We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kate Goodyear. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kate below.
Kate, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I had been working for myself as a yoga teacher at many local studios for a couple years before I decided to open Nectar. I realized that it was not sustainable to continue being a teacher without opening my own studio. I also knew how I thought things should be run and what I liked and didn’t like about the studios I was teaching at. The first few years were tough. We were just starting to really hit our stride as a business when COVID hit. Many small studios closed during that time, it was really hard to stay above water and anyone who wasn’t 100% committed, didn’t make it. There were definitely times when I didn’t know how we were going to survive. I thought about what else I could do with my life if we had to close the studio and I just couldn’t bring myself to look at any of the options I might have had as a good idea. I knew I had to find a way to make it work! Luckily, we were still small at that time and had lower overhead than most studios. We also had an amazingly supportive community, who wanted to see Nectar survive and were integral to us making it through!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been practicing yoga for 15 years and teaching for 13. I was in a really dark place when yoga came into my life and it really shifted everything. It gave me a sense of self-worth and self-respect that I hadn’t had before and I knew that I wanted to share these gifts with others. This is a very familiar story for many yoga teachers. I teach a vinyasa or flow style of yoga. This is an athletic style but we still focus on the holistic human approach rather than just a physical or work-out style of class. It definitely isn’t for everyone but it is what I have found to be the best for a sustained practice. We also offer Beginner Vinyasa which is generally a little shorter of a class that focuses more on alignment and proper form. Our yin classes are our most gentle offering and focus on more stretching and meditation. Yin is great for those who want to gain flexibility and range of motion as well as more peace and better sleep.
Some people come to yoga because their back hurts or because they want to be more flexibility, some people come because they have suffered a heart break or are in a dark place. The amazing thing about yoga is that you get what you came for and so much more. If you are experiencing back pain, yoga will help with that but you’ll also notice that you are sleeping better and feel more positive throughout the day. If you come to help grieve, you’ll start to mend your heart but you’ll also notice you are stronger and have made new friends. It’s really a life-changing practice!
We do our best to be inclusive at Nectar, you’ll see people from their 20’s to their 70’s, all different body shapes and sizes, different religions and ethnic backgrounds and varying cognitive abilities. Community is one of our core values, and we do our best to give back to Phoenixville. You’ll see lots of opportunities for donation based classes and events each month. We also do different kinds of drives for school supplies and holiday gifts. We know that we are truly better together! Our mantra at Nectar is Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, which means, “May All beings be happy and free from suffering and may the thoughts, words and actions of our lives in some way contribute to the peace and freedom of all.” I do my best to live this mantra in my personal life and also to have it comes through in our studio and offerings!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
During the COVID quarantine we were not allowed to operate in our brick and mortar studio from March until September. We were forced to shift to all online offerings for several months, which led many teachers to feeling burnt out and some of them never returned to teaching. In June, the restrictions were softened and we were allowed to hold outdoor classes, but we had to pay additional rent to use a suitable outdoor venue. Then when we were allowed to be back in our space it was only at 50% capacity and we were forced to wear masks, which many students were reluctant to do. It was really a mess for that first year or so.
When I opened Nectar, it was because I loved yoga and knew a lot about it. I didn’t really know anything about running a business, especially not in that climate. It was like we had one hand tied behind our back. Yoga studios also operate with teachers being independent contractors instead of employees, so many studios received little to no help from the government financially. I decided to double down and I hired a business coach who specialized in boutique fitness studios and I am so glad that I did! I really don’t know if we would have survived without that coaching!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Much of my story and my life is based on resilience. I came from a very working class family that was riddled with addiction on both sides. Alcoholism, opiate addiction and co-dependency run wild in my blood. I didn’t realize that it wasn’t normal until I became an adult and my younger brother started going in and out of rehab, and I was able to look back and start to piece things together. I, personally started partying at a shockingly young age and was blessed when one of the hardest and most traumatic weekends of my life ended up being what got me away from drugs and the friends that I used to do them with. Not all of my friends were so lucky, not everyone made it out. Then in my early 20’s I shifted to drinking and an emotionally abusive relationship that I was in for several years too long. Yoga is really what saved me, even if it’s been a long process.
Now, I am the owner of a successful business. I am in a happy and healthy marriage. I have stabilized my depression and anxiety to manageable levels. I am able to establish and maintain healthy boundaries for myself, my relationships and my business. And I am doing my best to break the generational cycles of disfunction. I have recently taken what may be a permanent break from alcohol and can honestly say, that I may be in the best place I’ve ever been in life.
I look back at the 16 year old version of myself with compassion and empathy. I was just a lost kid, doing the best she could. I look toward the 60 year old version of myself for inspiration and motivation, I can’t wait to embody the bad bitch energy that I know is inside of myself waiting to be released. I look at my 41 year old, current self with pride an humility. I certainly have come a long way, but there is still so much more I can do! This being a human in the hardest thing that I’ve ever done!
Contact Info:
- Website: nectaryogastudio.com
- Instagram: @k8yogini
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kgoodyear
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nectar-yoga-studio-phoenixville-2
Image Credits
Photos from Joe Longo Photography & Chorus Media Group