Episode 30: Self-Care for People of Color — An interview with entrepreneurs Chanelle John and Simone John

This week on the podcast, we talk with entrepreneurs Chanelle and Simone John, chief operating officer and chief creative officer respectively of Hive Soul Yoga. Hive Soul Yoga is a community-based business in Boston, MA that aims to make yoga accessible to people of all shades, sizes, ages, abilities, and identities. Specifically, the woman, who are advocates for people of color outside of yoga too, have built a space of healing and safety for people of color in their community. The two talk about the journey they’ve had in building the studio and finding ways to grow their classes, bootstrapping on their own and without going to business school. Their advice to other entrepreneurs is “Have confidence in your vision and keep going. You have what it takes.”

Chanelle John

Chanelle is an artist, educator + business owner based in her home city, Boston, MA. Prior to founding  Hive Soul Yoga she received her BA from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT. Her scholarship charted the intersections of race, identity, culture and critical thinking. This path of study and a lifelong commitment to social justice deeply inform Chanelle’s teaching pedagogy. Her classes aim to make yoga accessible to people of all shades, sizes, ages, abilities, and identities. Off the mat she enjoys hip-hop, art history, and travel.

Simone John

Simone John is a poet, educator, and facilitator based in Boston, MA. She received an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College with an emphasis on documentary poetics. She is the author of Collateral (Octopus Books, 2016) and Testify (Octopus Books, 2017). As Chief Creative Officer of Hive Soul Yoga, Simone manages the HSY team, creates content and programming, and develops brand strategy. Find her online at simonejohn.com and on twitter @simoneivory.

Follow Chanelle and Simone online:

website – Hivesoulyoga.com
facebook – https://www.facebook.com/hivesoulyoga
twitter – @hivesoulyoga
instagram – hivesoulyoga
Simone twitter – @SimoneIvory
Simone website – simonejohn.com