Episode 6, Season 2: Power Yoga Canada Burlington, Ontario It’s About Balance. Al speaks with Aneta Pietruszko, co-owner of Power Yoga Canada in Burlington, Ontario. Aneta talks about how she started practicing yoga to help with her anxiety and ended up owning and running her own studio, first in New York City, then back home in Burtlington. Listen to how she did it, and how she managed through the pandemic.
You can learn more about Power Yoga Canada at poweryogacanada.com.
Al Grego: Hello, everyone. I'm Al Grego. And this is the Yes, We Are Open Podcast.
Today, I'm in Burlington, Ontario, approximately 60 kilometers west of Toronto. Nestled between the Niagara escarpment and the Northwestern shores of Lake Ontario, Burlington is at the hub with the Golden Horseshoe. It's the 28th largest city in Canada with a population of 168,000. No single employer or job sector dominates their very diverse economy. The leading industrial sectors in Burlington include food processing, packaging, electronics, automotive, and pharmaceuticals.
Burlington also has many attractive natural features for those who enjoy active lifestyles. It's a great destination for cycling along the foothills of the escarpment or along the waterfront, hiking on the Bruce trail or enjoying water sports in the summer months. All of these factors and more lead to MoneySense magazine rating Burlington the number one mid-size city in Canada to live in.
I'm heading west along the QEW from Toronto. I exit just before the downtown core and turned into the Burlington mega center and the location of today's story, Power Yoga Canada.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Hello.
Al Grego: Hi. How are you?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Come on in.
Al Grego: Thank you.
That's Aneta, the owner of this location. She welcomes me at the door and gives me the tour of the unit, which features a welcoming space with reception and a wall of merchandise including clothing, mats, candles, and books. Opposite the merchandise is the entrance of the studio. I walk in and I'm immediately struck by how warm it is in here. It's almost sauna-like. The studio is a large warmly lit space with hardwood floors and art on the walls and an entire wall of large south facing windows allowing in generous amounts of natural light. I'm able to witness Aneta in action during a class.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Exhale through your nose. Audible exhale out. Press back into downward facing dog and create some malleability in your joints. And you can even take a moment-
Al Grego: Later on, I sit down with Aneta for her interview.
Aneta Pietruszk...: My name is Aneta Pietruszko, and I'm the co-owner of Power Yoga Canada at Burlington.
Al Grego: Power Yoga Canada was founded in 2009 by Pauline Caballero and Kinndli McCollumm. Their original location was in Mississauga, Ontario. That's where Aneta first began as a teacher.
Aneta Pietruszk...: My dad owned a body shop. And at the time, I was struggling with anxiety; just came about out of nowhere. And he's like, "While I fix your car, I bought you a yoga class. Why don't you head over and meet these ladies? They're really nice." And coming from an athletic background, I was like, "What are we going to be doing here?" You know? It's going to be boring. I don't know what to do. And then I walked in and it was really hot. I remember my first class, like not knowing anything, but it was very much Pauline and Kinndli who inspired me to try class again. And I kept going. And after a month or so my anxiety was gone.
Al Grego: Wow.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yeah. It was pretty remarkable. Panic attacks didn't come back. Like, all of this stemmed out of nowhere too. So I can't really pinpoint when it started. But practicing yoga really helped me find balance in my life. And from that point on, I got really excited to do more. I started a 40-day challenge with them. And then from that point on, I knew that I wanted to do teacher training. I graduated, I started my own classes in Toronto, and then my life took me to New York City.
At the time, I was married and my husband's job took us there. So I took a leave of absence from my finance job in Toronto and decided to try something new. Wanted to teach, but was very nervous to teach New Yorkers because they're a different kind of breed. I was afraid that I wouldn't be tough enough for them, but I ended up staying there just shy of five years.
Al Grego: Wow.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Really took my teaching to another level living there and running a studio, which really at the time I didn't realize was planting the seed for me to have all the things I needed in my toolkit to open my studio now.
Al Grego: And then what brought you back to Canada?
Aneta Pietruszk...: My husband and I, we separated. And so I was very much wanting to stay in New York, but he wanted to leave. At the time, I was under his visa and it was very hard for me to get my own. And so he's like, "I'm sorry, but I got to get back to Canada." So then I came back, but I was doing a lot of back and forth because I had an apartment there that I just signed a lease for. So it was a lot of movement, a lot of transition. And then eventually, I just gave up what I was trying to hold onto so badly and moved back with my parents. And yeah. In your thirties, moving back with your parents could be a little bit of a new shift, but very grateful for that time as well.
