BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Career Change From The Outside In: Model-Turned-Yogi Suzanne Bryant

Following
This article is more than 8 years old.

It was not about my outer but inner beauty and intelligence that was my power – Susanne Bryant

Suzanne Bryant took a personal interest in yoga and turned it into a career, first with a documentary in 2012, YOGA IS: A Transformational Journey, and now with an online yoga conference. But her first career was far more outward-facing, as Bryant was a model for the likes of Armani. In our interview, Bryant shares how modeling helped her second career, why she’s taking a typically in-person experience virtual, and advice for other service-based entrepreneurs who’d like to do the same:

Caroline Ceniza-Levine: Why did you change careers?

Suzanne Bryant: I wanted to focus on giving back to the world and inspiring people. I have such enthusiasm to help people get unstuck in life and I was looking for a way to do this. Yoga and meditation came in my life and had become such a powerful tool for me to move through my limitations and fears. The practice gave me an anchor and ability to quiet my mind, find inner strength and get clear. Ultimately that is why my business was created but it was a journey to get there.

Ceniza-Levine: Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?

Bryant: I have always been an independent thinker who valued freedom of expression and movement, and have had this unstoppable drive to go after my visions. I have taken great risks, even sometimes without evaluating the consequences, which were ultimately invaluable lessons.

I never had the desire to work for someone, I wanted to create and share with the world in my own way, but I was searching for a way to do this in my early years. That is why I started modeling. I left college against my parents’ wishes to explore the world. The limitlessness that travel allows you to feel, is such an education in itself. Experiencing the various countries and cultures was expanding to my mind, and all types of possibilities opened up to me.

What fascinates me is moving through my fears and limitations to achieve a goal, I like the challenge. We are all capable of creating what we want but our fears often limit us. What I have found to be true over the years, is the more clarity I have in my vision, the right people and opportunities show up. When bumps in the road happen, I assess but never give up. Passion is essential to deal with the obstacles of being an entrepreneur.

Ceniza-Levine: How long did it take to make the change?

Bryant: It was a transition over time. I used my modeling as an opportunity to pay for my education at NYU and study journalism, and then eventually I did a yoga teacher training and worked for a producer at 60 Minutes II. It was all part of the phase I like to call "gathering information". I believe that each job brings pieces of our puzzle together. When I worked for the producer at 60 Minutes II,  I loved the creation of stories, but enjoyed the freedom to work on my own terms. This opportunity to work on stories or projects, allowed me the realization that I loved the ideas of project. I didn't mind dedicating myself deeply to a project for a period of time, this way of working, allowed me to take time off after a project to recalibrate and go out and create something new.

This experience in journalism and yoga as well as losing my 57 year old mother to cancer, would lead me to create a documentary film called Yoga IS: A Transformational Journey,  released with Magnolia Pictures. The moment the DVD arrived, the reality of my dream set in -- I truly did arrive at this quest to create something and make it a reality. It made me realize, we all have the power to create our dreams, if we are willing to go after them and not give into the bumps along the way or naysayers or inner critic that tell us that we don't deserve our success or our dream.

The truth is, It takes belief in yourself and it's not always easy to access.

After the film release I received over 30,000 emails from people telling me how the film had changed their life, and they were asking for more information on yoga, classes, retreats and classes with me. I was told that yoga was either not available to them because of location or cost. That is how the idea of taking Yoga online in a conference was born, I wanted to make it accessible to everyone regardless of any restriction, because I knew the power if had given me in my life. This spring the largest online yoga conference in the world was released called YOGA IS. It fascinates me that my journey through all its twists and turns, challenges, classes and careers led me to this. They were all pieces to get me to this place. So stay open, as we can't always see why things are unfolding until later down the road.

Ceniza-Levine: What were the biggest obstacles in making the change?

