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Do You Really Need a Goal?

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Paging Through magazines at the hairdressers, I came across a statement by Ina Garten, best-selling author and the host of Barefoot Contessa, attributing her success to not setting specific goals. In a world driven by data and metrics, this was a little unsettling! After all, you don´t start a road trip without a map and a destination! As Thomas Carlyle claims, “ a man without a goal is like a ship with no rudder.”

arrows leading to a goal with prize in the middle

A half dozen magazines later, I found an article that set the statement in perspective. This time, the recommendation was to put your beauty habits upside down – conditioner before shampoo; sunscreen before moisturizer! As you see, Ina’s approach is not to go through life without ever setting a goal. You often need goals to direct your energy towards priorities. As the beauty suggestions imply, sometimes changing your approach leads to amazing results.

Here are some points about looking at your roadmap from a different angle.

Watch your blindspot! Sometimes being too focused on a goal causes you to lose track of risks you are taking. What are you sacrificing to reach that specific target? After months of planning to climb Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps at 4,810m above sea level, solo in a single day and starting in the valley, Marcel Hoeche, a German running champion, thought he had the perfect day. He set out at 3 a.m. and shortly after sunrise, was caught in heavy snow -at 2,000m, hip high. Losing the planned track cost him too much time that he couldn’t make up later in the ascent. So he decided to head for the refuge that was the start of many mountaineers’ climbs on their second or even third day. His decision to return protected him from an unfortunate outcome.

Seek all the opportunities that come your way; you never know what they lead you to! In my Yoga practice, I decided to focus on my arm balances, mainly handstands. I consciously ruled out work on a headstand, first because balancing on my head was too uncomfortable; and second, I felt I had to prioritize. Then in a class with a guru, I just gave it a shot. I was surprised that I was able to do a modified version. It gave me new confidence in my ability and actually led to improvements of my other arm balances. Seeking opportunities that are not necessarily “right” or “perfect” for your long-term goals may help gain something now that will be useful later.

Don’t let goals disappoint you. A few years ago, a teen soccer player I knew suffered a knee injury and couldn’t continue on his path to a professional career. He decided to take up golf and not surprisingly became very good at it. He made the school’s team for the season.

Two years ago, I set an ambitious running goal for myself and was training for a spring half marathon. A few weeks into the year, some foot issues made me stay away from impact exercises to avoid further injury. My focus shifted to strength and recovery work. I was able to get back to training last year to complete a half-marathon with ease.

Certainly goal setting helps you keep your focus sharp and priorities straight. Yet, your goals are only elements of a bigger picture. Adjusting plans to focus on big objectives rather than the bumps in the road are sometimes necessary. Your achievements don´t always reflect a prescribed road map. The journey sometimes takes you on detours that reveal new wisdom. Keep an open mind and embrace new opportunities. Remember it’s a journey!

Do you need help with your fitness goals? Contact me for guidance on your fitness journey: roshi@fitpaths.com.

Avocado -Dates Smoothie Recipe

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Cravings are normal. Just because you get hungry throughout the day doesn’t mean that you are unhealthy. In fact, eating small snacks in between meals has been known to improve overall health, boost mental focus, and give you the energy you need to keep going. The trick is to choose healthy snack options that are chock-full of nutrients. This avocado smoothie is a great example of a quick, hearty snack that will keep you full and even limit your urge for junky types of foods.

Ready in 10 minutes

Serves 2 people

Avocado -Dates Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 4  avocados 
  • 12 medium-sized dates (pitted)
  • ½  cup of coconut water
  • 1  cup of almond milk
  • 2  teaspoons of chia seeds
  • 2 scoops of collagen powder

Preparation

  1. Cut both avocados in half, removing the pits. Scoop avocado out of the skins and put into a medium-sized blender
  2. If needed, remove pits from the dates and place dates into blender
  3. Put coconut water, almond milk, and collagen powder into blender
  4. Blend ingredients until consistency is smooth
  5. Pour mixture into two glasses and sprinkle chia seeds over the top of each
  6. Enjoy

This smoothie is creamy in texture and light on the palate. A perfect early morning or mid-afternoon snack. The three main ingredients are guaranteed to aid in your overall health and daily intake of fiber. 

