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Life and Work with Kassandra McGivern

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kassandra McGivern.

Kassandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The journey that led to the opening of Desert Air Yoga began in Tallahassee, Florida.

I started taking classes at a small studio, Hot Yoga Tallahassee. At the time, I was a graduate student at Florida State University and HYT was my safe haven away from the lab. I enrolled in a 200-hour yoga teacher training and the plan I had set for my life was taken completely off course. I was teaching yoga classes ‘on the side’ and before long, I found that I was far more passionate about teaching yoga than I was about my research. Hot Yoga Tallahassee integrated aerial yoga at their studio around the same time, I was questioning whether I should stay in the program. I remember going to a graduation party and talking to people about my desire to quit and open a yoga studio. The unanimous advice was to stick out my program (which would have been another four years at the least), and open a yoga studio when I was done. That was the hardest thing about leaving graduate school. I knew that people thought I was making a bad decision. I knew that a yoga teacher would never be given the same respect as a Ph.D. At a certain point, I just had to be honest with myself and what I wanted and not care what other people might think of my decisions.

Thankfully, I have a partner and family that were supportive of my decision throughout the process. My husband and I moved to Scottsdale in the summer of 2017, got a loan through the SBA, and by December 29th, we opened Desert Air Yoga! There have been many ups and downs along the way, but it’s all been worth it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My journey as a yoga studio owner has not been smooth! I don’t think that any two people have the same struggles in business ownership. In the very beginning, I had difficulty getting a loan. Then, I thought I had found the perfect location, only to find out that a landlord was using my interest as leverage while negotiating with another business. When I finally did lease, location contractors bid me 2x’s what they initially had, costing me about two months of time. And that was all before the business even opened. The first year is like a big guessing game. You don’t have much data, so you have to figure out what works and what doesn’t work based on intuition. It can really drive you crazy. I’ve had days where I teetered back and forth about whether I was a total failure or a huge success. Some advice that might help you along the way:

1. Make a plan, create a vision. But be willing to adapt.
2. Take yourself seriously, otherwise, no one else will.
3. Take care of yourself! Carve out time for proper meals and sleep. This might seem obvious, but it’s kind of a hard one. Days go by really fast when you’re managing 100 different things. I could go a whole day and not even realize I had only drunk coffee, seriously no water and no food.
4. Own your worth. True, in the beginning, you’ll need to do some stuff for free. That’s just how you get your name out there. But don’t let people take advantage of you. Set your price and stick to it. ‘Trades’ don’t pay anyone’s bills. If you want someone to do something for your business, pay them for it. If someone wants something from your business, they need to pay you.

Please tell us about Desert Air Yoga.
My studio specializes in aerial yoga, and makes the aerial arts accessible to almost everyone!
Most people see aerial and immediately think Cirque Du Soleil, not yoga. Our aerial yoga classes really do honor what yoga is, some things are made more accessible, some things are more challenging, it is all fun. As an instructor, I am known for making my students feel really safe and confident. You are never told to do something without knowing what to expect and how to do it. This might seem like an obvious aspect of teaching aerial, but there are small details that create the difference between students mimicking what they see and students knowing what they are doing. I owe this quality to my background in science and cheerleading. Don’t laugh! I’m able to break down different moves and poses without overloading and boring them but instead empowering them. I am most proud of our space. I was very specific about the studio design and love the way it came out. A massive steel structure was built into the room, ensuring that it can support several thousand pounds so students can swing without worry. Each swing was designed so that students have enough room to swing without worry that they will bump into each other. The space is bright and open with twinkling lights that make you feel like your living in some kind of fairy wonderland while you’re in savasana.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
This might be an unpopular opinion. I feel like a lot of barriers that women face today come from within. At least, that’s how I felt with myself. There is this fear of risk, a fear of not being taken seriously, a fear of getting it wrong, a fear of not being enough. A woman with a purpose and a plan is unstoppable. Surround yourself with good people, don’t feel bad about letting go of the people that hold you back or bring you down.

Pricing:

  • New Student Special: 2 weeks unlimited $25
  • Single Aerial Class $25
  • 5 Class Card $100
  • 10 Class Card $150
  • Parties! Range $150-$250

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Natalia Rodriguez, Group Photos: Emily Black

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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