Life & Work with Jolene Newman of Charleston

Hi Jolene, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello!  Well, first off people usually ask me if I have heard the song, “Jolene”, by Dolly Parton.  She is an absolute queen and yes, I love her song.  The second question is if I was named after that song.  No, I wasn’t.  I was actually named Jolene becuase it was the name of my Dad’s first crush he had when he was in first grade.  He named a teddy bear after her and my mom thought that story was sweet and that is where my name came from.

I am a native of Arizona and although I love the desert and mountains, the idea of living in Charleston around all the water and fabulous people intrigued me.  Our family moved here in 2017 and absolutely love the Low Country lifestyle.

Moving to Charleston around seven years ago, there were only a few places to practice yoga. They were all great, but not what I was used. Coming from Arizona, I missed the type of energetic and power vinyasa classes I was taking there.  So around 5 years ago I decided to go through my 200-hour teacher training program. I figured if I wanted to start teaching, I could teach the style of asana (movement) that helped me fall in love with yoga here in Charleston.

On the first night of class, we were all asked what we wanted to get from our training. I told the class that I was either going to expand my practice or I was going to open up a yoga studio.

That was the first time I ever spoke outloud the idea of opening Modern Movement Yoga. I have been working on the studio concept for about 4 years now, and I am excited that we are just a few weeks away from opening our doors.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road? If not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing smooth on this road of life. My learning curve is one of the biggest struggles I have had along the way.  I have past job experience as an event planner, a food director for Aramark, a managment trainer and many other positions in the hotel/restaurant industry. So, teaching, managing, and organizing are some of my strengths. But construction, licensing, budgeting, loans, state rules, and regulations. Those are all brand new to me.

It has taken hundreds of hours to understand the nuances of turning an idea into a business. The saying, “If it was easy, everyone would do it,” has been in my head since this project started. I have had to be very patient with myself and how things progress. But, I have had many people help me along the way. I have learned many new things, and I keep moving forward.  Even when I want to throw in the towel, I rally and keep going because I believe this studio will bring so much positive joy and energy to the people of Charleston.

One example of a challenge that I dug deep into was my retail space in the studio. I wasn’t truly sold on selling the usual type of activewear seen at most other studios. I wanted something unique, and I wanted it to represent the brand that Modern Movement is becoming. So I spent hours researching how to manufacture a clothing brand, and I am happy to say that after a lot of time and work, Modern Movement Apparel will be the activewear sold at the studio. Each piece is curated to enhance your practice on and off the mat. Our line starts with women’s athleisure wear, yoga mats, and blocks, but hopefully, the line will expand to men’s clothing and other exciting options.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As I said earlier, I come from a past of customer service and special event coordination. I have managed events with a few people to a few thousand people. I love bringing people together and am very strong at ensuring you have the best experience I can offer you.

As a teacher, I excel at intellectual sequencing, meaning that the flow of moves created for a class tells your mind and body a story. Vinyasa style yoga links your breath with the move and has smooth transitions between the poses. This allows the body and mind to stay in the moment and will enable you to “get out of your head” while on your mat.

The greatest part about this practice is that it is a workout and a work-in.  This practice leads to feelings of well-being and a way to reduce stress while becoming physically stronger. I am most proud of creating a space for all of us to thrive and crush some goals we set for ourselves along the way.

Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Do you have any advice?
My biggest advice for finding mentors or networking is to ask questions about what others know and what they do for a living. For example, I asked my students for help finding a commercial real estate agent. In that class, it so happened that one student is commercial real estate agent who has been invaluable to this process. He has gone above and beyond the scope of his job to help and the studio wouldn’t be nearly this close to opening if I never asked him for help.

Another thing I have done is accepting help from experts even if it feels humbling.  I have made my fair share of mistakes along this journey, but asking for help and learning from others has been invaluable to the sucess of opening the studio.  One of my mantras is to, “be the student until you figure out how to be the expert”.