Susan Yu, founder of @notjustyoga, left the corporate hustle in 2010 after falling ill through exhaustion. For the full story click here. NJY was rebranded in 2016 as a collaboration brand.
She realized the power of yoga was not limited to JUST wellness and now applies yoga principles in business… Collaborate & Succeed. It really is – Not Just Yoga.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I have always been an ideas person. From a young age, I loved coming up with concepts with the challenge of making them work.
It took a while to find myself because I was too busy listening to everyone else and taking advice of individuals who were NOT like-minded.
Once I realized that the office life was not for me, I went off piste and started my own business.
Tell us about your business.
NJY (Not Just Yoga) has two parts. They are separate, but crossover at points:
- Public Figure
- Social Media Marketing
Public Figure
My Instagram status started taking off around two years ago, when I began to post regularly and made an effort with my images and hashtags. I knew back then that Instagram was going to be a powerful tool and I needed to increase my followers to gain credibility to help open doors that would usually be closed to me.
I am now launching my blog on November 28th just in time for Christmas and launching my e-commerce store in 2019 where you can read about and buy everything you need for your entrepreneurial lifestyle.
My IG @notjustyoga is currently at 27K+ followers (Oct 2018) and has given me the perfect platform to launch my blog and store!
Social Media Marketing
In an era where entrepreneurship is rife and money is lean. We need to turn to each other for help in order to succeed. Cut to NJY being a collaboration brand where we apply Yoga principles to business…..COLLABORATE & SUCCEED, we are NOT a gym or studio.
We help start-ups, SME’s and brands that want to break into a new market, gain valuable social media exposure, increase brand awareness & ROI. Our collaborations invite INFLUENCERS to play and MEMBERS to enjoy unique experience events. We’re the brand that likes to give back.
Our IG @notjustyogalondon had reached 10K+ followers in 12 months, through our social media marketing know how. We can help others do the same, raising profiles, increasing brand awareness and ROI.
Want to know more www.notjustyoga.co.uk or drop us an email susan@notjustyoga.co.uk.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes! We are giving away 2 tickets to our bi-annual charity catwalk event on November 7th – Travel in Style: Doggy Style. Yes, this year we are featuring SUPER CUTE DOGS on our catwalk.
All you have to do is share a post on Instagram with the event details. Date, time and venue with the wording, then tag @notjustyogalondon and DM us to say it’s done!
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
Certification/Qualifications
- BSc Pharmaceutical Science – Kingston University
- BSc Osteopathic Medicine – NESCOT University
- HND ODP (year 1) Operating Dept. Practitioner – Thames Valley University
- Yoga Qualification – BSY
- Pilates Qualification – Future Fit
- ETM Qualification – Future Fit
- Spin & Aqua Aerobics Qualification – LA Fitness
I have more, but no need to list. You get the gist, I have an oriental genetic origin (born in the UK) and have a flare for academia. Stereotype much!
Accomplishments
- I gave birth. Yes, it’s one of my biggest accomplishment.
- I think the second biggest accomplishment is my personal self-development. I am really proud of the journey I have traveled. It has been a challenging ride, but I’m really glad I did it. I was far from perfect, still not perfect haha… but we are constantly evolving and my journey has not finished yet. I am just happy and excited about where I might go, rather than scared of what might come.
Where is your business based?
London, but we have international clients and can do work if you are based in other countries. We are an online business so we can go anywhere. We are currently developing an app to go global.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
Came up with a concept in an industry that would keep me healthy and happy in both mind and body and ran with it. I find that passion can be the strongest driving force in a startup. I learned the hard way in 2010 on how working in an industry that didn’t keep me healthy and happy, resulted in me being depressed, ill and passionless.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Social media, social media, social media! Oh, and networking of course, never giving up and always learning and adapting.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Getting people and brands to trust each other, support each other, and to help each other. To collaborate and succeed. In the world of MONEY TALKS, giving back seems to have been a little lost, BUT I believe in leading by example, so here I am!
How did you overcome these challenges?
I never give up! Passion and belief in the business world and the human race is also what keeps me going. My concept is unique and I know it’s hard to trust and give, but I know we all have it in us.
So I know it will work, I just need to remind everyone how good it feels to help each other. Once you get positive energy in one space, success naturally comes. It’s not all about money.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
Not going to lie. Sometimes it’s really hard. Especially when you work hard, constantly think laterally to get you out of tight spots that external factors have caused. To keep me motivated, I take emotion out of the equation.
I do yoga, cry, jog anything that releases the frustration/emotions in a healthy way, so that I can then think logically and move forward with my plan. When I think clearly, I see solutions and that keeps me motivated.
If I have a solution, I can fix the problem. If I fix the problem and keep going = MOTIVATION & SUCCESS.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
We apply yoga principles to business to collaborate and succeed. We give back and support you in your entrepreneurial journey as long as you’re willing to do the same for other. We are lateral thinkers, problem solvers, not crowd followers, we color outside the lines and are results driven.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
- Just keep cutting out the negative and work with the positive.
- Do not get caught up in the blame game, arguments, or time-wasting formulas.
- If something or someone does not work… remove it, find a solution and carry on.
- Be nice, but efficient.
- Positivity breeds positivity which breeds happiness and success.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
- Do not be scared of change, adaptation is key.
- Even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.
- Be open to new ideas and lateral thinking.
- Most importantly look after your health.
- Thinking straight and being positive is hard if you are ill.
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
Social media platforms, love Instagram. Pinterest has just come back on the table too as they are highly visual and have now introduced a linked shop the product option. Social media, in general, has low overhead costs and can generate lots of money when used correctly.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
Why It’s Okay to Cut Toxic Family Members Out of Your Life.
When starting or building a business you need to have the right support around you. Not saying everyone has toxic family members but its more the principle.
If you have toxic surroundings that affect your mental health you need to get RID OF IT! See people for what they are and how they are good/bad for you and act accordingly.
You need your mental and physical health to be at its best so you can face the challenges that lie ahead.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
ROI on Instagram ads and using Influencers to market a brand. Instagram and Influencers are still fairly new in the London market and not many have found a way to monetize or prove that it does give a good ROI.
I am currently organizing collaborations to use as case studies to prove ROI on Instagram and using Influencers. If you’re interested in this data or being a case study. Drop me an email susan@notjustyoga.co.uk
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
- For @notjustyoga – Launch my lifestyle blog and e-commerce store. I’m looking raise my profile even further and using my public figure status to PR and market my products.
- For @notjustyogalondon – Increase client base regarding my social media marketing, app development and ensure my collaboration events keep building popularity.
- Both – Start looking for money sponsors or investors.
- For me – REST and spend some time with family.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @notjustyoga, @notjustyogalondon
Twitter @notjustyogayu, @notjustyogalondon
Facebook @notjustyogayu, @NotJustYogaLondon
YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UC5pO37fwmXXrpk9eA_dU7SQ
Website www.notjustyoga.co.uk
Email susan@notjustyoga.co.uk
Hashtags #thebusinessyogi #keepgoing