I Am Yogi Studios
Felicia "Lisa" Robertson
www.iamyogistudios.com
Earlier this year in Southeast Queens, a space at the intersection of healing and community opened its doors for the first time. That place is I Am Yogi Studios, which was born from the vision of founder Felicia “Lisa” Robertson. It focuses on giving Black women a safe space to engage in the healing practice of yoga.
After a successful career in retail and finance, Lisa decided to slow down during her second pregnancy in 2019. Recognizing her limits, she made the difficult decision to put her life on pause for the duration of her preg- nancy. Being at home gave Lisa the opportunity think about her future. She would go on to find something that would change her life in unimaginable ways: yoga.
“Yoga saved my life,” Lisa said, reflecting on her early experiences with the practice. She had begun going to a yoga studio and was struck by how yoga left her feeling better not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. What started as a way to heal and find relief quickly became a passion. Lisa was so passionate about yoga that she underwent training to become an instructor. However, as a Black woman, she felt out of place and uncomfortable practicing in studios dominated by white women. Lisa searched for a black yoga studio where she could practice comfortably but could not find one. She took it upon herself to make yoga more accessible to Black people and create a space where Black women like her could come and engage in a new method of healing. This idea would take form as I Am Yogi Studios in early 2020.
The original plan for I Am Yogi Studios was to be a fully virtual yoga studio that would host regular on line classes. The virtual classes began in early 2020 — before the pandemic — and were initially joined by Lisa’s family and friends. However, once the pandemic began and people were quarantining at home, the business began to grow. Between the struggles of isolation and racial tension that defined the times, many Black women saw Lisa’s classes as a new way to deal with their problems and regain a sense of community. As the pandemic continued, Lisa began doing more, including hosting virtual speaking events with women entrepreneurs and in-person, pop up yoga classes at public parks and beaches. By 2022, I Am Yogi Studios was thriving, growing to the point where it was necessary to hire full-time yoga instructors to meet the demand for classes.
After the pandemic, Lisa pivoted away from doing classes online. Amid this shift, Lisa also had to manage her existing business needs, including paying and scheduling staff, managing business finances, marketing her classes, and more. Lisa needed support, and that is when she found QEDC’s Entrepreneurship Assistance Center business training course, a 10-week, hands-on, business-training course for new and existing business owners focused on building fundamental skills and knowledge. As a part of the course, Lisa developed a concrete business plan, gained access to an array of small business resources, and began receiving one-on-one personalized coaching from QEDC staff. With the knowledge she gained from the course, Lisa was able to manage her business more effectively. During the last week of the course, she also secured a lease to open her first yoga studio in South Jamaica.
I Am Yogi Studios serves as a testament to its founder’s unyielding spirit and healing mission. Looking ahead, Lisa envisions the business becoming a pillar for its surrounding community, somewhere anyone who maybe seeking to reinvent herself can go and find a better future.