How BOLD Gave One Woman the Courage to Change Her Business

Julia Bowen didn't plan on becoming a yoga studio owner. After overcoming depression and studying nutrition, energy movement and natural healing, she wanted to share her newfound spiritual passions with the world.

Soon afterward, she began practicing yoga, which led her to become a certified yoga teacher. Then in January 2012, she opened her own studio, Yoga by Julia in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After several years of studio ownership, Julia realized she needed to learn more about running a business—and how to use her Mindbody business management software.

"I knew there was a lot of money I was leaving on the table, functions of Mindbody that I wasn't using and processes of being held accountable, like numbers and marketing," Julia said.

To help her learn these things and more, Julia chose to attend the 2016 BOLD Mindbody conference—but not without hesitation. She was unsure if the investment—including her hotel and transportation—would be worth it.

However, within the first two months of returning to Albuquerque and implementing the advice she received at BOLD, Julia not only made back her travel investment, but doubled her studio revenue—and the increase has remained steady since.

"I met with a consultant [at the conference] who adjusted the pricing and we changed our pricing structure," Julia explained. "I signed up for Mindbody University right afterwards and it revolutionized my business in three months."

Julia believes that attending BOLD was directly responsible for her business's newfound success by giving her fresh ideas and the courage to act on them—no matter how intimidating they were.

"Mindbody looks at tens of thousands of studios' numbers and they understand them at the most intimate level," Julia said. "If Mindbody says something is going to work, I'm just going to do it, even if it sounds a little crazy."

While Julia attended with the intention of growing her business, she believes that BOLD is an opportunity for established businesses and brand new businesses alike. For Julia, BOLD wasn't just a conference—it was a life-changing experience.

For those unsure about whether the trip to BOLD is right for them, Julia offers a piece of advice: "When in doubt, go. It would've actually been the stupidest possible thing I could've done to not go."