#65. Natalie Suppa Yoga - Overnight Success That Took Six Years

#65. Natalie Suppa is a yoga teacher and business owner who transformed years of financial struggle into a successful, fulfilling yoga business. After culinary school didn't pan out, she found yoga through therapy during one of the darkest periods of her life. What started as a coping mechanism became her calling.

She spent years grinding—teaching at 10+ studios simultaneously for $20-60 per class, living paycheck to paycheck in expensive San Diego. When her biggest teaching position fell apart, Natalie hit a crossroads: give herself three months to make her own business work or consider giving up yoga entirely. What happened next looked like luck—opportunities with luxury hotels, rehab centers, corporate clients, and bachelorette parties falling into her lap. But it wasn't luck at all. It was years of showing up, building relationships, and earning a reputation for reliability.

Today, Natalie works less than ever while making more money than ever, teaching the classes she loves and paying her yoga teachers better than studios do. She's proof that you can turn what you love into sustainable income - but she doesn't sugarcoat how hard the journey is.

https://www.nataliesuppayoga.com/

Transcript

Introduction to Natalie Suppa's Journey

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Natalie Seppa is a yoga teacher and business owner who transformed years of financial struggle into a successful, fulfilling yoga business. After culinary school didn't pan out, she found yoga through therapy during one of the darkest periods of her life. What started as a coping mechanism became her calling. She spent years grinding teaching at 10 plus studios simultaneously for 20 to$60 per class, living paycheck to paycheck in expensive. San Diego. When her biggest teaching position fell apart, Natalie hit a crossroads, give herself three months to make her own business work, or consider giving up yoga entirely. What happened next? Looked like luck, opportunities with luxury hotels, rehab centers, corporate clients, and bachelorette parties falling into her lap. But it wasn't luck at all. It was years of showing up, building relationships, and earning a reputation for reliability. Today, Natalie works less than ever while making more money than ever teaching the classes she loves and paying her yoga teachers better than studios do. She's proof that you can turn what you love into sustainable income, but she doesn't sugar coat how hard the journey is. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Welcome to Passion Project Pending. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. My pleasure. Okay. Okay, I'm gonna jump right in. Okay. What were you doing before you found yoga at 27? I was working in restaurants. I think we talked about this in previous conversations where I, I went to culinary school because everyone was going to college, and I had no idea what I wanted to do, and I liked to cook, so I was like, I'll go to culinary school. I, and I didn't feel super strongly about it, but it was just something I liked and I was hoping that if I went to college, it could turn into something or maybe even I could lie to myself enough that I would love it or, you know. And then after college I was living in Brooklyn in the Upper East Side. I was living in Brooklyn, working in the Upper East Side at a restaurant, and I had five roommates and a three bedroom. Yeah, all guys. Okay. We all slept on air mattresses. Okay. No doors. So it was like a railroad apartment. And I was seeing how much the servers were making, you know, working four hour shifts. So I moved to California and that was the end of me working in kitchens. I moved to the front of the house and I became a server bartender, all that for a long time. Yeah. Up until past 27, because it took years of building myself up in yoga to be able to leave restaurants. But yeah, so I was working, in the hospitality industry and I actually really liked it for a while until I didn't. And then thankfully I found yoga because I really hated it at the, towards the end of it. What changed? I think that once I discovered yoga and discovered a real passion for something that changed, or. This was so odd. But once I started getting into yoga and I feel like so many people are gonna be able to be like, yeah, this is so true. I would work, you know, say the morning shift at a restaurant and then teach a class at, five o'clock at night or whatever, vice versa. And the way people would treat me in a yoga studio when I was the yoga teacher compared to when I was their server and bartender was so drastically different. And I just remember being so shocked by that when I was the same person. But they just treat you so less than when you're serving them food and treat you like, for whatever reason, people have this idea when you're a yoga teacher that you like have your shit together and you're like this great person who doesn't have any vices. Like, and we're not, but like, people like looked at me like I was just so great when I was a yoga teacher and such a piece of shit when I was service, so that was so funny. And yeah, I think when I, I also, it's, you know, cute to be a bartender when you're 22 and 23 and nothing against people in the service industry, but I was barreling towards 30 with no idea what I wanted to do. And so that made me start to resent the job. And, you know, resent what I was doing with my life. Mm-hmm. Because at that, at that point, all my friends had been outta college and are doing something in these careers, and I in a sense was doing nothing. When I was just bartending. I was working and drinking and that was that. Yeah. So just, I think the one good thing about me hating the service industry by the end of it was that it gave me that push to work so much harder to get into full-time yoga. Because I think what happens with so many people is they get comfortable in the service industry or they, you know, you make a decent amount of money that you're like, eh, I could just keep doing this, and the next thing you know, you're 35 and you're still there. So I think me being like, okay, I don't wanna be here anymore, did help me get out faster and work so much harder in yoga to get myself in a position where I could leave. Okay. And set myself up for a successful career. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yes, I do. I think upper twenties is an interesting place, just going through it myself right now, I can relate with the feelings of Looking at where other people are at. You're no longer in the group. You're no longer in school, and it's been a couple years. Mm-hmm. It's not like, it's like a year or two. And so it's almost like you're starting to see the results of how people and yourself have spent the past couple years. Yes. And you're starting to think about steeper questions perhaps. Mm-hmm. Of like, how do I, how do I want the future to look like? Like it does kind of feel short term up until now. Maybe not for everyone, but, yeah. So that's a thing. And I also thought you were gonna say you noticed a difference of how you felt after yoga, not how people treat you. But I do. I do see that as well. Yeah. For sure when I would leave a yoga studio, you know, people would tell me how good they felt. Mm-hmm. And, you know, be thanking me and yeah. It's so much more rewarding opposed to me being like, all right, how many, I would literally think I would go home and think, have I caused any divorces? You know, like, by serving alcohol, have I caused car accident? Like, you know, like that would. I, I was just like, I'm bringing nothing valuable into this world. Oh, I hadn't thought about it like that. I did. It did. So, yeah, I guess how it made me feel, but mostly like what I was putting into the world mm-hmm. Made me feel different for sure. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I really liked what you just said about that timeline of what people have been doing the last few years that led them to where they're at right now. Yeah. It was fine when I was, yeah. 21, 22, 23. And I was kind of trying to do things that would make almost trick people into think I was doing things like, oh, I, I'm gonna go travel the world and I'm, I went and moved to Australia for a year. I did not know that I had a terrible time. Okay. Make sure everyone knows it was not good. Oh, good. So yeah. Ever, and, you know, on social media, everyone's like, oh, look at Natalie. She might not have be doing anything with her career and she might not be getting married, but she's living in Australia. And maybe I should do that. Yeah. Look. Yeah. Look how fulfilling her life was. No, it sucked. Oh, where to begin? Uh, I'm not even gonna get into it. It was, I had this expectation of what it was gonna be. Yeah. And I put, so I think because so many things weren't panning out the restaurant, you know, work, cooking, it didn't pan out. I had no idea what I wanna do. So I was like, I'll just go to Asia for a couple months and then go to Australia. And I had this idea that, oh, I'm gonna meet a guy, get dual citizenship and live in Australia the rest of my life. Of course, obviously that didn't, that's what's gonna happen. The men in Australia are horrific. What They're so mean. And I, it was actually, I don't wanna say traumatic, that's, that's dramatic. But I didn't date for so long after coming home from Australia, I remember getting there and Australian women were like, the men in, or American men are so wonderful, so great. And I was like, what on earth are you? Like, where are you getting this from? And then I met Australian men and I was like, oh, we set the bar. Certainly not all of them. Well, I went to Australia because I would meet Australians here in San Diego and think, oh, they're so cool. And they're so fun. The ones that traveled were a little bit cooler, but the ones back there. Were just awful. So I didn't date for a really long time after that because I was so traumatized by the way men acted over there. And I was broke. I just, I did not have a good time. Yeah. But the universe, and this was before I got into yoga, before, you know, I went to the mecca of yoga. I go to Bali for a month, don't do any yoga. And I was just partying. And so I would love to go back and like, redo all of that. But, what was I saying? I think you were saying the universe. Oh, okay. Okay. So I was like, you know, I'm gonna do this and that. And then I kept fighting the universe on staying in Australia. Like it was not working out, but it was a closed door. Every single thing kept saying, leave. You are not supposed to be here. You are not supposed to be here. And I was fighting it.'cause I'm like, no. Mm-hmm. I'm supposed to meet someone, I'm supposed to get dual citizen. I'm supposed to like, this is what I, my plan is. And it nothing was working out to the point where my friends in Australia were like, you clearly are not supposed to be here. Like, and the one great thing that came out of Australia, and you're gonna be surprised to hear this, but. Before I moved to Australia and before I just discovered yoga, I was a very different person. I was very angry. I, I don't wanna say I wasn't a nice person, but I was just, I was very quick to like a trigger and to attack people very defensive and just not, and I had almost entirely all male friends. I did not connect with women. I just didn't, I didn't really have any girlfriends. And when I went to Australia, the men were so bad that I,'cause I was kind of forced to connect with women. And the women in Australia were so cool. Mm. So down to earth. And so I said when I go home, I'm gonna make a, an effort to connect with women more. And everything changed, obviously. Yeah. Because I'm so much different now. Like all my friends are girls. And prioritizing my women relationships is just a big part of my life now. So, part my life. Yeah. So there was a silver lining to the, so the dark, the dark year. Not to get too, but I clearly was running away from my problems. I had a pretty rough childhood. And so as soon as I turned 18. Like I said, I moved to New York City and then I moved to California and then I was like, this isn't far enough. I need to move to Australia. I need to run as far away from my problems as I can. So the day that I had to leave Australia and come back to the US I had my first, we can call a panic attack or a full on metal breakdown. And I was like, okay. I realized I was running away from my problems and they were all waiting for me and I had to address'em. So I went home and I started therapy. Mm-hmm. My therapist said, why don't you try yoga? Wow. So the universe was telling me to get out of Australia. Yeah. To set the motion for me to discover yoga. Yeah. And like cleaning it up a little bit. Like sometimes when I think about what you said about how like there's different ways, I'm sure, for different people of like how you can run from your problems. Mm-hmm. And it doesn't have to involve moving across the world like there are other ways. Yeah. And that realization of, oh, like there's some things I gotta change. Like I got some cleaning up to do. It hit me like a train. Yeah. I was like, holy shit. I ran all the way over here. Yeah. And I've been putting this off and it's time to. Face what I've been putting off my whole life. