Entrepreneur Sean Kelly Channels Yoga-dedication into a new startup
In the past several years, one of the most defining forces our economy has been the formation of the sharing economy. Oft-associated with startups like airbnb and uber, the sharing economy "uses the internet to bring people together with underused assets" such as that extra guest room you are now renting one weekend per month, or sharing a ride with uberpool. The sharing economy has many critics but one of the most interesting benefits it provides is the ability to quickly and easily connect with a good or service in a very individual way.
(Credit: Bookretreats.com)
It was with that in mind that Sean Kelly, along with his business partner, Ron Piron, started BookRetreats--a new company that aims to be the airbnb of yoga retreats by connecting potential retreat-goers with the thousands of large and small retreats worldwide. Sean is a dedicated yogi who uses many of yoga's philosophical tenets to guide his business. BookRetreats.com's mission is to help spread yoga and meditation to the world by changing the way people go on vacation. Sean shares how this idea came about along with important guidance for any aspiring yogi.
Steve Mariotti. Tell us about your new company, BookRetreats.com.
Sean Kelly: We started the company to help people find the wonders of yoga and meditation. We wanted to help people easily find that one weekend or one week of time in their life that's dedicated only to them. Right now people are so stressed out, overworked, and need a break from an unsustainable lifestyle. A retreat allows you to get away from the craziness of everyday life and turn inward, to center yourself, and to unplug, de-stress, and recharge your batteries.
(Credit: Barefoot Eco Hotel)
SM: Who is your target market?
SK: The wellness retreats we have on our site are ideal fits for anyone who:
1. Is going through a breakup or the loss of a loved one
2. Wants to deepen their yoga practice or teaching skills
3. Is not as well emotionally or spiritually as they'd like to be
4. Wants to get away from Urbania and rediscover themselves
5. Feels rundown from work, family or school stress
BookRetreats.com is open to anyone. Our site has retreats for total beginners and for advanced practitioners. Many advanced practitioners go for yoga teacher trainings in order to put themselves in a 15-30 day yoga immersion. But reaching novices is also an important part of our company's mission.
Just the other day I was on live chat with a woman who had never done yoga before and I was able to guide her to a retreat that fit her needs, and introduce her to a practice that can be so life-changing. It was an emotional moment: after many months behind a computer to create this technology, it so satisfying to see someone finally benefit from it firsthand.
(Credit: The Yoga Forest, Guatemala)
SM: What is the financial structure of your company?
SK: We're a small, agile company. It's me, my partner Ron Piron, and his wife. We also have a development team that operates out of Eastern Europe. We've gone back and forth about whether we'd like to be funded, and at this point we are happily bootstrapped. We may decide in the future that institutional investment or angel investment is the path we want to take, but for now we appreciate the ability to hold true to our core vision.
SM: How do you think having a firm core philosophy is helping your company?
SK: Our Core Values have been invaluable. They've acted as our guiding light in acute situations where we might be unsure of what route to take.
It's something we can always return to. Something that informs our decisions and direction of our company. They ensure we stay true to the intentions we started out with as a company.
It's often a relief to have a tough decision that needs to be made, and be able to fall back on these principles. Combining these prinicples with the understanding that every situation in life requires a unique response.
(Credit: Tantric Flow Ball)
1. Honesty
Having the courage to be transparent in our feelings and what we do.2. Self-Responsibility
Taking responsibility for our situation in life and not engaging in
the blame game.3. Kindness
Acting with compassion, empathy, and patience to make life more
comfortable and enjoyable.4. Dedication
Taking on the challenge of the journey and focus upon the vision we
want to manifest.5. Service
Placing our gifts and talents at the services of increasing the loving
consciousness of the world.6. Beauty
Expressing openly the core essence that inhabits each one of us.7. Human Well being
In the end, we are all in the business of human well being.
SM: How do you use yoga as a tool to support your entrepreneurial journey?
SK: I start off every morning with a practice of Hatha Yoga and Kriya Yoga. Imagine you get used to taking a shower every day and then you don't shower for one day--it's ok, but you notice it. Then you don't shower for one week...starts to get a bit gross. Then you don't shower for a month, a year. The stench will start to spread to all around you. This is how I feel about my yoga practice. These days it is so noticeable when I miss my practice on even one day. I feel a bit stinky in how I am as a human.
And it moves into every part of my work as an entrepreneur. The more balance I have, the more able I am to deal with the unknown. I'm more able to handle any crazy situation that may arise in the wild ride of entrepreneurship. With more clarity, I am able to see and seize opportunity where need be, as well as guide the company's actions in the right way. With increased energy, I am able to pour that into everything I do, making it more alive and vibrant.
(Credit: Soul Fit Journey)
SM: What tips do you have for those that are new to yoga?
SK: My number one tip is simple: start. Find the most authentic teacher or master you can. There are a lot of yoga teachers, yoga styles, and approaches to yoga out there. I personally practice Isha Yoga as it is a deeply authentic form of yoga that hasn't lost its roots or essence, while the yoga world has transformed into an industry. Check out our list of retreats for beginners, an immersive introduction to yoga. They are often combined with wonderful surroundings, vegetarian food, and like-minded people.
(Credit: Isha Foundation)
SM: How did you get into yoga?
SK: I came to yoga through Yoga Nidra and Tibetan Dream Yoga. Yoga Nidra means conscious sleep, and Tibetan Dream Yoga is an entire system of becoming aware during the process of dream and sleep.
My experiences with awareness during the sleep process opened up a million questions. The entire world became magical. All my assumptions were questioned deeply.
SM: What is sleep awareness exactly and how does one achieve that?
SK: Awareness is what we are. We live in the world of thoughts, emotions, feelings, projections, imagination. But when you fall asleep, you are no longer Steve. I am no longer Sean. In deep sleep there is nothing, only awareness. But we are rarely conscious of this. If we were, we'd see that awareness is what continues through waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. It is the most consistent thing in our lives.
To achieve this awareness, you need to practice self-inquiry, which means you need to find out who you are. To do that, start with discovering what you are not: anything you can perceive is not you, or you can go to here, which is an online lucid dreaming and sleep awareness training center that I developed. You can also check out the #1 bestselling book I wrote on Amazon. For less than the cost of a bottle of water, you can arm yourself with a concise guide to awakening in your dreams.
(Credit: The Yoga Forest, Guatemala)