We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.
On my podcast, Mindful in Minutes, I have started doing a monthly community mini where I share a 5 minute meditation and all of the ad revenue generated on that episode for the month is donated to an organization that is near and dear to my heart, or one of my listener’s heart. We support a wide range of organizations and focus on supporting women and the BIPOC community in my home of Minneapolis. I love being able to help support my community. To date the Mindful in Minutes podcast has been able to donate over $3,000 for various organizations which may not seem like a lot, but from an independent creator that is something I am really proud of.
Kelly, 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?
KELLY SMITH BIO Kelly Smith is a globally renowned yoga and meditation teacher, E-RYT 500 /YACEP, founder of Yoga For You, and host of the chart-topping Mindful in Minutes podcast and its spin-off, Meditation Mama. With over 11 million downloads across 181 countries, Kelly’s wildly successful, award-winning show and accessible but powerful approach to mindfulness have solidified her as a rising star in the world of yoga and meditation. Kelly was first drawn to yoga as a teenager, when she saw the therapeutic mental and physical benefits the practice had on her mom during her battle with breast cancer. Several years and over 8,000 hours of teaching later, what began as a modest studio in the rural midwest has evolved into Yoga for You, a location independent yoga and meditation school that has served thousands of students located all through the US, Canada, and the UK. Kelly specializes in the non physical limbs of yoga and is best known for her master trainings and workshops in meditation, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra, as well as her international yoga and mindfulness retreats.
Kelly’s teaching philosophy is grounded in her belief that yoga and meditation is not one-size-fits-all; she encourages her students and listeners to find their own personal practice, listen to their bodies, and find inner joy by accessing their most authentic selves and owning their power.
ABOUT YOGA FOR YOU
Yoga for You is a location-independent yoga and meditation school founded by Kelly Smith, a globally renowned yoga and meditation teacher, E-RYT 500 /YACEP, and host of the chart-topping Mindful in Minutes podcast. Since 2012, Kelly has taught over 8,000 hours and trained over 300 yoga teachers in 4 continents and 15+ countries. Yoga for You serves students and teachers across the globe by providing teacher training, mentorship, private sessions, online courses and immersive international yoga retreats. Kelly is known for her trainings in restorative yoga, meditation, and yoga nidra, but she is well-versed and formally trained in 8 unique styles of yoga. Through Yoga for You, Kelly seeks to help students find the joyful and authentic life they deserve.
ABOUT MINDFUL IN MINUTES
Mindful in Minutes is a chart-topping, award-winning podcast hosted by Kelly Smith, a globally renowned yoga and meditation teacher, E-RYT 500 /YACEP, and founder of Yoga For You, a location-independent yoga and meditation school. For four years, Kelly has offered a growing global audience her guided meditations for a real and busy life. With over 8,000 hours of teacher trainings, Kelly brings an accessible but powerful approach to meditation that has resonated with millions of listeners. A top three meditation podcast on Apple Podcasts and winner of PopCon’s Podcast Award for Best Health & Wellness show, Mindful in Minutes has been played in 181 countries and downloaded 12 million times, with an average of 11K meditations streamed daily.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When COVID-19 hit I, like many business owners had to completely pivot. In March of 2020 I also found out that I was pregnant with my first child. Suddenly I had to clear my entire event and travel calendar for the foreseeable future, I was sicker than I ever had been in my life with a challenging pregnant and under stay at home orders and I have no revenue streams. Instead of running a mostly nomadic business, I started to focus on my podcast, getting free meditations out to those who needed it and ran virtual half day retreats for the next 2 years instead of in person retreats during the height of the pandemic.
This pivot helped me learn how resilient and adaptable I was, and how to think outside of the box.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
When I started Yoga For You, I had one yoga class on a Friday night back in 2014, and as the sole earner for my family I worked several other job as gym manager and nanny to get the bills paid. Slowly I started growing my student following, adding more classes and 2 years later what started as one class now became the first Yoga For You which was a brick and mortar yoga studio in the town I was living in and was giving me a steady stream of income every month.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yogaforyouonline.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforyouonline/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogaforyouonline/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyuAzAFsNzcypnAa1XSlnog
- Other: Podcasts Mindful in Minutes-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-in-minutes-meditation/id1295718287 Meditation Mama-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meditation-mama/id1536210147
Image Credits
Andi B Photography Kelly Smith