I’m thrilled to have Daryn Schwartz on the podcast today! This is Daryn’s second time on the Friday Society Podcast and she is the incredible Founder of The Space Between Yoga, and most recently, The Space Together.
We got into a lot on this podcast especially around the topic of expanding your business in ways that are less than traditional.
When most business owners think about growth, they picture more locations, more employees, or more services. It’s the traditional roadmap we’ve been taught: once your business is successful, the next step is simply to make it bigger.
But what if growth didn’t have to look like that?
Daryn Schwartz – The Space Between Yoga
We got to talk about what expansion really looks like. Her story is a reminder that the best growth strategies don’t come from following someone else’s blueprint—they come from understanding your community, leaning into your strengths, and allowing your brand to evolve naturally.
If you’ve been wondering what’s next for your business, this conversation is proof that expansion isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about doing something different.
Growth Doesn’t Always Mean More Locations (in the way you think)
Like many entrepreneurs, Daryn originally imagined building an empire. Her goal was to scale her yoga studio into dozens of locations across the country. Before opening The Space Between, she envisioned creating the next major yoga brand with studios everywhere.
Then reality shifted.
The pandemic forced many business owners to rethink what sustainable growth actually looked like. Rather than chasing more square footage and more studios, Daryn started asking a much better question.
“What does my community actually need?”
That simple shift changed everything.
Instead of opening another yoga studio, she realized her members were craving something entirely different. They already had a place to move their bodies. What they didn’t have was a place to simply exist together.
Your Business Is More Than Your Product
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation, and what I see from my clients, is that customers don’t always connect with your product first—they connect with the experience you create.
Daryn shared advice from one of her mentors that completely changed the way she viewed her business.
Rather than thinking of herself as someone who owns a yoga studio, she began thinking of herself as someone who designs experiences. Yoga simply became the vehicle for creating community, connection, and belonging.
That mindset opened entirely new possibilities.
When business owners define themselves too narrowly, they often limit where their brand can go. A fitness studio isn’t just a place to work out. A salon isn’t just somewhere to get your hair done. A coffee shop isn’t only about coffee.
The businesses people become loyal to create a feeling that extends far beyond the service they provide.
That’s exactly what happened with The Space Together – an elevated co-working space.
Expanding Through Community Instead of Copying Yourself
Many businesses assume expansion means duplicating what already works. Open another location. Hire another coach. Offer more classes. Repeat.
But Daryn took a completely different approach.
Instead of recreating her yoga studio, she built a social gathering, co-working, and wellness space designed around the needs of her existing community.
Her yoga members already trusted the brand. Now they had another place to spend time together outside of class. Rather than expanding her product, she expanded the role her business played in people’s lives. That’s a much more sustainable way to grow.
As consumers increasingly value experiences over transactions, businesses that build genuine communities will continue to stand out.
Listen to What Your Community Is Already Telling You
One of my favorite parts of this conversation was hearing how intentionally Daryn approached every decision. Instead of assuming she knew what customers wanted, she asked them. She paid attention to how members naturally gathered before and after class. She noticed friendships forming and recognized that people were looking for connection just as much as they were looking for movement.
Those observations became the foundation for an entirely new business.
As business owners, we often spend so much time brainstorming our next offer that we forget to simply observe our customers.What questions do they keep asking? What problems are they trying to solve? What needs aren’t being met?
Sometimes your next business idea is already happening—you just haven’t been paying attention.
The Best Marketing Strategy Was Surprisingly Simple
One of the most refreshing parts of our conversation was hearing that some of the most effective marketing for The Space Together wasn’t expensive advertising or elaborate campaigns.
It was neighborhood flyers.
Simple signs posted around the community with intriguing messaging and QR codes generated curiosity, drove website visits, and brought new people through the doors.
Of course, social media, PR, email marketing, and partnerships all played important roles. But this serves as a great reminder that not every marketing strategy has to be flashy. Sometimes grassroots marketing creates the strongest local awareness because it feels authentic.
Especially for brick-and-mortar businesses, building relationships within your own neighborhood is still incredibly powerful.
Don’t Force Your Next Chapter
One theme kept coming up throughout this episode: don’t force growth just because you think you’re supposed to.
Before finding The Space Together, Daryn spent months pursuing a completely different expansion opportunity that ultimately fell apart. At the time, it felt devastating. Looking back, it became obvious that losing that opportunity made space for a much better one.
That’s something many entrepreneurs struggle with. We convince ourselves that if a plan isn’t working, we simply need to push harder. But sometimes resistance is information.
Sometimes the better opportunity hasn’t appeared yet because we’re too busy forcing the wrong one.
Expansion should feel aligned with where your business is naturally headed—not like you’re trying to squeeze your brand into someone else’s definition of success.
Build the Business You Actually Want
One of my favorite moments from this conversation came near the end when Daryn said that growth for the sake of growth isn’t necessary. That idea is worth sitting with.
As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly surrounded by messages telling us to scale faster, add more, hire more, launch more, and grow bigger. But bigger isn’t always better.
The businesses that create lasting impact are often the ones that stay deeply connected to their mission while allowing their business model to evolve.
Whether that means adding education, retreats, memberships, digital products, community spaces, or something completely unexpected, your expansion doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
The goal isn’t simply to become larger. The goal is to become more valuable to the people you serve.
When you focus on creating experiences your community genuinely needs, growth becomes a natural byproduct instead of something you’re constantly chasing. Sometimes the biggest opportunity isn’t opening another location.
Sometimes it’s expanding what your brand means in the lives of the people who already love it.
This episode was pure gold and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Daryn is one of the most intentional and thoughtful business owners I have ever met so be sure to listen to the entire episode!
If this episode resonated with you, share it to your stories or send it to a studio owner friend who needs to hear it. And if you want to keep the conversation going, come find me on Instagram at @alexagrowmybusiness. And make sure to join The Friday Society Membership for small business marketing for health and wellness professionals.
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