Founder story category

Retreat Host Stories

Retreat Host stories from Yoga Founders Magazine.

7 founder stories
Portrait of Kimi Hajian, Retreat Host behind alkimiapp.kimihajian.comYoga Tech

When a Yoga Teacher Chooses Consistency and Builds a Business Rooted in Authentic Study

I am a half Iranian, half Czech girl born in London and raised in the Czech Republic. At eighteen I moved back to London to study marketing because I loved creativity and psychology. That path led me into seven years of corporate marketing where I managed campaigns, worked with major brands, and learned how the digital world moves. Yoga arrived much earlier in my life when I was sixteen. My first class was Bikram only because someone told me it burns calories, and as a hypermobile teenager I was suddenly good at it. My ego loved that, but soon I realised yoga was much more than a hot room and sweat...

Portrait of Kristyna Coufalova, Retreat Host behind Kristyna CoufalovaRetreat Host

How Kristýna Built a Retreat Brand by Simply Being Real, Present, and Unapologetic

I’m Kristýna Coufalová, a yoga, barre, and pilates teacher based between Norway and Sicily. Outside the studio, I’m a mother, a nature lover, and someone fascinated by psychology and human stories. Yoga came into my life when I felt disconnected from my body and craved safety and balance. My first class wasn’t about the shapes — it was about the silence that followed. That silence became my anchor. But the journey hasn’t been smooth. For years, I struggled with body image, feeling like I didn’t have the “right” body for yoga. I had to unlearn those beliefs. I’ve also faced burnout, pouring so much energy into others. Through it all, I kept returning to compassion, patience, and presence — the very things I now teach...

Portrait of Magdalene Fragkou, Retreat Host behind thalassa.com.grRetreat Host

Magdalene’s Yoga Shala Wasn’t Easy to Build, But What It Stands for Is Everything

Magdalene’s story starts at the heart of Thalassa Studios, where she was born and raised after her parents fell in love with Porto Heli and chose it as their forever home in the 90s. With a background in theatre and special education in Athens, her early path was filled with creativity, performance, and a deep desire to connect with others. That same desire eventually found its expression through movement...

Portrait of Francesco Guglielmino, Retreat Host behind francescoguglielmino.comYoga Business Coach

Why Francesco Walked Away from Stability to Build a Yoga and Fitness Vision That Inspires

Before yoga became my path, life took me through unexpected turns. I grew up in Switzerland and began my career in banking, earning my diploma as a Bankfachmann. But deep down, I knew that life in an office wasn’t for me. I left banking, moved to Zurich, and pursued professional dance, which opened doors to performances and eventually took me to New York City for advanced training. Later, I transitioned into acting and modeling, moving to Los Angeles. Movement, expression, and personal growth were always at the core of my life — and yoga eventually became the container that held it all together. My first real contact with yoga came in New York at age 23, while dealing with persistent back pain from my dance years. Yoga didn’t just help physically, it gave me an inner calm...

Portrait of Joyce Mol, Retreat Host behind joycemol.com and www.mindeventsfactory.comYoga Tech

How Joyce Mol Built a Healing Yoga Platform from Just a Few Mats and Hosting Retreats

My name is Joyce Mol, Certified Yoga Teacher with a focus on yin yoga and fascia release therapy. My yoga journey began in 2017 after a burnout. That experience cracked me open, it taught me to live more from the heart and led me to a path of deeper connection. In 2018, things became even more serious after I was in a car accident. My physiotherapist recommended yin yoga to support my healing from a whiplash and PTSD. That practice helped me reconnect emotionally and made it clear that I needed to walk a different path. That same year, I completed my first yin yoga teacher training. Learning how the elements, organs, and emotions are all intertwined taught me to slow down and trust a new way of living. From there, I followed more trainings, including a 200-hour yin yoga certification...

Portrait of Kaitlin Cruise, Retreat Host behind eckertstudio.comTeacher Training

No More Timelines: When Life Fell Apart, Yoga Helped Kaitlin Cruise Start Over

Kaitlin Cruise’s journey began in a quiet suburb of North Texas. Raised in the same bedroom until she left for college, Kaitlin lived a life governed by achievement and the constant drive to meet—and exceed—expectations. From being a top student to striving for the best performance in dance, her world revolved around proving her worth through perfection. Even her leisure turned into competition, a pattern that carried into her academic success—graduating with a flawless 4.0 GPA in Special Education...

Portrait of Melanie Jolicoeur, Retreat Host behind melaniejolicoeur.comRetreat Host

What started as a whisper became Melanie Jolicoeur’s 12-year global journey

The journey started before I ever stepped on a mat, I’ve felt a subtle attunement to life—the rhythm of nature, the movement of emotion, and the quiet wisdom beneath the surface of everyday experience. But this awareness wasn’t always present. In 2013, I made the life-altering decision to leave behind everything familiar—my hometown, my business, my family—and follow an inner calling into the unknown. What began as a few weeks away turned into twelve years of nomadic living, weaving through continents, cultures, and countless teachings. Before that leap, I had spent over a decade as a business owner, professional artist, caregiver, and friend. I had lived fully. but beneath the achievements was a growing emptiness. The constant “doing” had drowned out my ability to simply “be.” Compounded by personal losses and physical health challenges—like a degenerative spinal condition and an autoimmune illness—I found myself questioning everything: Is true peace possible...

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