Namaste in Nature 2021 Annual Report
Wow! Time flies when you are doing yoga, hiking and meditating in the mountains!
It’s way too easy to forget about your own wins and compare yourself too much to others.
I am totally guilty of instantly forgetting about goals and milestones once they are accomplished and instantly moving on to the next thing.
The best way to measure your success is to compare yourself/your business to your past self/business.
It’s hard to do in the moment, but once you gather some data and compare it to previous years, it really gives you a better idea of where you’ve been and where you want to go in the future.
Make sure you take time to focus on growth and gratitude at the end of each year.
I am super happy with most of what happened this year and wanted to share it with everyone else who helped make 2021 successful including:
• my awesome & reliable team
• my coaches & mentors
• our diverse range of incredible guests and
• lots of other local Asheville businesses and organizations
💖 Miranda, Owner/Founder of Namaste in Nature
Here are a few 2021 highlights:
Awards and Features
Thank you to the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for designating Namaste in Nature as Small Business of the Month for March 2021. The Chamber hosts so many great events and I look forward to my PNG (Professional Networking Group) meetings every Tuesday.
It’s also been a pleasure to work with and be featured in the Asheville Visitor’s Center.
I want to thank the One Buncombe Fund for a grant that I used to help pay my team since the ripple effects of Covid-19 still stifled 2021 bookings and revenue.
In April, we did a photoshoot with Explore Asheville and talented photographer Reggie Tidwell, showcasing our Full Moon Yoga Hikes.
Thank you also to Explore Asheville who featured Namaste in Nature in a video with Phil Calvert (aka philwaukee on Instagram) that celebrates Asheville’s good vibes and Black culture.
In November, I found out I was nominated for the WomanUp Woman Entrepreneur, Best in Business Award. This is my second nomination as I was also nominated for the Rising Star Award in 2019.
WomanUP is an initiative from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce focused on women in business who wish to build a strong network of women intent on inspiring one another to achieve individual potential; supporting each other in business endeavors; and creating a legacy through mentorship.
Yoga Teacher Training
I must be doing something right with my yoga business if I am being asked to teach other yoga teachers how to start & run a business.
I am super honored to be teaching the Business of Yoga for the 200 hour immersive Yoga Teacher Training (200 YTT) at Asheville Yoga Center. My first group said they really learned a lot and appreciated everything I shared.
I highly recommend Asheville Yoga Center’s yoga teacher training program and would love to see you here in 2022!
Yoga Retreats
In January 2021, I hosted a New Year’s weekend yoga retreat at Lake Logan.
In August, I partnered with Amanda Steadman of Level Yoga to host a sold out yoga retreat in Asheville, NC. We are co-hosting another sold out yoga retreat in January in Vero Beach, Florida and I am planning many more Asheville Yoga Retreats for 2022!
Partnerships & Giveaways
We also successfully partnered with Chimney Rock State Park to offer Yoga Under the Full Moon each month from April to October 2021. We will continue doing yoga with them in on select dates in 2022.
In June, we partnered with Merrell Shoes and ENO Hammocks for a successful event and giveaway.
Our Holiday Yoga Hike Giveaway happened in November 2021 on Instagram. One lucky lady won a gift certificate to cover a yoga hike for two as well as her choice of warm & fuzzy Namaste in Nature sweatshirts.
Make sure you’re following Namaste in Nature on Instagram and Facebook to enter future giveaways!
Content
I am super grateful that my youtube channel has grown to over 2,130 subscribers this year and had almost 100k views!
The main goal of my channel is to help guide you on YOUR journey; which includes traveling, hiking, yoga and meditation.
My youtube channel currently has over 100 free informative & instructional videos including:
• 90 videos of hikes in Western North Carolina to inspire your own adventures
• 12 Meditation + Guided Relaxation videos
• 38 Yoga videos
Life is a journey, not a destination so I’ve always wanted to be able to support our guests before and after their yoga hikes and retreats.
Planning a trip of my own this year encouraged me to create more video content to help others plan their trips to Asheville.
Make sure you subscribe to my channel on youtube
because I’m also creating more content in 2022 about Asheville, yoga and hiking.
And thanks to DigLocal for featuring many of my hiking videos in their newsletter this year!
I crafted 31 blog posts
full of FREE and creative content this year to help people in Asheville and beyond with their health, wellness and mindfulness.
New! FREE Asheville Travel Guide
I’m also super stoked about creating this 19 page FREE Asheville Travel Guide to help visitors plan hiking, healthy & hippie-ish things to do.
Growth:
Revenue grew about 81% over 2020.
I was cautiously optimistic about this year but was pleasantly surprised to exceed my own projected goal.
I was also grateful to be able to give my team bigger Holiday bonuses compared to last year!
Over 300 Yoga Hikes (+110%)
The amount of yoga hikes we led grew by 110% which is more than double last year’s total amount of yoga hikes.
Although it’s important, I don’t just measure the success of my business in terms of dollars or profitability. I genuinely want to create an enjoyable experience for both my guests and my team as well as make a positive impact on people and the environment.
Giving Back: 1400+ Trees Donated (+114%)
We donated over 1400 trees via 501c-3 non-profit partner One Tree Planted. This offsets our carbon emissions and allows my small, local business to have a positive, global impact. Trees were planted wherever they were needed most in the world. These are often planted in response to natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and cyclones.