Benefits of avocado: They are cholesterol-free and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium and C vitamins. Just one avocado provides eight percent of the suggested intake for fiber and is full of the heart-healthy kind of fats. Ideal for reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation.

Benefits of dates: Dates are known for their high fiber content and aid with regulating the digestive system. They also contain many antioxidants which are great for the heart. If you need to strengthen your bones or improve blood sugar, add extra dates to this smoothie recipe!Benefits of collagen: Consuming collagen has become popular over recent years due to its improvement of skin and bone health. It is a protein that our body produces naturally but over time, this slows down. Including collagen supplements in food or drink recipes can enhance skin health such as elasticity, moisture, and texture.

Chocolate Oat – Chia Pudding Recipe

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I’m excited to share one of my newest and current favorite recipe to calm my nighttime sugar cravings.

Before we get started, I want to encourage you to look at the foods, deficits, and behaviors in your life that are the underlying causes of your cravings. Many people view cravings as weakness, but really, they’re important messages meant to help you in maintaining balance. When you experience a craving, deconstruct it. Ask yourself, what does my body want and why?

Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace
Website: peachesandgrace.com

Here I’m sharing 8 causes of cravings!

1. LACK OF PRIMARY FOOD: Being dissatisfied with a relationship or having an inappropriate exercise routine (too much, too little, or the wrong kind), being bored, stressed, uninspired by your job, or lacking a spiritual practice may all cause emotional eating. Eating can be used as a substitute for entertainment or to fill the void of primary food.

2. WATER: Lack of water can send the message that you’re thirsty and on the verge of dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water. Excess water can also cause cravings, so be sure that your water intake is well-balanced.

3. YIN-YANG IMBALANCE: Certain foods have more yin qualities (expansive), while other foods have more yang qualities (contractive). Eating foods that are either extremely yin or extremely yang causes cravings in order to maintain balance. For example, eating a diet too rich in sugar (yin) may cause a craving for meat (yang). Eating too many raw foods (yin) may cause cravings for extremely cooked (dehydrated) foods or vise versa.

4. INSIDE COMING OUT: Often times, cravings come from foods we’ve recently eaten, foods eaten by our ancestors, or foods from our childhood. A clever way to satisfy these cravings is to eat a healthier version of one’s ancestral or childhood foods.

5. SEASONAL. Often the body craves foods that balance the elements of the season. In the spring, people crave detoxifying foods like leafy greens and citrus foods. In the summer, people crave cooling foods like fruit, raw foods, and ice cream, and in the fall people crave grounding foods like squash, onions, and nuts. During winter, many crave hot and heat-producing foods like meat, oil, and fat. Cravings can also be associated with the holidays, for foods like turkey, eggnog, and sweets.

6. LACK OF NUTRIENTS: If the body has inadequate nutrients, you’ll have odd cravings. For example, inadequate mineral levels produce salt cravings, and overall inadequate nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritional forms of energy, like caffeine.

7. HORMONAL: When women experience menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels may cause unique cravings.

8. DE-EVOLUTION’: When things are going extremely well in your life, sometimes self-sabotage happens. We crave foods that throw us off, thus creating more cravings to balance ourselves. This often happens from low blood sugar and may result in strong mood swings.

Here’s what you need to make this super easy and delicious recipe!

Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace
Website: peachesandgrace.com

RECIPE

Serves: 4
Total Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 1/4 cups oat milk or other milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Chia seeds to taste (this time I added 1 big tbs- P.S. I’m a chia seeds lover)

Instructions:
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute. I like to gradually work my way up to high during the first 30 seconds of the blend, then continue on high for another 30 seconds.

2. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken (about 2 minutes). Continue to heat the pudding over medium heat for 3 more minutes, whisking constantly.

