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

Hi Marcos, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started teaching yoga 4 years ago and I always knew I wanted to help others the way yoga helped me at a time I felt lost, confused, and struggled with my mental health. I applied to 4 different scholarships before I received one from Black Swan Yoga. I received this scholarship the same year I graduated college from UTA. I was unsure what I wanted to do for the rest of my life but I knew teaching yoga fueled my heart. I loved the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of it. Along the way, my love for the movement grew and I have committed to always furthering my education with certifications, workshops, and my peers. I am helping facilitate Yoga Teacher Training with Black Swan, Personal Training, Group Training, and Myofascial Hypervault massages. Helping people on a more personal level has fueled my heart and I can’t to grow more in the space.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It was not an easy journey but I knew I loved teaching and wanted to find a way in the space. In my first endeavor, two weeks after graduation from Yoga Teacher Training I held a yoga event, Indie Yoga Night where I taught a yoga class at Deep Ellum Art Co. played all Indie Music, and hosted a live performance (Indie music of course). I have hosted several since then and even sold out some nights.

When I wasn’t hosting events I was teaching 10-18 classes a week at multiple studios and even hosting my pop-ups at different locations. Striving to be a full-time yoga teacher is a constant grind and I am always looking to see what I can do next. Another endeavor after graduation was creating an organization called Yoga With A Cause, to help at-need communities, connecting them to the practice. Organized a strong group of teachers and we would go to elementary schools to teach kids yoga for free. We also did a fundraiser class for Bonton Farms. Eventually, Good Thought heard about the work we were doing and contacted us to do volunteer service and teach yoga to them. We did such a great job they wanted to contact us and we were in discussion of finally getting paid for a passion project of ours. Unfortunately, the pandemic happened two weeks later.

During the pandemic, I taught several online classes and continued to further my education with yoga and movement. As soon as quarantine was over I had to find a way to make a living in the space. I contacted several apartment complexes and knocked on their doors to pitch weekly yoga classes for their tenants. I received two contracts but unfortunately, they were short-term. I kept fighting the good fight and would teach as many classes as I could and started even teaching fitness classes. Adding fitness/movement as an offering is way more lucrative and has helped me greatly. I have recently been offered a Yoga Teacher Training Facilitator spot at Black Swan Yoga and it has come full circle. This past year I got my Certified Personal Training certification and Corrective Excercise certification. Now I train at Trophy Fitness Club and Movement Rock Climbing Gym. I am glad I never gave up and I am happy to have had the support I did on this crazy journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting Dallas there is a list of places we would have to go to. Starting with all the active things, I would want to take them rock climbing at Movement, go for a hike at the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, Cedar Ridge Nature Preserve, go for a walk along the Trinity River by Trinity Groves, and if they were into yoga I would drag them to Black Swan Yoga!

In regards to going out to eat or having drinks, I would want to take them to Rodeo Goat, La Calle Dolce, Las Ranitas, Nates, The Jettison, Sylvan Tavern, and Double D’s.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am without the communities I found along the way. I started my fitness journey with Dallasthenics. A calisthenics-based workout community that invited all forms of movement. From pole fitness, dancing, calisthenics, and yoga they invited all forms of movement. This group believed in me more than I ever believed in myself and helped me feel seen.

From doing free yoga every Tuesday at the Margret Hunt Hill bridge my teacher Valeria would always tell me to look into teaching yoga. A few years later after applying for four scholarships I finally received one from Black Swan Yoga! I was not expecting to find such a beautiful community they helped me find my voice. From receiving the scholarship to helping lead the Yoga Teacher Training it has been a beautiful journey. All the tears, self-doubt, and heartache I’m glad I stayed the course. This year has been my favorite and I’ve grown the most within a few months of being able to work one-one with people.

Instagram: @Yogiontherockss

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marcos-c

Image Credits
Jonas Park Emily Jones

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.