Beth Shaw CEO/Founder of YogaFit Worldwide
What inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired to create YogaFit because I saw the need for safe, friendly, and fitness-oriented yoga in so many health clubs. My goal was to give the end-user the ultimate yoga experience.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
The fitness industry space, where my company was founded, is typically run by older men. The challenge was being accepted into that space, which we have been, and for over 24 years, we have contributed greatly to that industry. To be recognized as a women business owner in that space is a value and inspiration to other women that want to start their businesses. You can’t be afraid of what the typical industry leader looks like.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
They have to learn to have thick skin, and practice their yoga and meditation so that they can stay in the state of not reacting. They should work on their connection with their intuition because they are going to need a lot of it for their business. They must be persistent, tenacious, bold, creating and, most importantly, STRONG.
What three traits define you?
1. My desire to make the planet a better place through education and philanthropy. 2. Dedication and Commitment 3. Authenticity
What women inspire you?
Any woman that has a business inspires me, from small businesses to large businesses. Especially women who start their business themselves and not with a partner, or family, rather they started it themselves from the ground up.
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
The most important trend for our industry is that everything has become virtual.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
Figuring out new ways to grow my business, how to make new partnerships and income opportunities and how to sustain.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
Probably lack of access to financing, as well as a lack of mentor opportunities. I wish that when I started my business 24 years ago I had a female mentor who owned a business to guide me.
What do you love about being a business owner?
Being in control of something beneficial to the planet, and doing that with the complete commitment and the knowledge that we are positively changing lives.
How do you define success?
I define success as when an individual is healthy, happy and financially viable.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
In college, my finance professor stated, “there is not such a thing as a free lunch,” and that is entirely true.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
I wish I didn’t have to sleep! I would put in two hours at the gym every day, spend an hour working on a project that I’ve wanted to do for many years (watercolor painting), an hour meditating, and watching old films from the 60’s.
What’s the best way to start your day?
I start my day in gratitude. I hydrate myself and I take a moment to think about my intentions for the day and make an action plan.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a veterinarian, but after I went with my friend to an animal hospital and spent the entire day in tears, I decided it wasn’t the right career choice for me.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… look at all the possibilities and solutions.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… to stick to my logical decisions and not my emotional ones.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… water and my dog.
By this time next year, I… much more settled in with the idea of how YogaFit will be growing.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… need to take a vacation.
YogaFit worldwide
YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide was founded in 1994, and is the largest yoga mind body fitness school in the world, teaching people to teach yoga for over two decades. YogaFit emphasizes sports science and alignment principles, as well as the ancient traditions of yoga. Bringing yoga to everybody in a safe, accessible, and adaptable way, YogaFit allows for a full range of fitness levels, age groups, and health conditions while maintaining the essence of the practice.
