Inspiring Conversations with Janina Washington of Evoken

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janina Washington.

Hi Janina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can walk us through how you got to where you are today.
How long can this article be lol…

My story, well my name is Janina Washington I was born in Munich Germany to my German mother & American father. We moved around a lot until we settled in London at the age of seven. This is where I grew up and did all my schooling. I was in theatre school full-time. My biggest passion was acting. I have a degree in Performing Arts…. Eventually I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my career in Acting and Modeling.

Ironically I never really “enjoyed” working out, going to the gym… that’s until I found Pilates. I remember feeling different right away and seeing results in a very short time my running joke is “you can get abs laying down” having started as a client at a boutique studio near my house, the owner of the studio asked me if I would be willing to do some teacher training… fast forward I started  teaching at that studio & when her lease was up and she’s was closing to move out of state – I jumped at the opportunity to open my own studio, it was a no brainer.

I already knew the clients, it was the neighborhood spot, and it would be be a smooth transition, or so i thought.

I opened doors January 1st 2020 …. (Doomed music) and then got shut down March 15th 2020… safe to say the high was short-lived. I tried to stay open teaching privates even collaborating with a doctor and insurance but eventually it wasn’t sustainable, and my lawyer advised me to file for bankruptcy to get out of the commercial lease (because I would just be in a mountain of debt by the time I was allowed to re-open doors and make money) reluctantly, I agreed so I closed my studio in September 2020 took a hiatus. Spent some time with family back in Europe.

It was a hard blow. I wouldn’t say I felt defeated, but I definitely needed a break from the stress that it caused in my professional and personal life the “series of unfortunate events” Continued as my mother suddenly died of a heart attack in September 2021 followed by my grandmother having a stroke when she found out and also passed six months later… It was hard because I’m an only child raised by a single mother. These two women essentially raised me and suddenly both were gone, and I was left picking up the pieces. The very last time I saw my grandmother was the same day I received a call from my agency. I was in Germany and they said I had booked a big job that I was on hold for the last month, at which point i was convinced I hadn’t booked it.

So flew back to LA the next day, and started shooting the day after.

I ended up taking a large portion of this money to start my pilot license.

Plot twist…  I know! Honestly, it wasn’t something I ever really planned to do.

I would make jokes saying it would be cool to know how to fly a plane, but I was never an aviation geek or grew up around any pilots. I just remember about 4 to 6 weeks before taking my first discovery flight at a  flight school… I just kept seeing signs of Aviation related things (becoming a female pilot, news articles talking about pilot shortages, pros and cons) so I figured why not take a flight and see how I feel?! Ironically I hate roller coasters, and I’m scared of heights, so no one in my immediate circle understood why I wanted to get into a small single engine plane and start flying but honestly, I loved it.

I immersed myself into the program, even took my solo flight! I was at the point of  prepping for my cross country and the last long conversation I had with my CFI  (certified flight instructor) was that we need to start prepping for my exams to get my PPL. (Private Pilot License) and suddenly the universe took me another direction yet again. At the time I was teaching part-time Pilates classes at a couple other studios whilst also modeling, but i wasn’t really fulfilled and I knew the pilot training was a long term investment.

People kept asking me when I’m going reopen my own studio, if I was still planning on opening another studio and it was just these constant little signs, and nudges that I truly do believe in, that pushed me.

So one night I remember getting on loopnet & looking at what properties were available and I figured why not go look at some and see if it was even possible for me to get another lease … given my recent bankruptcy, not having much money in the bank, no investor, and bad credit some might say it seemed impossible, but there was this little voice saying just go and meet the landlord! And honestly, my current landlord is like an earth angel… at our very first meeting, I was open and honest with him about my last Studio, my financial disposition and on paper we joked I was a terrible candidate to sign a commercial lease for a 3000 sqft building in prime West Hollywood with a monthly rent I had no idea I was going to pay, but he was willing to take a chance on me and I was determined to prove him right!  So we got the lawyers involved, drafted the contract, and then for a short period the doubt and the fear kicked in! How am I doing this? What was I thinking? How am I going pull this off?  Is it too late to back out? What if I fail… all the self doubt does come up.

