We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeff and Mardy Chen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeff and Mardy, what do you attribute your success to?
Our people are behind our brand success. To be a “PURE Yogi,” our teachers and staff value courage over comfort. Original Hot Yoga is a challenging and confronting practice, with rooms set to 105+ degrees. Students are vulnerable; physically, mentally and emotionally. For our teachers and staff to guide students through this transformative process, they must exemplify what it means to nourish and grow and strive for excellence. Our recruitment and retention of staff are centered around our brand’s core values. When the team is aligned, the brand succeeds!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We exist to serve a unique community of yoga practitioners who seek a deeply transformative experience. Recovery from addiction, depression, physical injuries, and poor health conditions are the stories that fuel our team. Every story we hear is what makes us proud and sparks joy in us! We know that when people make themselves better, there is a strong ripple effect throughout their family, work colleagues, and the rest of society.

Owning and operating a yoga studio is indeed a business. Many small business owners go into it because they love yoga! That’s a great start, but having some business know-how is so important. Both of us were raised in entrepreneurial families, so risk-taking and operations management were natural to us. It didn’t hurt that we both were accountants and financial professionals in our pre-yoga work careers.

The most important behavior of our team that brings success to our brand and reinforces our story is “true grit.” Hot yoga practice is not necessarily easy. Teaching consistently is not easy. Striving for excellence is not easy. Operating a yoga studio is not easy! Knowing that what you do every day helps others is the gratification we receive. Sure there are challenges thrown in the way, but there is nothing like grit that will get you through.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For sure, the Dallas Museum of Art in the Arts District. A visit to Dallas is not complete without a few barbecue meals, including Pecan Lodge and Terry Black’s, both in Deep Ellum. Try them both! A hidden gem is Jimmy’s Food Store, an authentic Italian grocery store with a deep and wide selection of goods and delicatessen sandwiches that delight!

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?
We have worked with Nickie Froiland over the last year. She is more than a business consultant. While we always operated with a set of Core Values, and a Vision and Mission statement, Nickie was able to really dive deep into what makes our brand unique and how to go “further and faster.” She can be reached at nickie@froiland.com

Website: https://pureyogatexas.com

Instagram: @pureyogadallas

Facebook: pureyogadallas

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pure-yoga-dallas-dallas-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/pureyogatv

Other: Instagram @pureyogatexas

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