Roni, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Ten years ago, Bella Prana was born out of a time in my life where I was sad and felt lost. I had been in ministry previously and began learning the practice of meditation. Meditation and prayer are so similar, yet so different. My passion for meditation quickly led to a deep love of yoga. Bella Prana Studio was created because I believe that these ancient practices provide doable and simple skills that can lead to a radically fulfilling life. It began in room that could hold five people on Azeele St and expanded to my first studio location that held 25 people on MacDill Ave. We then purchased another local studio and expanded into a space that could hold 50 people on Kennedy, and it felt like a dream. A few years later, we purchased another studio and expanded again into our current space on Platt St… We are now a 6,000sq ft. studio with 100 classes a week and 40 instructors on staff. In ten years, we have had 4 locations and grown like weed, as we asked the community to trust us with their minds and bodies. Providing a space that teaches people to breathe and provides precious moments of reaching and rest is the greatest honor we can imagine.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I always felt the wind was at my back, even when I was headed uphill. I had a faith in what I was doing and why I was doing it that felt like a calling. It has been a blur of 80 hours a week and moments of feeling out of my depth, and days I felt crystal clear. I have loved being a business owner, but any entrepreneur that is being truly honest with you will admit that it is not for everyone. My business is open seven days a week, morning, noon and night and that can be challenging for family and balance. There have been many challenges and some days that I didn’t know how I would get a loan or muster all the skills required. The thing that you don’t see coming, but it is the hardest, is the people. When you interact with thousands of personalities, you will not be able to be perfect in the eyes of everyone, and it always hurts when you can’t be everything to everyone. But business owning is about developing a thick skin without ever being closed off and always listening.
As we grew, new challenges presented themselves. With success comes interesting issues that didn’t exist before. Choosing who you work with and trust is difficult, and there can be hard consequences. But every win and every mistake all lead toward a more wise and impactful business. The pandemic is one of the hardest experiences a business can go through, and we are working everyday to find the joy and beauty. Working harder for less after a decade of earning our success has brought its tears, but we are not alone and in this together. I can tell you after a decade that being business owner must feel like a calling. It will be 3X harder than you think and will require more heart than you can imagine. But if you know if your bones that there is something you have to give and have a suspicion that only you can give it in the way you envision – then you owe everyone a chance to see it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Bella Prana began as a place that only housed my classes and so it was built on my style of teaching in the beginning. I was in ministry previously and my classes are a blend of yoga, meditation, and a modern sermon that challenges us to take ownership in our thoughts, feelings, and outcomes. My classes are a blend of hip hop music, spiritual themes, hard work, and deep rest. As the studio grew other instructors brought their unique styles to the table, and for most of our existence Bella Prana has been an eclectic melting pot of styles, levels and experiences. Something I am most proud of is that we have students of every age and level and style. You can come and lay still for an hour of guided meditation or take a powerful class in 106 degree heat, and everything in between. Our customer service is something we pride ourselves on. We will not be perfect, but we will always strive to make it right. Our environment is purposely neutral, welcoming, soothing and sacred. We consider ourselves a place of healing and offer any experiences that we believe will enhance your life and connect our community.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Wow….it’s always a tough one because you don’t want to scare them away, but there are definitely challenges you will never see coming. My advice would be to remember that all people want to be affirmed, seen, and respected. No matter where you stumble, own it and ask how to make it right. All business is people. No matter what you are selling or how you are serving, it always comes back to people. You will have to be nice to yourself and do your best to create and maintain healthy boundaries. Imbalance is inevitable when you are building something, but know your limits, reel it in, and remember your why.
Pricing:
- We have a New Student Special of a Month of Unlimited Yoga for $39
- We have a New Student Special of a Month of Unlimited Yoga for $39
- You can get unlimited yoga for $99 a month
- Our virtual yoga studio offers unlimited access for day, week, month or year
Contact Info:
- Address: 1112 West Platt Street, Tampa, FL, USA
- Email: roni@bellaprana.com
- Website: www.bellaprana.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellapranayoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellaPranaYoga
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bella-prana-yoga-and-meditation-tampa?osq=bella+prana+yoga
