jonnacohen.com

“Enlightened trial and error succeeds over the planning of the lone genius.”

– IDEO

Bringing in the “we” paradigm, I see that creativity is much more fun and productive when it happens in collaboration with others.  My best friend and I have previously considered starting a “wellness” center here in St. Gallen.  At a coaching session recently, my coach told me that this might be the perfect opportunity to develop something alongside my PhD since I have secure funding for the next two years and am “only” required to work 50%.  Are these overlapping conversations and run-ins coincidences?  Or is this again a chance, an opening offered by the universe, to embark on the journey of exploring what it would be like to have a business in Switzerland?

This week, I kept thinking to myself, “Why am I socializing?  Why am I walking around in the city?  I need to get home and work on my creativity assignment,” as if it was something separate from life.  And then I relaxed into the moment, and noticed that there were flyers for other yoga and wellness offerings at the health food store where I was.  That everywhere I go in the city, I am running into yoga teachers and young entrepreneurs and people who wish there were more events in English.  And I again made the connection that creativity is everywhere.  It’s not an isolated event like a moment of insight, or contained in spaces like art museums.  Creativity is making connections between seemingly disparate subjects.

What has been my most incredible take away so far is how much skill is contained in the circle of people I know and have recently met.  There’s almost no end to the know-how of my friends and colleagues, and asking for feedback on my business idea has led to an incredible unfolding of helpfulness, offerings and sharings.  I was awakened to the fact that I know several professional photographers, a business lawyer, and many website designers.  I’ve met and spoken with a number of entrepreneurs, yogis, and “under cover spiritual seekers.”  My ideas have been met with enthusiasm, encouragement and support.

Why not learn from best practices?  TED engages the crowd and makes their “product” a collaborative process – why can’t I (p. 81)?  Why not create an environment where there’s a lack of hierarchy and a culture of trust like at IDEO (“IDEO Shopping Cart”)?

In addition, I was recently exposed to a website that fosters work trade.  That is, you can trade an hour of time in something you excel in in exchange for something you need- for example, an hour long piano lesson in exchange for an hour of IT support.  In this way, we are able to engage with community and gather the support we need without partaking in a capitalist and expensive start up.

I also struggle with the idea of making money, and doing so in a joyful, fulfilling, and ethical way.  I don’t want to promote a bourgeois lifestyle, giving more power and privilege to those who already have the most.  As so eloquently stated by Biswas, “…retreat organizers [must] rescue yoga from bourgeois entrapment and reinstate it as a community healing resource” (p. 13).  In light of this, I want to find an enclave of people with whom I have an affinity and to whom I can be of service.

A friend who owns a yoga studio in Brooklyn says she charges between $1150 and $1550 for an eight day/seven night yoga retreat in Mexico.  This includes three meals a day (though only two dinners), a massage, and two daily yoga sessions.  She co-leads the session, invites the local community to join in the evening classes, and explains that Tulum hotels are built for yoga, thus making it a perfect place to lead one’s first retreat.  Group size is generally between six and 11 participants.  Learning about the logistics of leading a retreat has helped me feel like it’s something I could do as well.

Keeping the focus on English, I would like to lead a retreat to an English speaking country where my students could practice their English skills.  We all know the “normal” English speaking countries: the US, Canada, Australia, England.  But the list of retreat location possibilities goes on and on: Belize, many islands in the Caribbean, Fiji, Kenya, Singapore, and South Africa are among the options.

There are little cottages for rent in the English countryside,and diving and yoga/ nutrition retreats in Fiji (“Tilton House,” “Yoga Retreats…”).  There are women-only bed and breakfasts in Ireland and  kayaking, snorkeling and yoga retreats in Belize (“Accommodation for…” “Belize all inclusive..”). There seems no end to the possibilities for themed retreats in the English speaking world, which feels both expansive and exciting.

The Dilemma, the Environment, and a Possible Solution

I have to say, I am no longer an English teacher because that’s not where my heart is.  It’s not my passion, nor is it necessarily my strength.  But the environment of Switzerland is as follows: people have a very high quality of life.  Health and fitness are main concerns.  All citizens are provided with at least four weeks of paid vacation a year.  International (luxury) travel is commonplace, and salaries are quite high.

This is coupled with the fact that Switzerland is rumored to have the least skilled public school English teachers in all of Europe.

And yet, according to the expatriate website “Switzerland.isyours.com,”

“English is really en vogue with young people. Most of the successful films are American and the music that is popular with the youth is almost exclusively anglophone. English is also the language of the Internet, which many Swiss use as a means of communication.”

This shows that there’s a great interest to learn English in Switzerland.

In light of the above, my idea is to cater to the needs and wants of the community while doing something that I love- teaching yoga.  The basic business plan would be to teach English and yoga, as outlined previously- through one-to-ones and small groups.  The capstone, then, would be a retreat to an English speaking country where my students could practice their new(ly honed) skills.

The larger vision for this project is starting a wellness resource center.  The focus here would be on yoga and nutrition.  The co-founder would be my friend Amy who is a nurse practitioner, a former caterer and chef, and someone with whom I share many passions.   As previously mentioned, see attached the working document that we share; it outlines our ideas and our ongoing conversation about revelations we have, as well as our newest ideas and learnings.

In favor of this “larger” vision, an excerpt from, Biswas states:

Demands from newer students have included higher-quality yoga mats made available for use at the studio, the production of T-shirts and tank tops branded with the yoga studio name, and request for the availability of refreshing drinks and snacks for after class, such as freshly squeezed vegetable juices, fruit smoothies, chilled vitamin water, and macrobiotic protein bars. In response, studios such as the one in Prospect Heights [Brooklyn] have introduced a wide range of yoga products for sale, including natural rubber yoga mats, yoga mat bags, yoga clothing, water bottles, and locally made, natural, organic toiletries such as soap and hand cream (p.12).

All of these desires could be met given the potential Swiss clientele’s values of sustainability and supporting the local economy- that is, our idea for a “Wellness Resource Center” would hopefully be a welcomed addition to St. Gallen should Amy and I partner and embrace a more expansive, inclusive vision for our business.