Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Russell.
Courtney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It’s all circled around this idea that people can be healthy, creative, inspired and in community with one another, and we don’t need a manual to make it happen. I’ve been trying on different ways to access that vision over the last decade, and it’s taken many forms. I studied art and contemporary history in college all while teaching myself about food combining, green juices and cleansing, and studying Ayurveda and Yoga. I loved taking trips up to Ojai and Big Sur to be by myself so I could be in silence with nature and just listen. I didn’t know at the time I would end up doing so much in the industries of health food and wellness, but I had a plan then to create my own way in the world, so long as it kept me inspired and always growing. Shortly after college, I applied for a job with Moon Juice, which years later led me into co-founding the Coconut Cult. Both of those journeys undoubtedly connected me to my current role as the Director of Training & Development for Erewhon.
I’ve been a student of yoga almost as long as I can remember, immersing myself in eastern spiritual practices from a fairly young age, so that’s been woven through his whole journey. And of course, ceramics has made its way back into my life in recent years as well… so it’s all there. The art, the spiritual work, the healthy living and community-driven endeavors. It’s all very fulfilling, though often unpredictable and definitely demanding. I love it all though and since I haven’t figured out which area to let go, I just keep it all going.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I could never get comfortable in the archetype of “starving artist”, so I pushed myself hard to achieve a sense of stability in the world. Things would always flux in and out, especially in between big career changes, but I held strong to being resourceful and that’s helped a lot. Those kids who learn survival skills, or maybe their parents gave them an allowance and taught them about the value of a dollar, or maybe they were just alone a lot. I think they have a leg up when they hit their adult years. It’s not easy, especially in LA, and a lot of times people or companies aren’t just automatically going to believe in you. The better you get at dusting yourself off and trying again, the longer your vision can survive.
Without a sense of willingness to persevere, dreams can get squashed here pretty quick.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I offer services in the form of Yoga, Ayurvedic health counseling, workshops, cleanses and energy work while supporting Erewhon in their growth through training and development. I mean, it’s interesting to be doing so many things at one time but they all feed into one another. What I teach at Erewhon – leadership, responsibility, accountability – it shows up in my side projects and even just communicating to friends, not being a flake, showing up when I say I’m going to. My ceramics business, My Friends Club, is mostly just for fun but it seems to have its own wings so I am super excited watching that happen.
All of these services are expanding simultaneously so I am happy to share the ride with those who are picking it up! I’m really just about offering my services however they come – and to those who are excited to grow and shift as we all learn from each other.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Living a life that has meaning is something we’re all trying to do, I think, but the messages out there these days are really misleading. What do you believe in when there are so many options? No one wants to get grouped anymore for fear of being misrepresented. I think if you don’t have a strong belief system from pretty early on, you’re in big trouble. A lot of people struggle to find meaning because they don’t know what they believe in or who they are. All I know is kindness is the first thing. Discernment is second. I mix up the order pretty often, but those are my two lamp posts and everything else just seems to be fine so long as those are intact.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.myfriendsclubpottery.com/ https://www.courtneyrussellyoga.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtney.russell.yoga/
