Kaye Waterhouse takes the concept of music as a twist in starting her own yoga studio. Not deviating fully from traditional yoga, the owner of ‘Vital Beat Yoga,’ wanted it to be more inclusive for all women (and men, too!)

Kaye didn’t have any experience in running a business and had to learn everything from scratch. In this interview, she shared details on her marketing strategy and how she was able to pull it off.

Be inspired with her story and the many insightful things that came with it:

What is your vision for Vital Beat Yoga?

My vision for the studios is that we pride ourselves on providing a fun, accessible, [and] unintimidating yoga practice. We recognise that people come to yoga for a great variety of reasons; psychological, physical, or spiritual and any of these reasons are as valid as any other. Vital Beat is not an overtly spiritual or philosophical studio, we instead choose to share the real human experience and prefer to be on this journey with our students rather than trying to be “spiritual teachers”. We also believe that the core essence of yoga is joy, and one of the fastest ways to get there, is through music. Our community is supportive, inclusive, and empowering, and our teachers are warm, kind, humorous, and genuine. We seriously have the best students in Perth!

Why did you decide to start teaching yoga?

I was unable to find a yoga studio myself that I truly resonated with and I saw a gap for the kind of yoga that made people feel welcome even if they didn’t believe in deities and chakras, and was still an accepting place for those that did. I set out to do my teacher training with the intention of opening my own studio and opened the doors to our first space in May 2016, 6 months after returning from my training! I opened my second location in May 2018. 

What types of students does your studio serve?  Do you cater to women only?

Because of our music-driven studio, we attract quite a lot of beginners who have said they were otherwise “bored” or “intimidated” by a quieter practice. Two years ago I would have said 70% of our student base was beginners but now that many of those beginners have grown with us, that has dropped to about 30-40%. Because of the different class styles on offer (from very chill to very strong), we attract a huge variety of ages, our youngest being around 20 and our eldest are in their 60’s – we strongly encourage men to attend but the nature of western yoga is that it does serve many more women than men… so in light of that, and our family-orientated outer suburban locations, we also offer a creche serve, plus Mums n Bubs Yoga, Pregnancy Yoga, and Kids Yoga classes.

How do you market your business?

There are 4 primary pillars to our marketing success;

1. Community: by looking after those closest to us (our students) most of our growth comes from word of mouth. Many (many!) of our students come to class because of (or with!) their friends and family. We also offer free community classes, donation-based charity classes, and Student Scholarships (memberships for those with financial barriers to yoga) as well as give generously to local community groups. This aligns with my personal mission for a Karmic Yoga studio but also helps develop brand awareness & reach. How we look after our students, from our “refresh” stations of tampons & hair ties, dry shampoo and breath mints, to free fruit, tea, and free kombucha on tap, is always top priority.
2. Technology driven marketing: I developed and launched a digital sales funnel that drives 80% of our new clientele to the studio through an incentivised voucher “trial” that, when people fall in love with the studio, converts to a direct debit membership. It’s been hugely successful in attracting clientele previously outside our reach and I can attribute our 60% growth in the last 6 months alone to that program! It also means almost 70% of our members are on direct debit, giving us more stability in our revenue projections.
3. We are very active on social media and connect authentically on there. I’m upfront about everything from business financial struggles to my pregnancy morning sickness (!) and I think our community appreciates that. I’m also not afraid to drop a few swear words either (Haha!) Mastering social media, from FB Lives to Instastories and IGTV, [have] elevated our brand online very quickly.
4. Collaborations and events: Hip Hop Yoga translates beautifully to public and live events (plus they’re super fun!). I teach (or send my staff to teach) at 12-15 events every year, from paid corporate gigs to charity jams. It gets us out in front of new crowds and allows people to truly experience the joy of beat-laced music-driven vinyasa yoga. Some things just need to be experienced! I’m also an Ambassador for Lululemon and work closely with them on events.

What makes Vital Beat Yoga different from other yoga studio in the area?

Music is a very important part of what we do and we put as much effort into playlist creation as the classes themselves. Music can help people shift away from the pressures of the day and into a relaxed state and promotes the production of dopamine (happiness!). Vital Beat is categorically a Hip Hop Yoga studio, that is, most of our tunes are urban & mainstream in nature; hip hop, RnB, Soul, Jazz, Funk, and Reggae but we also include acoustic, mantra and instrumental as a complement. The more intense the class, the more intense the music! There is no whale song and wind chimes at Vital Beat!