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Okay, well on that note. And also Australian men, I'm sure you're good people. You know, disclaimer. No. Okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna stand by that. Alright. So yes, talk to me more about finding yoga, discovering it, discovering how you felt about it, like what it kind of cultivated in your life. So like I said before, yoga, before therapy, before all of this, I was for whatever reason, just a very stubborn person. And people had asked me to do yoga and I just, for no reason was just like, no, I don't wanna do that. But when I started going to therapy, he was suggesting little things, you know, let's try this, let's try that. And my life started to get significantly noticeably, like everyone in my life was telling me how different I was. And so after a couple months he said, I want you to try yoga. And I remember saying to him, normally I would say no, but because everything you have said has helped, I'm gonna do this. And I, you know, went to my first yoga class and I just remember leaving and thinking that was a whole hour that I didn't hate myself and think about how much I hate myself and how miserable I am. And that's what kept me coming back, is I could turn off my brain. I was so focused on what the teacher was saying that I wasn't in my head. And then, you know, a couple months later I was like, I like the way I looked too. You know? And so it kind of, once I started feeling better mentally, I noticed the, the physical stuff and, but, so everything started to get better. And then probably, oh gosh, how long ago was that? I'm gonna say six months later, maybe even a little bit longer. My roommate, who I also worked with at a restaurant, committed suicide and I just, I fell into such a deep depression. Um. If I thought I knew what rock bottom was before this, it was, it was really bad. Um, and yoga was like the only thing that made me feel okay for a short amount of time. And it felt like it was the only thing in my life that I had any control over. Like, it just felt like everything was happening to me at the time and I was just, it felt like I was drowning and I was trying to paddle up to the surface constantly. And yeah, yoga was like the only time where I felt like I could actually like, take a breath. And so I just knew that I wanted to become a yoga teacher after that experience because, you know, yoga was the only thing that truly got me out of it. Um, and I wanted to help people the way yoga, I truly believe that yoga saved my life. Like, I don't think I would be alive today if I didn't have yoga. I was in such a bad place. And so I, within this, this happened July 31st, 2017. I became a yoga teacher on April 30th, 2018. And yeah, it, uh, everything changed from there. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that and like going there and like, yeah. Sharing that, like, just being vulnerable about what it was actually like. Yeah. I really appreciate that. I know it must be like, challenging. It's still for some reason very hard to talk about. Mm-hmm. Which I don't, it's been eight years and I still, as much as that experience led to me discovering, not discovering yoga,'cause I was already doing yoga, but kind of putting me on the path of becoming a yoga teacher, like, and where I am now, it, it definitely changed, it fundamentally changed me in so many ways. Just, I'm just so much more compassionate. Like, before this happened I would, you know, read something or see, you know, maybe drive past a car accident and be like, oh, that's sad. Now, now I think I'm almost. Too empathetic because, you know, I can, I know what that phone call feels like. Mm-hmm. And I know how much people's world gets turned upside down in one moment. Mm-hmm. Um, so it's definitely really changed who I am. But it has played such a big part in, you know, and we'll get to this, you know, I, I now work in rehab centers and it's just made me so much more compassionate. Yeah. Yeah. So I am, I am so grateful it made me be so much softer. Mm-hmm. But yeah, definitely wanna, wouldn't wanna relive it. Yes. Do not suggest. So, yes. I can't speak to what that's like, but I can imagine that like, the level of intention you have behind yoga teaching as a result of what it means to you and what it did for you and what you know it can do. Yes. Like, goes a really long way because I, I do believe like the level of depth behind, like why someone's doing something like that can be felt. Yeah. I mean, the thing about yoga is. I can't speak for everyone, but most of the time no one's just walking through life being like, you know what? Things are going really well for me. I'm gonna go to yoga. I'm gonna, you know, for the first time, a big question that I love to ask people when they say it's my first time doing yoga. When I was working in public classes, not anymore obviously, but in public settings when they'd say, it's my first time, I'd say, can I ask you why you decided to come? 99% of the time it was something was not going great in their lives. They're having anxiety, they're going through a divorce. They, what there was, it was usually something along the lines of a trying time and, you know, I could speak to being in that, that place. And you know, I never wanted to promise people the world, but I'd be like, you know, I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you what it's done for me. Mm-hmm. And I think people knowing that, you know, where I came from and what it did for me would be a little bit reassuring. A big thing has been when I first got my contracts at the drug and alcohol rehab centers, they didn't wanna hire me because I wasn't in recovery and I didn't, they want usually people who have been in recovery. So I originally didn't get the job and then thankfully for whatever reason, they ended up coming back to me and taking a chance. And I feel like I can connect with people in recovery so much, even though I don't know what it's physically like to go through recovery. And, but knowing what it's like to being, to be in such a low point in your life and being able to overcome it because of mindfulness and yoga has helped me really connect with people in rehab centers. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, so it has served you, although it has not been pleasant to like, get to that level. Correct. I, you know, I always tell them, you know,'cause they'll always say like, oh, are you in recovery? And I'll say, no, I, I don't. But I do know what it's like to talk myself through every minute. Like I used to have to be like, I would count to 10 and be like, okay, you got through 10 seconds, you can get through 30 seconds. Mm-hmm. Okay. You can get through the next minute. Like, I literally had to talk myself into every living for another 30 seconds. So yoga has just tremendously. Helped me. Yeah. And I'm glad that you said that thing about no one goes to yoga when life is going dandy. Mm-hmm. Because I forgot that that was my experience as well. Like, it was first recommended in therapy. I didn't listen to her. I did not go, I did not like yoga. Yeah. I was like, it's too slow. Like, I don't care. I want more like high intensity, like, and then one studio like clicked and changed things for me because it was a really good workout. And yeah, it is. It helps me through like a challenging time. And then since then, it's like a tool. Exactly. It's like, oh, I know that this helps when things get a little mm-hmm. Spicy and if I do it consistently, it's a good like tool. Yeah. You can always have that to come back to. Mm-hmm. Or it, it just, I just love that it's just there, you know, and it's just going to help. Yeah. Okay. I would love to talk about, like the process of becoming a teacher for you. Like maybe. Initial experiences with teaching and then like, where it kind of went from there, because obviously you're not just teaching at studios today, like you're doing more than that. So just the original, me starting it as a yoga teacher, not getting into my business. Like how it started to your business. Okay. Oh, okay. So like I said, I took my, my 200 hour in 2018. I was so scared to teach, so I didn't teach for a year. And then, you know, I'm in restaurants and just telling people I have my yoga cert, but I'm not teaching. And just putting it off, making excuses. And so I signed up for a 300 hour and it was a one-on-one, so it was very personalized. And the first day we met she said, you know, what are your goals? And I said, I, I wanna be teaching. And so she's like, let's get you teaching right now. So she kind of, she set me up with my first gig. And from there it was just like, oh, this was what was so scary. And it was just, I. I like to say I, from that moment, put my foot all the way down on the gas and I've never taken it off. I just, so started teaching. Then it took me about two years to become full-time. And that's one thing I am grateful for the restaurant industry was they, they knew my job, they knew what my goals were and they were really accommodating to like, okay, now I can't teach at this time on Tuesdays and I can't teach at this time. I want, you know, so I was slowly weaning back from restaurants and having more time in yoga studios. You know, it's, it's really tough. It's not being a yoga teacher, especially trying to be a full-time yoga teacher is not at all what most people think it is. It's, you know, first off, you'll, you'll get one place will be like, okay, here's a Tuesday at three 30 class. So it would be tough'cause it's like, can I even work a morning shift? Can I even work a night shift?'cause it's kind of right in the middle of the day. And they'll only offer you probably one class a week. So I was teaching at. Multiple places in the beginning, like 10 plus places with like one class at each place. Wow. Um, that's a lot of group chats. Yeah, it's a lot of group chats. It's a lot of driving and I mean, you know, this was 2019, so I'm making like$20 a class and that includes