This month Mind the Mat celebrates our 15-year anniversary. Anyone who owns a small business and pours their heart into it knows that a business is like a baby that you raise into an adult, it’s like a marriage that you work at to make it last. Here is a humorous peek into how far we’ve come.

What was opening day like?
Terrible! The ceiling still wasn’t finished so pink insulation was hanging out during our first class. There was sawdust on the floor from the build-out that we couldn’t seem to get rid of. And, I was crying over a recent breakup. We were stressed!

How many classes did you have at the beginning?
We only had the first-floor studio in Del Ray so we had, at a maximum, 5 classes daily. Now with our two locations and 5 studio spaces, we have a minimum of 20 classes every day!

When you first opened, how did clients sign up for your classes?
Funny you ask. Online scheduling didn’t exist. People had to sign their names on a piece of paper when they arrived for a class and we kept track of their classes on an Excel spreadsheet. We also gave them a punch card that we kept in a Rolodex at the studio.

How many members did you have at first?
None. LOL! We didn’t have monthly memberships. Students could do a drop-in or buy a 5 or 10-pack of classes. That’s it. Now we have so many options, including Deluxe Monthly Unlimited Membership and Membership Lite.

How did you market?
Hand-made flyers, posted up around town. Word of mouth. Can you believe it! There was no Facebook, IG, or TikTok for businesses at the time.

Did you have a website?
Yup, homemade by Dr. Megan Brown. Megan is brilliant at what she does with Pilates in her classes and as a Dr. of Physical Therapy, but that website was horrible! I don’t think we even came up in a search when people googled “yoga Alexandria, or “Pilates, Alexandria.”

Did you ever think of giving up and closing your doors?
Absolutely, Megan and I almost went through a divorce in the first year, but somehow, we decided to recommit (with the help of a business coach) and even during COVID we knew we would keep our doors open no matter what. Commitment to each other, our instructors, our clients, and our community has been the number one ingredient to our success.

When did you know you were going to be successful?
I would say it took about 5 years to find our groove. It was clear we had crossed over from surviving to thriving when we opened our third studio space in the Del Ray location (the hot studio) and we had lines out the door. We weren’t quite prepared for that. Before that we didn’t have a front desk and the instructors took care of check-in. After that, we created a front desk area and hired front desk staff.

What are some of the funniest moments at Mind the Mat?
Most of those moments didn’t seem funny at the time, but looking back they are hilarious. For example, one instructor (who no longer works for us) wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to teach her class, so instead of calling us and telling us, she sent her husband to teach. When we found out we asked her if he was a yoga instructor and she said, “No, but he works out a lot.” I’m pretty sure that’s when we got a Yelp review saying, “It seems like they get their instructors off the street. They don’t seem to know what they are doing.” Now people consistently tell us we have the best instructors. Our team is truly amazing! And now we have an in-depth policies and procedures manual for our instructors. LOL.

What are your biggest lessons?
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. You can’t communicate enough, and repetition is how we all learn and integrate systems, whether they are fitness modalities or the inner workings of a business.

Also, give people the benefit of the doubt. I truly believe everyone is trying their best and if they aren’t showing up or doing good work, it’s usually because they are struggling with something else in their life and need support and understanding.

Happy 15 Years Anniversary Deals!

Super Summer Membership: To purchase on the Mind Body Online App search for Mind the Mat, Select Profile - View Pricing - More.

$15 Drop-In Classes: Buy during June to receive the discount. Deluxe and Lite Monthly Members can combo this with their member discount.

15 Percent Off Workshops with the Code HAPPY15: This discount cannot be applied on the Mind Body Online App. If the link prompts you to open the App, click the “X” in the top right corner to stay on the web browser.