Jillian Audio

Jillian Woodard is the program manager at META and the founder of Namaste by Jay, a wellness collective for black women. The idea came to her gradually as she went through trauma therapy and yoga teacher training. She wanted to create a community where black women could find support and healing. Namaste by Jay has grown from hosting a single event to nearly 30 events across the country. Jillian emphasizes the importance of project management and communication skills for leaders. She values surrounding herself with people who can execute and have proven success. Jillian balances her full-time job with running Namaste by Jay through time blocking and delegation. However, she admits that her mind is always on the go, making it difficult to relax. She prioritizes self-care through regular workouts and meditation. All right, everyone, welcome back. My name is Janae Bell. I'm so excited to be here with Jillian Woodard, our guest for today. She's a program manager at META and a devoted yoga and meditation practitioner hailing from Columbus, Ohio. In 2019, she achieved a significant milestone by obtaining her 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification. On personal accomplishments of partnering with brands such as Essence Girls United, Therapy for Black Girls, and Spring People Movement, Jillian embarked on a transformative mission in 2020 when she founded Namaste by Jay, which I'm excited to talk to her about today, which is a wellness collective dedicated to the healing of black women through yoga, meditation, community building, and storytelling. At the heart of Namaste by Jay's mission is a commitment to hosting holistic wellness experiences across the country. Fast forward to today, under Jillian's guidance, her organization has blossomed from hosting a single event in Austin in 2020 to now orchestrating nearly 30 transformative gatherings in key cities like DC, and I actually went to one of her events in DC, New York City, and Northern California. This exponential growth reflects Namaste by Jay's unwavering dedication to making holistic health accessible and fostering community well beyond its initial footprint. So, thank you so much for being here, and welcome, Jillian. Of course, of course, thank you for having me. Yeah. So, really, the intention of this conversation is to just sort of hear the realities of your journey from, as you mentioned, the start to today, and so I would love to start by asking you, how did the idea of Namaste by Jay come together? Excited to kind of hear whether it was an idea that sort of came overnight or was it quite a gradual process? It was definitely a gradual process. So, in full transparency, I went through my own experience that led me to trauma therapy, and so that experience, trauma therapy, took, I want to say, six months, eight months, something along those lines, and as I was doing that, I was also completing yoga teacher certification. So, it was a very grueling process, both emotionally and physically, and so as I was experiencing that or going through that, I was connecting with my line sisters, pro-fights, cheer sisters, friends from elementary school, college, and so on and so forth, and just sharing my story. I found that to be very, very, very therapeutic, and as I was sharing my story, I realized that everybody had gone through something. And I think we had already, or the relationships I had were already very strong, but seeing that other layer of the people in my community was very beautiful and healing for me. And so, again, as I was going through that yoga teacher training and trauma therapy, I found it so helpful to have my community and my tribe, and I wanted to have something for others to go to as well. And so, that's how the idea of Namaste by Jay came around. I wanted it to be a community or resource that Black women could go to as they were going through something to recognize that, one, you're not alone, and two, you don't have to have everything figured out to still show up for yourself. Yeah, I love that. Thank you for sharing that. Once the idea sort of came into your mind, this really beautiful blend between trauma therapy and the sort of healing coming from that as well as the healing from yoga, how did that move from, oh, this is probably good for me to contribute to the world, and what were some of those first steps in terms of crystallizing? Sure. So, I'm futuristic, visionary, executioner. I've taken so many personality tests, and they all say I was in that realm. And so, for me, it kind of comes naturally to turn an idea into an execution. But as I was relying on my community, I actually hosted feedback sessions before launching Namaste by Jay live. And so, I would have essentially roundtables with girls within my community or within my tribe and say, I'm thinking of doing this storytelling component. I'm thinking of doing this yoga component. I'm thinking of doing X, Y, and Z. And I would get feedback and then establish a date in which I wanted to launch whatever that idea was and then stick to it from there. And I was actually going to ask you this question a little later on, but you sort of touched on it. So, you mentioned that you're a visionary. Yeah. I'm curious, what else do you feel like is both inherent to you and or a skill you sort of developed through this process that you think are important qualities for leaders such as yourself to have in order to sort of navigate this journey successfully? Two. Two really important skills. The first is like project management. So, being very organized and being able to establish timelines, milestones, criteria for success because I've also seen that you can hone in on an idea and stick to it maybe too long without recognizing that it's already been successful. So, again, that first one, project management. And the second one is communication. I think I'm in an interesting space where it's wellness. So, you're bettering your mental and physical health, but it's also still business. And so, finding that balance between being very direct and succinct and brief in my communication, but also very kind and compassionate and warm. So, I think those two skills are the biggest ones if you're trying to start or lead something. Yeah, totally. And it's such a perfect blend of, you know, getting down to business, but, you know, also making sure that you're kind-hearted in how you navigate. Yeah, definitely. Awesome. Awesome. So, I guess another thing that I'm curious about is what were some of the things that were – that just sort of came up in this journey from when you founded to now that was surprising to you? That's a really good question. I think what's been the most surprising for me is how