“Fail often in order to succeed more often.”
– IDEO
Leading retreats and teaching yoga, English and nutrition is all well and good, but isn’t there something still missing in the equation, something about contributing to the wellness of the world? Perhaps that the profits go to microfinance women’s projects? Is it possible that local entrepreneurship can support entrepreneurship abroad?
I would like to promote health and justice around the world and shift the consciousness of young people. I want to slip social work into this project, and to donate a certain percentage of my income to international projects. I would like to gain confidence as a teacher so that I can effectively and meaningfully serve communities in need in the future. Another idea I am toying with is seeing that all, or a large portion, of the profits I make go to funding a future non-profit, not unlike Street Yoga, Yoga Hope, or Off the Mat into the World.
The logical part of my brain asks, “Is there a market for foreign things in St. Gallen?” The answer seems to be yes. Frida was a resounding success. A new Mexican restaurant just opened near me, as did an East African shop. I gain inspiration from Bruno at Spheres Cafe as he is an intuitive entrepreneur, sensing the needs of his clients; adopting his approach, I feel that there is room in St. Gallen for a yoga and English business.
Breaking down the binary between “schoolwork” and “real life,” I’ve named my business Root Down. This is linked to my PhD topic in the way that I study community gardens, as they are spaces for growth. Seeds are a possibility, a promise. Similarly, rooting down is signifies my commitment to staying in one place longer than a couple of years, thus trying on, playing with, and being open to the idea of what it would be like to have a job that I loved. To create a life for myself that I felt good about. To develop a work environment that facilitates wellness, growth, and community.
Even writing this down seems too static. Shouldn’t we stay open to the possibility of movement and flow? As in everything, this is only a moment in a time, a step in the process. Everything might change tomorrow, and I’m learning to embrace that as well.
Through all of this I know I need to soften, listen and return to my mat for guidance. I want to be smart and intuitive at the same time. I need to listen for guidance, and know the market, thus taking more calculated risks. I talked with the man who started Travelzoo, a highly successful travel website. He said that only one in seven businesses succeed, despite one’s best efforts. I want to be prepared- like a flower in the desert waiting for water. I want to be ready when the opportunity arises to start a thriving, sustainable, and heart-quenching business.
What am I waiting for? Will there ever be a right time? People don’t act because they don’t feel prepared. Entrepreneurship is about risk-taking, not being ready for every possible scenario that might arise. There will never be a perfect time to start a business. The best I can do is gather information, work through the mental, logistical and financial stumbling blocks I perceive to be in my way, and dive in. At this juncture, I see that creativity is all about making connections. Playfulness. Dreamscapes, foodscapes, cityscapes, escapes. Delving deep into ourselves and away from normalcy.
As is usual, things converge when they are meant to. This class has allowed me to reopen the door to the possibility of starting a business and fully engaging in the community around me. At the end of the day, this course pushed me out of my comfort zone and invited me to pick up on the cues in my environment that were hinting that life is to be lived to the fullest- creatively, experimentally, and with a sense of humor.
This idea, of starting a business with an expansive and ever-changing reach to support the needs of the community, has settled quietly into my heart. It’s as if it’s always meant to be, and the universe is reaching out and showing me, step by step, how to reach my goal. I can’t exactly explain the calm I feel having found this idea, but it seems as though I’m being supported and guided. It’s as if all of the qualities I’ve invited in, through my yoga teacher training and our creativity and entrepreneurship course, have manifested and shown themselves through the unfolding of this new adventure. Even now, having written this paper, I feel my ideas and intentions becoming more tangible, concrete, and reachable. Each step I take furthers my commitment and clarifies my vision.
A Final Note on Formatting
We live in the age of digital natives. The internet is the face of most businesses, and how functional and beautiful they are will influence the success of companies. Keeping this in mind, I took a first stab at creating a website. While in some ways the internet feels less personal than face-to-face interactions, this exercise allowed me to see that heartfelt content can be shared on an online platform. As an avid internet user myself, I myself feel connected to people and their stories through a variety of internet sources, and thus know, now both from the “designer” as well as the “user” side how important it is to create something for online consumption.
This has also awakened a special relationship with my father who knows a whole bunch about online marketing and website optimization. He and I had our first website and business coaching last night, and he gave me some great tips that I will implement in the Root Down website, including using an auto responder to keep traffic flow to your site steady.
Leave a Reply