Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shari Vilchez-Blatt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shari, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Before naming my own business, I was fortunate enough to be part of the “Name Generating” group of my advertising agency. This wasn’t a title or formal group – just a small group of creative twenty-somethings that seemed to have a knack for it. How do you know if you have a knack for it? You try. Our client was Hasbro. And as a full service agency, part of introducing a new toy to the market also included naming it.

The process of name generating was different for each of us. We had our own style, skills, methods for inspiration….and would submit a decent sized list of at least 10 strong possibilities. So imagine about 5 people, all handing in 10 strong names. Then, a more senior creative person would review these names and either send us all back with direction to re-generate names or would choose the top 5 – 7 names to present to our client. We would be sure to have our favorite and second choice ready to be recommended, and offer benefits as to “why this should be the name”.

My very first attempt at naming a product was for a preschool game. It was an elephant that blew butterflies out of its trunk and you had to catch them with a net. I played with and experienced the game. I grabbed my notebook and started to write. I wrote how I felt. I wrote down words that came up while playing. I stared at the product endlessly. I grabbed a thesaurus and started to play with the words I had written – other words, other ways of saying the same thing. I overthought tremendously….elephants. Butterflies. Play. I played with word mashups and rhymes, writing down everything that came to mind. Before I knew it, I had pages of words and phrases – it was overwhelming! So I eliminated. And of course, added. Then eliminated again until I sat with my top 5….and EleFun was at the top. I loved it. What does it mean? You know….and so would a child. So would the parent that you’re marketing to. The client loved it and EleFun was named!

Since this process seemed to work for me, I continued to generate names such as Battling Raptors, Multicultural Crayons, My First Games line, Jazzy Jewelry. If I ever felt stuck, I’d change my environment. Go outside and explore. Go to a library and explore. Go to a super market and explore (there are tons of brand names there). I’d listen to music, watch a children’s show….anything that might put me in the right head to be creative.

Then a few years went by where I had changed ad agencies and name generation wasn’t something that was done. And our clients handled the names of their own products. Then I left the industry.

Without getting deep into the path of my huge career change, I found myself about to launch a small business offering yoga to children in NYC. Here we go….the most important name (to me) needs to be created.

I tapped back into my past. And prepared for the future. This felt different from naming other products. I always had someone senior over me to help guide and make the final decision of what would be recommended to the client. But this was my business. My decision. My mistake/fault if wrong….

I did all my past tricks – playing with words, mashups, rhymes, phrases. But for the first time, I felt huge pressure to get this right. Things felt different (not selling a toy) and I needed to think about this differently.

I laid out the following for myself:
– Who am I talking to?
– What am I offering?
– Who is the end recipient?
– What am I trying to communicate?
– Is it memorable?
– Is it fun to say?
– Can you tell what the business is from the name?

I remember doing some research about how sounds can effect the brain. How certain sounds with letters C, L, K, and P have a positive effect and are desirable to hear, especially using two words together that begin with the letter.

I was offering yoga to kids. I wasn’t the first but not many others existed at the time. I was joining Yoga Kids (the name is perfect), Radiant Child Yoga (works nicely, says what they are, and has a yoga vibe, too), and Next Generation Yoga (clever in the name and my only competition in NYC) in this very small kids yoga world. I needed/wanted to stand out.

Who am I talking to? Kids, parents, caregivers, schools
What am I offering? Yoga for kids and families
Who is the end recipient? kids and families
What am I trying to communicate? Yoga just for kids!

I got my notebook and began my word process. I made lists this time. All the words that come up when I think yoga. All the words that come up when I think of children. I made lists of animals, colors, scents, elements of nature…. and as my lists grew, I would keep eliminating and adding back. I played with 2, 3 and 4 word names. Once I got myself down to a short list of about 6 names, I did something I’ve never done – I tested them out and shared them with people I know and was open to receiving their opinion.

I was sure to ask an eclectic mix of people… of course I included friends in the ad business (they know their stuff), but also a range of ages and backgrounds. I was sure to include parents (I was not a mother at this time), grandparents, as well as a few Wall Street execs and of course, some children (nieces, nephews and kids in my building). These are also consumers – their opinion matters. Listen.

