A blog post from Funky Buddha Yoga Co-Owner, Chris Reinbold.
Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2016 finds you well. Now, on to some news about us…you are reading our blog after all.
Every January, Grand Rapids Magazine puts out their “Best of GR” list, and this year we find ourselves again awarded “Best Yoga Studio.” This is our sixth consecutive win in various local media outlets.
While it’s been great to be honored, we don’t feel the key to our success lies in the awards we’ve won, it lies in one very big question we ask ourselves. This question not only fuels our work for the upcoming year, it’s the very heart of one of our studio’s Core Values, the value of Continuous Improvement.
So what’s the question? It’s simple: Are we a better hot yoga studio than we were last year at this time?
This past December, we celebrated our 5th anniversary as a studio, and with time comes perspective. We can now look back at the previous Januarys to see where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. We can see the mistakes, the successes, the learning opportunities, and the growth. Then we take a look at the present just as it is.
That’s when we ask ourselves, are we better than last year at this time? Which begs a few other questions.
Based on what metrics? How do we evaluate? According to whom? And we’ve learned no one else can answer these questions for us.
We can look at the numbers, and we do. Memberships and attendance are at record highs compared to last year and the years prior. But, as much as the nerd in me loves numbers and analytics, they paint only a partial picture.
We can look at reviews, and we do. The overwhelming majority of student reviews, social media chatter, and favorable media speak say that we are doing a good job, that our students are happy. No doubt it’s nice to see but not perfectly helpful to us in answering our one big question.
So here’s what we’ve done. The first and best way to answer Are We Better Than Last Year at This Time? is honest self-reflection. The numbers, reviews, accomplishments (or lack thereof) can only serve as supporting evidence, as indicators to a larger picture.
We’re fortunate that we are able to say that all of these indicators have been overwhelmingly positive for our first 5 years, but success can be its own trap. Yes, I just said that and I’ll say it again. Success can be its own trap.
Here’s how.
In the early days of The Funky Buddha, Kerri was leading our team through some changes we’d be making to a class format. In the midst of her presentation, a common question arose. “Why fix, what’s not broken?”
So subtle are the tiny roadblocks to continuous improvement.
Honest self-reflection brought Kerri to the conclusion that we could implement this class better, that we weren’t doing our best, and falling short of all that we were capable of.
Past success does not guarantee future results. Where we think this isn’t true, success has made us blind and drawn us into its trap.
I’ll use our Executive Director, Anna, as an example.
Anna joined our team last August, after seven years of owning a successful multi-location dance studio franchise in Indiana. She’s funny and talented, and we’re fortunate to have her on the team. But here’s where hiring Anna got fun for Kerri and I.
The first assignment we gave her was to spend several weeks picking apart the studio, looking for areas where she thought we could improve. She took us on by practicing her ass off, attending workshops, interacting with our talented staffers, shopped for gear in our retail section, used our website, app, etc.
The majority of proposed improvements she brought back to us already are or are in process of becoming the new normal.
But this is where we get teary eyed…where our hearts swell with pride…..our staff…our team. Because, instead of complaining or questioning or resisting, they’ve been game-on when it comes to embracing improvements. We know this is unique and rare and incredible, the last thing that happens in a typical workplace.
It is a testament to the culture and people that make up the Funky Buddha. It is a testament to the fact that asking If and How we can improve is just how we roll.
Last year alone brought us several new ideas, people and positions that would not have been had we not continued to ask Are We Better Than Last Year? We’ve added an Executive Director, Corporate and Community Ambassador, Marketing Specialist, three additional Staff Teachers (two of whom have been in the grind as former studio owners and just plain happy to be part of a great team), new mentees to our Teacher Mentorship Program, a new Flowtation Class, a Funky Buddha Music Festival, Yoga Alliance Certification as a 200 and 500 hour school of yoga, and Funky Buddha SUP Yoga….plus a shit-ton of other fairy dust we get to sprinkle on our students every day (and they sprinkle on us).
We can’t guarantee continued “Best of GR” awards. Doing so puts the cart way before the horse. But I can guarantee we’ll keep asking our one big question and improving and innovating and looking for how we can be the best yoga studio we can be every day. It’s at the very heart of what we do.
To Continuous Improvement,
Chris
PS – Thanks for voting for us…six times in a row 🙂
Jane Steele, fellow Funky Buddha Yogi, professional maven of organization and cleanliness, and owner of 
2. Do not overthink spring cleaning! I want you to know that even if you do not clean your house regularly, it is not magic, and it is not a trick. There is no “right way” to clean. There is, however, a method to the madness – or more like you need Method to control the Madness. Make a simple list, and stick to it.
Jane Steele created 