Moksha Yoga: Falling for a Brand
My 30 day challenge photo
November 2013
I just completed a 30 day challenge at the Moksha Yoga Hamilton studio. I don’t know if I have ever fallen so hard for a brand before. This brand has stolen my heart.
It all started when I found myself suddenly at loose ends with my exercise program, as I had stopped one thing and was looking for something else. I decided to sign up for 21 days of yoga at Moksha Yoga for $30. (I think the price may be even better now) I didn’t really plan to join, but it seemed to be a great thing to do and then I would have 21 more days to figure out what I wanted to do next. That was all well and good, but then they gave me a little card with prizes to be won and I figured out that if I attended 21 times in 21 days, my first month was free. Hmmm! That would be awesome! And I like a challenge. Jordan, the woman who led my first class, gave me great information about lying down on the mat when I was too hot. She helped me to feel safe and welcome and like I belonged there. I won’t talk about my yoga journey here. You can read that here if you want to. Right now, I want to talk about my experience with the Moksha Brand. After the first day, I felt like coming back the next day. I also learned that I never wanted to leave hot yoga again without showering first… UGHH! I came back again and again. Each teacher was welcoming, kind, loving, and seemed genuinely excited by my journey. This summer we went to a French Immersion Family Language School in Sancerre, France. While we were there, my family talked about the skill the teachers had of acting genuinely impressed by our French, which drove us forward and helped us try things that felt new or foreign without feeling self-conscious. The teachers at Moksha have this skill. They speak with almost a unified voice. I have been astounded by this culture of love and support within this brand. They called me forth to yoga and made me feel included. After a couple of weeks, I learned about the 30 day challenge. One of the teachers asked if I wanted to join the challenge. I was intrigued and then I was hooked. I signed up. In a 21 day period, I went from non-customer to year long commitment. I have drunk the Moksha Kool-Aid and it is delicious.
About the Brand
I have to say, when I first started, and then subsequently joined, it was surprising how my expectations were exceeded in almost every area, every day. This included the beauty of the space, the communication with the instructors, the kindness and friendliness, and the quality of the products in the retail store. I enjoyed buying an insulated water bottle, towel, mat, and electrolyte replacement powder. When I became an auto-pay member, I got access to the membership area of the website and could sign in for classes on-line. It worked very easily and I was surprised–in a good way. The 30 day challenge photo that was taken during the challenge was another pleasant surprise and I love it. Again, it exceeded my expectations. As a customer, it all worked for me. I signed on to be a long-term customer. So, if we look behind the curtain, what did this company do to create a brand this strong?
The Product
The product at Moksha is hot yoga. I was fairly new to yoga when I started so I can’t speak to how the product is at the advanced levels here–I just don’t know. That said, I love what being here has done for me as a beginner–my yoga is improving. The teachers are similar, yet different which gives me variety. The schedule is posted so I can find out who is teaching if I have preferences. I can make reservations online. I feel a rigor. I also like where they fall brand-wise in regard to yoga and spirituality. They have an inspirational quote in the classes and they focus on the yoga. I have never felt a push to a specific kind of spirituality from the classes. If I did, I would either have to agree with it or leave, so I am grateful for its absence. The hot yoga room is attractive, simple, and functional. It is well cleaned and tended.
Moksha Business Culture
I can only assume this organization has worked hard to create a culture that is so specific. They have a culture full of positivity–but even more than that, they have a culture that has the absence of negativity. No one has ever told me about their personal life and their problems at home. No one has ever complained about their job. It is a positive place. They have both men and women at the front desk and teaching which makes it a place men come, too. They are also hiring the right people. For me, the team of people and their warmth makes this brand really special.
Association with Other Strong Brands
Part of what this business has done right is to associate themselves with other strong brands. They aren’t a discount yoga studio, so they have been able to associate themselves with other strong brands which make them look good. Their website class sign in is on a Mind Body platform which helps businesses with their online presence. They have a naturopath, a chiropractor, and massage therapists on site. They sell Lululemon. They sell Halfmoon. The array of products they sell are high end and on brand.
Keeping a Well Maintained Space
If I am talking about a brand that can maintain this level of interaction with clients, I have to mention their physical space. It is meticulously cleaned and maintained. This maintenance is part of keeping a brand like this alive and vibrant. They have a regular maintenance person and things get done. The space stays the same and yet evolves over time. Physically, Moksha is compact and attractive. There isn’t any extra space. Each area is well used which gives an almost ship-like feel to the space. The locker rooms have almost exactly the right amount of space when 2 classes happen back to back. It gets full and then clears out. There are 6 showers and except for the 5 minutes right at the end of class, I have never had to wait. They have a few lockers for valuables, and they are free. When I first used the showers, there was peppermint soap that smelled sooo good after a sweaty work-out. After a few weeks, they changed the soap and used something else and I felt sad, but the peppermint soap has recently returned. For me, the peppermint soap is like the brand: crisp, clean, slightly above and beyond, a little bit special, but not over the top — nice all over and rich for all my senses.
Opportunities:
I always see opportunities for a brand–every brand has growing edges. As a larger sized woman, I have had a few challenges at Moksha, although they weren’t the ones I expected. I thought the staff or the people might be snobby and I might not be thin enough to fit in. That has not been the case at all. The staff has been amazing and some of the teachers are shaped like me, which I LOVE. The challenge for me has been in not being able to shop in the retail store. I got discounts as part of the 21 day punch card and there wasn’t a single item over a size 8 in the store in the Lululemon clothing line. Lululemon has other challenges right now as well, and doesn’t quite fit with the welcoming feel of this studio. That said, they are an industry standard and 90% of the people in the classes are wearing Lululemon. I think Moksha’s best bet is to offer an alternative (I hear this might be happening!). I do think they need to make sure they are always making this retail store accessible to people of all shapes, sizes, and genders. I think they do a great job of welcoming men and the 30 day challenge was in support of Movember which made great sense from a brand perspective. I think making sure they have inclusive sizing is the biggest growing edge for this business. It is an extra challenge for me to feel body positive when nothing in the store fits me. The second opportunity the Moksha brand has is to figure out a way to share the love earlier in the sales process. I had to be in the door to learn just how much love and kindness this brand has to offer. If they can get that love out to the community earlier in the sales process, they will be unstoppable. I was already almost a customer before I found out how truly great they were. They have an opportunity to connect earlier with their potential clientele. Having greeters outside in the shopping center sharing positive messages or participating in local events could raise awareness. These are amazing people who have the skill to create deep and meaningful relationships with potential clients as well. Thanks Moksha, for a great start. I am loving the brand and loving being your customer! By the way, I do not work for Moksha Yoga. I pay full price to be a member.
**My initial 21 day yoga challenge turned into a 200 day yoga challenge – share the journey with me starting here