3. The pudding will be thick enough to eat right away, but you can refrigerate it for about an hour to enjoy a chilled pudding. The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

This recipe works great as pre/post workout or a simple quick breakfast! Just add some nice sliced strawberries or mixed fruits and voila!

Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace
Website: peachesandgrace.com

I would love to know what are your thoughts| comments about the root of your cravings. Share with me below⇣

Footnotes- Institute for integrative nutrition

QUICK OAT + BANANA SOFT COOKIES

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banana soft cookies with a dog in the background
Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace

So! So! So! Yummyy!!

One thing about me is that I’m all about MAXIMIZING time. I’m not much of a recipe creator. I Personally feel best just eating simple meals, but I know not everyone is the same so it always goes back to playing and exploring to find what works best for you. The biggest purpose of my content is to inspire you and encourage you to try new things!

These delicous and easy soft cookies are the perfect move for a quick breakfast or pre/post workout snack!

I LOVE oats, not only do they lower your cholesterol levels which in turn helps you prevent developing heart disease or diabetes, but they also energize you with good carbs and nutrients to keep you going for longer during the day.

Those nutrients include manganese, good for bone production and skin integrity as well as magnesium – important for energy production to make you feel more awake.

Same with bananas “the favourite fruit among athletes”not only because they contain a decent amount of good carbs but for being the big players in the potassium game.

Potassium is a very important nutrient for avoiding fatigue and muscle cramps. Pretty good if you’ve got a hard day ahead of you.

RECIPE

Serves: 7-8
Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
• 3 mashed bananas
• 135g Oats
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 20g Grated coconut
• Tbsp of chia seeds
• Tbsp of organic cacao powder
• Cacao nibs to taste
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small bowl mix mashes bananas and the rest of ingredients until evenly distributed.

3. Roll 2-3 TBS (depending on how large you like your cookies) of mix at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets. (alternately, use a small cookie scoop to make your cookies)!

4. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 18-20 minutes. Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown.

5. Let them sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

I hope you enjoy this fun and easy recipe!! I’d love to know what’s your favorite quick breakfast meal. Share with me on the comments below⇣

Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace
Photo by: Kayleen Mesa
Follow on Instagram: @dearpeachesandgrace

How To Cleanse and Activate Your Crystals in 5 Steps

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book about crystal healing surrounded by crystals and a buddha vase on a blanket

Hi beautiful souls! with full moon coming up (August 15th) I wanted to share with you steps for cleansing and activating your crystals during this cycle.

Crystals have become very popular over the past couple of years. These beautiful and powerful stones hold the life-giving elements of the Earth and the universe. Harnessing the energy of the Sun, the Moon, and the oceans, they help to create a special connection between us and mother earth.

This is an ancient pagan practice, where a crystal is used to flush out the negative energy and obstacles from a human body. Laying on of stone involves placing crystals on or around the victim in order to remove vetoing energy.

For centuries, crystals and other gems have been desired for their alleged magical healing and mystical powers. This belief continues today among occultists and New Age healers.

Nowadays Crystals are used during holistic practices and alternative medicine such as massage, meditation, and acupuncture. They are put on or around your body to start the healing process. The crystals can act as a channel for healing which can help positive and healing energy flow into the body, causing negative energy to be drawn out. They are known to have been used for prevention of disease and curing of illnesses.

Another great use of healing crystals comes when creating sacred spaces, which will also helps to enhance and support any healing therapies such as meditation, yoga, journaling, and other similar activies. It’s common knowledge that interior design can affect your mood and well-being. The most important aspect of a sacred space is how the energy feels. Every room in your home should feel special and comfortable for your lifestyle and needs, a basic guideline for optimal living and well-being. In particular, your sacred space should serve as the place where you leave behind the chaos of the world, in addition to any negative energy that might be affecting you, and go inward to heal and restore the mind-body-spirit.

