Louise Jackson, founder of Joya
I’m a yoga teacher, business owner and mother to a toddler named Sebastian. I own a Yoga studio in London which during the pandemic had to close its doors. We’re back open again now thankfully, but during that uncertain time, I decided to take the plunge and set up an on demand platform which offered Yoga, Pilates and Fitness classes. I’ve since relaunched the platform and rebranded it to Joya!
What were you doing before launching your business?
Before launching Joya, and still to this day, I own and run an East London based yoga studio called Pause. This is actually where we film all the classes for Joya. The studio has been open for 4 years, but prior to that I worked in fashion for ten years.
Getting involved in Tech is still a hot topic for women, what was the motivation for you?
Before I became a yoga teacher and business owner, my last role in fashion was actually in tech. I worked on an app and did a brief stint as a trainee product owner at Net-a-Porter. I really loved being a product owner and if I wasn't able to get planning permission on my studio, this is probably what I would have been doing now so it's great that I've finally been able to combine the two!
How have you found your journey so far and what has been your greatest accomplishment?
Joya is still pretty new so at this stage everything, so everything is an accomplishment! I launched the platform last year during the height of the pandemic, whilst trying to keep my other business going and I'm also a mother to a toddler so trying to keep on top of everything is a challenge. To date though we've filmed over 5000 minutes of classes which are on site now, created a blog which contains expert advice and solutions on wellness and lifestyle and have started building an amazing community of members, experts and practitioners.
What has been the most challenging thing so far?
The rebrand. When I launched the platform, it was originally linked to my studio. At the beginning of the year I decided to separate it from the studio and give it the unique brand identity it deserves. The process took around 4-5 months to complete but it was worth it in the end.
You have created a business that is adaptable and progressive. What has that process been like for you?
As it's still very new to be honest, I'm still learning and figuring out the process as I go along. It felt like the right time to create something like this though as people become more open to working out from home and wanting solutions that fit into their busy day. The world is also waking up to the huge divide in the gender health gap (only 8% of study participants in healthcare are women) and so women and marginalised genders haven't been able to understand their bodies in a way that cis-gender men have. Our bodies have always been written off as "anomalies" because we have menstrual cycles and hormonal fluctuations. This is really important when it comes to movement and fitness as information around hormones and menstrual cycle can and should inform the way we move.
Who is your target audience?
Our main audience is women aged 22 - 45, but at Joya we believe that anyone experiencing these things should be able to share the amazing benefits of movement for the body, regardless of their gender identity. While Joya’s current teachers are all cisgender women, we are continuously taking steps to make our classes as inclusive as possible for people of all genders.
What advice would you give to fellow entrepreneurs stuck on mapping out a strong business model?
Do something you love. If you're passionate about what you do, then you'll have the motivation to pick yourself up on the many, many days (and many times during a day) where you ask yourself why am I doing this and what's the point. If you can answer the"why" then that's half the battle!
What plans do you have for business over the next two years?
Our main aim is to expand our user base and to build out our community of members, experts and practitioners.
Overview of how your business works:
Joya is an inclusive and supportive fitness and wellbeing platform owned and run by women. We’re here to help people find joy in their bodies and feel empowered with knowledge about their physical and mental health, with a tailored programme of fun, on-demand content. But, above all, Joya is about finding the joy in movement.
From pelvic health to menstruation, from pregnancy to perimenopause, we're here to bring honest, candid conversations to the forefront and let that knowledge inform the way we move.
Our classes are on demand and can be accessed at any time so it slots into your life! With classes from 8 - 60 minutes that can be done with minimal space, time and equipment, we've got some for everyone.