What were your struggles starting up?

Everything!!! What I can tell you, is the things I’d never done before starting Vital Beat in 2016:

Never: run a business, hired staff, rented a commercial space, designed & fit out a premises (shout out to my handy husband), designed & built a website including all its copy, operated a CRM system, developed a business plan or a financial budget (yep I opened without either of these), tracked financials, marketed a business in a new community, or wrote contracts, policies & procedures, press releases, or social media strategies. All of which I now know how to do – having learned them out of necessity!

Can you tell us about your business plan?

1. Survive!
2. Develop insane financial literacy
3. Continue to build the business into a model that runs with low input**.

**I travelled around Australia for 4 months with my family when the first studio was just 12 months old and the business survived happily without my physical presence. This year we are selling our home in the Perth hills to live on a bus permanently as “nomads” and only be in Perth as much as the business requires, so the current iteration of the business plan is around the automation and self-sustaining capacity of a yoga studio. I believe it can be done! Success for me lies in the studios ability to run this way – my choices now much more reflect my dream lifestyle than a dream salary.

What style or pose of yoga do you recommend and why?

I have one pose that is the nemesis of my chronic anxiety and it’s a deeply relaxing yin pose called Reclined Deer Pose Twist. It’s a combination of a seated twist (very stabilising & balancing for the nervous system) and a forward fold (calming and down-regulating for an anxious mind). Whenever I have trouble sleeping, 5 minutes of this pose on each side helps my mind to settle (which as small business owner, can be very loud in my head with to do lists!)

The future ahead of you is dark. You are holding a ‘magic light bulb’, which has the power to illuminate any part in your future. (Means you can take a peek of your future) What part are you seeing?

I can see what we are building towards now, come to fruition. I live with my two children and husband (and dog!) off-the-grid in our 40ft coach, somewhere in Australia and I run the studios remotely, returning to Perth as needed. This also grants me the freedom to finish writing my book!

The post The Illuminate Series: ‘Vital Beat Yoga’ appeared first on Soul Finance Group.

Sarah Toquero, Everybody Jungle Body owner and instructor

Just like any other business owner, Sarah Toquero, had her fair share of ups and downs. From letting go of something she used to be passionate about, she still managed to find another craft she successfully grew. This was all possible because it was fuelled with her advocacy of supporting women in the Perth community.

For Sarah, it doesn’t matter whether she has a family to take care of plus a full-time job she absolutely loves—since there’s a burning passion of wanting to share her fitness journey in her community, she was able to pull off a side gig, being a Jungle Body instructor. This hustle is for her as much as it is for her clients/attendees.

But, how did she do it?

Why did you decide to start this business?

I started Everybody Jungle Body as a result of [being] a participant for 6 years and loving the programs. In 2013, I was working part-time and started a raw food business. I was selling my products at markets and then became a regular stall at many of the Jungle Body instructor’s classes. I really loved the community spirit and the “vibe” of class participation.

In 2014, I made the hard decision to close my raw food business as I had really fallen out of love with it.  I then decided to become a Jungle Body instructor as I wanted to really harvest the same “vibe” and support women in my local community. It was also a good incentive to keep up my fitness routine.

Everybody Jungle Body runs classes 3 times per week and on top of that I work full-time in a government role. I really love my full-time job, so I’m not giving that up anytime soon.

What do you wish you knew when you started Everybody Jungle Body?

I wish I knew the positive impact having classes in my community would have. I would have started sooner if I did.

What is unique about EJB?

What makes EJB unique is that any age or fitness level can attend. Each program is set to amazing music and with only 4 moves per track; it’s really easy to pick up. There is not lock in contract either; you just pay as you go.

How do you empower women in the community?

By allowing them to have a safe space to exercise. No judgment! Just an hour all to themselves. No household chores to think about, no work, no kids calling “mum” every two minutes J. Just music, fun and some freedom.

What frustrates you as a career woman, a business owner, and a fitness professional?

Frustrations usually lie within myself; just not enough time in the day to get everything done. But I think every business owner feels this. I have set myself a task of outsourcing in 2019. If I don’t have the time, then I need to find someone who does, otherwise it’s poorly executed.

