Daryn Schwartz joined me on The Friday Society Podcast to discuss how to succeed in partnerships, her journey, and vision of the future. Daryn is a long time client and dear friend. She is the founder of The Space Between which is a yoga studio located in Chicago, IL.
Do you want to know the best part of this podcast? We recorded it while we were on her amazing yoga retreat, Alive and Away, in Todos Santos, Mexico. I love her story because it’s very relatable and inspiring. If you haven’t visited The Space Between it’s absolutely beautiful!
Daryn and I were introduced by a Friday Society Member, Christie Evenson. Christie is an amazing website and graphic designer and I’m so grateful for the connection.
If you want to go ahead and start listening then scroll to the bottom!
Corporate Hustler to Yoga Studio Owner
Daryn’s story started back in 2016 when she received a little whisper that told her that her corporate job was not her purpose. She started to go inward and ask the question ‘what is my purpose?’ Realizing that life didn’t have to be linear and that we all have a choice to create a different trajectory in our careers, she set out to find her most aligned path.
While being a corporate hustler, she was also using ClassPass at different gyms around her city. I love her story about her idea to launch a business just like ClassPass back in 2012 before ClassPass existed.
Listenting to Intuition
While living in LA the whisper started to turn into a scream. Daryn could no longer ignore the fact that how she was living her life, in regard to her job, was not how she wanted to spend the rest of her days until she retired. She was completely burnt out. She even recalls feeling somatic sensations like the tightening of her chest when she thought about this being her life path.
By taking a step back and observing her love of boutique fitness, she started noticing the gaps between the experience and what she knew she could provide.
Rhythm and Flow became her first studio concept. She began writing a business plan, talking about it with friends, and even starting a social media account. After being laid off at her corporate job in 2017 she launched herself onto her new path.
Bringing Her Vision To Life
After a few disappointing conversations with people in the industry. She set out to build her business solo and from a vision that was totally hers. Personally, I love this because I believe wholeheartedly that great businesses are built on noticing a gap and filling it.
At that time, Daryn wasnt even interested in teaching, she only wanted to focus on building and running the business. After great advice from her father, she signed up to become a RYT.
She jumped on a flight to Bali and completed her yoga teacher training. Although she experienced imposter syndrome at the beginning this was the fire that ignited her passion of yoga from the teaching side.
Starts and Stops
After walking away from an almost signed lease, to doubting herself that this wasn’t her path, and almost giving up on her dream. She visited her friend in Todos Santos, Mexico to clear her head and fell absolutely in love with the town. Fun fact. This is exactly where we are today as we record this podcast
Finally, the stars aligned and her realtor found a perfect lease location.
Fast forward to 2021, post-covid, she found herself absolutely exhausted and going through personal depression. She was roaming online and got the amazing idea to host a yoga retreat. She found a perfect spot in Todos Santos, booked it sight unseen, and here we are today!
Overcoming Small Business Burnout
When it comes to owning a small business we are inherently in sales. We are not here to run hobbies, we are here to make money and grow our business. For some of us it can feel really uncomfortable to ‘sell’ our services and products to clients.
Unblocking the energy around money and sales is really important and it took Daryn time to navigate this conflict. However, once she realized the equal exchange of energy she felt more comfortable selling her services.
I work with clients a lot on TFSM about aligning prices with the quality of service. A lot of the time it means raising prices.
Coming From a Supportive Family
Daryn’s parents have been pivotal in her entrepreneurship journey. I’ve seen a lot of very successful entrepurenuers come from families where running a small business was the norm. It’s so important to have people in our lives that we can lean on in times of self doubt and even self sabotage.
I love her story of her father cutting out construction paper to find how many mats would fit in her studio space! Their unconditional support has led her to where she is today and her incredible success.
The Space Between Meaning
Daryn decided to rename her studio and she settled on the most beautiful and purposeful name. The Space Between with the tagline ‘Yoga That Gets You Out Of Your Head & Into Your Soul.’ This name represents the space between where you are and where you are going to be. It has now evolved into a deeper meaning which is the space between the two greatest mysteries. The space between when you were born and when you leave this earth.
Her explanation of the meaning behind her studio gave me chills. It’s the ultimate testament to honoring the present and the space between your first inhalation and your last exhalation.
Building and Protecting Brand Awareness
I’ve heard from many people that they are attracted to The Space Between just from the brand alone. How we choose to represent our brand is so incredibly important and we discuss this a ton on The Friday Society Membership. Followers can easily become clients if we have a consistent brand story that resonates.
Daryn’s perspective is that she takes the ownership of setting the vision and direction of The Space Between while educating her teachers and staff. I love her adaptability, but also protection, she puts around her brand and how she has had tough conversations with employees about representing the brand.
How to Succeed in Partnerships
Partnerships help you expand your reach to different communities. Daryn is a fantastic representation of how to succeed with partnerships. I’ve watched her grow partnerships with great companies such as Lululemon.
If you’re not familiar with my background, I worked at Lululemon for several years. They are such an incredible company that cares about their employees so much. We received many perks, but I also watched them support small businesses wholeheartedly. Even as a major global company they support small businesses and assist their growth like no other company I have witnessed.
Through connection, engagement, and her natural ability to build relationships this has allowed Daryn to thrive when building partnerships. Her mentality is not focused on competition, instead, it’s focused on supporting other small businesses even if they are in the same niche which has allowed her to succeed in partnerships.
Listen Now!
This episode has so much important and impactful information to business owners and fitness professionals. I respect Daryn as a client, a friend, and a fellow small business owner. This episode was so incredible! Take a listen and share with me your favorite takeaways!
Check out The Space Between Yoga website and check out her amazing yoga retreat, Alive and Away!
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