In this wonderful world of vibrations, crystal energy helps you on your spiritual journey because it works to hold your intention and remind you of your connection to the Earth. A well thought out intention is the starting point for healing crystals because specific intentions will most likely guide you into your daily thought patterns and will also become part of its energy.

If you’re just beginning to use crystals, a great way to harness their healing power is by using healing stones for manifesting your intentions and what you want to create in your life. 

When choosing your crystals, let your intuition guide you to choose the right healing stones for your spiritual journey. Crystal experts often say that the crystal chooses you instead of the other way around. Take your time, have fun and see what crystals stand out to you. Whether it’s the dazzling colors, sparkles or otherworldly shapes and patterns that draw you in, each crystal has a unique vibrational energy that works to clear blockages and ward off negative energy. It also helps to identify a particular problem or challenge you’re currently facing. 


Finding the right stone is like any practice of wellness. I also like to think of it as a creative and magical experiment. It requires time and patience while you quiet the mind and realign the mind/body balance. Hold the stone in your hand and carefully think of your intention. Notice if you feel sensations such as hot or cold, pulsations, or a sense of peace and tranquility. These are all signs that this particular rock is perfect for your healing needs. Remember- your intuition will be your best friend here!

CLEANSE & ACTIVATE YOUR CRYSTALS IN 5 STEPS

1. WASH THEM WELL.
A simple rinse under the faucet will do here. If you live near the ocean or a stream it’s ideal to wash them there.

2. SET YOUR CRYSTALS OUT.
The ideal time to put them out is just after sunset. A natural surface is best outside. If that isn’t an option put them near a window where they will get direct moonlight. As you set each one down name something you want to let go of. You can name the same thing over and over or pick a different one with each crystal. Don’t name more than 5, it’s too many and will start to lower our vibration. This is a supportive practice that helps to seal in what we are ready to release with this full moon.

3. PULL THEM IN THE NEXT MORNING
It’s nice to give them a little reboot with the sun’s energy, but not for too long. Through sunrise is a great rule of thumb.

4. CHARGE YOUR CRYSTALS WITH INTENTIONS
This is one of my favorite parts of the ritual, it’s even more important than naming what we want to release. Once you have all of your crystals back inside charge them with your intentions. Charging crystals with your energy helps them stay focused. Once they are charged it’s best to not let others handle them (unless you are charging specifically for others or client work) as they will absorb the energy of other people.

You can charge all of your crystals at once by imagining them soaked in healing energy. They can also be charged individually or in groups. It’s really up to you, there is no right or wrong way to charge them, let your intuition be your guide.

Here are some examples of what I am planning for this cycle:

  • Charging Rose Quartz with love to support my relationship.
  • The stones I use with clients will be charged to intensify their healing properties.
  • Smokey Quartz with energy to help me stay grounded during the transition into a new season.

5. CLOSE THE RITUAL
I like to close the cleansing and charging ritual with thank you prayers and white candle. A simple thank you to Mother Earth for the ways she supports our life and a humble bow to the crystals for all of the work that they do. Acknowledging all of the elements that came together to make these healing tools seals in their healing vibrations and reminds us to stay focused on what matters most to our hearts. After giving thanks I burning a little cedar, sage or palo santo to bring in more positive energy and close the ritual.

Allow yourself to be open to exploration. Step into the knowing that magic exists for you no matter what. Our thoughts create vibrations throughout the universe, which makes setting intentions a powerful tool for achieving happiness and well-being. Having a clear purpose provides us with insight into our aspirations, dreams, beliefs and values. It also helps us to focus and live in the present moment instead of being caught in negative thought patterns. Intentions are like magnets. That’s why it’s important to be careful and make sure to choose the appropriate thoughts and desires. Setting an intention is a powerful tool for achieving happiness. Crafting an intention starts by setting goals that align with your values, aspirations, and purpose.

May all your wishes come true!

