On today’s episode, I’m joined by Lynn Hancock, owner of Yoga Story in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Lynn has been a fitness professional for over a decade focusing on yoga, nutrition, and strength training. But she’s also a business superstar who shares how difficult Covid hit the wellness sector and what she had to do to pivot and stay afloat.

I talk with Lynn about why she decided to go into the fitness business, how she learned everything she needed to know about running a traditional brick and mortar store, getting sober, and how she was able to flip her business to virtual by learning an entirely different skill set in order to stay afloat during a pandemic.

What we’re talking about:

1. Lynn left her VERY successful corporate career with Walmart to buy Yoga Story. Her time working with executives there taught her many of the hard and soft skills she uses daily as a business owner. 

2. She credits a strong partnership with her husband that their family’s focus on being debt free and pursuing financial stability years ago that allowed her to be positioned to buy Yoga Story.

3. “Work is still different than self-care. Even if you love what you do, it’s not self-care. We always say find a job that you love and you’ll never work in your life. That’s a lie.” 

4. A mentor in Lynn’s life, and CEO of Target, taught Lynn that being healthy is integral to being successful.

5. “Your job isn’t going to create space for you. And your boss isn’t going to set boundaries for you. That’s all up to you.” And if we don’t practice this, it won’t materialize.

6. We should all strive for small movements every half hour and big movements every two hours. It’s important for cognition and productivity.

7. Lynn shares her 5 thoughts on being a storefront business owner in the Heartland.

   • It’s harder than it looks. Invest in mentors

   • Seek to serve your customers, but put in place strong policies

   • Stay connected with your purpose and why

   • Surround yourself with good people

   • Don’t be afraid of trying new things

8. Lynn has managed to stay in business during Covid. She reminds me that it’s still a hard time for business owners and figuring this out will take a lot more time for small businesses.

9. Lynn and I talk about getting sober during Covid. We both spent March and April, like many women, turning to food or alcohol or other ways to cope with the issues we were facing. She turned to the Alcohol Experiment to help her take alcohol out of her daily routine.

10. Yoga Story now has a virtual platform serving yoga to their community near and far from their homes.

Contact Lynn:

1. Yoga Story NWA - for their virtual platform

2. Lynn on Instagram

3. Yoga Story on Instagram

Links

1. Human Performance Institute

2. Honest Soul Yoga and Practice Everywhere - mentors of Lynn’s

3. The Four Agreements - a book on personal freedom

4. Annie Grace and The Alcohol Experiment

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @talkbravely