Sunday was a big day over here.
1) The time changed.
In case you didn’t know (I only bring it up once a week ;))…I’m a summer girl and the arrival of short days and cold weather makes me want to hibernate in a hole until April. I really should work on that plan to open a yoga studio in the Virgin Islands. (I’m only halfway joking about that dream. I like to think it’s a legit possibility.) But seriously, something about the time change marks a big shift.
2) I taught my last class at Y2 Yoga.
A friend of mine recently purchased Charlotte Yoga and offered me a leadership position at the studio that I couldn’t turn down. I have taken on the role of lead teacher and creative director. What that means is that I’m responsible for teacher feedback and development, workshop and special event planning, all things website and social media, staff and student communications, the overall creative energy of the studio and I’m teaching a ton. It’s basically my dream come true.
Backing up…Charlotte Yoga is where I fell in love with yoga in 2009 in Suzanne Bergen’s classes. When my friend offered the lead teacher role to me in partnership with Suzanne, it felt like everything was coming full circle. How lucky am I to be able to work side-by-side with my teacher to bring Charlotte the best in hot power yoga? The universe delivered for me BIG TIME on that one. Suzanne and I are already planning so many amazing things to come…workshops, master classes, teacher trainings…it’s exactly the direction I want to head in as a teacher.
And I can’t make this announcement without saying how hard it was to leave Y2 but with how full my plate is, there was no way that I could split my attention between both studios in the capacity that each studio needed me. I have been teaching at Y2 for nearly four years and have formed extremely close bonds with many of my students. It was absolutely heartbreaking to leave them and I didn’t make it though a single one of my last two weeks of classes without getting emotional. I love them more than words can ever express and they hold a special place in my heart. I will be forever grateful for everything they taught me. I hope that I will see many of their faces at Charlotte Yoga and I’m also hopeful that there will be new bonds and connections with new students.
That said, things are off to an AMAZING start at Charlotte Yoga. We are in the midst of some awesome studio renovations and launched our new schedule and special pricing this week. I am teaching seven classes each week. Charlotte-area readers, check out my teaching schedule.
3) Peanut Butter Runner version 3.0 launched.
This site redesign has been two years in the making. My old blog design was over four years old and in serious need of being retired. It wasn’t mobile friendly and over 50% of you read on mobile devices.
The new site is responsive so whether you’re reading on mobile, iPad or desktop, the it will format properly.
A few other features that I’m super pumped about.
The recipe and workout pages are now visually organized.
Visual content has been the preferred method of browsing for years, especially when it comes to recipes. You can now quickly scroll through a variety of recipes and workouts to see what catches your eye instead of navigating through a list of hyperlinks. I LOVE THIS FEATURE and I can’t thank my web developer enough for making it happen.
I have also launched a new email newsletter sign-up. This is for content and special offers that won’t be found on the blog. Note, if you’re already signed up to receive email updates when I write a post, you will continue receiving them but this feature is not available moving forward.
Other than that, I’m just so happy to have a really clean site and I hope you guys love it and find it easy to read and navigate. I’m always open to feedback so please let me know if you run into any glitches or if you have suggestions. And for anyone looking to launch or redesign their own website, I cannot recommend my friend and developer enough. Get all the details on this page. He listened to exactly what I wanted and made it happen, and also brought me new ideas and features I hadn’t even considered. I actually keep him on a retainer to handle all of the backend development work that goes into blogging. He has been a LIFESAVER over the last year as my blog has experienced some major growing pains. It’s so nice to have someone I trust to have my “blogging back.” I don’t have to worry about anything!
Okay, so that was a lot of news.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m not equal parts hopeful and scared out of my mind about all the changes happening for me right now but if you’re not growing, you’re dying. And I want to grow. So cheers to ONWARD!
Let me know what you think of the new site. And if you live in the Charlotte area…I hope to see you on the mat! 🙂
Jen… I’ve been a runner for years. I’m close to 50 so I recently took up yoga and wow!! I feel so great after each class? I travel a lot with my job so if I’m be
Ever in Charlotte, I’ll look up ur studio and take ur class. I love reading your blogs each day!!