Footnotes:
https://crystalbenefits.com/crystal-uses
https://www.energymuse.com/
https://crystabelles.bigcartel.com/

Ideas For The Most Effective Job Titles – Namafit learning moments

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The best start to a great job post is writing an effective job title that will get the attention of the right candidates and entice them to apply to your job. If the title gets the viewer to click the job, then having an effective job description is the next important step in finding more great candidates.

Write a job title that clearly states what you are hiring for. It only takes a couple minutes to post a job on Namafit. We suggest a clear separate job post for every type of job your are looking to fill. For example, post “Looking for yoga teachers” and “Hiring front desk staff at fitness center” as separate jobs.

Namafit gets a lot of exposure for your jobs, so we suggest writing clear, specific job titles and descriptions that will make your ideal candidate’s eyes light up! Read on to see some examples of proven job titles and descriptions that have been working!

In analyzing jobs that get the most applications, we have found that job titles that clearly state the job are very effective. A job title like “Boot Camp Instructor” and “Vinyasa Yoga Instructor” get better than average number of applications. And an insider trick to make your job stand out even more is to use a lead-in like “Seeking…” or “Looking for…” at the beginning of the job.

Here are some suggested job titles that work well:

  • Seeking Office Meditation Facilitators
  • Hiring Facilities Manager
  • Looking For A Cycling/Spin Instructor
  • Now Hiring Front Desk Sales Person For Yoga Studio
  • Front Desk Staff Shift Managers Studio Hands
  • Now Hiring Group Fitness Instructors
  • Hiring Yoga Instructors
  • Remote Independent Online Health Coach Needed
  • Looking For Hot Vinyasa Yoga Instructors With Personality Plus
  • Looking For A Yoga Or Pilates Instructor At Midtown
  • Part Time Front Desk Associate Needed
  • Now Hiring Personality Plus Hot Power Vinyasa Teachers
  • Strength And Conditioning Coaches Needed
  • Tuesday Night Boot Camp Teacher
  • Yoga And Mindfulness For Adult Ed Esl Classes
  • Yoga Fitness Instructors Needed
  • Yoga Instructors Needed
  • Looking For Yoga Instructors With Desire To Learn
  • Yoga Spa Looking For Yoga Instructors
  • Yoga Studio Looking For Experienced Passionate Yoga Instructor
  • Yoga Teacher

The bottom line is, be direct, fun and creative. And look at your job post through the eyes of the candidates you want to apply. We are confident that we can help you reach them.

man on cell phone walking by a wall with the word productivity on it

Linking your social media to your Namafit page is a great way to stand out!

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When you create a Namafit account, you get a professional profile page with a unique URL address that you can use to promote yourself! Take charge of the level or privacy you want, and add your instagram, twitter, facebook and website links to your profile to get more exposure, more SEO love, and showcase your dedication. Stand out to employers and the industry!

Instructors, trainers, teachers, professionals aren’t the only ones who can add social links to your page. BUSINESSES can too! Go to https://namafit.com/business/edit to add your social links to your business page and get more exposure for the business you work hard to make successful.

Link your social media to your professional Namafit page
Linking your social media to Namafit is a great way to stand out

If you have a Namafit account already go to http://namafit.com/profile/edit to add your social links to your page.

If you haven’t created your professional profile page yet, you should! Just go to https://namafit.com/signup – it only take a few minutes and will open up new opportunities for you in this industry!

You can also confirm and adjust your account privacy by going to https://namafit.com/settings

Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world…and happy job hunting

How to Use Yoga to Start Your Day

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Every day is a different day. After practicing yoga for over 6 years, one thing that I’ve learned is to have intention in your actions and thoughts. Each new day is an opportunity for us to start with an intention and purpose that will permeate throughout the day. Here are three ways you can use yoga to be more mindful and purposeful in your life.

#1 Visualize Your Day

Start your day with mindfulness and meditation. Before you get out of bed, take a few minutes to visualize how your morning will look. Prior to leaving the home to head to work or to run errands, try to see how you want that to look. Will you need to make coffee? Freshen up in the restroom? Get dressed? What will you wear? Do you have to walk the dog? Vividly think about how you’re going to start to your morning and then begin your day. If it does not line up, that is OK. Try it again the next day until your mind is aligned with your actions. This quick meditation and mindfulness exercise will allow you to move with intention as you go about your day. Feel free to use it throughout the day (i.e. visualizing how your workday will look, and what your preparing for bed process may look like).

