What Do Beer and Yoga Have in Common?

How often have you said to yourself “Why didn’t I think of that?” Sometimes it’s something simple, a head slapper. Occasionally it’s the simple idea that could’ve made you a fortune; only if… Suppose you had thought of the first fold-out couch, and then started the company to make and sell them? Someone did. There are lots of even simpler but still extremely useful inventions: tea bags, toilet paper, clothes hangers. How about the ubiquitous beverage koozie? (BTW, invented in Australia – where people brilliantly like to use a foam sleeve to thermally insulate their favorite cold beverage in a can or bottle). After the initial innovation, the ideas then evolve; for example, branded koozies with logos or funny quotes, “Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy.” It almost always happens. A good simple idea is improved upon and expands across markets. Competitors join in. Somebody applies for a patent, and then even the unimaginative lawyers make a profit.

I’ve always been impressed with inventive, creative and entrepreneurial people. More so, when they don’t just have an idea, or a dream, but when they ACTUALLY follow through and act on it. My company, Actifio, is a very creative company (57 patents and counting), but there are also a bunch of very creative and pioneering people who work here who don’t only act on their creativity at work. We have book authors, a Hollywood screenwriter, an Iron Man national triathlete competitor, a senior engineer with two sushi restaurants, senior league ice hockey goalie, and a pair of mountain climbers that scaled Kilimanjaro together! I’m pretty sure that, if you surveyed your co-workers, you would find similar diversity in interests and experiences. People following their passions and turning them into their “side hustles”.

One particular person I admire for following his passion is my co-worker Giovanni (Gio). He’s been avidly practicing yoga for a long time and he eventually decided to take it to the next level and became a certified yoga teacher. At the same time, he’s always enjoyed sampling craft beers, and made a study of the numerous specialty brewers around New England and beyond. So, the idea gradually emerged, “What would happen if he put the two passions together?” How about teaching yoga at the brewery?

“Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anais Nin

Gio started small by organizing a few yoga sessions at a local brewery taproom. They graciously provided him a facility with no overhead. In exchange, Gio provided them with some enthusiastic beer drinkers -- after making them sweat it out in his yoga class. It didn’t take many sessions before both sides could see the mutual benefits of combining yoga inside the taproom. That’s the story of how Gio founded “Taproom Yoga.” His mission statement is “to bring yoga and craft beer to as many of those that want to enjoy the zen and sweat of the practice and socializing over great beer.”

As with all of the others I mentioned earlier, Gio has a full-time job here at Actifio. He is a Yogi, who’s also very gifted digital marketing pro. People like Gio make it a much more interesting place to work. And their creativity contributes to all we do in and out of the office. In Gio’s case, he has the energy and enthusiasm to spend some of his free time doing what he loves. He’s curated a community of interests and a brand that his brewery partners and his yoga/beer students also love.

Let me know about some of the most inventive employees you work with…I’m always interested in new subjects for my next blog post! In the meantime, go enjoy a cold beer in your favorite yoga pose.