Karma Kids Yoga was the unanimous hit.

Is it memorable? Yes!
Is it fun to say? I think so!! Say it over and over. Say it in a silly voice. Sing it!
Can you tell what the business is from the name? You tell me….

Why “karma” though? Well, we have that magical “k” sound (that the brain loves). But I also loved the idea of this for young children. My kid-friendly explanation goes like this: “If you put kindness out there, it will return.” I don’t need to get deeper than that for any age child. They get it.

Now in business for over 20 years, Karma Kids Yoga has grown and expanded, changed and evolved, however, our name still communicates our core offering.

In 2008, we launched our first product – an album of kids yoga music! I named it the same way as I did for our brand name.
And it’s also our tagline: “Come Play Yoga!” communicates what we do, how we do it and what you can expect from us.

Your name is the first way someone hears about you – grab them!! You’re likely in a sea of competition….so stand out!
I feel it’s a bit easier to be creative with words now that texting has changed how we communicate with each other (I no longer ever write out “let me know” it’s LMK)…such as not using vowels or using abbreviations, spelling things differently, and taking more liberties. Overall, you as the business owner should LOVE it and feel solid about it.

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’m Shari Vilchez-Blatt, and for all of my childhood, I wanted to be in advertising. So I did that for just over a decade, climbing the corporate ladder, when my career path took a huge and unexpected turn. I was at a point in my career that I became all about the paycheck and not so much about the brands that I worked on. I found myself dreading going into work. I lost all my passion. So lucky me….I was laid off in June. I decided to take the summer off and chill and get back out there in the fall.

I was able to get deeper into my yoga practice. I had never been a steady yoga person – my work got in the way and I was happy to go when I could. But this summer I had all the free time and did what made me happy. I checked out all different styles and teachers that summer….found what inspired and resonated with me for my own practice. Also, this same summer, I was able to spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews. And when I did yoga around them, they would copy me. I didn’t know if this was ok, so I went online and found that of course, kids can do yoga! And…there was a Children’s Yoga Teacher Training happening the next month in NY! I had nothing going on and I love to learn, so I signed up. It was one of the best experiences I had at this point in my life! It felt right. Really right. I found another kids training, different style and seemed interesting, and signed up for that too! It was an amazing course as well.

September started to roll around and my husband said, “How about that job you were going to look for?”

And I instantly realized that path was no longer for me. There was something else beginning to stir in my head…my own kids yoga business! Could I do it? Well, with a huge leap of faith and the support of my family and friends, I tapped back into my brand building expertise. I wrote my business plan, named my business, built my website, found my space, opened my first kids yoga studio in NYC on West 14th Street in January 2003. I spent more in advertising than any small business should (that was my background and was so grateful to my ad agency creatives for all of their talent for my print ads)!

I created a magical studio for kids yoga! When you walked in the door, you knew this space was for children! The floor was green foam, painted flowers sprung from the walls, as well as lady bugs, butterflies and fireflies dancing around them, and plush flowers with smiley faces decorated the entire space. There was a huge stuffed animal sun that hung in the corner, smiling at everyone. One full wall was a chalkboard. There was a disco ball and glow lights, bright colors everywhere.

From the start, public classes were offered, broken out by ages and stages. KKY started to grow, adding more classes and branching out into new areas that made sense (prenatal, mom & baby). We started getting into private schools first….public followed a few years behind. Then more. And more….daycares, preschools, elementary, middle and high schools. We started to increase our offerings, such as special yoga events and birthday parties. I needed to hire teachers. And then more. Business was booming.
And do you know why? Because it was different and super kid-friendly. It went against the zen that you may know from adult yoga. “Mom has her yoga place, but I have mine, too!”

