Kindness Matters, and… I got a lot of flak for it! – by Pierre Rousseaux

BAO Elan Vital
Apr 1
3 min read

From 3 million euros to zero

It is said that entrepreneurship is a royal path to personal development.

Pierre Rousseaux, who completed Explorer and begins Discoverer in September, is the epitome of creativity and resilience.

In July, an interview appeared in Forbes Belgium written by Camille Vernin, of which here is an extract:

“Kindness matters.” That’s the rather evocative email signature of Pierre Rousseaux, founder of the Brussels yoga studio, Yoga Room . ...to be a good entrepreneur today, it's no longer enough to have a solid business plan, management and leadership skills, or strong resilience in the face of obstacles. No, it's necessary to reflect a philosophy of life.

Simon Sinek is a great source of inspiration, well known in the world of coaching and management.

"When I started in 2016, the demand for yoga was very high, but the offer was quite limited or unsuitable. "We immediately offered a fairly unique offer for the time: extremely varied classes for all ages and all levels, accessible 7 days a week, with teachers from all over the world and in studios with decor designed down to the smallest detail."

The first studio on Rue Defacqz was launched thanks to €500,000 in funding raised through a bank loan, crowdfunding via Spreds, and a pre-sale campaign. Luckily, it was an immediate success. Things quickly took off with a second studio in Brussels, followed by studios in France, in Paris and Lyon.

Until March 20, 2020, when the pandemic forced the studios to shut down completely. "Everything collapsed at once, going from $3 million in annual revenue to zero."

Pierre Rousseaux agreed to provide some details in addition to the full article; FR : https://www.forbes.be/fr/yoga-room-a-directement-propose-une-offre-assez-unique-pour-lepoque/

Coaching and yoga?

For Pierre it's the same "fight": helping people get back to their vital impulse.

Yoga does this through a physical approach, stretching the body and then giving space to the mind. This allows good ideas to resurface and life's priorities to be put back in the right order.

The impact of holistic training at BAO Elan Vital?

“Learn to listen to yourself even more, to go at the right pace so that things are right and in line with your feelings.

Also take time for yourself. Time to, as already said, reconnect with your vital impulse and the vital impulse of the company.

An inspiring confession that goes beyond what's in the article?

“If I had accepted the Yoga Room buyout offers for over €15,000,000 6 months before Covid, I would never have learned everything I have learned during the last 4 years of survival.

I would certainly have a well-filled bank account, but I would have remained a very mediocre person from a human point of view.

What doesn't challenge you doesn't change you!!! I took a lot of beatings, but it's only in the downs that you learn.

In the UPS, you just have to enjoy it.”

The impact on your family?

“When you try to play faster than the music, at some point it gets stuck somewhere.

And in my case, it caused damage to the family since we separated.But there too you learn!

The plan changes: to succeed in your marriage, you now have to succeed in your divorce.

To come to the conclusion that in some cases like ours, you can succeed in your marriage by succeeding in your divorce.

In the end, the same dynamics are put in place; for it to work, you need to be two, you need to communicate well, and you need to want it to work.

Only the project changes, we no longer make a marriage work, we make a divorce work. 🙂 »

Strong and beautiful!

“If you know your essentials and what keeps you going, anything can be taken from you,

But if you know your resources, you can always bounce back.

Your resources are in your heart and no one will ever take them away. My family, my children, my passion for yoga… no one will ever take them away from me.