened up a yoga studio. I opened my first one when I was 24 with a business partner and I opened up a second studio (I had already “failed” the first one) when i was 29 with a different business partner. Both of these relationship ended shortly before the two year mark. I truly believe that when I was able to look at myself as to why two relationships didn’t work out I had to face the feelings that I had a lot of things to learn and apply in relationship. I learned the importance of having hard conversations, boundaries and self-esteem.

When you build your self-esteem you can build anything.

Diana, 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’M DIANA VITANTONIO, AND I’VE BEEN TEACHING YOGA FOR 24 YEARS. IN THE LAST 14 OF THOSE, I OPENED MY OWN YOGA SCHOOL, WHERE I TRAINED OVER 100 YOGA TEACHERS IN MY SIGNATURE METHODOLOGY, BREATHLESS YOGA.

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, so I’m a midwest girl in so many ways (talking to strangers) and not in others (SNOW!), but I have lived in Northern California for the last 15 years; currently with my puppy, Fee.

I co-owned my first yoga studio when I was 24 years old (Cleveland Yoga) and my second one at 29 (Zuda Yoga Folsom) in Sacramento. I’m really proud that I nurtured my student community through grassroots marketing and sold out my classes at both studios very quickly. I’m thankful for my self-esteem because I know it created those results for me!

For the third time in my career I am once again a studio owner. I just reunited with the studio that I built 15 years ago, I renamed it Yoga Nyla. I was the original co-owner of what was formally Zuda Yoga Folsom. I still teach public and private yoga classes. (I have been the Sacramento Kings yoga coach for the past three years) AND I am now the founder of a life coaching and mentorship business where I teach humans how to feel safe in their skin and to be true about who they are.

This, in my opinion, is authentic self-love. My hope, as a coach, is to help my clients show up in their lives with boldness and to use their voices to speak up and ask for things to be done differently with love and respect for themselves AND others. My coaching programs teach people how to heal, regulate their nervous systems, become emotionally available and mature, and learn their attachment styles. It also teaches them how to respect other people’s boundaries while respecting their own, listen with love, have hard conversations, and manage their spirit. It is THE program on healthy relationships, first finding it with themselves and then with everyone else in their lives. I hope to help people feel more freedom and joy, so they feel more ALIVE

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most important things that I have learned is that I have a responsibility in all choices of my life. If something goes off a plan or something doesn’t work out, I used to look for something or someone else to blame. I try not and waste my time on that anymore. I look to see what I can control ( me) and move to the quickest solution from there.

Even in business if an employee is underdelivering i believe it’s my job to have a better system or have better communication.

It is such a superpower to take responsibility for everything you do or don’t do.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being reliable. Showing up consistently. Teaching with heart, mind and guts.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yogayla.com
• Instagram: @yoganyla

Image Credits
Alicia Kortas, Amber Shoop Felts, Becca Briening.