Congratulations on the new position! How very exciting to start this journey with your friend. And the site is awesome! Love the functionality.
Congrats Jen! I am really loving the new site and I’m on the mobile version now and it is killer!
Love and hugs on all your success! You truly do inspire me 🙂 XOXO
It would be an honor to practice yoga with you one day!
Congratulations! It sounds really, really great. I am also appreciative of your new recipes page. I love your style of food, so getting to see it all in thumbnails is great!
Wow! Congratulations on your new position. I’m so happy that you get to work at the place that made you fall in love with yoga.
The new site is very pretty and easy to navigate.
Congrats on all of the exciting changes happening in your life!
Lots of changes, but they’re all fabulous! You’re so inspiring and happy for all that is coming your way…Keep it up woman! XOXO
sounds like lots of exciting movement going on! best wishes as your take on your new role.
Love the new website and excited about your opportunity at Charlotte Yoga! I start teacher training this week and have definitely felt inspired by your love for yoga over the years. I can’t wait to come to classes and workshops when I am in the area. Good luck! 🙂
Congrats on all the new adventures! The site looks great and the yoga position sounds like such a great fit for you! Will be exciting to follow along (oh, and as someone who doesn’t wear red lipstick but wants to, I vote yes on your outfit with the red lips the other night!). 😉
Congrats! I think the Universe is definitely conspiring on your behalf! 🙂 And looking forward to your newsletter.
Jen! I am so excited for everything you have going on. 2015 is going to be such an awesome year. I love the new design and am excited about the possibility of having you do a workshop at my new studio. We HAVE to make that happen once I’m up and running. You are going to do awesome at Charlotte Yoga!!
So excited about this! Congrats!
Best wishes to you! That sounds like a wonderful new chapter in your life. Love when things come full circle and oh-so-right. 🙂
Congrats Jen! That sounds like literally a dream job. I’m so happy for you! My boyfriend flies to Charlotte frequently for work and I told him last night that I want to tag along sometime soon to explore the city – and I’d love to take one of your classes!
Great News! Congratulations! Leaving a place you love is never easy but I know you are excited as you have so much more new and exciting thing to look forward to! If I’m ever in Charlotte I would love to take a class!
Congrats on all of these new exciting things going on in your life! The Charlotte yoga opportunity sounds very exciting as well. I live in Charlotte but had never been to the Charlotte yoga studio. Do they offer any special one class trial classes? I would love to come check it out!
Congrats!!!!! And I must say, I absolutely loved that last part; “if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Cheers to ONWARD”. Hell yes, lady!
Congratulations on a job well done, Jen. So wonderful when the stars align for such big, exciting things in our life, huh? Excited and scared is a great place to be.
YAYAY congrats!! so happy for you!
Congrats on the new position! That sounds like a dream job 😀
Congratulations on your new position – that sounds amazing. I really hope I can take your yoga class some day! Oh and I LOVE your new site.
I have been a long time reader and I keep meaning to comment that your yoga classes sound like my DREAM! I live in NYC and shockingly I have not found a heated power vinyasa studio with good music (your playlists are exactly what i’m looking for!) I guess I’ll have to make my way down to Charlotte at some point!
So many wonderful updates!!! So happy for you Jen!
hi jen! i’m so late to the party but i just wanted to let you know that i love your new layout! it’s incredible and clean and wow! major congrats on your re-launch. and a huge and major congratulations to you for your new position! such an exciting time!
Hey Jen – love your blog! Just recently found it and really enjoy it. We met at the Lululemon outdoor yoga class you taught last year and you offered great advice for when I taught the class a few weeks after you. Since then I have relocated to Germany and reading your blog makes me feel like I am back “home”. Congrats on your exciting changes!!! -Jess
LOVING the new site!! Been catching up on my reading this morning and it’s so clean, easy to navigate, and just all around awesomeness. Also, huge congrats on the new role at Charlotte Yoga and the changes in the studio. I love Charlotte Yoga – I practiced there when I first moved to Charlotte 4 years ago. Can’t wait to stay tuned with all the fun changes in the studio!