Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Mills.
Bianca, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Georgia, originally from Savannah. I moved to Atlanta in January 2016 after I graduated from Georgia Southern University. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Spanish. Throughout grade school and college I have always remained athletic through extracurricular activities. My plan after college was to pursue further education and to work in Law Enforcement, preferably working in the Department of Juvenile Justice as a Probation Officer. I love working with children and helping them through their current status of trauma. The children are the innovators. When it’s their turns to conquer the world, I want to make sure that they are comfortable with themselves and at peace with whatever situation they are in or were to help them grow. So, I came to Atlanta for job opportunities in the government system and graduate school.
Balancing work and school was difficult for me. It was manageable for a while. I kept falling on and off with school I did not have a passion for learning in a school environment anymore. I was mainly cramming in information to produce content for homework assignments. I was not able to enjoy the material. Being introduced into the “adult” world was a wake up call. I was becoming lost as if I was only surviving to work and be slaved versus working to live with a purpose. Over the last three years, I have grown mentally, physically, and spiritually.
I started working my first full-time job in August 2017. I worked for the Fulton County Courthouse. Let’s just say I realized how the government works on more of a deeper level. We were employees serving the public, so you would think there is the best customer service, empathizing with others…most people that work there are rude and heartless for others. I was a true Southern girl with manners and caring tendencies. Automatically, people would say “You Can’t Be from Here”.
I met great people in the courthouse too. One guy I met, during my time as an employee, knew I was into health and fitness. He introduced the idea of me becoming certified as a yoga teacher. I thought about it. At the time, I had taken some yoga classes in college and a couple of classes around Atlanta. I was into fitness and had a lot of muscle weight or solid weight thinking of course that I’m not flexible enough. I followed up on the yoga training information. Initially, I was thinking about going through the training to become certified in yoga and this can be my side job at a gym like LA Fitness. When I actually went through the training it brought out a whole different light. I was really pulled out of the darkness.
I viewed life from a different lens and perspective, focusing on self-care and love through my yoga training and practice. The first couple of years in Atlanta I could not figure out how to balance life or what I was even doing. I hated my “career” job, relationship was rocky, negative environment, no consistent friends here… I was getting into a bit of a slump on the inside. My attitude started to change. I would get snappy at work easier and annoyed with my boyfriend at the time, always. I always relaxed through fitness and healthy eating habits.
Training with the Master Yirser Ra Hotep in Kemetic Yoga for three months helped me find my purpose and individuality on another level. My parents have always been my supporters and investors always pushing me to be my best. I have transformed in the last few months of 2019 where I’m more understanding, confident, and connected with the help of yoga.
I was inspired to leave Corporate America and become an entrepreneur. I never dreamed of working for myself and now I don’t see it any other way. Now was the time and it feels natural! Volunteering at Chick-Fil A Bowl events Walk A Mile in her Shoe, and other events throughout the city of Atlanta, I found my passion for serving and helping people along their journey to a healthier lifestyle. May of 2019, I became a certified RYT-200 Kemetic Yoga Instructor yearning to dive deeper into my mental capabilities through mindfulness. B. Focus Yoga, LLC is my business devoted to helping others find their individuality and sole purpose of life by balancing the mind, body, and soul with kemetic yoga practices. Taking you through challenging poses and postures with ease and grace making room for growth internally. My goal is to awaken consciousness and help others with self-love and overall growth… Life is full of experiences and lessons do not let it hinder you, learn from it, accept it, and get stronger “). B. Focus Yoga represents that yoga is not a trend, it is a lifestyle and with persistence you will know your purpose to fulfill in this world. My main focus is to get children and women-centered and dealing with their mental health.
During my transition, I changed my eating habits. Yes, I am a vegetarian. It was not a difficult change because I was not a big meat eater or I did not intake a lot of sugar in my diet.
Great, 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?
Starting a Business is not easy at all. It has been a learning experience. Choosing a name, creating a logo, writing down ideas that was the easy part to me. Implementing the tools that I had learned thus far to put into practice for others. Where do I start to promote myself? I started teaching classes at the YogaSkills Kemetic Yoga Studio in Atlanta. I have three classes a week. Now I need photos for social media to promote me doing yoga now. I was on social media and knew how to operate it, but I did not post much. I had to get comfortable with posting almost everyday to stay engaged. It has gotten way easier. Family and friends supported my classes always. Now I have to reach more of the public? I would have about 1-3 people in the classes. We have to start somewhere, I had took a leap of faith and quit my job. Money was coming in differently. I did not want to work for others, so I needed other ways to work for myself. I began to Uber, which was never thought about either. I did not want strangers in my car… Honestly, now that I see sometimes talking to strangers is the best. I love interacting with people and always getting a chance to tell them how I want to walk in the world.
It’s difficult getting individuals to stay consistent or even take you seriously at times. Marketing strategies have grown for me, but I can use work. Figuring out how to launch a website and what to include is a process. I am loving every step of the way.
Also, getting your parents to believe in YOUR dream and forget traditions gets difficult to manage, so you find yourself begin to isolate from family and friends until you really figure out what you believe in and is able to stand strong in it.
B. Focus Yoga – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
B. Focus Yoga, LLC is a business that is devoted to helping others find their individuality and true purpose through therapeutic yoga practices that focuses on balancing the mind, body, and soul. Flowing through the poses and postures focuses the mind on the present moment and deepens the breath flow. Yoga helps on a psychological level. There are activation points throughout the body that triggers or sends messages to the brain. The focus is to promote mental health around individuals, definitely among women and children, through the yoga practice. Self-love and care are very important it is apart of your growth. Our clients experience a relaxed sensation throughout the body and with consistent practice and dieting your body can easily self-heal. B. Focus Yoga teaches weekly classes, at different Youth Detention Facilities in the Metro Atlanta area, offer special event services, virtual yoga classes, and group and private sessions. Overall, we want to guide individuals your their yoga journey to health and wellness.
In the future, we will have special events where it implements yoga workshop sessions and yoga mixed with different genres or style/flow of music featuring local artists to mainstream. Stay tuned!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being able to accept ME and have the confidence in myself as a leader. B. Focus Yoga, LLC is beginning to influence family and friends to stay active with the practice of yoga. My most cherished moment is when I had the opportunity to teach these two beautiful young ladies, aged five and three. During my session, they followed every pose, maintained the breathing techniques and remained calm. Before and after the session, let’s just say very rowdy and busy lol.
Another moment that I enjoy is teaching to the young men in the Dekalb County Juvenile Courthouse diversion program. They are able to come take class with me and obtain hours towards their probation agreement. They always report feeling relaxed after the session and they stick with it the whole time even if they don’t want to take their tennis shoes off.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bfocusyoga.com
- Phone: 9124142322
- Email: bfocusyoga@gmail.com
- Instagram: @little_bittyb
Image Credit:
Photo Brother’s Media, Hakim Wilson
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