Al Grego: It seems to be more common these days.
Aneta Pietruszk...: It's very true.
When I would come back to visit, I would always take a class at Power Yoga Canada. So I was very still connected with them. Pauline would visit New York so I would get to see her. So yes, we definitely kept in touch. Then I jumped into teaching. I was teaching 24 classes a week between four of the Power Yoga Canada locations. I knew I didn't want to go back to finance and working behind a desk. So I just hunkered down, and with all the experience that I had in New York, it really sparked an interest in opening up my own.
Then Kinndli and Pauline presented this space in Burlington. And so I started doing some research and realized there really isn't much Power Yoga out this way. Now that I wasn't in the city anymore, I was living in Oakville, I thought, "You know what? This could be a really good opportunity. I don't have to do it alone. And I have Pauline and Kinndli who have done this before. Why not? Let's try it."
Well, we have, yeah, our classes. We have meditation. We have sound bath healing. We have breathwork that we're introducing now. We also have a TuneBed, which is a state of the art meditation bed. 15 minutes is equivalent to one hour of transcendental meditation.
Al Grego: Okay. And you were just doing that before I got here?
Aneta Pietruszk...: I did. Yes.
Al Grego: Can I see what that looks like?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Of course, yes. I'd love for you to try it too.
Al Grego: Oh man.
Aneta Pietruszk...: You might fall asleep.
Al Grego: Yeah. I'm a bit of a snorer. So maybe not. Okay.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Everyone snores. It's fine. I think there's seven different frequencies. And I chose Create today. And the bed vibrates, there's sound coming into your ears. It takes you on a whole other level. And the whole point is to take you out of fight or flight mode to balanced and restored.
It's a very powerful practice. So for somebody that's an athlete, they'll find something in that. For somebody that's looking to level up their practice, that's great. If someone is feeling discouraged or nervous, because the word power sometimes holds a lot of intimidation, we offer a ton of modifications. This practice is really available to every body at all levels. And that's what really attracted me to it because in the room you'll have people in a handstand and you'll have people just in a fold with both feet on the floor and working their prep through their hands. So it's very much accessible to all. And I like that because it really drives our slogan here is, "Belong in Burly." So that sense of belonging is for everybody.
Al Grego: How is the opening? How did it go?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yeah. That opening went really, really well. I attracted a lot of great new members in the Burlington location. A lot of the people that joined in 2019 are still very much a part of the studio today. It wasn't just teaching a yoga class and people leaving. I got to spend some time with getting to know who they are, who their family's about. I have a reputation for knowing everyone's name. And I think that those details are really important when you're growing a community and your business. What I didn't realize is when the doors had to close with the pandemic is I knew exactly who I was picking up the phone for. And we are very much already creating this community outside of this building. And at the time, I didn't realize how much value that had. I naturally do that anyway. But now looking back, that's one of the biggest successes is that I know who I'm talking to. You care about your people, they're going to care about you right back.
Al Grego: Up next, after overcoming her anxiety issues and moving her life to New York and back after her divorce, Aneta Pietruszko's life seems to have finally found some solid ground on which to build her Power Yoga Canada franchise. But she's about to face perhaps her biggest challenge yet. Will she be able to power her way through yet another obstacle? Stay tuned to find out.
You're listening to Yes, We Are Open.
Aneta Pietruszko's entrepreneurial journey began when Power Yoga helped her overcome her anxiety issues. Then, after honing her skills in New York City as a yoga teacher and running a yoga studio, divorce forced her to move back home to Canada with her parents. Aneta once again turned to Power Yoga for Help. thanks to her experience and encouragement from Power Yoga Canada owners, Pauline and Kindley, Aneta decided to open up her own franchise in Burlington. And she thrived. Things were once again looking up for Aneta. But then, this happened.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Opening in September, just around the corner, we had to shut down. And of course I wasn't prepared for that.
The struggle was real. It was something that I've never been a part of. And I felt ready. Like, I was equipped. Okay, what's next? I'm very much a person that handles things that's in front of me one at a time. I've learned that over the years, otherwise I would be a hot mess. So the very next day we were on a virtual platform and then we moved into Zoom. And funny to talk about Zoom now. It's like before it was, "Well, what do I click?"