being there 15 or 30 minutes beforehand, so that's two hours plus the driving for 20 bucks. So I was not by any means really making any money from yoga. Mm-hmm. I was very much reliant on restaurants, but I just, it was like there was something in me that knew, I didn't know where I was going with this, but I knew if I just kept going, something would happen. Mm-hmm. And so I constantly was telling myself, just keep going. This one day you're gonna look back. I'm getting like emotional thinking about it because I had to have these conversations with myself all the time. Being like, one day this will be worth it. I don't know what it's gonna look like, but it's going to work out. Just keep pushing. I mean, I was. You know, in my heyday I was teaching like 22 classes a week. You know, in the end I was, I think making, at the most, I was making$60 a class. So even that, if I could make like$700 a week, I was stoked. Mm-hmm. Which living in San Diego is, you know, so there were years, years where I would lie to people about not being free to hang out'cause I didn't have any money. Hmm. You know, just not having conditioner and like cutting my toothpaste to scrape out what was left. And like, I mean, I was so broke. Okay. I love that you're sharing. I was like, yeah, really. You know, and I was, you know, and, and like I said, I didn't start until I was 27. I didn't start my own business till I was, how old am I now? 34. And even that the first couple years, or not first couple years and the only two years, but the first couple months were really rough. So, I mean, this was like my early to mid thirties when everyone else is like, especially I'm from Buffalo, everyone owns nice houses and Has money and they're traveling and I'm over here like, you know, I got five bucks for the next couple days. I remember at one point I told someone that I didn't have, I had no money in my bank. I had$3 in my bank account. But they said, well, you know, what are you gonna do? I said, well, I just got a$25 gift card to Taco Bell Taco so I can eat a Taco Bell for the next two days till I get paid. Right. Like that can go, yeah. 25 to Taco Bell is actually, you know, they haven't really listened. Yeah. They, taco Bell hasn't done much inflation. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, things were rough. But you had this thing yoga that, and I loved it. Were like, this is something I, I loved it. Mm-hmm. And I, it was what I wanted with cooking that I never felt it was, what I think every person in this world is hoping to find is like their calling. Like it, I always say yoga is the love of my life. Mm-hmm. With the exception of my dog, yoga is the true love of my life. I just, it wasn't even an, I don't wanna say it wasn't an option to give up'cause there is a point where I almost gave it up. But yeah, I just, I just kept. Pushing. So I eventually, you know, you start getting a following and you start getting a name for yourself. And, and this is not through social media, right? This is like, no, just from being around to classes. Just, you know, I've taught everywhere in San Diego. Okay. I've taught at so many gyms and yoga studios. And so now once you start getting a, a name for yourself, you get offered more classes at a place so you, you don't have to work at so many places. You can work at, you know, maybe like three or four, and you get like, multiple classes on their, their, you know, their schedule. So that's always nice. There's not so much driving all around San Diego. And so this is when I was teaching, you know, 22 classes and I start to have a following and then I'm at one place and I just, they, they moved me up and I just wasn't enjoying it there. And so I quit and. I'm like, what am I gonna do? You know? I have no idea what I'm gonna do. At this point, I had went full time yoga, so I, this, this killed me, but I had to go back into a restaurant and I was so upset because I had promised myself when I quit, December of 2020 was my last shift at a restaurant. I was like, I'm never stepping foot in a restaurant again. Go full-time. A year or two, two years later. Yeah. I think this was now 2022. I quit my, like, biggest yoga job where I had all my classes for the most part. And I am like, you know, what am I gonna do? I, I gotta go into a restaurant. I don't have anyone to support me. It's just me. I'm single. And so that really was tough. And I like didn't even really tell anyone. I went back into restaurants. I was so ashamed about it. It was like hiding it from people. And then the job that I left, the owner sold and got a new owner. And this new owner was a student. And the student called me and said, if I buy this studio, will you come back and be the, the lead teacher? And I was like, oh man, I just left this place and you left it. Because I didn't, the, the owner is never, wasn't a yogi and so didn't, he was more. Business mindset. But I truly think to run a successful, any business, you need to have experience in that, you know? Yeah. You can't just be like, I don't know anything about yoga. Why don't I open a yoga studio? So he just didn't understand when I would be like, you know, we can't do these things. This doesn't make sense. He was thinking in such a business aspect of it. Mm-hmm. Not from a yoga perspective. And so it just, he literally wanted me to do things with my, you know, let's, these cla the classes aren't doing well, let's take five classes off the schedule a week and then increase rates. Like, you can't do those things. We need to have a lot of classes on the schedule. No one's gonna want a membership at somewhere. There's two classes. You know what I mean? Yeah. So it was, he was just thinking numbers and not like you have to, it's just a part of, you have to have a bunch of classes on the schedule.'cause people want variety. Yeah. So I was like, you're just, you just, it just didn't make sense. So even though it was like a big contributor to your current pay and it was yoga, you left, even though it was a sacrifice because it just wasn't working. I, I couldn't work with this person. You were like, this is just not working. So you stepped away. So I stepped away and I was still teaching at other studios, so it wasn't like I stopped yoga altogether, but that was my biggest income. Mm-hmm. So. This student buys it out. He sells right after I left. And, she calls me and she's like, the studio has significantly gone downhill since you've been gone. You know, members want you, you know what if I buy, if I buy the studio from him mm-hmm. Will you come back and be the lead teacher and I'll, you know, I'll pay you X amount of money, whatever. And so I sat on this for a while of like, do I wanna go back to this, this place that did me dirty? Yeah. And I eventually decided to take it. And it was, I don't want, it was, I don't wanna say it was a mistake because I learned so much from managing yoga teachers and how difficult that can be. Ooh, interesting. I, I, I love to, when I lead yoga trainings, I love to say this, everyone wants to say they're a yoga teacher, but no one actually wants to be a yoga teacher. And what I mean by that is yoga teachers are just really flaky people. Oh, I feel like. So, um, and this, oh boy. And if you're in the yoga industry, you're gonna be, you're absolutely shaking your head yes right now because. We, it's like, I can't teach today. My chakras are off, like literally just like the most ridiculous. I, oh, I, you know, my chi won't allow it. My, you know, it's just, I, I, I truly believe I've become so successful because I am have, this probably isn't gonna be great for writing. I, I just, I'm not like other yoga teachers. I have a very strong work ethic and I just show up and I don't get my classes subbed and Okay. You know, it's just so much of, can you sub my class? Can you sub my class? You know, I can't teach today. I can't teach. Like, it's just so frustrating. And I will say, obviously very inexperienced over here comparatively, but getting a sub for a yoga class, like, seems a little challenging to do. Like, like when I see a sub request, I'm like, no, I don't want to go, like, get in the zone, like lead people through when I'm not like, prepared for it. And I know it's coming and I like, sign up for 20 bucks. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it's, it's a tough sell. Yeah. Uh, yeah. But anyway, continue and, you know. So many people have, right? Like you have nine to fives and then just kind of do it for funsies. So they don't want to pick up another class. They are doing their one or two class a week so they can have their free membership and they don't wanna do more than that, you know? Or I wanna take the class.'cause that's how I turn. Literally. I wanted, I'd rather Yeah. Than sub it. So you're just speaking to my point right now. Okay. So confirmed it was, it was challenging, you know, managing so many yoga teachers and unfortunately the new owner was far worse to work with than the original owner. What? The original which you stepped away from? Yes. Okay. And they were the ones who wanted you to come back. Right? She called me. Okay, can, well, you come back, I'll pay you this money. And then she, it was, yeah. So, okay. I've never in my life ever quit a job with no notice. I am a very, like, always give notice. I never call in sick. And she, she pushed me out. She clearly had no, she had no grounds to fire me, but she didn't wanna pay me anymore. She's just like making my life as terrible as possible to get me to quit. Alright. And so I was like, I'm I'm gonna keep going. Like she's gonna have to fire me'cause she's got no grounds to do it. But then she really, she found a way. It was so uncomfortable, but okay, this was now my full job. I didn't have any other yoga classes. I didn't have the restaurant. So, and like I said, I'm on my own. I have no savings. Is a yoga teacher. You live paycheck to paycheck? Yeah. I'm making no, no extra money, you know. Yeah. She was paying me, I don't wanna say a, a, a lot for a yoga teacher, but not a lot to live in San Diego. So I more so was like, I, I can't afford to lose this job. Anyways, the whole point of this is, it got to the point where it was so, I was so uncomfortable. I was having, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I was so uncomfortable. And she finally sent me this really, really mean email. And I, just responded, thanks for the opportunity. But I quit effective immediately. I just didn't know what else to do at this point. So this is now October 11th, 2023. I had not been home back to Buffalo in three and a half years. I never, ever really traveled'cause I didn't have any money. Um, and I also just didn't prioritize my family because of things that had happened in my past. So I never went home. I always said, I, I went home for weddings and funerals. And so it just kind of all worked out where this happens. I quit. I officially have no job and my dad called me and he was going through a really rough time and my dad's a really tough guy and I said, would you like me to come home? Would it help if I came home? Like, and I never anticipated him saying yes. And he said yes. And I was like, okay. So I went home a few days later for the first time in three and a half years. Mm-hmm. And that was just a huge thing for me, just growth wise, like focusing on my family for the first time. But anyways, I come back to San Diego and, you know, I had$4,000 and you know, that's gonna get me through maybe a month. Mm-hmm. So I, you know, had this whole, do I quit fitness, his yoga, just, I have tried and tried and I've struggled. I've been broke for years. I've, and now look at me. I just got quit fired. We'll, we'll