We had the good fortune of connecting with April Borge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I love this question! I think people forget that it’s not just opening the doors, teaching some classes, and going home. It’s still a small business and you are in charge of scheduling, payroll, marketing, branding, customer service, student retention, customer growth, sales funnels, cleaning, staff management….the list goes on and on. You wear a lot of hats and what you don’t know you before you open you have to become an expert on quickly. It can be overwhelming if you don’t take things day by day. But that’s why we do yoga! It helps us to breath and stay calm through all the stress.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I always say we are the “Cheers: of the yoga industry; it’s where everybody knows your name!!!! With so many yoga studios belonging to corporate entities, I believe we are in the unique position to offer big business quality and amenities while still operating as your local neighborhood studio. We are very fortunate to have four locations that allow us to share resources and experiences with other owner/operators. If we have a question or problem, our sounding board and mentors with 10 + years of experience is just a phone call or text message away. But we always have the freedom to do what works best for our students independent of the other locations. This model allows us to truly be community driven. And that’s not an easy thing to achieve. Really knowing your community and their needs means forging relationships and spending time with students. And that is on top of running a small business. Sometimes you are giving more than getting and that can so draining. I’ve really had to work hard to try to find a balance between showing up and spending the time to forge relationships with other businesses and our students while also finding the time to be with my family and rest. Some days I get it right. Some days, I don’t. It’s a work in progress. But believe wholeheartedly that we are putting good into the world. And if I can one small thing every day to make one person’s life a little better, I’ll keep showing up and trying to get it right.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Grapevine has done an amazing job of preserving its small town charm while still expanding tourism and amenities. It’s one of those hidden gems in Texas that I love sharing with people. A stay at newly opened Hotel Vin located right off Main St. is a great place to stay and I’d select their RejuVINation Package which includes a complimentary yoga mat and class at Inspire Yoga, of course! And you have to eat our way around Harvest Hall. The eclectic food options are wonderful especially since they are all run by local small business eateries. Hop and Sting Brewery is one of our favorite places to take visitors, which we do every Friday for our Bend and Brew class. Brew and Batter is a yogi fav especially since they use oat milk (trust me on this one! You’ll love it). And since they’ve also partnered with Green Oaks Bagel Co., there is really no reason to go anywhere else! And the wineries….you can’t go wrong! Just walk down Main Street and you’ll find one on every block. It’ll take you a week to try to them all! If you want to meet amazing people just talk to your business owners and servers. The stories you hear you’ll be sharing with friends for years to come! Grapevine has a special way of making you feel like you’ve lived there forever even if you are just visiting for a week.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be doing any of this without the support of my family. I know it sounds cliche, but without their support, I couldn’t put the time and attention into growing the business that it needs. This all began as my husband’s idea. He helps me dream bigger for myself than I ever could. And my kids have been drug from studio to studio doing all kinds of odd jobs and having to wait for mom to “finish up” whatever project I’m working on. After years of being a stay at home mom and helping everyone with their dreams, the tables flipped and they helped me achieve mine. Its’ a humbling feeling and true of example of helping each other rise. I’ll be forever grateful to them for their support and help.

Website: https://inspireyoga.com/

Instagram: @inspireyogagrapevine

Facebook: @iygrapevine

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/inspire-yoga-grapevine-grapevine?hrid=Z15BmDR47UOjkYIqkmJ0qg&osq=hot+yoga

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpsn-X36xWgoYCHOrj1_9UQ

Image Credits
Anna Compotaro Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.