Bryant: One of my biggest obstacles were people's fear of wanting to protect me from doing something too risky. And also not believing in myself. I found that when I stopped believing in myself, the flow of opportunities stopped, and when I didn't listen to the naysayers or the people that loved me but lived in fear, and went out and followed my bliss, things just started moving in the right direction. When I lacked all the capital to create my online conference, I held the vision and just started calling people to see if they would come on board as a sponsor. I landed my main sponsor and at the same time ended up meeting someone who came on board as the sponsorship director and raised the rest of the funds to create the conference. Of course I also took a risk in using some of my own capital to support the cost of the conference that sponsorship didn't cover. You must be willing to take risks, playing it too safe doesn't allow you to reach great heights. When we move in the direction we want to go and are clear and open to possibilities, versus thinking we have all the answers, the universe seems to support us.

Ceniza-Levine: What was most helpful as you were transitioning?

Bryant: The producer I worked for at 60 Minutes II, told me I was the most tenacious woman he knew. I had called him 5 times to get the initial interview and internship. Of course when he called me back, he said: "Suzanne I have to meet you, you are the most tenacious woman I know, and by the way, I have been in Afghanistan." This was the reason for his over two-week return of my call.

I had an incredible opportunity and I wanted to make it happen so I wasn't going to give up with just one phone call. This allowed me to see the power of persistence.

As I got to know him, one day he told me that I was not the type of person to go from A to B to C to D, he said Suzanne you are someone who has the ability to go straight to D. This always stayed in my mind, and also reiterated a feeling that I had inside, but now someone that I admired was telling me that I had this ability. When people you admire see qualities in you, it's a support to go after your dreams. We all need mentors to support our drive to go to the places we seek. Ultimately it is about self-worth and finding that within yourself, but these mentors also help you believe in yourself. When I set out to create my own business, and if my mind ever went to places I fear, I reminded myself of the people who believed in me.

Ceniza-Levine: Did it require any special certifications or other training? Did you enroll in any small business programs or incubators or get a coach?

Bryant: I had several mentors along the way, my biggest coach is my sister who is an entrepreneur herself who owns her PR agency. She works with entrepreneurs and she always encourages me and coaches me. I also read many books and researched what others were creating to see what existed in the marketplace. I found an area that had had a need, I think that is a key to success is to find need in whatever marketplace that you have passion for. I also spent time talking to many successful entrepreneurs I knew personally and would ask them for their greatest life lessons on how they achieved their goal in creating a sustainable business.

Ceniza-Levine: What skills/ habits/ knowledge from your modeling career helped you?

Bryant: Connecting with people and being open to learning from everyone is something that I retained from my modeling career that has helped me in my business today. When I traveled, I would always meet people and learned something interesting from everyone. Being open to new possibilities is something that I have found brings opportunities in.

Ceniza-Levine: What skills/ habits/ knowledge from your modeling career weren’t helpful or that you needed to unlearn?

Bryant: When one is asked to model naturally they become self-judging and critical of their outer appearance. And the value can be placed on looks versus creativity and intelligence. This can breed self-consciousness, which is such a weakness. I had to unlearn that it was not about my outer but inner beauty and intelligence that was my power.

Ceniza-Levine: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you started the business?

Bryant: You can't do everything yourself, if you try, you cannot grow. As entrepreneurs we are often excited to do it all, but get overwhelmed and often can't achieve all that we set out to do. This is how I first started. It took so much more time to get things to happen. When you find strong members of your team, it allows you to focus on what you do best, you can focus on the things that inspire your creativity versus things that take your energy away. Also be honest with yourself and know that to create something it will take a lot of work and time and dedication. You can't do things half way and expect results, you must take the time to truly focus on your goals. We all have our own work styles, find the rhythm that works for you. Mine is to work long hours during the week when I am creating a project, but exercise every day and get my 8 hours sleep as well as take weekends off to regenerate. Find your balance, don't forget about self-caring. Sleep and exercise and eating healthy are essential fuel to give us the energy and drive to make our project a reality. And finally, be around people that support your vision, as an entrepreneur you need to be focused, toxic people on your team are unnecessary distractions and will take away from the time you need to devote to all aspects of creation.

Ceniza-Levine: What advice would you have for other professionals who might have established careers on making the leap into a new business?