call it the unique mixture. Yeah. Shh. Yeah. Well that's what we're gonna call it. I, I don't wanna call it firing'cause she didn't,'cause I did it, but I also wouldn't have quit if, right. So was this the experience you're talking about where you almost left. Yoga even though it was your calling? Yes. Okay. Yes. So I'm like, what do I do? And so I decided to let the universe decide. Okay, okay. And then what happened next? So I was like, alright, I have been in San Diego for 13 years at this point. And now, you know, that trip home really, like I said, was huge. Like I really, I spent such quality time with family, had big conversations with my family that I've never had before, bringing up things that happened and I was like, let's talk about this. Let's talk about my childhood. Like, let's just put it all out there. And it was huge. Yeah. And so for the first time I was like, maybe I'll move home and maybe I'll focus on trying to connect, be with my family. And like I've just pushed them completely away for so long and maybe it's time to open that up. Maybe this whole experience was the universe saying it's time to leave San Diego just like Australia and move to something else. So I really, truly thought it was time to pack up San Diego, pack up yoga and move to Buffalo. And, and also I didn't have any money, so at least I could move in like with my brother or something. Mm-hmm. You know, he would begrudgingly take me, you know? Mm-hmm. So what were you gonna say? Because what, like, it's interesting and I wanna let you continue, but like, when you talk about Australia being like a no, no, no, no. Mm-hmm. No, no. Then this being a no, no, no, no, no. But this is clearly going in another direction. Yeah. We know that. We all know. I didn't move to Buffalo Alert. What happened? Um, just, I really like to, like you seem genuinely shocked at what's gonna happen. Yes. It's actually like a passion of mine. Um, but no, it's just, I'm just interesting in calling out the difference and we'll get there between like the Australia No. And this resistance turning into something really beautiful instead. Yeah. You know, so I started prioritizing my family and I for the first time in 13 years. I went home for Thanksgiving, never gone home for Thanksgiving and went home for Christmas. Okay. So in October, November, December, I went home three times. That was more than I had been home in 7, 8, 10 years. Yeah. In three months. And every trip was just so, like, it was just so great to like just grow in that aspect with my family and just connect with them. So, but I just still wasn't full. You know, I have such a great, I have so many wonderful friends in San Diego. I don't, I have like two friends in Buffalo, so that was kind of like the, ooh, like who I, I can't hang out with my dad every day, you know? Right. So, I mean, he would love it, but so what happened was is go home in October, come back like, what's going on? Go home in November. Go home in December. And then I come home to San Diego and I'm, you know, I know that yoga is what I love. And obviously I know after years of teaching public classes and making, like I said, max 60 bucks a class, that's not sustainable. You cannot do that. And that's why so many yoga teachers, burnout and mo and there are not a lot of full-time yoga teachers out there because it's just, you can't do that. So I was like, can I. Find a way to make yoga a profitable thing, you know, is can I start my own business? And, so, or do I pack it all up and move to Buffalo? So I said to the universe and everyone around me, I am going to elect the universe, decide, okay, I come home and I said, you know, I'm going to start a business. I'm gonna give it three months. And we all know three months is nothing to start a business. I do know that actually. And so I, yeah. So I wanna make it very clear from here on out. I got really lucky. Okay? So I think I was kind of setting myself up to move home.'cause three months is nothing, you know, I was clearly gonna fail. And so I said, if in three months this business is going well, I will stay here and I'll do it. If I am not making money, if I can't support myself just doing yoga, not working in a restaurant, not doing anything else, just doing this business and teaching yoga, I'll stay. And within two and a half, two months, everything just blew up in a good way. What does that mean? It means that it was so abundantly clear that the business was going to be a success and that things were, the universe was telling me to stay in San Diego and keep doing what I was doing. Okay. Okay. That's, um, you know, I, it's, I, I don't even remember, which is crazy, the things that were happening, like, I truly can't remember. I just remember being, it was so, so clear.'cause it's been just such like a ride the last two years. Mm-hmm. It, um, that I, I, I don't even remember what was happening. I just remember being like, okay. Yeah. Not coming home. Okay. So I want to ask you this. When you decided and when you began to take action towards trying to make it into a business, like what did that look like? Did you tell people, this is what I wanna do? Did you know what that even looked like? Did you start asking people questions? Like, what, how, like, how did you end up, you know, I, because you had to do something, you know, it just is, it was so, I don't wanna say meant to be, but my business, and I hope this is, you know, ins inspiring for others, but it really just fell into my, like, things just kept falling into my lap. I mean, I think because I had been teaching at that point for, oh gosh, six years at that point, five years that I had such a name for myself. And I, you know, I post it on Instagram, I'm like, I'm gonna do this. I post it on Facebook, you know, I'm starting my own business and, made a website and made go or, business cards and my entire, not my entire business, that's not true, but the bulk of my business over the last two years has been people, friends reaching out to me or just yeah, a lot of times just friends. Like, Hey,, I have my company's doing this, you know, I know you teach yoga. Mm or so-and-so's having a bachelorette party. I gave them your number. Yeah, it's, and then, uh, my biggest income or, or, you know, the, I have a contract with the Four Seasons in Carlsbad. My old student is their account manager and she texts me, she goes, Hey, we need a yoga teacher of the Four Seasons. And that's been a huge contract for me over the last two years. And then, uh, a girl I went to the gym with who I really didn't know very well was like, you know, she was in recovery and was like, Hey, uh, this the rehab center that I. Scott sober at needs a yoga teacher. Mm-hmm. Do you wanna, and you know, that's been a huge thing. And, and so just like that. Yeah. And then at a little bit of marketing, but really not really. It's, you know, okay. As long as I, and I barely post on Instagram and I should be better, but just so people know this is what I'm doing, I, I just, that has been a big part of it. Okay. Okay. So, you know, I feel so lucky'cause I'm not, I can't sit here and say I've spent$20,000 on marketing and I have all these pay for Google ads. Yeah. I don't pay for Google Ads. I am not a social media influencer. Yeah. I have, you know, like 1400 followers, you know. Um, but it's, it's really been a lot of that. Yes. And then once you kind of get into one place, then other people have heard of you and then mm-hmm. So, you know, I use a Thumb tack has been huge on getting me private clients. So just random people that I would never get in contact with. So Thumbtack has been very helpful. You know, chat, GBT. I get phone calls, I'm like, can I ask you where you found me? They're like, I just put in yoga instructor San Diego, and you were like the second person on there. Wow. And so I wonder, because I use it so much for my business and chat, g BT knows all about Natalie Suppa yoga, everything they do. But I feel like it would be from results publicly available on Google. Not from your search or like personal history. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Probably. But yes. But, um, and then just, yeah, like a lot of my, like I have a good friend who manages Airbnbs, so whenever someone checks into her Airbnb, not, not checks in books, it, you know, months ahead of time or whatever, they'll send out like, Hey, here to do in San Diego, and I'm on there. And so I get a decent amount of bookings from that. Yeah. So it, it really has been a networking. Mm-hmm. And me just putting out my, those years of me grinding exactly. In exactly 500 yoga studios and getting my name out there, that's the luck. Like that's what, so yes. Do you know what I mean? That's so, and that's in quotes, everyone. Yeah. It, and I, I tell this when I lead, you know, 200 hours which you were in, I always tell them like. I don't think you could just be like fresh. You couldn't have just graduated from your 200 hour and been like, I'm gonna start my own business. Mm-hmm. It 100% was that I spent years putting my name out there. Mm-hmm. And when it was time for me to make a name for myself, everyone was throwing my name in the ring, you know? Yeah. And I feel so grateful Yeah. For that. Yeah. Yeah. So as you were speaking and talking about how like the universe, it was a clear Yes. And it went really well from the beginning and all these opportunities were coming in. I just kept wanting to be like, but that's because of all this stuff that you put in and your reputation and like Yeah. You know what I mean? And I see what you're saying, but in my mind, I just am always like, I feel sometimes like a fraud, you know? Because I didn't do this grind of, but I did. Right. I just did it before I started the business. And it sounds like it, it wasn't what you thought you needed to do to have success in business. Like you mentioned like investing in marketing, which you never did. And like, like, I don't know what else I, you know, why spend my money on that when. I am getting business in all these different avenues, you know, why would I just throw money? Yeah. Yes. I could get so much more business. But, you know, I have, I've had multiple business mentors over the last two years and, they've all been so incredible in different ways. They're all like very different. And at one point a year ago, I was telling him I feel like I've plateaued. Mm-hmm. You know, I'm not, nothing's growing. And he's like, why don't we reframe this? Why don't you think you've made it? Because the more you grow, the more problems come with managing. You know, the more yoga teachers I have to hire, the more problems that can cause. Yeah. Because, you know, I can rely on myself. I know that I'm gonna always show up. But when you hire yoga teachers, and that's why I like to hire out of YTT yoga teach training because I've watched for the ones who are coming and showing up and putting in the work, I'm not gonna hire someone who came 50% of the time. You know, I, I hire the ones that were really dedicated. But, you know, there's that risk of someone just like being like, Hey, can't, can't teach today at your, you know, and it's when it's your name and I have to call one of my contracts and say, Hey, sorry, I don't have someone. So he is like. You've gotten to a point where financially you're great. Maybe this is it. So I was like, why spend money on marketing to grow my business into a place where it might be too hard to manage or cause problems? So there's been a lot of that over the last year of, do I keep growing? What does that look like? Do I just stay where I'm at? Yeah. That has been a big up and down for me over the last year. Okay. Okay. That's