Since being founded in 2017, Namaste in Nature has donated over 3,000 trees.
12 Guides + 16 Jobs
We had up to 12 regular yoga guides this year. Some guides also help with additional administrative and customer service work. This was a 50% increase in guides and a 60% increase in jobs compared to 2020. The flexibility of these jobs allows our diverse team of women to take care of their kids and pursue other jobs & entrepreneurial ventures.
Here’s what my amazing team had to say about this season:
“I plan to continue with NIN as long as you have me! I really enjoy the hikes and yoga. My favorite has been the sunset yoga hikes.” - Nicole
“I love this; is one of my favorite things to do!… I think the attention given to all the employees is so wonderful, and there’s so much support. Also simply the job itself and the fact that you’ve created it… Getting to do this fulfills so much for me.“ - Jacqueline
“I appreciate the opportunity to work for NIN in the off season and have the office hours work for income to help compensate when there aren't any shifts coming through. I am able to work and be independent and thrive in this new life that I am creating. I am so happy to be a part of your company.“ - Brandon
“It’s a great gig!“ - Janell
”It's something I look forward to every time I go, meeting new people, hiking the beautiful trail that never ceases to amaze me, I truey love & enjoy it!” - Ceiara
“I love yoga and hiking! Being a team meme we for Namaste in Nature allows me to live the dream! Guiding people who want to be in nature is really special and it makes me so happy!“ - Sophie
”I didn’t expect how much leading the hikes would fill my cup. I always leave feeling connected and recharged and clear! I also was so pleasantly surprised by the end of the year bonus last year (this year I knew it was a thing haha) but that’s just a good example of how I’ve consistently been impressed by how NIN as a company pours into us employees!” - Rosemary
Hundreds of Happy Customers!
Here are a few of my favorite Namaste in Nature reviews from 2021:
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“Brandon was an excellent tour guide. The tour was well organized, and included even more activities than we originally knew about. The pacing was perfect and Brandon integrated herself perfectly into our group. Overall, a great way to start the day, and would recommend to anyone.” Bridget C., November 2021\
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“This event was extremely magical and took my birthday celebration to literally another level of serenity! Sophie was an amazing guide and instructor. Thank you the memories of a lifetime! I’ll be back!” Carmen D., October 2021
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“Jennifer was amazing! Our group had fun together and it was really nice to have her take pictures, since I’m traveling solo and don’t really have any from my travels so far that aren’t selfies. The location was actually one I was hoping to visit anyway, so it felt like I got a 2 for 1.” Sara J., September 2021
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“Loved our yoga hike at Catawba with Ceiara! We did it for a bachelorette party and everyone was very happy with the whole tour.” - Arian Z., Sept 2021
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“We did the morning waterfall tour. Loved it! I’m not in great shape, nor an expert at yoga. This hike was just challenging enough to feel rewarding, but not so much that you feel too tired to enjoy your yoga experience. Janell was great. Beautiful experience and location.” Zack L., Aug 2021
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“My bestie from high school chose this hike with Raileigh to celebrate my 48th birthday. The whole experience exceeded our expectations. Raileigh was an excellent guide for the hike, meditation, and yoga. She was flexible to everyone's needs and inclusive towards everyone in our group. Thank you so much for making my birthday extra special! Namaste!” - Ami L., July 2021
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“The waterfall hike yesterday morning with Rose was wonderful even in the rain! Such a beautiful trail and waterfall. With it being so wet, instead of yoga practice Rose led a short meditation at a perfectly dry "secret spot" along the way. It was my husband's first ever meditation and he really enjoyed it. (We may have a convert!) Thank you for a very good morning!!! 😊” - Sharon S., June 2021
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“I highly recommend this experience! I was in Asheville for a girls weekend with my best friend. I love to hike but am a novice (at best) at yoga and meditation. Miranda was amazing! Her positive welcoming energy made me feel like I’ve know her for years. Her guided meditation and yoga was perfectly aligned to my skill level. The location was beautiful and really enhanced the entire experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we signed up, but this was worth every penny and far exceeded my expectations! I would do this again on a heartbeat.” - Sherri P., May 2021
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“Nicole was an amazing guide & yoga teacher. We thoroughly enjoyed our hike at Graggy Gardens and our yoga practice on the grassy knoll. Just breathtaking! “ - Tara M., April 2021 (Sunset Vortex Yoga Hike)
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“Such a fun activity to do! I set this up for my sisters Bachelorette party and it was hands down one of our favorite parts of the trip. Brandon was our guide and she was awesome! I cannot recommend Namaste in Nature enough. From the beginning we received a ton of communication and it continued throughout the whole process. 10 out of 10!” - Elizabeth T., March 2021
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“For the first time ever doing something like this, it was absolutely amazing! My wife and I had the best time. Ms. Miranda was very nice and thoughtful and very well educated. She gave us great suggestions of other hiking areas and ever restaurants. Will definitely be doing this again, when we come back to visit the area.” - Daniel T., February 2021 (Couple)
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“The Winter Waterfall hike was an amazing experience! If you're looking for a reset and adventure all in one, this is it! You'll definitely look into doing more hikes with Namaste in Nature after you've experienced one of them.” - Alexcia L., January 2021 (Solo Traveler)
