Namaste in Numbers: 2020 Annual Report
Hey y’all!
My word for 2020 was Clarity, which guided most of my personal and professional goals, including me getting LASIK surgery at the Woolfson Eye Institute (which I highly recommend). Now my vision (literally and metaphorically) is clearer than ever!
2020 was off to an incredible start until Covid-19 happened. Trails were closed for most of March - May so not only could we not take new bookings, but we also had to refund thousands of dollars in existing reservations during those months.
During lockdown, I created and hosted one of the very first Online AirBNB Experiences through which I taught yoga to people around the world including Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America. (I stopped once I could start hosting yoga hikes again.)
I was working with a company that handled all my customer service emails and phone calls but they closed shortly after the pandemic started. So I started paying one of my guides hourly to handle administrative tasks and customer service around June. She agreed and has thrived in this position ever since and appreciates the flexibility of it since she also homeschools her two children.
It was a tough year for everyone. We lost a few guides who no longer had the time or energy to lead yoga hikes.
Thankfully, being outdoors in small groups was the safest place to be so we attracted more and more bookings throughout the year! By September, I had to hire 3 more guides to accommodate all the bookings we had!
We had lots of repeat guests and hosted two yoga hikes during a weekend retreat in October with the Abundant Life Adventure Club. Their membership + adventures help Black people live an active lifestyle and they are based in Nashville, TN.
Physical, mental and emotional self-care became more important than ever last year. This is why I created dozens of new yoga videos shared for free on my youtube channel so people could still enjoy the benefits of yoga no matter their financial means or geographic location.
Special thanks to the Asheville CVB and Mountain Biz Works for awarding me a small Buncombe County Tourism Recovery Grant and the US Small Business Administration for approving a PPP loan. These funds helped keep me and my business going in 2020.
Especially since so many other yoga studios and gyms (and many other small businesses) were temporarily or permanently closing, I am grateful that we actually experienced some growth, despite the unusual year.
Here are a few more highlights:
Even though we couldn’t operate for about 3 months, revenue still grew about 8.5% over 2019. I was also able to give my team some Holiday bonuses at the end of the year!
149 Yoga Hikes
This growth was similar at about 8.7% compared to last year.
669 Trees Donated
We donated 15% or 88 more trees than last year via 501c-3 non-profit partner One Tree Planted. Many of these were planted in Australia and the US Pacific Northwest/California to help support wildfire recovery efforts. This is how my small, local business can have a global, environmentally positive impact.
8 Guides + 10 Jobs
We had 8 regular guides this year as well as 9 part time jobs and one full time job. The flexibility of these jobs allows our team to take care of their kids and pursue other jobs & entrepreneurial ventures.
Hundreds of Happy Customers!
Here are a few of my favorite reviews from 2020:
CAITLIN B.• NOV 2020 • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“We did a family yoga hike with Miranda at Max Patch and all of us had a fantastic time. Miranda was very engaged (and patient!) with our kids (age 6 and 9) and the setting was absolutely amazing. I am the only one that practices yoga but everyone enjoyed! We will definitely be back!”
SARAH A.• OCT 2020 • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
"It’s a perfect activity to savor the elements of nature ! Our yoga teacher is such an amazing guide for our meditation and hike and enlighten us about the beauty of yoga in nature . They’re very accommodating too in my request and flexible too in terms of scheduling . I highly recommend yoga in nature as part of your vacation tour / activity to nurture our soul and part of your ultimate self care ."
EMILY M.• SEPT 2020 • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“We had an amazing private yoga class at our vacation rental! We will definitely sign up for more classes through Namaste In Nature Yoga!”
KISHA H.• SEPT 2020 • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“We did the waterfall hike for my sister’s bachelorette weekend. We had the best time and Ceiara did a fantastic job giving us information about the area and leading yoga. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend!”
ROBIN S.• JUNE 2020 • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“Despite the misty, rainy conditions at Craggy, we had a wonderful experience. We managed to meditation and yoga under cover in the pavillions and Miranda provided hot tea afterwards! The rhodedendrum were bloom and we had a special, memorable time with our kids. Thank you, Miranda”
You can read all of our customer reviews here.
I have all of this and so much more to be grateful for in 2020. I am beyond thrilled to keep growing and moving forward next year!
💖 Miranda
I would love for you to join me & my team for a yoga hike or yoga retreat in 2021.
