Young entrepreneurs are nothing new; they have been around for decades and longer.
Young kids (usually defined as younger than 18) delivered newspapers, cut lawns, and operated lemonade stands. True Americana.
In recent years, the support for these kids is significantly higher, with tools and resources available to help them launch and grow businesses. Sometimes they start high tech or game related businesses—and in some cases sell them for millions of dollars!
Money was not the motivation for 14-year-old Skyler Dearen to become the youngest certified hot yoga instructor in the United States, but it seems it was a destiny since she took her first class when she was just 6-years-old.
Her mother, Darlene, has been in the yoga world for many years, and in 2013 opened Radiant HOT Yoga in the Bison/ MacArthur center where young Skyler also teaches.
The key word is HOT, as in 105 degree temperatures and high humidity. Based on personal experience, you work up quite a sweat.
In a crowded class she walks around the room, adjusting the temperature, humidity, music, and generating an energy which transfers to the class.
As the director of operations, it is up to her to be sure everyone is pushed to their potential without exceeding it, opening classroom doors for circulation when needed, and stopping her
students from putting themselves in danger.
Quite a bit of pressure for a girl who is just completing 8th grade at Corona del Mar High School.
She has been certified and teaching since last December, and has aspirations of opening her own Radiant Studio, following in Mom’s entrepreneurial footsteps.
I recently attended my first hot yoga class taught by Skyler. She displayed posture and maturity well beyond her years.
Commitment was essential as her certification required 200 hours of training over an eight week period.
When asked how her friends responded to her focus and commitment, she modestly replied that she has become an inspiration for them, which is terrific for anyone to be a role model to their peers.
Radiant is one of the few studios that offers hot yoga for youth, and Skyler wants to inspire them.
“If you find a passion and know what you want to do, give it all the time and energy and you will succeed,” she told me. Not a quote you would expect from such a young person.
After attending several classes at Radiant, I truly felt like part of a family. Since yoga combines physical, spiritual and meditative practices, the transparency of the personalities is notable.
If you’d like to see Skyler in action, take one of her classes at Radiant HOT Yoga.
Visit RadiantHotYoga.com, or call (949) 706-YOGA (9642). Follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/radianthotyoga.
