That One Time We Built a Yoga Empire with Gail Asbell

Why do so many yoga and pilates studios struggle to make a profit? I sat down with Gail Asbell, co-founder of Upstate Studios, the yoga, pilates and boxing brand she started in Geelong in 2009.

Gail followed two strangers carrying yoga mats into a Bikram class after her brother died in a car accident, and walked out with her mind quiet. We get into the six weeks of training and six weeks of mentoring behind more than 100 instructors, why she said no to franchising, how Cotton On came on board as an investor, and why women who run studios should talk about profit out loud.

I also share how a free week of classes at Upstate got me through the darkest stretch of my life, and Gail passes on her dad's advice to just have a go.