Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Murphy.
Jessica, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
A native Atlantan, I quietly practiced yoga in Atlanta for over half of my life. 10 years into my yoga journey (circa 2013), I decided to become a yoga teacher while also working at a yoga clothing store to support myself. During that time, I was practicing yoga all over the city and being exposed to a wide range of incredible local teachers- I was having a blast learning from so many different intelligent, skilled and unique instructors.
By some miracle, I was invited to a gathering of local yoga instructors all of whom I looked up to and admired. They were talking about the state of yoga in Atlanta and shared their hopes for the Atlanta yoga community as the number of people practicing yoga began to grow. Unknowingly at this little gathering, the idea for the Dirty South Yoga Fest was planted.
Over the next year, I started meeting and asking many of the instructors I admired to join in on the first yoga fest in hopes that maybe someone would show up and buy tickets. It turned out to be a huge success selling out our first year. Our festival kept going and continues to grow year after year. We just finished up our 4th event which featured 50+ local instructors over 2 days hosting 500+ guests at SweetWater Brewery and the Loudermilk Center downtown.
We are excited to continue growing and building community through yoga centered events, gatherings, festivals, and collaboration. Our aim is for Dirty South Yoga to be a place to celebrate, connect and watch people fall in like with the practice of yoga.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’d say the biggest obstacle has been to overcome the fear of doing something uncharted.
It’s a scary experience- running your own business, putting yourself on the line, risking failure.
Every time I set the date for the festival and start putting the word out, my doubts and fears start making a lot of noise. I always worry if people will come, I worry if I’ll lose money personally, I worry if people will have a good time, I start suffering from imposter syndrome.
And the worry really doesn’t stop until about 3 weeks after the festival is over.
It’s not a rational thing, even when I see that we are growing every year, even when I see that more and more people are practicing yoga- I just think it is human nature to experience fear as a form of resistance during the creative process.
Fortunately, the perks of being in the yoga business are that I have a yoga and meditation practice to support me when my mind starts racing. I still have plenty of fears, but when I’m really practicing yoga or meditation it is easier for me to move past them and into productive action.
The other advantage I’ve had is being a part of such a supportive community. From the yoga instructors teaching at the festival to the incredible volunteers who give their time to help all the pieces come together, as well as a support system of friends and family who continue to hang out with me even when I start going a little crazy.
And one of the biggest support systems has been the festival attendees bring their friends who ask about future events, who show their love and excitement with us! That is what really keeps me going- knowing that this vision belongs to the community and it’s just my job to make it happen.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Dirty South Yoga Fest is a local yoga festival highlighting the incredible yoga instructors who live and teach in Atlanta.
We put on yoga centered events, gatherings, and festivals to bring together Atlanta’s vibrant yoga community and to grow the practice of yoga in the south. We believe yoga has the potential to keep growing in both depth and breadth and cause people to live healthier more balanced lives.
I’m most proud of the fact that this festival was a pure expression of creativity and community. It really is an experience that was created out of nothing more than a vision, hard work and determination. As long as the Dirty South Yoga vision is something people can get behind and believe in, we’ll continue our dedication to making the festival unique, heartfelt and fun experience for all who attend.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I’m 100% biased since I was born and raised in Atlanta. But having watched both the city itself and the yoga community, in particular, grow so much over the past 10-15 years, I think Atlanta is an incredibly vibrant place for creative and yoga businesses right now.
In the 4 years since we started Dirty South Yoga Fest, we’ve seen yoga in this city explode. The number of studios has probably doubled since we started and it is great to see outdoor yoga classes like KOP yoga draw hundreds of new and experienced yogis to practice every week.
If someone were looking to start a yoga business in Atlanta I would say go for it- but make sure you have a desire to be an entrepreneur because being a yoga professional means you are running your own business. I also would suggest looking to see if there is a need that is currently not being met and think about what you can offer that doesn’t already exist. As with any business, it is always best to put your own personality and creative touch to make your business stand out.
Running your own business can look however you want it to and often it involves thinking outside of the box.
When I started out I thought I’d be teaching yoga in studios- now instead I organize yoga events and I also have a day job. Be flexible, pay attention to the kind of work that gives you energy and don’t let fear stop you from trying something different.
Some would say that the yoga market is starting to be over saturated with new yoga teachers or yoga studios- but I would argue that there are still plenty of opportunities to approach the business of yoga with a unique and fresh perspective. With 5.7 million people in the metro Atlanta area, I’m sure there are plenty of untapped opportunities to bring more yoga to Atlanta and the south.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dirtysouthyogafest.com
- Email: jessica@dirtysouthyogafest.com
- Instagram: @dirtysouthyogafest
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtysouthyogafest
Image Credit:
Kelley Raye
Simone Renee of Encounter HART Photography
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