I listened to my clients – the children. Every class. They have a lot to say. So hoping they “won’t talk during class so I can teach” was an impossible idea…I’d rather meet them where they are energetically and teach to the child that’s there in that moment.
My advertising experience had given me a gift that I didn’t know would be so important later on….I had spent so much time researching toys, games, and trends with kids in focus group settings, that I had so much knowledge about how they play, interact, what’s important, what they like and are into. I went back to my roots and talked to them, and kept up on trends.

This soon became the philosophy – to “play yoga”. Play is how kids learn. Play is something that older kids and teens appreciate as it’s not part of their day to day world. Play is something that can benefit parents, too.
Our classes encourage kids to participate verbally as well as physically, so that they can take ownership over what they create (confidence building). We mix kids up so that they can experience other people (connection). We include partner poses, group poses, yoga games and mindfulness activities, breathing exercises and more – and we talk and sing and dance and jump, too. A lot. And we’re ok with that. Believe it or not, we still get a lot of yoga out of them. As a teacher, I improvise as needed, to expel energy, to make their ideas (gifts to the class) come to life, to challenge them, to be silly and express themselves, to celebrate themselves, and to find that magic moment of peace and that deep meaningful breath….Ahhhh.

I connect with my people – I get down low and have real conversations about where a dinosaur might go for lunch in NYC or if they could have any super power, what would it be? I make sure I’m well versed in superheroes, princesses, popular characters (Bluey, Peppa, Paw Patrol), as well as in music they listen to, books, shows and movies they watch….Know some pirates, mermaids, droids, trolls, etc. All things Disney for sure. I also make sure I know my animals, sea creatures, insects and mythical creature facts. I believe it’s important to know at least 7 dinosaurs and be able to talk about more than just the T-Rex.

I also believe in teaching to the whole child – so I include not just physical yoga and breath work, but theatre/drama, music, storytelling, invention/creation, science, singing, art, dance, mindfulness, active meditations, strengthening, games, unusual props, self-expression, cosplay and anything else that’s kid-friendly into my class.

This has helped me to be a better teacher, a better listener and I feel I can serve them best and give them the class that they need in the moment. I’m grateful that all of my experiences have led me to be a Master Kids Yoga Teacher.

Any advice for managing a team?

The teachers of Karma Kids Yoga are the heart and soul of my business. They represent the company offsite at schools, events and private classes. Working with kids is fun but not easy. I make sure to pay my teachers well, first and foremost. When our studio was open for public classes, I also included a “per-head” incentive so that teachers would help promote their classes. The more kids in your class, the more money you’d make above your flat rate. When the business shifted away from public studio classes, I raised the flat rates across the board. When covid hit, I did not lower my teachers flat rate, even though I cut prices by 2/3! I know they needed to survive, too. And we are all in this together. It worked! They were grateful and working hard, and our business was exploding during this time, suddenly making us a global company!

Separately, I also give surprise bonuses in the form of cash. When a client (a parent, a school, etc.) has something kind to say, I’m sure to share it with the instructor, as I think positive feedback is important to share. I check in with teachers regularly to see that they’re happy and if there is anything they need, or want to learn or be mentored. I also give opportunities for seasoned teachers to mentor newer teachers.

I do NOT ask for a non-compete. I think given the nature of the independent contractor, a yoga teacher is likely to work for more than one yoga business. To ask this of a teacher and not provide enough work so that they can earn a living doesn’t work for them and I personally don’t think it’s a fair ask. Teachers appreciate this. And I want my teachers to be happy.

I also supply needed props for their classes. A speaker, kids yoga props, music downloads, puppets, balls, game props, art supplies, costumes – anything they need for class, I’ll be sure to get for them.

I schedule teacher play dates for the team, though not too often as personal time is precious. It’s an opportunity to get together, share ideas, new poses, games, etc. so that they have more curriculum to draw from in their classes. I bring in food/drinks, sometimes a special activity or special guest. It’s mostly to connect and feel appreciated. And it’s never mandatory. It’s an invitation to play.

