The Truth About My First Year As A Studio Owner

As we step into September, I can hardly believe it’s been a year since I opened the doors to Mindful Owl Yoga. When I first took this leap of faith, I had no idea what I was doing — only a vision and a dream. This past year has been the most beautiful and the most challenging of my life.

Owning a business is not the same as working a 9–5. It’s 24/7. It’s being the first one in and the last one out. It’s carrying the weight of every decision while still showing up with a smile and an open heart for our community. One of my friends recently teased me, saying something like, “What could you possibly be stressed about? You own your life! You make your own schedule, you just do yoga all the time.”

I was appalled. My first instinct was to rattle off a list of everything I do in a single day — the emails, schedules, planning, problem-solving, finances, teaching, and creating. But what really struck me was how much it hurt to feel unseen. For a moment, I wondered if maybe I wasn’t doing enough, that maybe I was just pretending at this whole business-owner thing.

But here’s what yoga taught me this last year: when doubt creeps in and makes me unsteady, it’s just like being on the mat.

I breathe and ground myself. I press through my feet, spread my toes, and take a couple of full breaths.

And then I keep going. Every time I do, I’m reminded that this practice works — not just in poses, but in life. Looking around at my incredible team, the students who show up day after day, the milestones we’ve celebrated, and the lives touched and transformed — mine included — I realize this isn’t pretend. This is real. It’s community. It’s growth. And it’s worth every ounce of energy I pour into it.

As we celebrate our one-year anniversary this October, I want to thank you — from the bottom of my heart — for being part of this journey. Every class you’ve taken, every word of encouragement, every smile across the mat has made Mindful Owl what it is today: not just a yoga studio, but a family.

Here’s to year two — and to believing in ourselves, even when doubt whispers otherwise.

With gratitude,

Polina