Why I Started A Business At 16

In my life, I have many conflicting values and morals. There is a constant fight within me between craving attention and trying to be humble, between saving the environment and taking 30 minute showers, between reducing the amount of waste in the world and buying the delicious snacks with 7 layers of excess packaging.

When I was 15, one of the main things I was struggling with was trying to be patient with where I was while constantly wanting to kick start my life. I felt like I couldn't actually live until I had finished school, and I think a lot of us do feel that way. In hindsight, I know my life was incredible. I had done so many amazing things before the age of 15 and I have some incredible memories, scars and bad twelvie pictures to prove it. However, at the time I felt like I was just waiting. Half of me felt this was ok because patience is something that people in my generation in particular struggle with. With the world literally at our fingertips through the internet, why should we have to wait for anything? I decided that waiting was the right thing to do. Take time to learn, think, develop and wait. And so I did. But I didn't like it much.

Just before my 16th birthday, an opportunity arose that was just too good to miss. Yoga Teacher Training at the studio and with the people that I know, respect and love. It didn't really take much mulling over for me to come to the conclusion that this was what I wanted to do. In that moment, I forgot about being patient and my waiting ended.

Studying full-time, working two casual jobs, completely ballet exams, concerts, lessons and teaching ballet all while learning to become a yoga teacher was in no way easy, but I really feel like I thrived under the pressure. I learnt that I actually love being busy, so long as I find time every now and then to slow down of course.

So I finished my course, taught a few classes to a few friends, made a Facebook page and an Instagram and came up with a name: Rise and Yoga. I thought it would pretty much end there.

I had to put everything on hold while I did some amazing things like going to Italy and travelling across Australia, but recently it's been go time again.

I did Kids Yoga teacher training. It was incredible. It has opened my eyes to what my classes (for kids, teens, adults and everyone in-between) could potentially be like and it gave me a lot of skills that I cannot wait to bring to my classes to make them all the more effective and enjoyable. I intend to continue this training next year, but enough of that for now.

I then began launching Rise and Yoga as a full scale small business. It's been awesome and daunting and I'm learning a lot as I go, but overall it's been an incredibly positive experience.

Next term I will be teaching 3 yoga classes a week under the name, Rise and Yoga. I am 16 years old.

I guess what I really want to get across to all those people who are waiting for something, for school to finish, for the new year, to be a little bit older, I say: whatever you want to do, do it now! Why wait?! You have more potential than you think. Especially teenagers. We have the ultimate mix of the capabilities of an adult mixed in with the creativity, daringness and even the naivety of kids. So why don't we use our magic powers for good?!

I recently watched a TED Talk by Kate Simonds, 17, and I think it really sums up what I'm getting at. (The link is here)

When I go to training courses, the 30, 40 even 50 year olds are all amazed that there is someone so young participating. Why does this happen? Why shouldn't I participate? For gods sake, someone tell me why!!

I started a business at 16 because I COULD. In this day and age, with the world literally at our fingertips, we CAN do anything we set our minds to. So go do it.

Mia x