Was there a time in your career or business when you felt like you wanted to give up? What did you do to move past it?

Giving up….ask anyone that knows me and they will probably say I’m too stubborn to give up. When I fell out of love with my raw food business, I knew it was time to move on. I have been instructing Jungle Body for over 3 years now and I’m still loving it. Each class is different, so you never get bored. We are blessed with really great support from our Jungle Body head office and I think that helps with it never becoming mundane.

What was your vision when you started? Is it different today?

My vision was to create a comfortable exercise space for women in my community, I guess that vision remains today. If anything it would also now be to create positive mental health changes in my participants. You can never under estimate the power of belonging and friendship. These values have really been exposed in my Jungle Body participants.

What makes EJB successful?

EJB is successful because I’m very real. I laugh a lot, I openly admit to making mistakes and I often forget my moves in the middle of track. We usually just laugh and carry on. I’m only human J

If you could give one fitness advice, what would it be?

Find a friend to exercise with. [It] keeps you both accountable and it’s less intimidating starting something new with a friend.

The future ahead of you is dark. You are holding a ‘magic light bulb’, which has the power to illuminate any part in your future. (Means you can take a peek of your future) What part are you seeing?

The magic light bulb would see me on the South of France with a wine in my hand and a cheeseboard…..I will get to tick it off my bucket list.

The post The Illuminate Series: ‘Everybody Jungle Body’ appeared first on Soul Finance Group.

Gia Le, founder and owner of Elite Property Campaigns

The real estate industry and the digital marketing world both have a competitive nature. Gia Le, founder and owner of EPC, was able to cut through the clutter and established a brand that has a huge potential.

True enough, being just 2 years in business, Elite Property Campaigns are serving their clients with the highest of quality and delivering the vision they initially set.

“Can you share a little bit of information about what you do in your business and what makes you stand out amongst your competitors?”

Elite Property Campaigns is a digital marketing agency and we collaborate with some of Perth’s most recognisable real estate brands, delivering innovative digital solutions with international reach. As the Founder and Business Owner, I set the vision for the company, empower my team to innovate and most importantly, make sure we don’t go broke.

We are the only marketing agency in Western Australia that specialises in property with a data driven approach to create our campaigns by researching information from the ABS Census to make informed and educated strategies which deliver results.

“What made you decide to branch out on your own and build Elite Property Campaigns?”

I excelled in Finance in my earlier career with a keen eye for analytics, then started in real estate when I decided to use a digital strategy to gain traction. I sold 20 homes in my first of real estate and realised there was a huge niche in the market that was not being met by any marketer or digital agency. I combined my passion for digital marketing with data analysis and within that afternoon of telling my colleague about my business, I had 2 paying clients.

“What is your leadership style?”

I would like to think it is a combination of:

• Transformational where I encourage them to innovate through mental stimulation
• Democratic because I do listen to their input and recommendations before making a final decision
• Charismatic because I like to make my team laugh

“What were the struggles you encountered in building your business along the way and how did you approach these?”

Building the infrastructure to your business is tough because there is no precedence and you’re moving into zones where you lack certain skills like managing cashflow, marketing or sales. The key is to recognise these weaknesses and I invested very heavily into areas where I didn’t have the skills or experience to build the necessary infrastructure for the business. Never see growing your business as an expense, it’s an investment.

“With the Holidays season, how are you gearing up in terms of running your business and also leading/managing your employees?”

We are shutting down for 2 weeks so the next month will be extremely busy and challenging both mentally and physically. I’m regularly checking in with each staff member to ensure they’re happy, engaged and productive. I actually don’t have an office and my Executive Assistant sits on the opposite end of the office so I walk to her about 10 times a day – making me highly visible to the team which encourages them to create dialogue with myself. It’s about creating visibility and being approachable.

“The future ahead of you is dark. You are holding a ‘magic light bulb’ which has the power to illuminate any part in your future. (means you can take a peek of your future ) What part are you seeing?”

In five years, I’ll be seeing all the young graduates I’ve made an impact on in their professional careers. Many would have gone onto creating spectacular careers with other agencies because they’ve received the training EPC has given them and most importantly, they will be champions of the culture we shared with them.

