We recently connected with Ivory Howard and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ivory, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
Recently one of my students shared the reason she traveled from Alexandria, VA to Washington, DC for a class with me was because she didn’t think she, as a person of color, fit in at yoga studios in her area.
It breaks my heart to hear this because yoga is practiced by many different people with different body types and that diversity should be welcomed, visible and celebrated so that everyone feels welcome in this community.
This lack of diversity in the wellness industry (plus limited access to classes and expensive activewear and class passes) can gatekeep people from enjoying yoga and decides who experiences health through yoga. These unintentional acts are harmful and have far-reaching consequences.
Now, as a yoga teacher, I have an opportunity to provide, in a safe and welcoming space, what wasn’t available to me when I started practicing yoga and to help others who have ever been intimidated in “traditional” yoga classes with women who didn’t look like them.
How do we ensure that yoga studios are welcoming and safe spaces for all? As a studio owner, do you recognize the need for inclusive spaces? If so, are you just checking the box of inclusion, for example, by adding inclusive images to your website and promos? Or are you actually doing the work to be inclusive?
These may be uncomfortable questions to ask but they are important so that you can determine if your studio has thought about how bias shows up in your work, how to be truly inclusive and not just check the box, and how to show up for BIPOC students in the same way that you show up for other students.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a yoga and Pilates instructor. My program helps busy, professional women struggling to workout consistently. Inside the program, I walk you through my proprietary program so that you can establish a consistent practice and reclaim your health with ease in 90 days.
I’m on a mission to make sure that more women know that exercise and a plant-based diet can prevent many chronic lifestyle diseases and leading causes of death in the United States. I want to continue to make it easier for women to be active to help them avoid preventable chronic diseases like stroke, diabetes and cancer. And if you have a chronic disease, I want you to know that it’s not hopeless. You can live a long, healthy and active life.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Although your friends and family love and support you, they may not be able to support you in the way that you need in your business. It’s important to build a network of supportive entrepreneurs in your corner who are rooting for you to succeed, referring clients to you, and open to collaborating with you. I did not always have that until I joined an inclusive community of entrepreneurs. This is the community that I was searching for early in my entrepreneurial endeavors but it did not yet exist. It makes the entrepreneurial pursuit much easier with this kind of support. Be sure to develop and nurture your network of other entrepreneurs.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I often host community classes in Washington, DC. These free classes have greatly helped me to increase brand awareness and to grow my email list.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.ivoryhoward.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatbellypilates
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flatbellypilates
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/flatbelly
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flatbellypilates
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@flatbellypilates https://www.threads.net/@flatbellypilates
Image Credits
Courtesy of Ivory Howard, LLC