interesting. And I do wanna talk about more about that, So you come back or you make this deal with the universe and this three months long and it starts going well, like pretty quickly. And because of your connections, you're getting opportunities. So like, is that like you are no longer struggling financially mm-hmm. Right away? Or like it takes time to build up and consistency or what is that like? Okay, so I think the biggest thing for me where I was like, this is right and this is success in my mind was I didn't have to worry about can I pay rent? Can I, you know, you can only spend$40 at the grocery store. You know, I could literally just go and whatever the total was, that was fine, you know? That's amazing. And it's so crazy. I, when I was telling my friend Andy at the time, how I was feeling about what a weight it was, he said, there's a significant different, or there's. The biggest shift isn't when people make go from making$300,000,$2 million, it's when you go from making say,$30,000 to whatever it is to be living comfortably. Mm. And that would just like, it was so true, that tiny shift of not having to be like, can I pay my bills? Like for years and years and years and years, I didn't have any bills on auto, auto pay because I needed to wait until I could pay it. Mm-hmm. So I always paid, you know, my car payment or my gas and my electric, whatever, when that money was in my account, it couldn't just come out every month on the ninth. Mm-hmm. So being able to put bills on auto pay and not having to have that stress of, okay, now I have, I have$200 in my account right now, that's enough to pay for, you know, sdg e and my whatever else. You know, like Yes. Taking that off the table and just, and a big thing, like I said before, I was lying about going to go, being able to hang out with friends. I could go out to eat with friends. I could go to Buffalo a lot. I have been to Buffalo in the last two years. More times. I'm not even gonna sit here and try and count because it's probably in the last two years I've been there at least 10 times. Mm-hmm. Yes. You know? So, and I, I, I always like to say, like, I say this a lot, but I, I got to a point where I was working less than I ever have and making more money than I ever have. Okay. And that was when I was like, game changer. This is the fucking life. Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness. Wrong. Yeah. Like, like just the other day I was thinking like, I've always thought that I didn't care about clothes. I've always told people that. I always thought that, but you know, my friends would always know to call me when they were getting rid of clothes and, you know, donating to go will. Mm-hmm. And I would, all my clothes were hand me downs. Mm-hmm. Everything I owned was previously from someone else. And I was like, oh, I just don't care about clothes and why spend money on clothes my entire closet. Now I have a whole new closet of clothes. Yeah. And I realized that I like things that I didn't think that I didn't like before, but it was because I couldn't afford them. Yes. And I think it frees up the capacity to care about other things when you're not hyper stressed about money. Yes. You're then able. To like unlock other parts of your brain that were previously like, really compromised when you were just Yeah. Like tense. Yeah. Perpetually. I care so much about, like, I have like this skincare routine out, like, I literally would maybe put water on my face and if I was lucky a moisturizer before because I just couldn't afford skincare products. Yeah. And so I was like, oh, I don't care. I, I just couldn't do it. Mm-hmm. Anyway, no, I really like this like, conversation. Oh, okay. Because no, I didn't know if I was, you're like, no, this is not at all, no, no where I wanna go. Because like, I like haven't experienced it on that level with it where it was like years, but recently I was broke like as hell. Okay. And going from like, not having it so stressed, like Yes. The autopay thing, like, and then you have it again, like you have the capacity mm-hmm. To afford these things. For me it was different where like I was making good money, I had no money. It took me a while to start making good money again. Mm-hmm. And when I had that period of financial duress. I realized how much I took it for granted. Mm-hmm. And when it came back, I was like, when you have this again, realize how lucky you are. Yeah. Like, take it all in, feel it. And like, I feel you on the, like, you can go to dinner with friends. Like, that's insane. Like, that's beautiful. Like that's, you're living your best life. You know what I mean? And I am so lucky'cause for the last, you know, seven, eight years as I've struggled, I've, a lot of my friends are very successful. And for years they were always picking up the tab and like, taking care of me, which I'm just, I will be eternally grateful for. And now that I'm in a place financially, I'm trying to pay it back. You know, like, I'm like, we go to dinner, I'm like, let me pay. You know, like it's, and it's'cause I'm so one proud of myself. But two, I just want them to know how grateful I am that they did that and that it didn't go unnoticed and that I would really love to be able to. Mm-hmm. And now like, I just like donate to cheer, you know, like, you know, say like a go, someone sent me a GoFundMe about something like, isn't that sad? I'm like, ah, I, you know, I would never be able to pay that before. Yeah. But now I'm like, okay. You know, just things like that. Just like giving money to homeless and like, just, it's just such a nice feeling that you can do it. Yes. It's, you know, it's, and like it really is. Yeah. It's just, it's been really nice to kind of just throw some money around willy-nilly, you know? Yes. I like this. We love, we love money here. Okay. Yeah. And I, this is just an interesting topic because last year when I had my year of growth, hyper growth, so we're calling be broke. Yeah. I, I call it different depending on like, the conversation. Um,'cause hopefully we're still growing. But, you know, I started to look at like, I started to like, read a bunch of books and, you know, I'm just like looking for any guidance and there's a lot of stuff around like money mindset. Mm-hmm. And like, you know, are you open to receiving money in your life? What are your beliefs around money? And I think going from being in a really stressful situation to having money come in, like sometimes I think there's something behind, like when money comes in, like you're. Like open to it and your like, capacity to enjoy it. Like, versus like being paycheck to paycheck and the stress that comes with that. Like, I don't know. Well, there's a lot and not to go down a different avenue, but, you know, I'm gonna have to do say something spiritual in this podcast.'cause as you can tell, I'm not a, and I've, I'm very open about that. I'm not a very spiritual yoga teacher. Mm-hmm. Um, but there is a lot with the chakras, with the root chakra about money and I had to do a lot of work. Okay. On that last year I went through my chakras and it was a huge, it like really changed. Okay. Because I've, I don't know if it tied in from things with, uh, as I was a child or just being in a dire financial state for so long, but I've always just kind of woken up in the middle of the night. Even now, I'm not gonna act like I don't do it. Even now, I, I'm always future stressing, not past. I don't really like too much. The past is the past. I don't stress too much about things in the past, but I'll, you know, think about money a lot and that really ties in with your safety and safety comes from your root chakra. Yeah. No, I'm glad you said that and I'm glad you got something from like what I was trying to say because. She catches on to something here. I, I'm, I'm picking up on it. Yeah. But no, like, I'm also glad I brought that up because like, I wouldn't have known that from you going from like the struggle season to your business. I didn't know that you did work, so, you know what I mean? Okay. So everything picked up in March and what? February, March, what we talked about. What does that look like? Financial. Mm-hmm. I was getting contracts with, like I said, the four seasons with rehab centers. Things were just kind of falling into my lap. Yeah. And it was pretty much like full steam ahead from there, you know, bachelorette parties and corporate yoga and, things just kind of kept escalating. And then, you know, I, I love to tell this story and I think I told it in your yoga training, but one day I was at the rehab center and the owner came up to me and said, we wanna start doing sound healing. Who can you recommend to teach sound healing? And I was like, I'm not gonna give someone else$200 an hour. Okay. I like that attitude. Have I told you this story? I don't remember. So I said, oh me, I do sound healing. I do not do sound heal. Didn't I do now? Okay. And so he's like, okay, cool, great, let's start doing sound healing every other week. So I had just booked my biggest con, my biggest deal, I got hired from the American College of Cardiology, flew me to Atlanta. Oh yeah. That's crazy. My friend works for the company, you know, like I said, just friends pitching me, they flew me, Atlanta paid me. I don't know if I should, you know, pay me a decent, a lot of money for one day. And so I was gone for the weekend. And so I was supposed to do my first sound healing on a Monday night. And I get back from my trip on, Sunday night and I had ordered them on Amazon, these sound bowls. Okay. And Monday afternoon comes along and I'm like, I should probably open up these bowls. I have to teach this in an hour. Yeah. I just thought I could play sound bowls. Can you not? No. See, I don't think, I don't think I have much different than either. So that's what I do with these microphones. I was like, well, we're here. I hope it, so I open up these packages. I'm, you know, I'm supposed to be playing this sound healing. I go to play them and nothing comes out. Oh my. And I start, I went into a full body sweat and I'm like, I'm gonna have to call them and say, I got, like, I have an, a family emergency. Like, I, I can't go, I can't play these bulls. Yeah. And so I actually went there, put masks on everyone, and just played sound bowls out of a speaker from Spotify. Okay. That's definitely a good story. Um, then I, how did you cover their eyes with, you know, masks? Like, you know how you get like those eye masks? Yeah, you just have them. I bought them for this whole thing. Okay. Okay, good. So they were there. And thankfully this was a nighttime class and so, you know, but after that I was like, you need to learn, you actually need to learn how to play sound bowls. So I now play sound bowls. Okay, good. And that's a big part of my business is sound bowls. Okay. There's sound tailing. But yeah, uh, such a fraud. Okay. But also, again, from my perspective, this is like, for me, it's making me think of like, you know, I did a bit, a bit of freelance coding and. Coding is very tricky in that coding can mean many different things. There's many different languages, there's many different specialties. I have a specialty, it's typically not what the one person business who wants like an a working app. Mm-hmm. Like they don't, it's not my specialty, it's something else. Mm-hmm. Like they need a, like a web application app. Like whatever. These are things I can learn and I can do well enough, but when it comes time to them asking you, can you do this for me? I need this. I'll pay for it. There's that moment of like, fake it until you make it. But I typically will be like, well you'd much rather prefer