It’s how you push through the fear that makes a difference and I’m not one for regrets. But I still had a very real and serious obstacle, how was I going to pay for my deposit and order the equipment all in the space of a couple days, we’re talking upwards of 70k that I didn’t physically have.  I couldn’t go to a bank a get a loan, or finance, so my only option was to ask friends for help, essentially a personal loan with a contract and interest… and somehow at the very last min. i got all my funds together to order the equipment, sign the lease pay my deposit and really get going!

So was it luck or meant to be?

The next 6 weeks (actually 6months) were an emotional whirlwind, physically and mentally exhausting decorating the studio setting up all the software, every single detail from getting the equipment to ordering disinfectant wipes, ordering reclaimed wood from over seas, painting, plastering, getting custom mirrors installed,  doing the legal stuff and setting up the  business aspects i.e bank accounts LLC  registration, city permits, insurance etc everyday was 15-20hrs non stop i was honestly on auto pilot …. No pun intended (but I did have to put my pilot training on hold as I had zero time for study or flight.)

October 1st we officially opened, me and a couple teachers would come in to teach one or two clients, I was teaching a lot but couldn’t have just my name on the schedule so I knew I needed a small team to be official and was praying I could pay them for their time.

I was and still am there every day teaching, running the business, day to day operations, I teach, I schedule, I interview, I do payroll, I  clean the studio, i plan every event, you name it i do it.

Slowly and steady we’re creating & building a community within our community!

Something  people crave and yearn for, and even before opening I always envisioned Evoken being a safe space, a “one stop shop” for like minded people to meet and hang out. I’m humbled that in the space of just 6 months, we already have over 6k 5star reviews and people genuinely love our entire team, from instructors to practitioners the space it’s self and most importantly how they feel, our biggest compliment is people loving the energy as they walk in and how they feel when they leave!

There are still a few ideas, add ons, more treatments, services brewing and even retreats are things I’m actively working on. The ultimate goal is to continue making people feel good, become more of a members club were our clients really get to know one another and eventually have several Evoken studios in major cities world wide.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely has not been a smooth ride, but as they say, if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger! lol I think it’s fair to say that “adulting” and opening or running your own business can be very challenging. Anyone who is really honest can agree, I think you learn as you go there’s no way as an entrepreneur that you can be prepared for every situation. You’re not always going know everything; you’re gonna have to ask for help, self-educate -and be willing to get your hands dirty, but most importantly and be a problem solver with a glass-half-full attitude. 

Having had my first studio and being forced to shut down due to Covid being advised to file for bankruptcy to get out of my commercial lease at the time did present an uphill battle when trying to over my second studio, having that mark in your credit prevents you from getting any credit cards any business loan you’re unable to finance things like equipment which definitely made the opening aspect and the initial cost of opening this new studio 100. times more difficult. But again, if there’s a will, there’s a way. 

Don’t fold and give up at the first sign-up difficulty. Have thick skin, be humble and determined. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a Pilates and wellness studio and a half in West Hollywood. We offer boutique reformer classes seven days a week. We also offer multiple math classes in our other room. We have an in-house masseuse. We have different healing courses and workshops throughout the week and months, including breath, work Soundbath ‘s meditation kundalini yoga, we have monthly events with exciting local businesses collaborations is to create a community at Evoken. We also looking to expand into a couple other wellness treatments. Stay tuned. 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Not sure I would call it “luck,” good or bad. It is just one’s own perception, and trust me, I’ve been put through the wringer these past few years (like most), but I do believe everything happens for a reason. 

I’d say I believe more in divine timing, taking action towards your dreams and goals, and believing in a little manifestation. 

Pricing:

• Reformer Intro class $30
• 1st month new client special $225 unlimited

Contact Info:

• Website: www.evoken.co
• Instagram: Evoken.co
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/L31o1kWMOTk?feature=shared
• Other: https://www.evoken.co/studio