We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Ann Yoe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Julie Ann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
In 2018 after 17 years in education, I graduated with my second masters in educational administration. I also switched grade levels after teaching kindergarten for 16 years I transitioned into teaching second grade. My second grade class included several students with severe emotional outbursts as well as they had suffered from various trauma in their lives. I had started using yoga with my kindergarten students and continued it with the second grade students. With the maturity of the second grade students I was able to add more mindfulness and yoga practices, especially before taking tests or any other stressful situations that could possibly induce anxiety or emotional outbursts. The yoga helped tremendously and I saw a positive difference in self regulation strategies within my students. I decided to become certified in children’s yoga, thinking that it would not only help if I stayed in the classroom but also when I begin pursuing educational administration jobs. At the same time, I made a decision to take a year sabbatical to be home with my children as well as to decide which area of educational administration I wanted to pursue. While pursuing my children’s yoga certification, I was able to complete yoga sessions with the children. I previously taught. It allowed me to see how important it was to educate the body, mind, & soul. This is when I made my decision to open my own children’s yoga studio and change career path after 18 years.
Julie Ann , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I provide children’s yoga classes for ages six months through 16 years. For the youngest yogis I provide caregiver/child classes. Most of my yoga classes for the younger children are literacy infused and involve incorporating yoga into various stories. The second half of class involves creating a piece of art, which typically coincides with the Yoga story or theme. For the tween and teen classes, we begin learning about Beginners yoga, exploring deeper mindfulness techniques, as well as incorporating a free art exploration period. I also travel to several schools and provide yoga classes as well as yoga after school club experiences. I host a variety of youth groups at the yoga studio for various themes. For example, one of my most popular in studio field trip is for Girl Scouts. I have also traveled to various organizations to host special events which have included Yoga and craft time. I am the busiest in the summer with our yoga summer camps. Another popular event is hosting children’s birthday parties at the studio. I offer personalized birthday packages.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Having 18 years experience in public education was a great foundation when building my business. Ultimately, though my reputation has been strengthened by my consistent mission to provide a fun yoga experience for children, while giving them the opportunity to have choice, feel safe, loved, & valued.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is consistently posting on social media as well as word-of-mouth. Most of my families have heard about the yoga classes or birthday parties from friends or family. I have also made connections with various parent groups and surrounding cities which has also helped to spread my outreach.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.storybookyoga.com
- Instagram: Storybook.yoga
- Facebook: Storybook Yoga Balanced Minds & Bodies