Al Grego: Right.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Like, "What's this mute button?" Now they have like co-host and host, all these ways of doing that. So I started teaching from the room. I called all of my members. They joined me online, whether it was their preference or not. It was because they just wanted to see the community in the little tiles and not feel like they're by themselves at home. That was a struggle because I'm very much human to human. So I never had to perform, not perform, teach online. Teaching online is much different pulling connection than it is in person. So that was difficult for me at first. But because the whole world was in the same situation, it almost brought some ease in knowing like, "All right. I'm not alone in this struggle. We're all trying to figure out what to do."
Al Grego: Did you find maybe that there was a certain type of client who might not have normally come to a yoga class before that found themselves coming this time because it was available to them?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yes. 100%. People that didn't feel comfortable in a public setting or intimidated about people's bodies, whatever it was, now they get to do it from the comfort of their own home. And I continue teaching in class and online all around the world and people have stuck with this membership and love it. So before the pandemic, like what a gift and opportunity there has been that was never seen before. But when you have to, it's something that now we get to keep and continue with, which is a win.
Al Grego: How much planning did you have ahead of time? How much were you paying attention to the news going, "This might actually be real."? Because most people were ignoring it. Right? Because it didn't feel real.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yeah. I was one of them. I believed it was just a cold. I had a student write me, "Aneta, maybe you should get rid of the blocks and rental mats, space people out." I said, "We're fine." Like, I have emails I just went through and I said to one client, "I'll see you in two weeks. It's just going to be a few weeks. We'll be fine." Well, that obviously didn't happen. There wasn't really much time for any type of planning. It was very much leaning into the community of other yoga studios asking, "Well, what are you doing? How are you managing?" And learning from one another because no one's ever lived through this before.
Al Grego: So you didn't have anything set up. But then March hits, now everything shuts down. You can't have anybody in inside your building anymore.
Aneta Pietruszk...: No.
Al Grego: So how quickly did you turn that around to online?
Aneta Pietruszk...: The very next day.
Al Grego: Wow. That quickly?
Aneta Pietruszk...: That Monday, March 10th or 11, I can't remember, but we were online. We utilized like social media, Instagram, Facebook, and then Zoom became the popular thing. So because I'm a part of a Power Yoga Canada affiliate team, we were lucky. We have, I think it's 13, 14 studios where we were able to create a robust schedule through all of our studios. And it had a big appetite for those that haven't tried yoga or our members; they got to try different teachers from other studios. So it worked really well through that platform.
Al Grego: So was it business as usual immediately? I mean, you must have taken a bit of a hit even like going online. Right? Did you lose a lot of clients in the beginning?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Actually, I have to say I hardly didn't.
Al Grego: No?
Aneta Pietruszk...: And I was interviewed before on this topic as well, and I really believe it was because I never stopped. I never put my head in the sand and just waited for what's next. I was very much, "Okay. This is the opportunity, same back in New York. What's the solution? What can I do right now for my people?" And it was pick up the phone, ask how they're doing. "How are you?" You know? "Can I support you?" I would mail them cards. I would stay very connected to them through the whole time.
And so, because there was such a relationship already, we were creating such a great bond outside of this room even before the pandemic, it was comfortable for me to pick up the phone and say, "Hey, I'm switching over to this online platform. I invite you to come and stay. Please continue your membership. This is what you'll get. As soon as I know updates, I'll let you know." And I think in total I had six people that paused because of financial reasons. And then I turned around and gave them a free membership. I also have students that donated several memberships online so that those that can't afford it.
Al Grego: That's amazing. So you had existing customers donating memberships to customers who couldn't afford to continue?
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yes.
Al Grego: That's wow. And I think that speaks to the community you built then.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yeah. The pay it forward was really on point. And nobody wanted to know who did what. It was just very much like, "Let's see them online."
Al Grego: And I see. I mean, you've got class dividers and the...
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yes.
Al Grego: You do have tape in your yoga, in your studio showing the social distance and all that. So you're following all the rules and all the guidelines.
Aneta Pietruszk...: The biggest win for us was, as you can probably tell, I refused to quit. In the summer, what worked for us, because the way my building is laid out, I sent a text to my landlord and I just said, "Hey, this is what I'm doing." I didn't even ask. "This is what I'm doing, period." Because... Anyway. His response was, "Go forth. All good. I'll support you, whatever you decide." And what I did was I created an outdoor yoga class. If you look on the parking lot, you'll see black lines everywhere. It wouldn't be uncommon if 35 people weren't out there practicing in the summer. I got a big speaker, a mic, and I would teach outside three, four times a week. On the weekend was a big one. And then when we opened for a short time, what I would do is continue the outdoor; teach indoor, speaker to both rooms, indoor and outdoor, and now I just doubled... Because I could only have 10 people in here. 10 in a 65 person room.
