From Graphic Designer to Yoga Entrepreneur: My Unconventional Path to Building an Online Business
When people discover my business today, they often assume I started as a yoga teacher and somehow figured out marketing later.
The truth is actually the opposite.
Long before I was helping yoga teachers build websites, create online courses, and grow their businesses, I was studying graphic communications, working in marketing, and learning the foundations of branding and design.
In this episode of Mugs & Marketing, my twin sister Alisha interviews me about my journey—from growing up in a small Minnesota town to building an online business that supports my family today.
Growing Up Creative (Even When I Didn’t Think I Was)
My sister Alisha was always known as “the artistic one.”
She won art competitions. She took art classes. She was the creative twin.
Because of that, I naturally gravitated toward math, science, technology, and business. I pursued graphic communications in college and focused on digital design and production.
Ironically, when we graduated high school, we were voted “Most Creative” together.
Looking back, creativity was always there. It just showed up differently.
My First Marketing Experience
One of the biggest turning points in my story happened during high school when I landed an internship with a local newspaper.
That internship introduced me to graphic design, branding, marketing, and storytelling.
Later, I attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, where I studied graphic communications and worked in the university’s marketing department.
At the time, I had no idea those skills would eventually become the foundation of my future business.
Leaving a Stable Job to Teach Yoga
After college, I worked full-time in marketing and design.
I had a good job.
I liked the people.
I had benefits.
And yet…
I felt restless.
After completing my 200-hour yoga teacher training, I made a decision that probably surprised everyone around me:
I quit.
My plan?
Teach yoga.
That’s it.
No detailed business strategy.
No huge savings account.
No step-by-step roadmap.
Just a strong feeling that I needed to try something different.
Looking back, I probably could have transitioned more slowly, but that experience taught me one of the most important lessons in entrepreneurship:
You don’t always know where the path is leading when you first start walking it.
Becoming a Full-Time Fitness Instructor
For the next several years, I taught yoga, group fitness, and wellness classes.
A lot of classes.
Some weeks I taught 10–20 classes.
I loved teaching, but it was physically demanding and financially very different from my previous career.
Still, it gave me something invaluable:
Experience.
I learned how to communicate.
How to teach.
How to lead groups.
How to solve problems in real time.
Those skills became incredibly important later.
Moving Across the Country and Starting Over
One of the biggest transitions in my life happened when I moved from North Dakota to Washington State.
I was navigating a new relationship, a new home, pregnancy, and an uncertain future—all at the same time.
It was one of the hardest seasons of my life.
It was also the season that pushed me to take online business seriously.
Instead of treating online business like a side project, I committed to learning from people who had already built successful businesses.
I hired mentors.
I joined programs.
I followed proven systems.
And little by little, things started working.
The Unexpected Gift of 2020
Like many business owners, 2020 changed everything.
I had recently taken over a yoga studio and was excited about growing the business when the world suddenly shut down.
Instead of panicking, I leaned into something I already knew:
Technology.
Because of my background in marketing, design, websites, and video creation, I was able to move my classes online quickly.
Not only that, but I began helping other yoga teachers do the same.
What started as helping people solve small technology problems eventually became the business I run today.
What I Do Today
Today I help yoga teachers and wellness professionals build sustainable online businesses through:
- Website creation
- Online courses
- Memberships
- YouTube marketing
- Content creation
- Digital business strategy
I still teach yoga.
I still love movement.
But my passion has expanded into helping other teachers build businesses that support the life they want to live.
Lessons From My Journey
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
Your path probably won’t look the way you expect it to.
The job you have today might teach you skills you’ll use years from now.
The hobby you’re passionate about today could become a business.
The challenge you’re facing right now might eventually become your biggest strength.
You don’t need the entire roadmap.
You just need the next step.
And sometimes the most important thing you can do is keep going.
In This Episode
- Growing up in rural Minnesota
- Why I studied graphic communications and marketing
- My first experience working in marketing
- Leaving a stable career to teach yoga
- Becoming a full-time fitness instructor
- Moving across the country and starting over
- Building an online business from home
- How mentors helped accelerate my growth
- Why YouTube became a game changer
- The role technology played in my success
- What my business looks like today
Resources Mentioned
Ashes Yoga
https://ashesyoga.com
Ashes Academy
Business coaching and training for yoga teachers and wellness professionals.
Mugs & Marketing Podcast
Hosted by Ashley and Alisha Hagen
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