#2 Start with Pranayama

Breath is our life source. It’s important to reconnect with breath on a regular basis, either through yoga or meditation. The practice of pranayama allows us to connect to that life source that flows through us whether we want it to or not. A pranayama technique that I love to use is breath counting.

How to Count Your Breath:

  1. Sit in a comfortable seat in a chair or on the ground on blocks or a meditation cushion.
  2. Place your hands on your knees or find dhyana (concentration) mudra.
  3. Close your eyes and take your drishti or focus point inwards.
  4. Take three deep breaths and sigh audibly to exhale them out.
  5. After the last breath, take a pause and then begin to slowly inhale as you count up to 4.
  6. Pause at the top of your inhale and then count down from 4.
  7. Repeat by counting up and then counting down one more time.
  8. On the next two rounds, count up to 6, then to 8, then to 10.
  9. Once you’ve completed your last two rounds of counting up to 10, stay in your seat and breathe normally.

#3 Move Your Body

This last tip is what most people think of yoga, as a way of moving your body. While it is important, the yoga poses, or asanas, or only a fraction of what yoga truly is. Yoga is the connection of mind, body, and the present moment. I recommend doing 8 cat and cows, 3-5 sun salutations, and then a child’s pose (balasana) to start your day. Do this every day and reflect on how it makes your body feel. Listen to it, and modify if you need to.

woman in child's pose doing yoga
Yoga practitioner in child’s pose

Guest Contributor Profile: Alex Tran AKA Schimiggy is a Digital Marketing Strategist, fitness fashion, travel, and food-obsessed raconteuse. She currently resides in Seattle and teaches yoga while writing about her favorite topics.  Schimiggy Reviews is a lifestyle blog where Schimiggy shares her passions and interests with the world!

How To Use Your Namafit Profile Page As Your Professional Webpage URL

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Did you know that when you create your profile on Namafit that you get a professional URL so you can share your page?

That’s right.  You can customize your profile to highlight your skills, expertise and interests, so you will stand out to prospective employers and partners.

To get your Professional URL address just go to your profile page, https://namafit.com/profile and highlight the website address at the top of your browser window. Then click “copy” (command + c in Mac, windows + c in Windows).  You now have a shareable profile URL copied to your clipboard.  Go share it!!!!

Of course, sharing is even better when your profile is complete!

Update your profile

  • Go to https://namafit.com/profile/edit to complete your profile details.
  • Add your profile photo.
  • Update your “About Me” section.
  • Confirm your location city and state.
  • Update your social links.
  • Update your certifications.
  • Add your resume.
  • Update the styles and levels that you teach and practice.

Update your personal preference settings

  • Go to https://namafit.com/settings and select the settings you prefer.
  • You can:
  • Change the distance for job notifications you receive
  • Select who you would like to be able to see your professional profile
  • General Public
  • Only logged in Namafit members
  • Only those businesses you apply
  • Update your password
  • Update your email address
Namafit profile preferences
That’s it- we’ve worked hard to make it easy to make you profile page and keep it up to date. Please email or message us if you have any questions.

The Journey Begins. How Namafit Got Started.

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How I Solved My Own Staffing Problems At My New Fitness Studio

handstand

When I opened a yoga, fitness and dance studio in 2010 I was embarking on a journey very new to my family and me. Prior to opening our new studio, I had been a software engineer for over 16 years, a husband and a father of 3 boys. As you can imagine, my wife and I were very busy — on top of being an awesome mother to our boys, she owns and operates a busy local restaurant.

