Tara is the Co-Founder of The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center. Read our interview with Tara about her experiences with Xcelerate Business Advising.

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What sparked the idea for your business–and what vision or purpose drives the work you do today?

Zeyah, my co-owner, and I were dedicated students and teachers of this community when the former owner and founder asked if we would take the business to its next iteration. We were fueled by our shared passion for making yoga and movement practices accessible and our belief that the worlds of yoga/embodiment practice and social justice need each other. 

We hope to curate a space that sustains and inspires folks to engage with themselves and others in more just, intentional, and generative ways. I believe that yoga and movement practices can be healing salves and portals for exploration. They are transformative agents that can help us be with the complexity and richness of our current circumstances, histories, and possible futures. These practices, especially when practiced with an honoring of the roots and full complexity of yoga as much more than "fitness," can help us to actually embody the values we believe in and the world we want to create. 

Too often, yoga is extremely inaccessible–most studio classes cater only to thin, young, flexible people. But yoga can absolutely be practiced by everyone if it is taught with skill and intention towards accessibility. That means the promise of yoga CAN be for everyone. That is so inspiring to me!

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When you first connected with Xcelerate, where were you in your business journey? What challenges or aspirations brought you to us?

We first connected with Xcelerate for specific support with marketing. We knew we had something unique and special to offer in a sea of yoga spaces, because we had so many students come to us and tell us they had been searching for a place like ours that was accessible and culturally rooted. But we knew that we weren't reaching even close to the number of people who wanted what we had to offer–too many folks didn't even know about us! 

Since then, we have progressed in the support we are receiving as our business has grown. We've come to Xcelerate wanting to direct our efforts and energy more intentionally towards growing a sustainable business model, supporting our business partnership, and so much more.

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What goals did you focus on with Xcelerate this year, and what progress are you most proud of?

This year, we focused on creating a pathway towards being able to pay ourselves as owners while also getting support to be able to run the business sustainably. This included several different strategies, including becoming more efficient in our work so that, as the two owners, we are now each responsible for separate domains and trusting each other and ourselves; increasing awareness of and enrollment in our Yoga Teacher Training; reducing member attrition rates and increasing class sizes; and hiring more quality teachers. 

We are especially proud of our Yoga Teacher Training Program, which completely filled this year and, more importantly, graduated a number of excellent teachers last year. We are also so proud of the caring, intentional community that the Bhakti Yoga Movement Center is, and that we were able to pay ourselves partially for the unpaid labor we gave to the business in the early years.

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Can you share a moment this year when something clicked for you as a business owner–something that changed the way you think or lead?

As co-business owners who are very close friends that love and respect each other, it was tempting to continue consulting with each other constantly and not separating out our roles from one another. 

When our coach through Xcelerate, Rosemary Brensen, broke down the importance of trusting ourselves and each other to make decisions and create a more streamlined communication system where we're not constantly getting input and task switching, was a huge unlock for us. We fully attribute this to the financial success we have had this year, which is helping us towards paying ourselves more adequately.

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What were some of the biggest challenges you navigated this year, and how did Xcelerate’s support help you move through them?

Decision-making about big investments has been a challenge for us, especially when we have not been paying ourselves as much as we should be. It often felt like we were throwing spaghetti at the wall and trying to feel our way through whether an investment would be worth it. With help from Xcelerate and our coach, Rosemary Brensen, we were able to put together much clearer decision-making frameworks so that we now feel much more confident in our decisions.

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If you’ve been part of Xcelerate for multiple years, how would you describe the ongoing impact of that support over time? And if you’re newer to the community, what early changes or wins have you already noticed?

It feels like the support I've gotten through Xcelerate over the years has gotten more focused and specialized over time–that it's grown with my business. In the beginning, when we were just piecing things together, the social media support was what we needed and set us up with a social media presence that I can feel really good about now. 

At a certain point, we needed more specialized support that helped us figure out the brass tacks of how we were actually going to pay ourselves, how to track revenue, and how to streamline our work. The 1:1 coaching has been absolutely invaluable to help us get to specific questions and solutions.

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What milestones or wins have felt especially meaningful along the way–whether in growth, confidence, or community impact? Please be as specific as possible. 

Increasing our pay, hiring a Studio Manager, a fully enrolled Yoga Teacher Training program, graduating high-quality teachers from our Yoga Teacher Training Program, a decrease in member attrition, and a community that our members feel good being a part of.

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What about Xcelerate’s approach feels uniquely impactful or aligned with the way you do business? 

Flexibility for my schedule, category experts I can't find elsewhere, accessibility of pricing, coaches who can combine heart/body + head strategies and wisdom, and also empathize with life circumstances like being a parent

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How has your identity–as a woman and through your intersecting experiences–shaped the way you lead, make decisions, or build community through your business?

My identities as a South Asian and queer woman absolutely shape the way I lead, make decisions, and build community through my business. Especially as a South Asian yoga studio owner, being in true integrity with the fullness of yoga is incredibly important to me and is present in every single decision I make–whether it's the photo I post to Instagram, the newsletter I write, what I say in class or teach in Yoga Teacher Training, or how I interact with a student. I know in my bones that the power of yoga cannot be accessed and used to benefit the world if it is stripped from its deeper layers, and so I bring that fullness into the fabric of the business, not just my teaching. 

My queerness and the fact that my co-owner is also queer absolutely shape our decisions and the way we build community, too. I'm reminded of this Ocean Vuong quote: "Being queer saved my life. Often, we see queerness as deprivation. But when I look at my life, I saw that queerness demanded an alternative innovation from me. I had to make alternative routes; it made me curious; it made me ask, ‘Is this enough for me?’" This sentiment absolutely shapes the immense possibility that we hold for how yoga can be practiced differently. It helps me be curious and open to finding alternative ways to do things the way they've always been done. 

For us, the purpose of streamlining systems is not to create cookie-cutter offerings, but rather to free up space in our systems and business to continue to iterate, generate, and create new possibilities.

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How do you personally define success—for yourself and your business? Has that definition evolved since joining Xcelerate?

My definition of success has absolutely evolved since joining Xcelerate–I now see success as involving my health and happiness as a whole person. Although I'm not there yet, I feel closer than ever and that it is possible for me to have a thriving business that is aligned with my values, while also helping to sustain my life. Success for me is being able to put into practice the slowing down and rest that I preach, taking care of and spending time with my family and community, while also having a thriving business that is values-aligned and supports our communities.

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Looking ahead, what are you most excited to create or grow next–and how has Xcelerate helped prepare you for that next chapter?

I'm really excited to achieve my goal of success, for the business to grow in new, exciting, and creative ways that support and sustain my life, and continue expanding our reach to the communities and people who want the very special offerings that we have to share.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your Xcelerate experience?

I am so extremely grateful. I do not believe our business would have achieved the success it has without this support, especially the 1:1 coaching.