Austin is a city that’s famous for its transplanted citizens as much as it is for companies that innovate. Jaimee Scope and Black Swan Yoga Studios are the perfect examples of what makes Austin such a cool place to live. A Texan born and bred, Jaimee decided to come to Austin via San Antonio just 4 short years ago. No plan, no real reason other than “Austin seemed a lot more fun” than her native city.
Finding Her Path
Unsure of what path to take upon arrival, Jaimee figured that she might as well become a yoga instructor. That’s when she crossed paths with a fairly new business called Black Swan Yoga. With a galactic-themed black ceiling full of LED stars twinkling above, this funky yet fun yoga studio not only trained her to be a great yoga teacher but also hired her once she was certified! That was just 3 years ago and now Jaimee finds herself managing a bull of a company that currently has 3 yoga studios, 43 staff members, and is serving over 2000 people a week!
Those 43 staff members have become much more than just coworkers, they have become as Jaimee puts it “Forever friends”. Now 4 years into her new life in Austin, Jaimee and her husband have purchased their first home and take full advantage of the parks, nightlife, and the active lifestyle that makes Austin such a beacon for yogis and business mentors alike. But this story isn’t just about Jaimee. It’s about Black Swan Yoga Studios and their incredible business model.
The Black Swan Model
You see Black Swan is a donation-based company. That’s right! 43 staff members, 3 locations, and all of it paid for by donations. Jaimee says that the average donation is about ten bucks, but they range from bartering with crystals and a $1 bill dropped in the bucket up to a $100 bill being donated for a single session! It’s an unlikely business model, but it was successful enough that in 2014, the human optimization giant Onnit acquired Black Swan!
From Onnit’s press release:
Onnit is an industry leader in unconventional fitness tools and methodologies, incorporating kettlebells, sandbags, maces, steel clubs, and more at their Onnit Academy Gym facility and Onnit Academy online resources. The Academy Gym, which is also set to open this month, will now offer Black Swan Yoga classes alongside unconventional classes and personal training.
Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus, a student of the original studio, went on to add “Five years ago I remember waiting outside Black Swan Yoga downtown for 20-30 minutes before class just to ensure that I would get a spot. From the music to the meditation, it was much more than just yoga, and that tradition continues today. I want the rest of the world to have a chance to experience this incredible modality being practiced at the height of its potential.”
3 years later and the partnership is going strong. Black Swan continues to be own entity with its unique style, while now leaning on the back-office support of a company with many more years of experience and a world-class team that helps with everything from accounting to strategy. Some of the cool things that Jaimee told us about were special Hot Onnit classes that use their equipment and a unique integration of supplement saon-sitesite with supplements designed specifically for yoga-lovingving community.
How NAE Cleaning Solutions Helps Keep Black Swan Running
Managing 3 locations, 2200 clients a week and a staff of 43 can be tough enough without having to worry about your cleaning staff causing problems. After having worked with 2 other services, Jaimee says that she will NEVER let NAE go. Direct access to NAE owner Jason Behn’s phone has allowed her to request last-minute services, late-night calls, and even weekend rescheduling. According to Jaimee, it has always gone off without a hitch.
Whatever she has asked of Jason, he and his team have complied without fail. In the spirit of going above and beyond, Jason has even shown up to do the cleaning himself when last-minute change to Black Swan’s needs left his teams too busy to comply. Where else do you get the owner of a janitorial service showing up on a Saturday night just to make sure that their client’s location is spic and span the next day? As far as we can tell…nowhere.
Why NAE Cleaning Solutions?
I have interviewed a lot of business owners for client spotlights in the past, but I have never heard someone say they are obsessed with their cleaning service. It must be Jason’s easy to talk to attitude, excitement about helping Austin’s companies run better, and deep knowledge about the latest and greatest in cleaning technologies that keep client after client feeling the love for NAE.
Do you wish you had a cleaning service you could love? Call 512 761 8623 directly to book a walk-through and be prepared to fall in love with a company that truly cares about you.
Check out our client testimonials and schedule a free consultation today!