Lindy Huang Werges of Zen Yoga Strap

What inspired you to start your business?

A dear friend of mine, Julie, had been struggling with achieving the Happy Baby pose (Ananda Balasana) as well as a couple of other poses during our Restorative / Yin Yoga sessions for a couple of years. Julie had some knee issues and was going to a trainer and a PT for several months, but not progressing. After one of our Restorative / Yin Yoga sessions, I decided to design a tiered yoga strap for Julie’s birthday, so she could progress from her knees to her feet. The strap helped Julie enjoy her yoga practice more by increasing her flexibility and within nine months, she was able to achieve the proper Happy Baby pose along with some additional poses! What began as a desire to help a friend turned into an e-commerce business that has allowed us to help many more safely progress in their practice and achieve deeper, longer stretches with increased flexibility. We could not be more grateful for these opportunities.

What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?

Be open to extending your hand and helping others without losing sight of yours and your company’s needs, goals, and objectives; you are your own biggest advocate.

What three traits define you?

Integrity. Integrity has always been the cornerstone of who I am, both in business and in my personal life. Integrity is not only about honesty, it is also about consistency; what you do when no one is around is the true reflection of who you are as a person. Community + Advocacy. I believe businesses and their communities thrive through a symbiotic relationship. The only way we can truly empower and lift our communities is by supporting our under-resourced teens and young women, our future leaders. Philanthropy. Philanthropy is a big part of who I am, therefore, it also runs through the DNA of our other company, Integritas Resources, Inc. We support and volunteer at local non-profits and universities that focus on college access programs, college to career workshops, and purvey women-owned and minority-owned businesses in every aspect of our annual procurement spend.

What do you love about being a business owner?

I love the freedom of creativity and the ability to grow a business organically out of a desire to help a friend feel better about her practice and the ability to transform that into opportunities to help many others progress and incorporate wellness into their daily lives.

What's the hardest part about being a business owner?

There are a couple of areas I find the hardest about being a business owner: 1. Having the financial resources to capitalize the company during the early stages of the company’s growth. This is often the most critical time for a young company and can be a significant challenge for female business owners. 2. As business owners, there are always items that need to be addressed, upgraded, retooled, etc. It’s hard to find a balance and easy to work into the evenings or on the weekends. But I have found that when I take a day during the weekends and step away from my computer, leave the house, and spend some time with the family, I feel regenerated for the week. This is something I am really working on, establishing a balance between work and life.

If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

I would spend my extra time traveling with my family to see and learn from the various cultures around the world on how their communities thrive together.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an FBI agent when I grew up. :)

How do you unwind after a long workday?

Cooking and/or baking have always been the best way for me to unwind. It gives me the opportunity to create something delicious for my family. I love seeing their faces when they enjoy what they are eating.

What do you like about your workspace?

I love that our workspace is calming and collaborative with extra room for us to lay out the yoga mat(s) for stretching throughout the day.

Fill in the blank:

When I face a challenge, I... focus on identifying the core issue(s), the most effective solutions, and developing an action plan.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself... to establish more balance between work and life.

The one thing I couldn’t live without is... my husband and our seven kids.

By this time next year, I will be... moving our youngest daughter off to college.

The best thing that happened to me recently was... being awarded the SCMSDC’s Supplier of the Year Awards (SOTY2018) Class I.

To get my creative juices flowing, I... watch baking or cooking shows.

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Zen Yoga Strap

The Zen Yoga Strap is a unique 3-loop yoga / progress strap designed with a convenient handle to help improve flexibility and achieve a deeper, more meaningful stretch. Endorsed by Certified Yoga Practitioners, Athletes and Executives, the Zen Yoga Strap can easily be incorporated into regular, daily stretching while in the office, at your desk, at home, or while traveling. Learn more.