much people are willing to support and show up. I started Namaste by Jay with one single event in Austin, and I've been able to now – actually, last year we hosted almost 30 events in New York, D.C., Austin, and Sacramento, and in San Francisco as well. And I would not have been able to do that had I not had community all throughout the country supporting me and putting me in touch with Essence or Lululemon or Free People Movement. And I think, yes, I am a visionary. Yes, I have an idea of where I want to go. But there have been so many people who have come along and said, hey, I think you can do more. Or, hey, I think there's an opportunity here. So, yeah, I think that has been the biggest surprise, pleasant surprise, for sure. Yeah. What an awesome gift. So, I guess similar to the question I asked about you, what do you feel like should exist in the community that you have around you and the people that you place around you? What should be true about them? Curious about that relationship. Yeah, I think being able to tell me no or being able to tell me that that idea is not something that we need to spend time on. And I also like to surround myself with people who have proven success or who have proven that they can execute on something. And by success, I don't mean that they've, I don't know, raised a million dollars. I mean that they have set a goal and stuck to it, whether it be very easy, whether it be very hard, whether it be long-term, short-term. But being able to dedicate yourself something to it and see it through is really, really, really important to me. Yeah, that they've walked the walk. Exactly. Exactly. Awesome. And something that I marvel at about you is the fact that you are balancing a full-time job with another full-time job of running Namaste by Jay. So really tactically, what does the day in the life look like? Yeah. Before the start of my day, so every evening, I'll write out my to-do list for the next day. And that way, when I wake up, I can do my meditation, my morning routine and know exactly what I need to accomplish. I also am very big on time blocking. And so I think I read somewhere, I'm not sure where, but I read somewhere that an hour of deep work is better than six hours of high-level trying to balance multiple things. So I definitely do time blocking. And then I think the last thing for me is also figuring out where I can delegate. With Namaste by Jay, we have, I want to say now, 20 people on the team. And so I'm very OK with handing off communications with a partner to somebody else or creating a pitch deck to somebody else. I think that allows me to kind of ideate on the vision and the strategy while I let other people execute. And then I can also execute on my full-time job then as well. And is the ideation part of your organization sort of your favorite? Yeah, for sure. For sure. For sure. And so given that, I know it probably takes so much of your time. Have you noticed and can maybe share some of the trade-offs inherent in being in your position as it relates to your professional life, personal life? Personal life? I've realized this recently. Even when I am relaxing, I feel like I'm still thinking about what I have to do. And I like to travel a lot. So I was in New York recently for an event. And after the event ended, I went to brunch with some friends. And I was still thinking like, OK, this event was great, but it could have been better by X, Y, and Z. And then I had to go to work the next day after that. So I think that would be the biggest trade-off is that my mind is always on go. And because of that reality, what are some ways in which you care for yourself? And how do you feel like you kind of are? Mm-hmm. I work out during the winter. I'm not going to lie. I'm kind of slow with my workout routine. I like to hibernate. But when I am on it, I work out maybe five times a week. And when I work out, it's like I don't even like to have my Apple Watch nearby most of the time because I don't want to get notifications. I just completely unplug. I meditate in the morning, meditate in the evening. I journal a bit. And like I said, I love to travel. So I go on girls trips and trips with my friends. I'm going to say probably once a quarter. I might need to dial it back a bit. But I love to see my friends. Yeah. And funny enough, I think, you know, doing things that fill your cup do give you energy to continue. For sure. Yeah. For sure. I actually read this line for sure was in the New York Times. I just hit that one. But you're supposed to take a week long vacation every quarter or at least five days off of work every single quarter. So that's also something that I'm going to start implementing moving forward. No, I love that. I love that. I'm also curious about like given how many lessons I imagine come up inherent in like the founder journey and sort of all that you've tackled. Was there ever a moment where you contemplated like not continuing with it? Like this is just too much, way too difficult. Yeah, for sure. So I think the first couple of years we were getting great partnerships. We were working with like Lululemon, Athleta, all these great brands. But just like we're not making much money or we were not making a lot of money. And it's not that we were money motivated, but it was like I would like to see a return on my investment, like let this effort be worthwhile. And so that was a good amount of one of our years where I was like, is this even worth it? Is there something else I could do with my time? Is there another way that I can create this community? And so from there, that's where I had like a lot of roundtable ideation sessions with my community or with my tribe. And we figured out how to pivot. We kept our same like long term goals, our same core mission, but figured out how to alter our execution in order for it to be energizing and rewarding for all of us. And how did you stay encouraged to do that? Because I would argue that even stepping out to do the roundtable, take the element of like I'm committed to this. So what was it about you? What was it about like maybe what you heard, what you learned, anything? So I am naturally a glass half full type of person. And so I always see the good in things. And I've also been very intentional with selecting who's in my council. And so they offer very strategic advice. But they also very much so believe in what the mission is. And so I knew like as I was creating Namaste by Jay that there were going to be hard moments. And so as I was building out the board or like building out who I get advice from, I very intentionally sought out people who I knew would be able to pick me up while I'm down with very practical advice. And along the journey, I've