Jodi: Ten years ago, when I was working as a life coach and yoga teacher, I was inspired to start a Body Positive line that would make every woman feel beautiful and inspired. I'd just started Beyond Yoga when a friend introduced me to Michelle. I have built my business on my intuition, and I knew that she was the right partner for this adventure.

Michelle: I was coming from fashion and living in NY when I met Jodi—her mission and passion resonated with me. It was exciting to be working on building a company that was focused on empowering women. It’s a rare opportunity to do something you love and to be a force for positive change.

JGB: For me, the challenge was the leap of faith. It can be a scary moment, but it can also be most rewarding decision of your life.

MW: Starting from scratch. In order to build the company we wanted that was based on fit, fabrics, and overall quality, we needed to know—correction—we needed to learn everything about this business from sourcing to stitching to sales. While we both brought experience to the table, nothing could have prepared us for the amount of learning we needed to do those first few years.

[Fortunately,] we always believed in what we were doing, from the product to our brand mission of empowerment and feeling good as you are. In 2006, nobody else was doing what we were doing. Lululemon and Hard Tail were our only competitors, and we were setting out to do something so different by creating transitional and active clothing for every body and everybody.

MW: When I first met Jodi, she had a vision of what she wanted in the collection, and she had hired a designer to sketch and bring those ideas to life. But she'd become frustrated that the designs weren't turning out the way she wanted, so I reminded her of my background in graphic art and offered to try sketching out her ideas. After trying a few of hers, I added in some of my own. When I presented them to Jodi, she said, “our relationship is about to change”—and we moved forward as partners from that point on.

JGB: I spent a lot of time in my childhood learning how to flatter my body at any size (I struggled with my weight, which turned out the be a gift because it's that experience that Beyond Yoga was built on). In turn, I spent quite a bit of time designing my own basics to do just that. I also found the right fabric, the right contractor, etc… but I knew once I had the designs and the fabric and fit down, the rest would fall into place.

MW: My father was an entrepreneur, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He started a chain of music stores in Washington DC, which he grew to 35 locations and won Small Retailer of the Year in DC. I’ve always been very impressed with what he accomplished and how he made his own opportunities, instead of waiting for them to come to him.  

JGB: By the time I started Beyond Yoga, I had worn many professional hats. I wasn’t on a linear career path—I was working to find my passion so that I could build something bigger. So, this project was not so much an intention as it was my destiny to discover.

It was always clear that I wanted to work for myself. I know how I work, and it isn’t traditional—I am up late working away, then like to workout in the morning—so the typical work schedule wasn’t going to happen.

JGB: Since I guide the larger creative direction of the company, my experience in PR and tracking trends and cultural shifts has been incredibly helpful. But I've had many other careers, and they all seem to beautifully support Beyond Yoga. I was also an agent and created many authentic wonderful friendships and relationships and they all support me today in this journey. My experience as a yoga teacher and life coach also helps guide the company mission.

MW: My background in marketing and graphic design helped in the early years of the brand when we didn't have people with those skill sets on our team. Running my previous clothing line, Unsweetened, gave me a lot of the basic business skills and understanding needed to work in the retail world. My early days in the industry were the building blocks for my current work. Those starting roles are invaluable—they let you cut your teeth and be mentored.

JGB: Our brand is built on a body positive message. Because we wanted to share something more than just a product, we found that our circles were particularly excited and receptive to Beyond Yoga. Once people really understood what we were about, our friends told their friends—it really caught on like wildfire.

MW: While Jodi was focused on the brand and creative, I focused on perfecting the product. Honestly, I am obsessive about our standards. The brand message drew people to us, and then the outstanding product speaks for itself.

JGB: Culture today can make women very self-critical, and the rise of social media has doubled that intensity. I wanted to create a product that affirmed every woman's beauty—and that means extended sizes. Really, our message is: whatever size you are, you can say out loud: I’MPERFECT.

I format that word with intention. No one is perfect—we are all perfectly imperfect. But if you take the word imperfect and look at it differently—which is what I try to do with everything, look at things differently—it becomes I’MPERFECT.

MW: Extended sizes are an underserved area in the apparel industry. We feel strongly that no one should be marginalized because of their size. Out of principle, we want to embrace everyone. It is also very practical business sense as it allows us to speak to a broader audience.

MW: Our first full-time hire was a production manager who made sure that our vision and product ended up exactly how we'd envisioned when it hit the floor.

In every new hire, we want to make sure they have the skill set needed to perform the job, are a cultural fit, and are a team player.

JGB: Technically, Michelle was my first hire, and we really did everything. It was actuallly the greatest gift to be on a tight budget because we had [to learn] every aspect of the business.

After that we needed to hire someone to help warehouse and ship the goods—that was a learning experience—today we are with a robust warehouse. We love to find people who share our passion for authenticity, integrity, and body positivity. Don’t get me wrong, experience is important—but a smart, motivated, driven, and resourceful person can go the distance.

JGB: Our message excites people, our quality is really top notch, our fit really is the best, and we are truly authentic. We didn’t jump on a bandwagon of "athleisure"—we are the bandwagon. We were first in. We started Beyond Yoga from a very honest and authentic place with a desire to support women and encourage self-esteem through style, grace, and integrity.

JGB: I am the luckiest girl in the world—I couldn't ask for a better partner. She is honest, has the utmost integrity, is incredibly hard working and is the best, best friend! We've rarely had any conflicts in the almost 10 years we have worked together—sounds too good to be true, but it is. 

MW: I feel the same way about Jodi. It’s really been a blessing to work with someone that I feel so in sync with. We share a lot of the same beliefs, and we have the same vision for Beyond Yoga. Because we're so aligned and have so much mutual respect, Jodi has given me the opportunity to run with ideas, which gives me the freedom to be creative and act quickly.

MW: I love to work out in the mornings—taking a 7am Pilates class starts my day off right. I feel energized, accomplished, and have done something just for myself, which makes it easier to stay focused at work and give it my all. It’s also a great opportunity to do a little research.

JGB: Like I said earlier, I get up every morning and workout. It's a top, top priority for me and has been for 20+ years. I tend to stay up late working. At night, it's nice and quiet so I can get s&*t done!

MW: I wake up looking forward to being with my family, and then to some quiet time where I can focus on Beyond Yoga. Every day there is a new challenge or idea that I can’t wait to get started on. I’m looking forward to more brand collaborations and product line extensions.

Jodi: I am grateful to wake up—I honestly try to have gratitude every day for my life and health. I look forward to work and watching Beyond Yoga grow, but the things that are the most important to me are my family and friends. And I can’t leave off swimming in the ocean (when the weather and water temperature permits).