I’ll also be extremely proud for knowing EPC set a new precedence in the way we market real estate and raising industry standards, meaning to list a property realestate.com.au is simply not enough.

Starting your own business is no easy task. You just got to have the heart and passion to make it work. Like what Gia said, “never see growing your business as an expense, it’s an investment.” Identify your weaknesses and areas where you struggle. Find the right resources and work on these. If you’re hungry for success, no amount of excuses should stop you.

The post The Illuminate Series: ‘Elite Property Campaigns’ appeared first on Soul Finance Group.

Ashley Matkovic, founder of Fusion Biz Babes

We are now in the second installment of our campaign, “The Illuminate Series,” where we highlight one Perth small business every month in the hopes of inspiring our readers to take the plunge and start something they’ve long been wanting to do. (If you want to read our first installment, click here.)

Here at Soul Finance Group, we’re a big believer in entrepreneurship. There are a myriad number of benefits—it gives you more control over your financial future and more social capital than almost anything else in the modern times. We consider it one of the best routes to self-empowerment and social change that we know of, giving women the ability to excel on their own terms instead of being trapped in the limbo of a toxic work environment.

Hence, we now put the spotlight on Ashley Matkovic, founder of Fusion Biz Babes. With a growing community she built from scratch, we’re curious as how she was able pull it off!

“Tell us about your business and what makes you unique amongst others in your industry.”

Fusion Biz Babes is a welcoming community for female business owners in Perth. The main point of difference is that we put genuine relationship building before making sales.  No-one likes a million biz cards being thrown at them right!

I wanted to create a safe, welcoming and FUN space for women in business to meet, connect and share experiences & expertise – because we all know being in business for ourselves is not always easy.

Since launching The Fusion Membership in March 2017, we have now grown to 140+ members, where we meet in-person at regular events, and strengthen those connections in our online Facebook group.

“Why did you decide to start Fusion Biz Babes?”

I am on a mission to make networking fun again!  Surrounding yourself with likeminded people who are motivated, empowering, and supportive is the KEY to success.

So, I started Fusion Biz Babes as a less daunting way to get around the right people.  To eliminate the awkwardness that sometimes comes along with networking, and cut through the small talk to drive real conversations.  I want our members to look forward to getting out there and building their network, rather than it just being another thing on their to-do list.

“How do you learn?”

I am an audio learner.  I go on a run and throw on my fave podcast (loving Entrepreneur On Fire and the Foundr Podcast.) I jump in the car and pop on an audiobook (currently listening to Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley.)  Even if I’m just doing the dishes or having a shower, I will pop on a Masterclass and listen and learn – multi-tasking at its finest!

Ashley, in her element

“What was your/were your greatest struggle/s in building this empire, so far?”

Definitely would have to be mindset.  I struggled with putting myself out there, worrying what others would think, and having those imposter syndrome thoughts of who am I to be doing this.  I keep on top of my mindset by constantly working on strengthening it – through investing in personal development such as coaches, kinesiology, podcasts, courses, events, seminars, books.

Surrounding myself with the right people who pick me up, give me a pep talk or a butt-kicking when needed helps too!

“What are your motivations to keep going?”

FREEDOM!  On 6^th October 2017 (1 year ago!) I achieved my ultimate dream of becoming my own boss.  After almost 3 years of side-hustling I had finally built Fusion Biz Babes to the point where I could quit my day job and support myself working full time on the business.

To be able to choose HOW I spend my days, WHO I work with, WHAT projects I work on, and WHEN I work has been a huge source of happiness for me, as freedom is one of my top values.

Anytime I am having a tough day, I remind myself I would much rather be facing these challenges, than working for someone else!

“The future ahead of you is dark. You are holding a ‘magic light bulb’ which has the power to illuminate any part in your future. (means you can take a peek of your future ) What part are you seeing?”

Great question!  I’ve never been to a psychic for the exact reason that I don’t want to know!  I’d rather live it and feel it as it happens.

But if I had to answer, I would probably say family… how many kiddies will I have and what will they be like!?!?

Thank you again to Ashley for accepting our invitation to get featured in our series! If you wish to grow your network, you might want to consider reaching out to Ashley and check her business, Fusion Biz Babes.

The post The Illuminate Series: ‘Fusion Biz Babes’ appeared first on Soul Finance Group.