added people onto that board. I've allowed people to leave that board. So I've been very flexible with that. But at the core, it's like people that I know that are going to be encouraging, whatever form that might look like, but allow me to still continue on with this mission. Got it. Got it. So yeah, I would love to shift gears sort of to people listening who, you know, have big goals and dreams for themselves, but kind of curious about like tactically how to go about it. And so a couple of things that I noticed in what you shared that I would love to hear your thoughts on. Um, this idea of people and community has come up a lot. Um, inherent in your mission, inherent in your journey. So if someone was just sort of pondering, like, I don't feel like I have great people in my corner or I'm having a tough time meeting the people that I think would be helpful to my journey. How would you recommend they go about finding their people? Yeah, that's a great question. Um, so I actually had a new therapist recently, and this was in relation to romantic relationships, but I think this advice that she gave me could also be applicable to platonic or even like business relationships as well. Um, but she was essentially suggesting that I create like criteria for what I'm looking for in a person. I think as I filled out my community, and I did this without realizing it, but I had very few or very key things I was looking for. Somebody who is supportive, um, is not going to take things personally. Somebody who is selfless, somebody who has a clear vision, somebody who is an executioner. Those are the things that I have gravitated towards in my relationships. If you're new to building out your relationship or working for a new community, have like a criteria of what it is that you would like, and then start going to places where you oftentimes see people that you would want to be friends with or be in community with. Um, a lot of my close friends I met at church way back when. You know, I'm very religious, so we have that commonality of God-fearing or being God-fearing, rather. I've also met friends through MLT, through my sorority, or other programs that had like a common factor. We were goal-oriented, or we were working towards something. So I think in some, if you are looking for a community, figure out what it is that you want in your community, and then join organizations or go to places where you could find people that would meet that criteria. Yeah, because I can see how that could be, you know, serve as a guide for you. Right. Right, right, right, right. Yeah. And it also sounds like it's a journey. For sure, for sure, for sure. And I think with that, as you're building that community, it's so important to extend yourself and those around you, Grace, because you're figuring each other out. My next question, I guess, in terms of advice for potentially aspiring entrepreneurs is, if you know you want to be an entrepreneur, what practices or habits do you think someone should have in order to do that sustainably? Staying curious, so always looking for opportunities to learn. I'm listening to podcasts all the time, audiobooks all the time. I'm asking people at META for advice, not necessarily about Namaste by Jay, but just how can I become a better influencer, how can I become a better communicator, things like that. So the first one being staying curious. Two, being hardworking, not being afraid of working long hours or strategizing to solve a difficult problem. And I think third, with being hardworking, is being able to pivot, recognizing when a solution that you're working on isn't solutioning, and shifting gears to try something else to stay dedicated to that long-term or whatever that goal is. And I guess this idea of a long-term goal, I'm curious, when you started the first steps for Namaste by Jay, did it feel like to you at the time that this was your purpose, or was it just curiosity, like I just want to explore this, like, I'm going to do this, or was it just curiosity, like I just want to explore this? Like, how much of this like why of yours felt like, oh, this is like a lifelong journey versus like, oh, this is a season, and I'm just going to explore. And I ask this with the intention of oftentimes I hear from folks like, I can't really jump or explore into anything because I need to know my purpose and I need to know for sure that this is going to be my lifelong goal, so just curious where your heart was. Yeah, I definitely have heard that. For me, when I started it, I was like, this feels exciting and energizing now. I don't think when I started it, I was like, this is my purpose. This is what I'm meant to be on this earth for. Yeah, so I don't think, actually, I don't know. I will say I don't know if Namaste by Jay is my purpose. I'm not even 30 yet. Perhaps. I think I still have so much life to live. So I think in this moment right now, I love what I'm doing. It's meaningful. It's energizing. I enjoy it. Do I know if it's my purpose? I don't really know. I don't think you need to know your purpose before you start something. Yes, and I love that perspective, just to kind of like go and try it and see. Yeah, yeah. But I also think that's how a lot of people find their purpose, just trying something. So true. So yeah, my last question for you would be, if someone has an idea or like the beginning of an idea, but they are stumped as to what is the first step to get this off the ground, what would you offer? Try anything. Really try anything. I have so many friends who have brilliant ideas, who have spent years just thinking on it. And I do think it's important to think on it, to mull over it, to put something out there with intention. But on the flip side of that, analysis paralysis is a real thing. So I think put something out there, figure out what's going to make it feel successful to you, whether that be 100 people show up or one person shows up. Try it. And then allow yourself to pivot. Allow yourself to learn from that first ideation or iteration. Allow yourself to move on. Basically, just do it. Just do it. Love it. Yeah. Thanks so much, Jillian. So many gems from our conversation. I feel the power of people and really making sure you are spending time cultivating and maintaining that. The power of just experimentation and having a journey and learning from that. And it also just sounds like you're very clear about your why. You're very disciplined because it is a journey. And so you want to make sure that sort of in the good and bad days that you're equipped to handle them. So just thank you for all the knowledge you shared. I know it will be so helpful for people and just wish you continued success. Of course. Thank you.