Lastly, I like to let teachers know that they’re amazing at what they do. I’ll make it a point to observe them from time to time and give positive feedback. This goes a long way.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

For almost 2 decades, I strongly felt that kids yoga was best in person. Anytime a client would ask “have you ever seen Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube?”, my internal reaction was an eye roll. How in the world could anyone compare live in person to a pre-recorded video?? I’ll never forget when we were finishing up an epic event – Star War Yoga Jedi Training. Imagine 4 teachers dressed in costume (Rey, R2D2, C3P0, Darth Vader) that never break character. The event starts with light saber making (red, blue and yellow pool noodles and colorful duct tape). After making these as kids enter, light sabers are put aside for later. We change rooms to begin our Jedi training. There are 5 stations for strengthening our skills, which kids move through. Of course at some point, we feel a disturbance in the force….Darth Vader shows up and we all dance battle him using the force. The light side always wins and we celebrate with pizza, juice, and a viewing of Lego Star Wars. After this, we have our ceremony of presenting the Jedi’s with their light sabers. Once everyone has theirs, we give 5 minutes to battle each other. It’s a favorite part and no one gets hurt with a pool noodle. 2 hours of epic Star Wars Yoga!

So….upon parents taking their kids home, I was dumbfounded when they said “Cosmic Kids has a great Star Wars themed class on YouTube”. Lady, are you kidding me?? How can you compare a 20 minute pre-recorded class with a woman in the same blue jumpsuit, using the same old yoga poses and calling them droid or storm trooper? I could not believe how much this bothered me. I felt the need to explain the huge difference and let her know that there is no comparison to a live class.
That yoga on video overall is terrible because you need to tweak your neck to see and it’s pre-recorded, never teaching to your needs or aware if you’re in need of adjustment or modification. Just overall, I was against all yoga on screens.

Then covid. I closed all classes on March 12th. And on March 13th, immediately went to live video to support my community.
It was awkward. Unfamiliar. Scary as hell. What was I doing? How does this work? I decided to just be brave, take a chance and get online. I suddenly had all the time in the world to think about this. How to make the most of this – and make it interactive. Not to worry about how polished things looked – I felt there was so much uncertainty, that there was openness to anything that brought joy, comfort and distraction from what was going on in the world. It worked!! Karma Kids led the kids yoga community with online classes. Live on Instagram and YouTube, then saving and posting those videos for continued use. We offered this free to all and so many people joined us from around the world.

Then zoom. We had a lot of trial and error, but it was worth exploring it and jumping right in. But this was against everything I had believed in and preached. How can I maintain the integrity of our program on a screen? We kept it interactive and engaging, taught to who was there at the time and found ourselves connecting, sharing, healing, distracting and bringing joy to children around the world. We used the dynamics of the screen, and the fact that we are at home to our advantage.  By changing up games so that they work on screen and inventing activities that allowed kids to express themselves, children did not feel so alone and scared.

It was about 3 weeks before we started charging for zoom classes. Everything was free to all. Our social media exploded! People were sharing our account everywhere. I was getting business opportunities from Lincoln, Sesame Street, many Mom-driven businesses, more schools and local parks and venues.

And even though we started charging, we kept at least one or two free classes every day on Instagram and youtube. And these classes would be posted there for continuous viewing. We felt like we were able to serve everyone with about 6 class opportunities every single day!

We needed to be extra creative for live online with kids and zoom! There were so many obstacles, but we got through them and led the kids yoga community into doing the same. This led to workshops on zoom, helping other kids yoga teachers through the shift to online and how to utilize the technology. And…I had to go back on my beliefs about teaching this way, now finding the positivity and the need for this shift.

I still believe that in-person classes are the best….but I’m now open to the live and recorded class options…as long as they maintain our philosophy of playing yoga. We still offer zoom classes, and our YouTube channel will always keep the 30+ videos we posted during the pandemic.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karmakidsyoga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karmakidsyoga/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karmakidsyoganyc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karmakidsyogany
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdBLsoIox9WvnG023No-XiA/videos
• Other: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5EFcQFVRzZtdoYfNJZgs2K?si=Y3SDt8lBRRG00WKu3wNnOw&nd=1 Teachable https://karmakidsyoga.teachable.com/