someone with X years of experience in this field. Yeah. And I'll like back down from, whereas I think other people out there, potentially some men I don't know Yes. Would be like, I can do that. I've done it before. You know what I mean? Yeah. So that was, that's what it makes me think of. Like, lemme share that story. I, I was very surprised that I did that. This was very out of character. But where that brought my business a whole new level. I mean Oh wow. Ev I constantly, when I get bookings, you wanna add on sound bowls for 50 bucks extra. Sure. I mean, I get. So many sound baths now and now like I do, like floating sound baths and pools, you know, like it definitely brought my business to another level and like financially really made a difference in my business. Mm-hmm. But okay, so getting new contracts, apartment complexes and said more another drug and alcohol rehab center. And then I noticed last year, so now we're 20, 24th of October, everything kind of just abruptly got quiet. And I don't mean in a bad way, it was like, oh, I can take a second here. Okay. And I had a, my first business mentor at the time who was phenomenal. He was like, Natalie, you can't always be growing as a person or in business. There's lulls. And I loved him as a business mentor because he wasn't all like business, business, business. He really, like, on a personal level, I could be like, I just don't have the motivation today. He is like, yeah, okay. You know, he wasn't like, no, keep going, grinding, keep going. You know, he was like, yeah, totally. Like, take time for you. So when I told him things had slowed down, he's like, I think you should rest until this picks back up. Like literally do nothing. You know, take time for you. So last year, from October to, let's say end of January, I was making enough financially to get by. I wasn't getting anything like really new, you know, you're not getting bachelorette parties, that's like very much April to September, early October max. I wasn't getting, you know, companies are kind of quiet during the holidays, so nothing new was coming in, but I had enough contracts from different places where financially I was fine. Mm-hmm. And so I did a really deep dive on myself last year at this time. Mm. And so I, you know, paid for like a energy healer and did a lot of work on my chakras and just went back to Buffalo a lot and focused on building up my family relationships and like really focused on myself. And then that way when February March came and it came back time to, you know, work my ass off six, seven days a week mm-hmm. I was ready to go. I was sleep. I mean, I was sleeping constantly, just rotting on the couch watching tv. And I just never got like that motivation to, to get that drive until. February or so. So I literally just rested. I call, I say every, I say, this is my time. I hibernate like a bear. Yeah. So this year I, you know, it's October. I'm like, Ooh, my slow season's coming. Yeah. I was stoked. I was telling everyone, like, I had all this free time coming up soon. I'm Chi like, let's do stuff, let's, you know, football, I love football. I have not had a slow season. A little disappointing, but obviously can't complain. But I've been getting so many privates recently and just a lot of, lot not, no. Like once again, no bachelorettes, no corporate, but a bunch of privates have been falling into my lap the last couple weeks. Mm-hmm. So, you know, can't complain. But this is a point where my business is going to have to grow o in the sense of, because I'm not getting apartment complexes and rehabs, places where you just kind of need to send a body. Right. I could just send anyone there. Okay. You know, I just send, you know, a lot of new people from YTT. Mm-hmm. You know, and I, I, I love that I'm in a place where I can pay the people that work for me more than they would get in a studio. That's insane. I love that. That's like truly amazing that you're Able to help people out in that way. Like that must feel so bad. It does. I, I love that I'm, you know, they're not getting paid 25 bucks with me, 30 bucks with me. You know, I, so I get a little, you know, the whole, like, I, my day I had to walk up both hills or, you know, but walk to school uphill both ways. I can be like that in a little way where when I hire a new teacher and they're like, I'm so glad that I can set them up for success in a way that I didn't have to struggle. Mm. But I get a, I'm, I'm also sometimes like, ah, you don't have to struggle the way I did. You know, like, yeah. But I'm, I'm happy for them. It's okay. You know what I mean? That's a feeling that you have and it's valid. Yes. Um, okay, so now that I'm getting new privates and I can't just send anyone, it needs to be me. And that has been a huge obstacle with my business. One, I named it Natalie Suppa Yoga. Obviously people assume they're gonna get me, so that's been like, do I change the name to a generic, like, you know, om yoga something where they're not like, oh, I want Natalie Suppa. So that's been something that I've been going back and forth with, but, so now. With these new privates, I have to hire new teachers and more teachers to take on more of the, the rehab centers. Mm-hmm. Department complex things that I was trying to do myself because that's, you know, do I pay someone, you know, 35,$50 when I can do it myself? Mm-hmm. Or do I enjoy the luxury of being able to pay that person and not doing it and taking, like, for example, today it's a Saturday, I had an apartment complex. Do I do it myself or do I take the day off and pay someone and enjoy what I've built mm-hmm. And not do all of it myself. You know what I mean? Yeah. So there's been that, you know, balance of doing budgeting of like, okay, how much can I afford to pay a teacher per month? But also how much free time do I want? How much do I wanna enjoy myself? And now that I finally am in a place where financially stable, I kind of wanna pay people and enjoy myself and not make as much as I could. Yeah. But now I've kind of been pushed into a wall of, I cannot physically take all this on with all these new privates I do have to hire. Mm-hmm. So I am expanding. Okay, where do I see this going? You know, eventually I just do the privates. Mm-hmm. But I don't ever wanna get to a point where I'm like this huge, I don't know, like yoga broker. Yeah. Yeah. Because I don't think I would, I would not be happy just being like taking phone calls and sending out teachers. I wanna teach. Yeah. I love the interaction of teaching. Yeah. But do you have preferences on types of teaching? Because from my point of view, like because of what you've done, you now have the flexibility to really focus on the types of work or the types of classes that you provide that you like really love. Yeah. Like you don't have to be desperate anymore. Like you can be more picky. And then also even like, I don't know if this is true, but I kind of assumed you took a cut from. When you send someone to take a class, of course. Okay. Okay. Oh, of course.'cause at the end of the day, you are setting them up Yeah. With a connection and a contract that you already have. Oh, yeah. No, they don't. Okay. You know, and it, it always depends. Okay. So my lowest amount of money is like apartment complexes pay. I charge one 20. Mm-hmm. So I usually pay a little bit less on that, so I'll pay'em like 35 bucks. Mm-hmm. And it also depends on how far they're driving. So if I send them out to my rehab center in Poway mm-hmm. That's a drive. So I'll pay them, you know, 50 bucks. Yeah. So it depends how much money I'm making and how far they're driving. Yeah. And a lot of the times they'll say, this is where you're going. See how far it is, how much do you want? Mm-hmm. I, I, you know, I, I want them to be ha happy and want to go. Yeah. I don't want'em to be like, oh God, I have to drive all the way out here for$25. Yeah. Not that I would ever pay anyone that little, but, so no, I'm, I've never paid anyone before. It's business. Good. Yeah. You said they, they would never have gotten that connection without me, you know? Yes, exactly. So no. Okay. But yeah, when we were talking about like. As you think about scaling, but still keeping the part that you love, which is teaching. Right? Well, what do I really like? How is that? Yeah. Like I said, I, you could send anyone to, I, I don't, preferably lo I, I like everything, but I wouldn't say my favorite is the apartment complexes just because it could be two people, it could be 10 people. It's such a wide range of skill level. I don't know, I guess no, I guess it's just because anyone could go, I don't feel like they need to have someone great there. So I'm like, that's easy to pass off. Without a doubt. My favorite, favorite thing I say, and I always say this is the most rewarding thing I've ever done with my life, is working at rehab centers. Okay. I never wanna give up one of my rehab centers. I never wanna give that gig up. Mm-hmm. Like, I don't think I would ever give it to a teacher. Mm-hmm. But I love all of them. They're also, and that's what I like about my business is when I was teaching in studios, it felt so. I was living in Groundhog Day, like it was the same thing every day. Teaching just like hot teaching Vinyasa, the same classes, the same people, the same music. What I love about my business is every single day is different. I wake up, I go and teach a private out in Delmar to, you know, a couple that wants to just stretch. Then I drive to a rehab center and do sound healing and breath work. Mm-hmm. Then I go to, you know, it's so much variety. That's what I love about my business. Yeah. Is it, it doesn't feel like I'm doing the same thing all the time. Yeah. I'm working with different people constantly. I'm doing different styles of yoga and just, yeah. Yeah. You're, thank you. You're a pro.'cause that was a question that I wanted to ask, but like was not going to the difference between like how you, like what you do now versus when it was teaching and, I was just gonna say it's interesting that you're also more financially comfortable. Yeah. It's, you like it and it's better. I mean, another thing that I like so much more about teaching in public studios is the heat, being wet all day. Is super not fun. Yeah. I was just con, I mean, I remember at one point my landlord called me and said, your, your water bill is so high. Because I was doing so much laundry because I was having to change my clothes when I was teaching five classes a day. Powers, I was constantly changing my clothes. Yeah. Because I was sitting in wet clothes all day. Yeah. So I was constantly changing multiple times a day. Mm-hmm. And just being in like heat is just physically exhausting. Now. A lot of my stuff is like stretching and like very low, doesn't take as much out of me physically. Mm-hmm. And so it's just less mentally demanding, less physically demanding and more money. Wow. A win, you know, like, so yes. So just to reiterate the takeaways from what I'm hearing is you couldn't just start where you started day one, month one, month two. Like you put a lot of work in to be able to have this business. Yeah. These opportunities come to you, but also the hope that, like, what I really like about, your story is. The hope that, like something you love that feels like such a struggle. Like early days, it clearly turned into something amazing. Mm-hmm. And so just to know that's possible in maybe something that you wouldn't expect mm-hmm. Is like really intriguing. Yeah. When I first quit my job and had that whole, do I move to Buffalo, what do I do? I had this moment of like, there's gotta be a better way. Yeah. You know, there's gotta