In Mandy's Words:
Back in June I was at a cross road, contemplating my life, the state of Just Breathe and many of the challenges I have experienced since the business opened in January 2010. I realized I had to get a business partner. The idea had been mentioned to me before, but now I could see that it was essential. Not only for the studio's financial success and stability, but for my own happiness. I love Just Breathe, it's my baby, I made it. But it was running me ragged and by myself, I was unable to grow things the way I wanted . After all, I came into movement and studio ownership to improve my quality of life...but now I knew I couldn't do that without help. Enter Quincy O'Toole. She stepped up to the plate and enthusiastically accepted the Just Breathe partnership.
I met Quincy about a year and a half ago, which is about when she started teaching NIA at Just Breathe. She was already a successful NIA teacher in the community and managed her own business(es) as a licensed massage therapist and founder/owner of Organic Botanicals (www.organicbotanicals.biz/temp)In the past year, I've come to know and trust her. Why did I choose her? Well, when you meet her, it will be obvious. But here are just a few of my reasons: She is a born leader, vivacious, a wonderful teacher, an exceptional human being, and she totally "gets" Just Breathe. She's authoritative and precise, yet easy going and open. Our beliefs about movement and life are very much in sync. We both believe in the power of movement to grow, heal and transform people from the inside out. We're all about expansion and inclusion, not exclusivity. And we both value and want to create community - which is what Just Breathe is all about.
Quincy's ideas for expanding Just Breathe are limitless, and I expect you will see new and different classes being added as a result of her being here. Also, you will likely see more of your fellow Just Breathe classmates working the front desk as a result of the Work Trade Program that Quincy has begun supervising. The program allows people to take classes in exchange for working the front desk.
For me personally, having Quincy as co-owner is not only exciting, but literally life-changing. I get the support that I need and an awesome contributor in this life experience that is business ownership. Quincy fills in my gaps and I hope I do that for her as well. I look forward to growing the studio and myself in ways I could have never done alone.
In Quincy's Words:
Ever since I became a NIA instructor in 2004, I have dreamed of owning my own studio. Like many other movement teachers, I have experienced the challenge of finding and securing a space for my classes that is not only functional for the movement I teach, but also aesthetically beautiful. I think most movement instructors entertain this idea at some point, but like myself, get discouraged by the large amount of work and money that this takes. So I kept it in my mind and wondered if the opportunity would arise.
About a year and a half ago, Mandy came to my NIA class at The Eugene Ballet Academy and asked me to come teach at Just Breathe. Mandy and I instantly hit it off, both professionally and in friendship. I really liked what Mandy was creating at the studio and even though I hadn't considered adding more classes to my schedule, I coudn't resist being a part of the magic she was creating. It was obvious to me that Mandy was a special lady and I also adored her beautiful and sassy daughter Zora.
As our friendship deepened and I learned more about the business, I began to see what an amazing job Mandy was doing - holding everything together at Just Breathe while trying to expand. I could also see how it was taking a toll on her and her family. Mandy began to talk about taking on a partner. It seemed that she hadn't really considered this when she started Just Breathe so it took some time for her to figure out how that would look. On a few occasions, we had both smiled and imagined how perfect it would be for us to be business partners, but at the time, the terms of the investment (as they were coming together) and the timing of the whole thing was not right. I made suggestions of who she might approach for partnership and watched while she searched for the right person to fill this role. It was hard, wanting to be that person, waiting on the sidelines, waiting for my chance to play, but at the same time wishing for Just Breathe to thrive and Mandy to be successful, even if it was without me.As time progressed, Mandy focused and refined what she wanted from a partnership. Things in my life had begun to shift, making what had been only a dream slowly move into the possibility of reality. Then, one day, as if the clouds parted and the planets aligned, it was right there. Mandy and I formed a business partnership. I was completely honored and giddy with enthusiasm and excitement. At first, Mandy and I looked for a third potential partner. Then it became clear it would just be the two of us. We shared so many common beliefs and passionate ideas of how to lift Just Breathe to new heights. We saw the value in supporting each other and building community. We understood the importance of putting the business first.
Mandy and I are now working hard together, busy partners brainstorming on how we can make movement more available to our community. How we can ignite the fire in others [for movement] that has been ignited inside of us. How we can spend our days doing what we love with other great people. How we can live our dream and inspire others to do the same.
Namaste,
Quincy & Mandy
Throughout her lifetime, Mandy has found great joy and solace in movement. During the ten years she worked as a corporate web designer for Microsoft and other technology companies, she spent most of her 8-hour work day sitting at a computer. And while she enjoyed the creativity of web work, Mandy never felt at home in a corporate environment, turning to fitness classes and workout videos to help her stay centered.
Following a car accident, Mandy developed chronic shoulder pain and scoliosis that was made worse by stress and repetitive movements. Taking a hard look at her life, she realized that staying in the corporate world was costing her both her happiness and her physical health. Seeking relief for her chronic pain, Mandy began to explore yoga and alternative medicine. As she began to take more responsibility for her own health and well-being, she found the courage to leave corporate life in 2005 to follow her dream of becoming a fitness instructor.
Mandy obtained her American Council on Exercise Group Fitness instruction certificate and shortly after taking her first Nia class, she discovered her inner dancer. She celebrated Nia's barefoot, mind/body approach to aerobics, soon becoming a Nia white belt and starting to teach Nia at a small dance studio near her home in suburban Seattle. Moving into the position of studio manager, Mandy was delighted to realize that for the first time in many years, she loved her job and truly enjoyed going to work.
Mandy was focused on her dream of owning a movement studio when she learned that she was pregnant. Making a conscious decision to put her dreams on hold, she returned to her hometown of Veneta, Oregon. For the next two years she took primary care of her daughter and worked part-time as a freelance web designer. To keep her fitness dreams alive, she took a Yogafit teacher training and began teaching yoga twice a week.
In November 2009, the opportunity to open a new studio found her and she couldn't turn it down. She immediately fell in love with the space that is now Just Breathe.
These days, Mandy moves through her days with joy and serenity. She believes her own life is an example of how the journey to finding one's health and happiness can bring true change into the world.