Bryant: Listen to your inner voice, it has such wisdom and keep your vision to yourself and a few close confidants. When you share your vision, sometimes other people's fears can get in the way, and that fear can creep in and dissipate the energy you have to go after that dream.

Also, take your time, get clear on your vision, and don't just jump into it, have an initial plan to create your business. This will inevitably change as you go on the path, but at least you have created a foundation. As entrepreneurs we are so filled with passion to get started and that is how our minds work. Inspiration happens and we are ignited to go after it, but be mindful and take time to be clear on what is the outcome will be for your business both long term and short term. And always give back, success isn't just about achieving your goals, but it is about giving back in some way that is true abundance.

Ceniza-Levine: Yoga is traditionally offered in-person but you’re taking it online. Why did you decide to do that?

Bryant: Yoga is an incredible practice that I wanted everyone to have access too. Traditionally we are taught by teachers in a school, however for many years I did my yoga practice to a DVD. So naturally I felt that this model was a viable option. I also have found there are so many types of yoga and meditation practices, and we often are exposed to only the physical form in many classes these days, but YOGA IS so much more. This idea to bring it online would allow people to have an abundant variety of offerings and styles and teachers that many people can't ever have access to.

There are yoga festivals but the cost is often thousands of dollars and that is prohibitive to most, and they don't offer such a large number of teachers and styles in one place. And time is a big factor, we are so busy that devoting an entire weekend is often difficult. With the conference, they can watch and listen everyday on their own terms.

This way everyone can have access to these teachings, it democratizes yoga in a way.

Ceniza-Levine: For live service providers looking to add a virtual component to their business what are the pros/ cons of adding virtual?

Bryant: The pros outweigh the cons by far. The pros are that you can reach a much larger audience and one that is worldwide. Everything is moving online, our lives have become about being connected through technology, so if you don't participate in this you are missing a great opportunity to grow your brand. The cons can be the cost, but certainly that will pay off in the first year of business, in mine it paid for itself in a week of sales opening up.

Ceniza-Levine: Anything particularly surprising (either wonderful or challenging or one of both) about adding the virtual component to your business?

Bryant: A few things. When building the website to launch my online virtual classes, I thought it would be a quick process, but that was not the case. For months on end, the website was in constant need of new components to add and we were working against the clock. We had so many aspects to attach and many technologies to combine with our system that it was a huge stress, even for a yogi!

I'd recommend giving yourself at least 6 months before picking a date to go live with your website when launching your virtual component.

Also, one factor I did not think about was tech support! In creating this conference we had such strong team and the one area I didn't focus on was having a team to respond to all the emails. The day the conference went live I had a three member team, all set with stockpiles chocolate and green tea, as I thought we'd be working round the clock to support all the questions and much to my surprise we had very little emails with questions from people having trouble accessing the content, I could finally exhale.

My favorite takeaways from Bryant?

Success takes tenacity

Bryant went back to school for her second career (you don’t always need a degree but you do need new skills and information somehow). She raised money for her last venture (“I just started calling people to see if they would come on board as a sponsor.”) She called the producer who hired her five times (“I had an incredible opportunity and I wanted to make it happen so I wasn't going to give up with just one phone call.”)

Do you give up after the first few calls? Or worse, do you not call around? How can you be more tenacious in pursuing your career goals?

Success needs a break

Bryant advises finding ways to “regenerate” – hers includes daily exercise and eight hours of sleep. This is counter-balanced by long workdays during the week but that’s the schedule that works for her.

Do you proactively build in rest into your career planning? What daily and weekly habits can you add to consistently get renewed?

Listen

Bryant mentions listening to yourself and that “inner voice” multiple times in the interview. But she also talks about listening to her mentors and to her customers.

Do you respond to your customers? For the traditionally employed, this means your boss, prospective employers and your industry! Do you accept advice from mentors and supporters? Do you listen to your own instincts and wisdom?

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a career and business coach with SixFigureStart®. She has worked with executives from Amazon, American Express, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. Follow Caroline’s weekly leadership column on Forbes  for more profiles of executives and entrepreneurs making big changes.

Also on Forbes: