Yoga can be a tricky business to get figured out but Krissy Jones & Chloe Kernaghan have created, nourished and sustained a collection gorgeous, buzzy yoga studios throughout NYC. Sky Ting Yoga is comprised of three design-centric spaces that have quality classes, teachers and community to match. We talk about the role authenticity plays in the success of a business, what’s it’s like opening a small business in NYC, how taking on investors or not can be a lifestyle choice and what we hope to see in the future of wellness.
In This Episode We Talk About:
How Chloe and Krissy met, became friends and chose to go into business together
The process of going through their interests and figuring out their passion — yoga
Sky Ting means Sky Place
Signed a lease without much of a business plan but with a crystal clear vision
Started as a single community based yoga studio in NYC’s Chinatown
BREAKING: Soon to launch a paid monthly subscription video platform to spread their reach around the world
About their mysterious third business partner, Nick Poe
Design is a central pillar to Sky Ting’s brand that bring a bit of interest to the business
Keeping Sky Ting’s instagram pretty weird
How Krissy, Chloe & Nick divide responsibilities on paper but in real life, responsibilities overlap and it just works for them
About Katonah yoga, the lineage Chloe & Krissy learned a lot from
Hiring teachers with an authentic voice who are practicing what they are teaching
Consciously considering building their yoga teachers careers is a part of what keeps teacher turnover low
What it was like opening a small yoga business in New York City
Once advantage to being in NYC was access to media and press and a disadvantage was the stress of higher rent prices
Krissy & Chloe are both into biohacking, though Chloe might not call it that. A few favorites are limiting blue light, supplementation, tracking sleep, infrared light therapy and continuing to learn from their yoga teachers
Growing small and organic or getting investors - a lifestyle choice
Favorite way to build community is talent shows
The teacher training also builds a strong community
Personal definitions of success
Speculations on the future of wellness
More Sky Ting Studios are probably in the future but not this year
The complexities of running a yoga studio
Businesses Krissy & Chloe are inspired by: Patagonia for using their tax breaks to fund climate change and having repair programs, Soul Cycle for their success in entering the market so strongly on the cusp of wellness and SweetGreen founders & friends for growing their kindness and generosity as they grew their business
Resources
Contrapreneur Secret Facebook Group
Sky Ting’s website
Sky Ting’s instagram
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