be a way to do this, teach yoga without it being so exhausting and to make money at it, you know, it's such, especially in San Diego, you know? And, and that was another reason for me being like, do I move back to Buffalo and start a yoga studio or yoga thing? But once again, no connections. But I was like, there's such a high demand for yoga. People love yoga, you know? And now I literally the other day called someone and told them I didn't feel comfortable with how much they wanted to pay me. Like that's where I, it's so crazy that I even had that phone call. I got a booking. I'm just gonna be totally transparent for$500 for the session on an Airbnb. And I called her and I was like, Hey, this is Natalie. You just, you know, booked me. Can I call you to your face right now? Sorry, my mouth been open, but No, no, no. It's not even just open because the dollar amount, it's open because I wanna be like, just take it, you know? Totally. But continue. I mean, yeah, it was just so cra like now the amount of money that people are willing is, is insane that I taught for$60. You know, like, so I'm upset. It's, you know, now it's so funny me when like, someone's like, Hey, like, can you, you know, can you teach this class? Or not that I teach, but, you know, but, or when people talk about teaching a class for a hundred bucks, I'm like, oh my gosh, I wouldn't do that. Okay. But I'm obsessed. We ended up journey, you know what? We ended up this phone call, you know, I was like, I'm just gonna be totally blatantly honest with you. I don't feel comfortable, you know, I don't think you understand. She wanted to pay for a two hours of sound healing. Okay. And I said, have you ever done sound healing before? And she goes, no. And I go, okay, I got, you know, I, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself. No one needs two hours of sound healing. Okay. That's an insane amount of time. So what I'm getting, so, so I said, how about this?'cause I said, you know, if you, we can just do an hour. And she said, no, let's do an hour of yoga and then an hour of sound healing and we'll stick with the$500. I'm like, okay, okay. That's amazing. So I, I felt so much better, you know, being honest with her. But the point is, is there is money out there with your name on it, with anyone's name on it? Yes. Like, and I truly believe so good that if you love something, you can be successful at anything. I mean, you could literally be like, I'm gonna start a business making clothes for dogs. You know, like literally anything, if that's your thing, and I think that's, if you love it, enough's important, you know, and that's what we had this conversation before about how, you know, I, I loved, or I got into cooking and I was just like, I wasn't making any money, blah, blah, blah. I didn't, but I, there's money in cooking, but I didn't love it enough to work myself to the bone to get it. And that's what. Was so big for me is I, like I said, I loved yoga so much that I knew I could find a way to make money. Mm-hmm. Doing it, I just didn't know how, but I knew that I would figure it out at some point. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'm glad. Okay. I'm obsessed. Yeah. Oh, I was gonna say earlier that, I was gonna interject and be like, you'd be a good doctor because you would, instead of wanting the money, wanting the outcome, you would inform them. Like, you know, you'd be like, are you sure? Like, this is what that means. Like, that's, that's what I meant by that. Like, that's good. Well, you know,'cause you were in a yoga training that I do, that I never, ever, I hated when I think it was good that I took so many trainings because I could see, I had many leaders in mentors in yoga before I started leading yoga trainings and becoming, you know, starting my mentorship program, which I guess we haven't even talked about. I know. And I, I'll get, we'll get there. It's gonna be six hours long. It's fine. You cut me off whenever. But I had so many leaders in yoga. And there was, you know, obviously things, okay, I like this. I'm gonna take this from this person. I don't like this. I'm never gonna do this when I become a leader. Mm-hmm. So when I started teaching 200 hours, I, it was so important to me to never be, and just in general in yoga, I, one thing I've never really liked is, you know, and you haven't been teaching too long, so I don't know if you've seen this when yoga teachers pretend to be something that they're not. I never, ever, and I think I've done a good job of not pretending to be something that I am not in front of my yoga students and like being like, oh, love everyone and be kind all the time. And, oh, I, you know, I meditate every day and then they walk away and the class leaves and they're like, I'm so miserable and mean to somebody at a restaurant. And I, I just, it was so important for me to be authentic. And so I, I don't remember why I started ta Oh. He said I would be a good doctor when I started leading yoga trainings. When tea, when students ask me questions, I, I would hate when teachers would just pretend to know an answer. Yeah. Or pretend like they knew what they were talking about. So I have no problem saying, I don't know. Mm-hmm. You know, and I just, because I think that's just a part of being authentic to who I am. I don't know everything, especially spiritual stuff. Mm-hmm. I just, I thought by being honest with that woman, I knew I wasn't gonna lose her business. I think if anything you gain people's respect more trust. Yeah. And their trust. Yeah. And you have like a better reputation as a result. Yeah.'cause you like sat with'em and were like, this is what you're paying for. Are you sure Len, let's continue. Because in reality, if I would've been like, okay, I'm gonna take this woman's$500 and do two hours of sound healing, she would not have had a good time. Yeah. And her experience would've been good. She probably would've left me a bad review or not, it wouldn't have be benefited. Benefited me to just take it when I knew she'd be like, that was way too long. I was like 40 minutes in. Like, when is this gonna be over? Yeah. You know? Yeah. So you took the time to like give her an experience she would actually enjoy because you knew like more about what that would be. Yeah. Yeah. And unless I have a thousand instruments, which I don't, I can't provide a good two hour sound healing. I don't have a million instruments. Yeah. This is how like I, I barely know how to play my bowls. Long time. It's a long time. Like you can't, can't meditate for that long. That's crazy. Yeah. Especially if she's not an experienced sound, you know, because there's so many times, I always tell people before I lead a sound healing, and this could be because I mostly do sound healings and rehab centers almost every time somebody leaves. And it's not, it has nothing to do with me. But sound bowls can bring up a lot of stuff. Uh, people physically, it can be too loud for their ears. Mm-hmm. Or it can bring up too much just going into that meditative state. Yeah. I think especially when they're in rehab centers, they've just have, there's a lot of stuff going on. Mm-hmm. But there are people that just don't like it. So if she's never done it before and she's gonna go two hours, what if she had a terrible time and five minutes in she's like, fuck yeah. This sucks. So, right. This is a really long, so we have a story that Natalie did the right thing in this scenario, and then she gladly accepted the$500. She said, let's do an hour of yoga and then an hour of sounding okay. Right. Okay. Okay now, because I wanna touch on this. So you've spoken about the different contracts that you manage and the different places that you provide yoga and environments. But I know that you also do other things, like you help in YTT and you do mentorship for new teachers, and you might be the lead teacher or manager at another studio. What, fitness West? No, no, no. Oh, I forgot about that. Okay. Because I didn't know that. And then you said it the other day. I totally forgot about that. Yeah. And so I do a lot, but it doesn't feel like a lot. Okay. Because like I said, I love the variety. Yeah. That I would never, because that was one thing I also talked about when I was first starting off with my first business managers. Do I niche down to just bachelorettes, just corporate, just rehab centers, you know, because sometimes being niche is more successful. Mm-hmm. When you're just like, don't have, and so when I first started my business, I was kind of like, let me throw a bunch of shit at the wall and see what sticks, because I never would've anticipated I would get so into rehab centers. Like yeah, I would, you know, I would. So in the process of me being like, I'm just gonna do a bunch of different shit, and then we had that conversation, should I niche down? And then he is like, okay, well what do you like the best? I started to list off every single thing. Well, I love the bachelorettes because of this. Well, I love it. Yeah. And so I chose to not niche down and just do all things yoga, and if that's wrong, I don't care because I love how different every day is. So And what do you like about those things? Oh my God. The bachelors are so much fun. It's just so, they're all just so drastically different. Like, I love going to like nice Airbnbs and like, meeting people from out of town. Mm-hmm. It's just such a different vibe. Like, they're just like, yeah, I don't, it's just, I don't know. It's just the Bachelor, the bachelorettes are fun. I don't know. And what about Y tt? Oh, God. And mentoring. Everything's my favorite. I mean, I love, Y TT is definitely the lowest amount of money I make, and I don't do it being like, oh, I don't do it for the money at all. Right. Uh, I do it because I love teaching YTT. Oh God, I feel like I could go on for hours about this. I, I love watching. I obviously love yoga so much. So being around other people that love yoga so much. I love watching the progression of you guys over time and being a part of that. Mm-hmm. I love how an every single YTT someone quits their job gets divorced, you know, like make these huge, like, and this, we at TT right now, last week, two girls quit their jobs. Okay. Because of my chakra's lecture, which is so good. I so remember that. And so when they, the other day he came, both came in and said, I could my job the other, and goes, I quit my job too, my job. It was just, it was incredible. Oh man. I just, oh my God. I love the bonding of it. Yeah. And I just, I, I don't know, I just love making a bunch of little Natalie's. I just, I, I don't, it's, and I, I think, you know, my friends don't wanna talk about yoga, so being in a space where I can just go on and on and on about postures and queuing and you actually want to hear it. Yes. And like, I love being in that space. Yes. I feel like such a different person in, in yoga. To regular life. I just, I don't wanna say I'm not confident'cause I'm confident in my regular life, but in yoga, I just feel like my full, authentic self. Mm-hmm. And I love being in a space where I can be that and other people wanna hear it and wanna talk about it. And, yeah. I, I, I just, I just love it. I just get like, so excited about sequencing and postures. I just, yeah. I don't, I don't even know how to put it into words, I guess. And so, mentoring just kind of, once again, this was like happened Mm. With years of me just doing it for free of new yoga teachers coming to me and being like, can you look over my sequence? Can you help me with this? Oh, I didn't even think about that. Yeah. So, but of course, so for years, I was always in a position where even before I was, you