We would love to know about your journey to establishing your brand. Please tell us about your brand and how it started?
By trade, I am a yoga instructor, spending 15 years serving individuals on the yoga mat. And throughout that time, a part of me always knew this wasn't where I belonged; as a recovering addict, yoga saved my life and, in part, what drew me to becoming a teacher. A portion of me has always had bigger dreams than being "just a yoga teacher" and owning a yoga studio. Then a random conversation three years ago changed everything, and Mother Trucker Yoga was born.
The name Mother Trucker Yoga arose from a casual conversation with a perfect stranger when my former business partner asked me if I had any programs for truck drivers in the cab of the truck. That witty response I gave was an opportunity to be me authentically. Trucking is raw, natural, and not for the faint of heart. There is no room for fluffy, and the majority don't buy into expensive yoga pants and care about whether or not you say "Namaste." Truck drivers are a tough bunch, and even three years in, it hasn't been a walk in the park. Still, my personality coupled with a functional relatable approach to fitness and my unique background built on dozens of various experiences at an early age has, time and again, proved to be the perfect combination for working in the trucking industry.
Ultimately my brand is not for the mainstreamers; it's not for the ultra-advanced health lovers who already have their life together. My brand is for those who need small steps, simple changes and are also in it for the long-haul. You don't have to be a mother, a trucker, or a yogi to try Mother Trucker Yoga, but you do have to be willing to take a small step towards improving your health. If that's you, my friend, then I welcome you to check us out.
What is your number one approach towards making your business a success?
Currently, it's getting my name and brand out to the masses. I started to reach out to the media for more exposure to people who would not otherwise find us promoting my pain relief cream STIFF Mother Trucker. The brand has gained attention and celebrity recognition from people like Tori Spelling and others. They have requested to try it out, and features like Forbes, Healthy and Fit Magazine, and several radio show spots about my programs and products have driven more business to my plans and more interest in my creations.
People like things approved by others, and what better approval than from the media and those in the limelight? When I launched my pain relief cream back in March of 2020, I was supposed to debut it at the largest truck show, but COVID had other plans. I wasn't going to wait around for things to change, and if I did, I'd still be waiting. I had to pivot and find another way; I had a product hot off the press and ready for use. Creating a physical product has taught me you can't do it on your own; you need support, approval, and people who are willing to go to bat for you. And as long as you deliver what you promise, that will take you far.
What services are you currently offering to your clients?
I currently serve truck drivers in several ways. I have an online membership site platform for drivers and companies to join where users then have access to video and audio-based content showing them what to do to move more and stay healthy and fit right from the cab of their truck. And each month, users receive new content to access, drivers can join for $7.99/month, and companies can use our programming for a fraction of the price at a corporate rate.
This past November, I released my first ever 90-day program called Your Wellness Pitstop. It is a simple program where we discuss and implement a new topic every week. Through a transparent step-by-step process, participants learn how to make permanent changes to their lifestyle. What makes this program unique is I don't focus on the idea of adding a workout or specific diet to the driver's life. Instead, I am teaching drivers to think for themselves and build a lifestyle they can maintain for the rest of their lives. If adding exercise or a "diet" to your life was the answer, then obesity and other health-related issues would not be plaguing our country at the alarming rate they are. And the results are in - this overarching approach to health and fitness IS working. Drivers moving more, sleeping better, eating better, feeling better and many for the first time have goals set in place and a plan to get there.
Companies sign on with us and can choose to work with Mother Trucker Yoga and offer our services to drivers through our membership platform as well as webinars, seminars, and training.
But anyone can hop over to our site and purchase any of our 20-minute workouts, meditation downloads, and STIFF, other fitness products, all Mother Trucker Yoga approved.
What is your brand vision for 2021? What can we see coming next from you?
My brand's vision is to impact and change the conversation, culture, and approach to truck driver wellness. It saddens me that many in the trucking industry claim to value truck driver health, but few are willing to make a move when it comes time to do something about it.
This year, my goal is to get STIFF Mother Trucker into 500 stores across the US and into as many hands of people in pain as possible. Then to use that momentum to drive more awareness to the need for truck driver health and wellness by creating a standard for the industry in what should be provided for drivers when it comes to wellness incentives, opportunities, and availability.
In aiding those efforts this past year, I wrote a book with a small publisher called Trucking Yoga: Simple Fitness for the Long-Haul, and with more than 114 illustrations, it maps out for drivers precisely what they can do starting today to get on the road towards better health and fitness one move at a time. By partnering with other companies in the industry to sponsor this book allows this knowledge to get into the hands of thousands of more drivers. I believe that you either wait for an opportunity or you create one. Mother Trucker Yoga is my effort in creating a solution for truck drivers that is usable, accessible, and fun to say (hehe). I am dedicated to being a leader in changing the standards of truck driver health and wellness.
If you had one piece of advice for upcoming entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Go all in, fear is a liar, and you will only be as successful as your efforts will carry you. Whenever something isn't going right in my business or I'm not getting the results I want, I have learned to stop and first point the finger at me and ask, "am I doing all I can?" "Am I trying hard enough"? "Have I exhausted all my options"? I have discovered that the answer is usually no, and it all boils down to fear. Fear of not being enough, failure, losing money, or success; I've had to take on jobs and do other things to make Mother Trucker Yoga work when an opportunity arose, and I didn't have all the necessary pieces in play to move forward. But I put my head down and found a way. Again and again and again. I want to encourage readers to take a little quiet time today and meditate on the question, "Am I willing to go all-in?" It's OK if you aren't, but then don't expect the results you crave to bear the fruit you desire.
Go all in, make the decision and run.
Go all in; everything you want is waiting on the other side.
Go all in; success is all about your efforts to keep going and find a way. Go all in!
Connect with Mother Trucker Yoga via their website www.mothertruckeryoga.com or Instagram @mothertruckeryoga or connect with me direct on Instagram @HopeZvara