We recently connected with Lisa Ash Drackert and have shared our conversation below.
Lisa , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
Write your ELEVATOR SPEECH. If you’re ready to be a solo-preneuer in your field of expertise, the best advice I can give is this: build the 3 pillars of your business and define them so strongly that you can explain EVERYTHING you do and WHY you do it in less than 3 sentences.
The task is this: you’re in an elevator on the ground floor with one other person. Before the elevator hots the 5th floor and the only other passenger gets out, you need to explain exactly what your service does, exactly why you’re passionate about it, and exactly why that person could benefit from your service.
Practice your elevator speech. When it’s delivered well, with precision, with passion and authenticity, you’re ready. Write it down. Draw it. Dream it. Build it internally before you build it externally.
This aligns your vision with your mission and helps you hone in on the pillars of your business.
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?
As a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, my expertise is personalizing yoga protocols for individual needs. As a life-long educator with degrees in Elementary Education, Religious Studies and Curriculum and Development, I use evidence-based teaching practices and cutting edge research on wellness to help me clients achieve optimal health.
I own a yoga studio in Kansas City, Missouri that offers group yoga classes; the studio is heavily influenced by Yoga Therapeutics. Each class teaches yoga philosophy, breathing practices and yoga poses. It’s important to me that all my students and clients are exposed to the holistic, integrated yoga education.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
One of the most helpful pieces to my success as a small business owner is that I work with a Strategic Business Coach who specializes in advising small businesses. We don’t spend time on spreadsheets and accountability for small tasks– we spend time visioning what’s next for my business and looking at my limiting beliefs that can impede my ability to flourish as a teacher and leader.
As a leader of a team of employees, it’s imperative I have a sounding board OUTSIDE of my organization. I have an open, honest relationships with each of my employees, but they aren’t there to listen to my anxieties, worries or disjointed plans. They are there to offer a service and for me to lead. In my business coaching sessions, I can be candid and objective.
My business coach is InsideEdgeCoaching. This investment is imperative to the success of my business.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
When it comes to management of employees, my advice is this: be the leader you want to follow.
Leadership is a sacred responsibility; it’s my responsibility to communicate my expectations so that my employees know when they are exceeding them. Put everything in writing so you and your team are clear on what’s expected.
Remember this: it’s possible your team will not remember what you accomplished, but they will always remember how you treated them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LisaAshYoga.com
- Instagram: lisa.ash.yoga
- Facebook: lisa.ash.yoga
Image Credits
@MePhotography