Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Gronowski.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m honored to share the origin story of Yoga Bliss! My after-college career was in public accounting and finance, but I had decided to be a stay-at-home mom to my three kids. By the time they entered elementary school, I had really lost myself. I think that this is a common thing for stay-at-home parents, but only recently has it been acceptable to admit. I worked out regularly, running, lifting weights, and taking group fitness classes. I was aware that my health club offered yoga but had no idea what it was all about. One day, I took a class. Wow! It challenged me physically and mentally more than anything ever had. Emotionally, I got a glimpse of how stuck I was and a reminder that I had choices and options. I felt different after the very first class and couldn’t wait to go again. I didn’t know why, but I felt happy and energized now after “working out”, instead of depleted. At the grocery store after yoga, people looked at me quizzically and asked what I was smiling about. The gym stopped offering the classes, but I needed them, so I asked one of the teachers to lead yoga in my basement for a few friends and me. For several months, she came every Tuesday and Thursday, and our little group grew from 2 to 10. I started driving up to Cleveland Yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays…I wanted yoga every day! Then our teacher moved. I apologized to the group and told them that we must disband, but they responded, “Why can’t you lead our class? Just do what you are doing in class at Cleveland Yoga.”
By now, I knew that there was much more to it than that, but I agreed and started offering free yoga in my basement every Tuesday and Thursday. Along the way, my kids’ playroom turned into a lovely yoga studio, complete with tape marks for mats and a painted “om” on the wall and I got certified as a “real” teacher at Cleveland Yoga and immersed myself in retreats and yoga books.
We grew to a rotating group of about 25 yogis at a time, including my kids’ bus driver, who would arrive just in time after delivering her precious cargo. Strangers were invited to just walk in and come down to the basement. I wanted to share this amazing practice that was changing me and making me feel so happy, powerful, and competent. Yoga was no longer about the “workout” but all about peeling back layers and rediscovering myself. I had also discovered that an important part of yoga is Seva, or “service to others.” I saw famous yoga teachers who I admired raising awareness and funds for causes they championed. I realized that through donation-based special events, I could raise money for local organizations that I cared about.
After three years, one of my best friends started talking to me about opening a yoga studio. I didn’t want to turn my passion into a job, but I wanted to reach more people, and I knew that I couldn’t do that from my basement. I also knew that a studio would allow me to raise more substantial funds for my Seva projects.
So, I stepped out of my comfort zone, signed a lease, managed a build-out, and we opened for business in February 2011. There have been many ups and downs, an expansion in Fairlawn, a pandemic, but the thing I am most proud of is that through 2023 Yoga Bliss has donated more than $115,500 to organizations that support women and children.
And what about those friends from the early days in the basement? Most of the “Original Basement Yogis” are still at Yoga Bliss!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The pandemic was definitely challenging. To have to close our doors for 3.5 months was financially devastating. But we felt like those dark times were when people needed yoga the most, so we immediately started offering virtual classes for free. A second location that opened in 2018 never recovered from the pandemic and I had to close it last April. Things are so wonderful and busy now that those hard times feel like a distant memory but knowing that we successfully came out on the other side is very empowering.
Of course, competition is a challenge to every business, but it is important and healthy…it keeps us on our toes! To stay relevant and on top, we are constantly evaluating how we can offer more and be better. Recently, we added barre classes, invested in weights and resistance props, expanded our boutique, and added Lululemon to our brand offerings. I’m so excited for the future, including the challenges, which always strengthen and teach me something.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Yoga Bliss believes in the power of yoga + barre to strengthen Every Body physically, mentally, and spiritually. With a regular practice of mindful movement, you will discover potential that you never knew you had! We offer a wide variety of class styles in heated and non-heated rooms and virtually, via Zoom: Yoga, Barre, Beginner to Advanced, Restorative to Power, and everything in between. Our spacious studio includes amenities to support your transformation, including Physical Therapy, Infrared Sauna, & a carefully curated Boutique.
We are extremely proud of our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Ours is the longest-running program in the Akron / Canton area, and we have graduated the most new teachers! It’s so exciting to see all of the teachers who have graduated from our program out working in the community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t attribute my success to luck. I worked really hard and took risks to establish my business. I saw a need in Akron since I was willing to drive 40 minutes for my yoga fix. I chose to study accounting in college and followed a career path in business, so I understood financial modeling and projections. When I first opened the studio in 2011, I balanced full-time mothering of three active and busy children with everything involved in starting a business: designing the space, managing the buildout, doing taxes, staffing, scheduling, marketing, etc. There have been many “failures” along the way, including closing a second location, but the overwhelming success of our original location is, I believe, a direct result of my passion for yoga. I truly believe in what I am selling. I truly believe that yoga can make the world a better place by making us all more compassionate, loving, non-judgmental, courageous, and less reactive.
Perhaps the most important reason for our longevity and success is the quality, dedication, and depth of knowledge of our Team. From the managers to the front desk yogis to the yoga and barre teachers, they are simply the best. They truly care about the students; they want them to be welcomed, seen, nurtured, and loved from the time they walk in until they leave. We have people on the Team from my Teacher Training class and from the basement yoga group, as well as teachers who graduated from Yoga Bliss’ amazing Teacher Training. We all work well together because we are open to feedback and respect each other deeply. I love that every class that I take at Yoga Bliss is unique because every teacher has the freedom to pursue their authentic style. Our classes are NEVER boring! I am so grateful for this outstanding Team who support my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yogablissakron.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogablissakron/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogablissakron/
