Inspiring Conversations with Ashley Watterson of Yoga Strong Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Watterson. 

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I wear A LOT of hats. 

I once saw a quote that stuck with me and now, I live by it. 

Find three hobbies you love: 

One to make you money. 

One to keep you in shape. 

And one to be creative. 

Why not have all three of these things as jobs?!? I love variety and honestly, I just don’t sit still well. 

And so here we are. I like to think my “real job” is helping people. I achieve that through the variety of “hobbies” life has led to me to. I am an insurance agent. And a massage therapist. I also teach yoga and founded a non-profit organization. 

Like I said… I wear a lot of hats, and I LOVE it. 

Hemlock Insurance allows me to educate homebuyers on protecting their biggest investment. I have always loved keeping people moving and helping their aches and pains, so I started massage as a side gig to get through college and never left. Fitness is engrained in my life, and I thrive on creating an environment to make people feel comfortable in their own bodies and abilities. Teaching yoga allows me the opportunity to do that. And finally, my passion project is the Yoga Strong Foundation. It allows me to tap into my creative side, where I can make a difference and give back to my local community. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things rarely go according to plan! Over the past 12 years, I’ve built and sold 3 businesses and created a non-profit Foundation. I’ve made money, I’ve lost money, and everything in between. There have been SO many challenges with each entity. I try to learn from each challenge and just keep moving forward. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
It all started with beer, yoga, and a desire to do more in the community! 

Yoga Strong Foundation has been hosting Bend & Brew at Brewery Becker in Brighton, MI since 2015. We do a vinyasa-style yoga class in a brewery. It’s a less intimidating environment that a traditional yoga studio, and there’s an option to drink beer while doing yoga! 

In the beginning, it was just a yoga class to raise money to provide local college scholarships. In 2015 there weren’t many breweries hosting yoga classes which gave us a unique twist. The class started to gain in popularity, and people began to get to know each other and hang out together after class. On any given week, we have about 25 yogis of all abilities, ages, shapes and sizes. It’s really surreal to me. We’ve formed a community beyond my wildest dreams! 

In 2017 it was time to form a non-profit entity. It was called Yoga Strong as a tribute to how money is raised and the tight-knit community that formed. In 2019 we were featured on Channel 7 news for the “beer and yoga trend comes to Detroit.” 

We still offer the Yoga Strong Scholarship but have expanded our programming to include New Kicks for Kids giving kids confidence through new pairs of shoes; Operation: Christmas Wishes provides hundreds of low-income elementary-aged children with Christmas gifts, and a Food Pantry where we stocked healthy breakfast and snack options for High School students. 

We hold Bend & Brew class every Tuesday from 6-7 pm on the 2nd floor of Brewery Becker (unless there’s a private event). $10 drop-in. Beer is not included but is encouraged. You must bring your own mat. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m really an open book! I would say something that people don’t know about me is that when I was growing up, being a business owner was never on my list of what I wanted to be when I grew up! 

Pricing:

• $10 per class

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yogastrongfoundation.org
• Instagram: yogastrongfoundation
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yogastrongfoundation