May 15, 2017

Meet Jenna Palm of The Corner Studio in Medford

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Palm.

Jenna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I entered college, I had aspirations of opening a dance studio and chose to study entrepreneurship and small business management. In my free time, I took advantage of the free yoga classes that were offered on my campus and gradually fell in love with the practice. My focus shifted from dance to yoga, though my teaching is still inspired by my background in dance and gymnastics.

After college, I worked first as a café marketing manager and then in sales for an educational travel company while teaching yoga on the side. I felt unfulfilled in my work and drawn toward a career in teaching yoga. I took a huge risk, quit my job and began teaching yoga full time. Opening a yoga studio was always in the back of my mind, but I had always imagined that I would be much older when I did it. After some gentle encouragement from an entrepreneurially minded friend, I decided to at least take a look at some potential studio spaces.

I considered many spaces in the greater Boston area, and almost overlooked the space that would become The Corner Studio. I happened to peek in the window of my current space and it sort of looked like a yoga studio already… wood floors, exposed brick, wooden beams, all of the character I now love about the space.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I opened The Corner Studio on a limited budget, and to save money I did it all on my own. I was working 7 days a week teaching 20 yoga classes per week including one in New Hampshire, working a shift at my mother-in-law’s café and managing all of the responsibilities involved with running a business. I thought I could do it – I was young, driven and REALLY wanted to make it work, but I discovered the true meaning of burnout. That type of work is not sustainable, so I made some shifts. I committed to taking one day off per week and started to build a team of talented instructors and assistants.

I don’t think that any business degree can fully prepare you for running your own business. The biggest strength as a business owner is being adaptable to change.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are known for providing a safe, non-intimidating space for yogis of all levels to practice yoga, build friendships and have fun! I love hearing stories from members who have experienced positive physical and/or emotional shifts in their lives since they discovered The Corner Studio.

My greatest pride is witnessing this beautiful community of people come together, grow and inspire each other. It fills me with joy when I see existing members welcoming new yogis and making them feel comfortable. Many friendships have originated here, and I love that!

The Corner Studio is a charming, intimate space with a maximum capacity of 20 students. In today’s yoga culture some people feel like they are just a body and get lost in the shuffle. Here we are able to really get to know our students and give them more individualized attention.

What were you like growing up?
As a child I was in love with movement. I was very involved in competitive gymnastics and dance. Those passions evolved into a love practicing and teaching yoga. Being passionate about the service I provide has been a major contributor to my success so far.

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