Al Grego: So you got creative.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Got creative.
Al Grego: Yeah. That's amazing.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yeah. You'd be surprised how creative you are when you have to be.
Al Grego: Yeah.
Coming up after the break, we found out what the future holds for Aneta and Power Yoga Canada in Burlington.
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Al Grego: Welcome back to Yes, We Are Open. Aneta Pietruszko's tenacious no quit attitude has paid off. PYC burlington is going strong coming out of the pandemic. And it's in no small part due to Aneta's hard work and focus on community. So what does the future look like for Power Yoga Canada in Burlington? Let's find out.
Restrictions are about to be lifted. So you mentioned you had a lot of people who might normally not have come to the yoga studio who came because now they could online. Going forward, what do you see the future Power Yoga Canada looking like?
Aneta Pietruszk...: For the future of PYC Burlington, I really do see a online presence and an indoor presence packed capacity. I am ready to fill the space in our room. I mean, we just had close to 60 people the other day. And people are just so excited to be with one another. And I think the biggest takeaway from all of this is that interrupt getting caught up in the bottom line on your sheets and consider looking at your bottom line as community and the people right in front of you. You take care of your people, they're going to take care of you. And that to me is the formula to why I'm still here.
Al Grego: It sounds like it. I mean, for sure. All of the focus you put on building that community up front really helped you in 2019 weather the storm.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Yes.
Al Grego: What about growth? What kind of plans do you have for growth? If any. Or is it too soon?
Aneta Pietruszk...: I know. Like, here we are, we're finally starting to take breaths here back into the space.
Al Grego: Right. Yeah.
Aneta Pietruszk...: I think at this stage, we're just very excited to welcome everyone back to... I know that there's a time right now where people are a little... Like, "Oh, okay. Your mat's there. Got it."
Al Grego: Yeah.
Aneta Pietruszk...: We're very much in that stage. But I do notice that it's one of those things where band-aids getting ripped off and people are definitely easing into reality and normalcy again faster than lockdown one or two in between when we are able to have a couple people in here.
Well, yoga could be for weight loss. It could be for whatever your goal is. You're going to get that in the room. For me, it was very much, "I don't want to take meds for anxiety. Is there another option?" And there is another option that I actually wasn't bought in at first until I tried it. That's why I'm hooked with this practice.
Al Grego: Okay. Well, thank you so much, Aneta, for your time.
Aneta Pietruszk...: Oh, you're welcome. This was fun.
Al Grego: Yes.
Aneta Pietruszk...: It flew by.
Al Grego: Aneta, is Power Yoga Canada open?
Aneta Pietruszk...: (Beep) yes, we're open and we're not going anywhere.
Al Grego: I love it. That's great.
Aneta Pietruszk...: We're here to stay.
Al Grego: Perfect.
That's the story of Aneta Pietruszko and PYC Burlington. Aneta has gone through quite a bit of change in her still very young life and she's been able to adapt every time she's had to like a good entrepreneur. It's as if everything she's endured has been in preparation for what she's doing now. While yoga certainly builds strength and flexibility, Aneta's life has been building her resilience and tenacity. And let me tell you, mission accomplished. I find it amusing that Aneta was once nervous about teaching yoga in New York, worried about not being tough enough. She seems plenty tough to me. It could be that everything she's endured so far has made her that way. After all, entrepreneurs are forged by fire. But not having known her back then, I'm willing to bet she had it in her all along. She just needed that belief in herself. Maybe yoga gave that to her. Let me tell you, once she got it, there's no stopping her. And with Aneta at the helm, there seems to be no stopping Power Yoga Canada in Burlington.
Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris Podcast Production. I'd like to thank Aneta for taking time to share her story. You can learn more about Power Yoga Canada at poweryogacanada.com. Find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube @poweryogacanada. For more information about this podcast, visit our site, yesweareopenpodcast.com. If you'd like to support us, rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're a Canadian small business owner or know of one with an interesting story of perseverance to tell, I'd love to help tell it. You can contact me at podcast@moneris.com. Tune in next week for another story of small business struggle and survival on the Yes, We Are Open podcast. I'm Al Grego. Thank you for listening.