know, lead teacher and stuff, people were always just kind of coming to me and asking me for help. And I helped because I loved yoga. And I was like, sure, come on over and I'll go over this with you and, you know, let's, you know. And then n she would be like, how do I get a job? Okay. Like, here's how I'm, and so after doing that for free, out of, just for fun, I was like, huh. I could pay charge people for this. Yes. And yeah, and it's, and that's just another thing that's just so different. You know, I go from teaching a class at the Four Seasons to someone coming to my house and us writing a sequence together and I just like, it's so cool to watch how quickly and like, you know how I was saying before I got a little butt hurt about how like, so for example, one of my mentees, you know, obviously she excelled so quickly. Mm. I dunno who this is. Sydnee. Oh, she kids outta YTT and is like, let me sign up for your longest, you know, your 16 week mentorship. I mean, this girl became, oh, that makes me feel better. Because Yeah, she's excellent. She literally got to, it took me like two years to get to where she is now. Like, so I love that I can help people not make the same mistakes I made get there quicker. Yeah. And like, you know, I, I. I do believe, like say yes to all the opportunities that come your way in the beginning, but also now, I was like, okay, maybe not have you drive all the way to Carlsbad to make$20. Let's look for studios within driving distance in our area for, you know, so how can I help her succeed as quick as possible without burning her out like so many yoga teachers do? So watching her succeed so quickly has been Wow. Wild. Yeah. And watching all, you know, Cassie and, oh yeah, she's great. She's amazing. She's killing it. And I'm just like, it's weird for me to be like, that was me. And it sounds so shitty to say out loud. I, yes. I also think, like, as I'm thinking about it now, like Sydney or the, like these girls, like they, I watched them speak about yoga and like what it meant to them. Mm-hmm. And like teaching and how they enjoyed it and like they like, they like it more than I do, like, shall I say? You know what I mean? And that's how I felt in culinary school. Okay. So. They love it. I was like, these people really like this. And I just don't feel that. Yeah. So that's why when I discovered yoga, it was so, everything just clicked. Yeah. And it's crazy that when I was in high school, I barely graduated. I never went to a full week of school. I had a 2.3 GPA, I never did my homework. I was incredibly insubordinate. INI never would raise my hand. I never knew. I, I, when I found yoga, I became a completely different person. Oh. I And yoga trainings, I was like, I know the answer. I know the answer. I was the most prepared person. I was like, that annoying. Know-it-all. Mm-hmm. So it's so crazy how when you actually find something you like Yeah. How successful you can be at, because I truly, if I were to go back to high school right now, I guarantee all my teachers probably thought I am homeless on the street with how I was. I didn't do anything. I, I literally never did homework. Never ever did, never went to school. Uhhuh.'cause I just. Yeah. You're like, this is not my scene. I just, I don't know. I just, my point is that I just, I never cared about studying or educating myself until I found yoga and was like, I wanna know everything there is about it. Hmm. And I became like, this type A person, it really changed everything about me. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I think like that energy can be fuel that is much needed for the not so fun parts of doing something new. Anything. So, like the culinary students, it's obviously not amazing for anyone day one, week one in the beginning. Yeah. And neither is teaching yoga, but if you're obsessed mm-hmm. That'll help a lot. Yeah. Especially in an industry. If you choose an industry where you have to, where you're not, you know, obviously I'm not gonna say you, every lawyer and doctor makes money'cause there's plenty of lawyers and doctors that don't make money. Yeah. But when you go into an industry where it, it is like known, oh, you don't make money doing this like an artist, you know, or you wanna be an actor. Mm-hmm. Something that like you really, really have to work at like. It is possible. You just really, really have to give it. I You have to give it 100% every day. That's a lot. Yeah. Okay. What would you say to someone who's hoping to create their own business from Yeah. Being not only a yoga instructor, but I feel like just a fitness instructor or like in the wellness space, knowing what you know now. What about the thing of, you mentioned this, I think when you were talking about mentoring, like you don't have to go drive an hour to be paid$20. Like when your new yoga teacher and you're desperate for experience getting in the door. What would you say to someone, and like you've even said something like this to me, but when it feels like maybe you're in San Diego or another ultra wellness environment and it's competitive and there's lots of people who teach yoga and there's lots of studios and you're just trying to get started. Yeah, I mean, I guess it, it would be so specific to what you're trying to do. So if you're saying, if you're trying to become a full-time teacher or if you're trying to start your own business like I did mm-hmm. If you're wanting to be a full-time teacher, I would say for sure prioritize yourself. And what I mean by that is when you have free time, give yourself the, allow yourself to turn off. Because being a full-time instructor is incredibly emotionally draining and it's so great, but. People come to you all day and they suck your energy. And I, and I love giving to other people all day, but when I get home, I have nothing to give. And I think that has been a big part of me being single for so long, is I can't fathom sometimes coming home and having to make dinner for someone and talk to them and be like, really outgoing. You know? I just need to like fully turn off. So I heavily prioritize self-care in my, my whole yoga journey of like taking baths, turning off my phone for hours, going for walks, whatever it is for you that can help you fully relax. Because listen to listening to people, you know, and I, I'm, this sounds like I, it's a bad thing and I hate it and I don't, but having people come to you all day and be like, you know, I'm so depressed. Or, you know, I started doing yoga because I'm so, I have such bad a anxiety or going through this divorce and, or, you know, when I'm at the rehab centers, it's really heavy. I mean, when you walk into a rehab center. You ask someone how they're doing, they will not just say, I'm good. How are you? I'm good. That is not what happens. They'll be like, you know, they really let you know how they're feeling. They're in a really vulnerable position. They're in rehab, they just went through five days of detox. They're physically ill, they feel like shit. And they let you know that they wanna use and that they, they miss their kids and they've really feel like they've let everyone down in their lives. Or I walk in there and I see the same people relapse over and over, and I go in there and I see their face and I'm like, oh, so and so's back. Oh, this is so tough. And they come to me and they're crying like, Ugh, I got a hundred days this time and then I fucked up. Mm. So the point of all this is teaching yoga is really tough. I go home and I am just so done. So you gotta, in your free time, do whatever it is to make yourself recharge. Or else you'll not make it. So many people are like, I wanna become a full-time teacher, and within two months they're like, that was fucking terrible. I don't wanna do that. Because they're so emotionally and physically exhausted from driving around and making no money and, and listening to people cry all the time. Like, it's, it's a lot. So my advice is take care of yourself. Never teach seven days in a row. Always, always have one day off. Always. If you can try and get blocks, what I mean by that is like two classes in a row at a place. I know that's, that takes time. That does sound great actually. Yeah. Yeah. If you're gonna be teaching multiple formats, write one class and then turn it into, write, you know, one slow flow and turn it into a power, and then turn, take the beginning and the end of it, and turn it into your restore. And make a middle, you know, use one class for a week or two weeks instead of trying to make a new class every time you teach. Don't make a million play, you know, use one playlist for a week. Like, just whatever you gotta do to not put so much whatever you can do to take something off your plate. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's good advice. Um, and, and, and yeah, don't take classes that are an hour away and if they are, don't do'em during five o'clock rush hour. Right. Take it at one o'clock in the afternoon when you can get there and back. That makes sense. Things like that. Yes. What can I do that is the least amount of physical and emotional energy for the most amount of money that I can get. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It sounds like common sense, but it's actually not. Yeah, because you get, usually you're so excited that you got offered this class that, oh, okay, I'm just gonna take it. Exactly. And then you're taking, you're like, oh my God, what did I get myself into? And maybe just from our conversation and listening to you, also like not discounting your. Gut feelings about a situation or a studio or like the energy or like just the environment in which you'll be teaching and giving in. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Just because you want a job now or you want that job or you need to make it work for like some reason, like that kind of thing. When you also talked about like the studio being a tough environment and the owner switched and it was still a tough environment and like, just things like that. Like seeing that's my reflection on it after listening to you. Yeah. You obviously wanna just like taking a Y tt, so if you're curious about, oh I wanted to go a 200 hour, where would I go? I always tell people, go to a studio where one you feel connected to, but also the leaders you feel, those are people you wanna eventually be like or learn from. Or if you want a really spiritual experience, go to a more spiritual training. If you want a more, you know, don't just be like, oh they're doing a YTT, I'm gonna sign up. So for sure that, um, I, yeah. Yeah. I flirted with a couple other Y TTS before this one and it's funny'cause, I mean there were other circumstances, but my hesitation with the other ones. I mean, I also was broke. Broke, and then I wasn't anymore. So there's that factor. But like with this one, yeah. I was like, okay, this is a good fit. This is a good fit. Yeah. You know, so, and I feel that way about the studio I teach at, even though it's one studio, I feel like it's a good fit. So, okay. Well, um, I feel like we covered a lot of ground and I am super grateful. I remember when you would let little anecdotes about your business slip and YTT and in the back of my mind I was always like, I'm gonna have to interview her at some point, and we're gonna really get into this. We did. When it's time, when it's time, when it's time, and it's finally time. And I'm super grateful. I think that was just a lovely conversation and you had shared so much value and so many lessons, and perspectives, and I just think it was really like rich and like I loved it. Good. I, I enjoyed myself too. Good. Okay. Thank you for having me. Thank you.