I always knew that I wanted to open a small business close to our home — something that would help contribute to the overall wellbeing of our community. After living in our area for several years, we realized that there was a need for an awesome local dance/fitness studio. We had lamented the fact that there was nowhere in Menlo Park to take good fitness and yoga classes. We also noticed that the dance studios where our boys were taking classes were packed with kids. We have both been active and into athletics our whole lives, and as parents, that segment of our lives had definitely been neglected for years! So, looking back, I guess opening a yoga, fitness and dance studio was a pretty natural thing to do.

Getting the business systems setup, finding a space to rent and getting ready to open was time consuming but all fairly straightforward. I called a contractor to help with the interior build out. They took care of the details. I opened bank accounts. I signed up for MindbodyOnline to handle reservations and payments. Making a schedule of classes was actually pretty difficult because it meant taking into account the demographics in the neighborhood and neighboring cities, figuring out what types of classes were appropriate at which time of day. The initial goal was to offer youth classes, mostly dance, in the afternoons, so factoring in the times that schools let out was important. But in the end, it was all set in place. This was all in motion leading up to an opening date.

Staffing for a new fitness, yoga and dance business

Staffing (hiring professionals who were going to instruct my classes, not to mention represent my business to the public) was something of an unknown. After doing some research online, Craigslist quickly became my go-to resource for posting job ads to find teachers. Being a new business, I had a budget for marketing and advertising, which helped cover the cost of the $75 each job post cost with Craigslist. Everyone knows Craigslist — you write up a job title and description, pay $75 and submit. The job loads into the “fitness/spa/salon” category search results and you wait. At some point for most Craigslist posts, just like anyone else who posts on Craigslist, I received emails from people interested in my open positions. Sometimes I would get an email with a nice paragraph about the person, along with their name, email, phone number and resume attached. Sometimes, I would receive a quick request to be hired, with a name and nothing else. The rest of the responses I saw fell somewhere in between those two extremes.

When I did receive enough information about a person applying, my next step was to google their name and hopefully find out more about their background, where else they teach, how long they’ve been teaching, etc. After several email and phone call chains, followed by onsite interviews, ultimately, I was able to hire enough professionals to fill my staff sufficiently to run thebusiness.

Connections

A big part of running a business that relies on independent contractors for its staff is the maintaining and building of professional connections. I found out very quickly that my day-to-day staffing needs relied heavily on my ability to search my rolodex in an efficient manner for not only “great instructors”, but “great instructors” that could teach the types of yoga/fitness that we were filling classes for. (I don’t actually have a rolodex, as I’m sure you may have surmised, but instead have several email lists that I am constantly curating.)

Basically, this is how my current “networking” efforts have gone:

  1. Post to Craigslist
  1. Email/phone back and forth
  1. Invite potential instructor for an onsite chat
  1. HIRE them for a class
  1. After hearing feedback from those who participated in the class, add the instructor to my list.
  2. Repeat steps 1–5 next time an instructor bails on a class (which happens more often than you’d think)

After going through this process more times than I can count, I started to think that there had to be a better way. After doing a bunch of research, and interviewing a bunch of my instructors and many similar businesses, I came to realize that there wasn’t anything available that suited my needs. As it turns out, the fitness/yoga industry is very word-of-mouth driven when it comes to staffing. Most other studios and gyms follow the same pattern of Craigslist and email lists to fulfill their staffing needs.

Enter Namafit

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a Software Engineer for years, for startups all over the Silicon Valley. After experiencing the above issues for months in my own business, I decided that enough was enough! I hooked back up with a buddy of mine that I’d worked with for years on other projects and we built namafit.com.

Namafit is a platform that completely solves my fitness instructor staffing problems. I’m able to quickly post opportunities, which are then automatically broadcast to all of Namafit’s extensive database of instructors. Instructors have the ability to create their own profile, which includes information such as their qualifications, styles/levels they teach, and even their resumé. We have been hard at work building a product that will replace the dreaded email list, and will give businesses such as myself a tool to find quality instructors quickly. And it’s a tool to for fitness instructors and trainers to find more work, and more importantly, have more work find them.