A New YBCP - Part One
Now, we begin. In the middle of 2020, I didn’t know how I could help the situations that surrounded me. At one point I felt frozen with uncertainty… How the heck can I support my family in a pandemic, become an ally to BIPOC Portlanders, make changes to save the planet, and run a successful business?!?! Instead of forcing myself to make big changes quickly, I sat and contemplated.
After some time, clarity was unveiled. I recognized my own leadership goals and how to be a true friend to the employees and students I serve. I know that I want to create a sustainable community that is resilient with the ever-changing challenges of life. This creation will be a result of the seeds that I plant today.
The previous uncertainty in 2020 has turned into action in 2021. For the past few months, dear friends and I have been at the drawing board restructuring the business model we work within. We have recognized the legs that our community stands on and we have clarified the core values that are the seedlings to a resilient community.
The metaphor of a three-legged stool has been used in many systems. I asked myself a few months ago who/what are the three legs of our community stool. Without a doubt, we recognize that the studio (owner), the teacher, and the students are the three-legged stool. These three legs must be strong in order to balance on the uneven surfaces of life. If the legs of this stool are broken or weak, it will collapse.
The current status of the stool is that owners are struggling to keep businesses alive, teachers are struggling to stay motivated and pay their bills, and students are struggling to access the practices. This has been true for our studio and many others beyond our walls. This is simply not sustainable. Something has to change. This post and the following three are intended to inform readers about what YBCP is changing to be a part of the solution. To strengthen these legs.
Throughout this blog, I have italicised our newly established core values. Clarity. Recognition, Bija (seed), Friendship, and Resilience. A core value is a fundamental belief that dictates behavior. Core Values also act as a checks and balances system for the community when acting or reacting. These have provided me with confidence to take the risky changes that will be implemented on July 1st. If you want to read more about each value and how we utilize them in our community you can visit our Core Values page.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing one blog post per week focusing on each leg of our community stool. We hope you will read these posts to better understand the history that has led to new pricing (similar yet different) and new community infrastructure. We believe these changes will honor our core values and better support our studio, teachers and students as we emerge from an unexpected year. Read it as a friend.
