Up & Coming Weekly

May 11, 2021

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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12 UCW MAY 12-18, 2021 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM While many small businesses in the area faced challenges during the pandemic year, some entrepreneurs saw opportunities to adapt, survive and even thrive. Such is the case for Angie Toman, owner of Living Balance Stu- dios, a local wellness and fitness boutique. Living Balance opened its store front as a private-instruction only studio in Fayetteville in 2013, but Toman had been offering lessons since 2001. When the pandemic hit, Toman was able to host online classes. Due to her ingenuity and dedication to serv- ing her clients, Toman not only adapted her business to survive COVID-19 restrictions, but is now able to expand her business. On May 15, Living Balance Studios will host a grand re-opening of sorts, with additional space to meet customer needs. e public is invited to the free event scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 201 S McPherson Church Road, to enjoy a sampling of classes offered at the studio. ere will be raffle prizes, nutrition and wellness consultations, and more. Hobby to Career Toman is a former trial lawyer turned health and wellness teacher who began her journey in yoga and Pilates back in the early 90's to help with her migraines, a result of her stressful work life. "At the time, no one in town was teaching yoga in my part of Florida, so I basically started watching videos and training myself, and it wasn't too hard given that I had a dance back- ground," Toman said. "It was fun, a hobby on the side." After moving to Fayetteville in August of 2000, she became a stay-at-home mom. "I wasn't good at just staying home and I started getting very antsy," she recalls. "I was looking for something to do and a local gym started offering yoga classes, so a friend of mine recommended me to teach yoga and Pilates." After teaching for a while, her students re- quested private lessons, which led her to offer- ing lessons out of her home or client's homes. "I started doing that and from then it was kind of word of mouth," Toman said. "A student told a friend, and a friend told a friend and in a year or two I was basically this travelling yoga show." Toman moved to D.C. and continued her business there before returning to Fayetteville in 2010. After divorce, she had to figure out if she was going to make this hobby her career. Her family and friends thought she was crazy not to go back to practicing law where she could make a lot more money, she said. "I liked being a lawyer, being a trial attorney, I liked the energy of that, I enjoyed the adrena- line rush, but I knew it wasn't the type of job for me if I wanted to be present with my kids and create my own schedule," Toman said. "So, I decided I was going to give it a shot. I told my family I was going to give it five years, and if I can't support my family then I'll go back to being a lawyer." riving during a pandemic Living Balance began in 2013 with five to seven instructors who taught private lessons. Class space increased from one studio to two within two years after opening, but it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that Toman re- ally considered expanding the business. During the pandemic, most of their clients continued lessons online when the studio was closed, so the business survived the financial pinch many small businesses in the area felt. "About 75 percent of our clientele stayed with us," Toman said. "Some bought two to three packages ahead of time to help us keep the cash flow, so I was able to pay rent, pay my instructors." Hosting online classes during the last year also allowed her to continue classes with cli- ents who were out of town or on vacation, she said. Toman decided to open a bigger space and offer group classes. With some local yoga stu- dios permanently closing their doors during the pandemic year, she had the opportunity to ask those owners for their top yoga instructors. "Because there were so many instructors who were suddenly out of work, I was able to really pick the best ones for my team," she said. Toman looked for instructors with more in- depth training than basic yoga certification, those working therapeutically with clients who had injuries, health concerns and those who didn't feel comfortable for any reason mentally or physically. "I was specific about who I hired, how they were trained, and spent time observing private classes to understand the attention to detail that comes with a private class," Toman said. With expansion, Toman was worried that she wouldn't have time to teach and would be- come more of an administrator, which led her to making her two lead instructors managers. Jessica Laird runs social media and market- ing, while Vicky Greene runs all the adminis- trative day-to-day things that come up, allow- ing Toman time to lead some classes. "I know what my passion is, it's teaching and watching people grow in their practice, and watching it change their life, whether it's physically, mental or spiritually," Toman said. Angie Toman grew a healthy hobby into a local health and wellness boutique. Living Balance Studios will cele- brate a grand opening on May 15 at 201 S. McPherson Church Road in Fayetteville. e public is invited to sample free yoga classes and meet health and wellness speakers. Entrepreneur finds balance in work, health, fitness and family by KEYURI PARAB COVER

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