Finding your Own Iron Squad

An old friend who also owned studios once upon a time (now that I think of it, this same friend also inspired me to quit the job I’ll talk about later in this blog post) once told me she preferred to pick her team based on whether she enjoyed being around them, rather than their actual experience.

I think about Suzie’s advice a lot.

Because if you’ve ever read any of the way-too-many business books I’ve personally devoured, you’ll know that many say the opposite — that you need to find the “right person” for the job, with the experience to help you scale, and to not get too attached in case you need to “let them go” when they no longer fit the vision.

And sure, I get it… it’s not TOTALLY wrong. Because business, at the end of the day, is about making money, right?

But what if we added another layer to that?

What if, instead of building a team purely for profit, you built one around people who make you laugh?

People you actually like being around?
People who make you excited to show up every single day?
A team that shares not just your values, but your dark humour and spark for a colourful life, too?

Before I had my own business, I managed video game arcades. I did that for over a decade. My team included my brother, cousin, school friends, and friends of friends.

No one was hired for experience. Everyone was hired for trust and vibes.

And in the world of arcade games, that vibe meant being okay with surprise overtime, blasting SOAD, and hosting your sixth kids’ birthday party in a row — in full cosplay.

We were super tight. We covered each other’s butts alllll the time. We’d hang out in the back room on the redemption prize plushie piles even when we weren’t rostered on, because all our favourite people were there anyway.

I adored those years. They even still appear in my dreams sometimes. And even after I left to become a circus instructor (and later, a yoga teacher and then studio owner), most of that team is still there.

So, despite what all the business books told me, I ignored the “don’t be friends with your team” rule once again, and hired for Nin Yoga based on values and vibes instead.

The people I work with every day are my kind of crazy. Strong willed, hilarious, grounded, and deeply human.

They inspire me to show up authentically because they do the same. They challenge me, make me laugh until I cry, and care about our mission just as much as I do.

Our WhatsApp chats are an explosion of energy too. We have group threads for everythinggggg: events, books, workouts, oh, and of course, the actual studio work stuff.

And because I feel not just close to my team but safe with them, I feel inspired. That’s when the best ideas flow for me. From safety, trust, and connection.

Sure, running a business means I don’t really have a “clock-off” time. Everything eventually falls back on me. And thats can feel like alot.

But you know what? I also get to choose who I spend my days with.

And that, honestly, is one of the best mental health hacks I’ve ever found.

That — and giving up the self-help books for romantasy.

Annika xx

P.S. If you couldn’t tell by our outfits over the weekend for out lil staff weekend away, the team and I take our smut very, very seriously 🐉