#ODDLight: ODDMama Jess

Per tradition, we are kicking off the near year by shedding the #ODDLight on the one and only Jessica Rosen. In case you've been living under a rock, she's the founder and CEO of One Down Dog (aka the one you might see dancing in the lobby of the Silverlake Studio and waving around raffle tickets) . This year we are celebrating 5 AMAZING YEARS of existence for this lovely yoga community so we thought we'd check in with the ODDMama herself to see what's up to, extract some of her wisdom, and learn what she has in store for this year.

And if this post is not enough Jessica for you, don't fret. She'll be kicking off her annual Make Awesome Happen workshop next Wednesday, January 31. Check out the website for all the details. It's going to be 5-weeks of life-changing, goal-setting, fear-fighting AWESOMENESS.

Real Quick. Tell us the ODD origin story. 
ODD exists because after moving from Detroit to LA, I was looking for a yoga home - a space with a wide variety of classes and a strong sense of community where I felt like I belonged. When I couldn't find what I was looking for in my neighborhood, I explored creating it on my own because I knew I couldn't be alone in my search. I was told I couldn’t do it alone - that I’d need investors, bank loans, a business partner... but here we are almost 5 years later with a third location on the way, a solid team of over 30 staff/teachers and a student body that reaches all over the world. And ya know what? I did, indeed, do it on my own - with the help and support of the most amazing team, family and all of you! To this day, we remain a female owned small business and that is pretty freaking awesome! The journey has been a whirlwind, but damn has it been fulfilling and it is only made possible because of you - thank you!

If you could have any super power what would it be?
telepathic email responding. Basically I read an email and think about my response and it just sends without me having to type.
email is the bane of my existence.

What was the last book you read?
oh crap! potty training - gotta get my kid out of diapers for reals!

What brings you joy?
creative problem solving, an empty inbox, teaching yoga, hanging out with friends and family, being outside, french fries.

Do you dream? Lucid dream?
yes and no.

Who or What is your spirit animal?
Patrick Bateman. Duh.
my dog is my spirit animal. I put it on a tote bag. you can buy it at ODD:)

If YOU were a color, what color would you be?
ODD blue.

What's your current BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal)?
I'm living it baby:)
but for my future it's to open a boxing gym, own a home with a lot of land, spend more time camping.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned recently?
when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Any advice on somebody doing something they've never done before?
take the leap, the net will appear. it's true what they say: the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward and nothing is a failure it's just a lesson.
that's a whole lot of inspirational quotes for ya, but I've found it to be 100% true in my life experience.

Have any anecdotes/funny stories of an awesome you were trying to make happen that flopped? 
Totes. Not a total flop, but a challenge for sure! I signed the lease on our Echo Park studio in November of 2016. It's Jan11, 2018 and we're still not fucking open! It's happening though...it's happening! And soon! It's been a year of tons of lessons in patience, communication and standing my ground. I've had to pull up my big girl pants and handle some shit over there - major growth year for me.

What is your favorite tool to help you make awesome happen?
small, sustainable steps towards big scary goals. trying to do it all, all at once blows up real quick. no bueno.

Share some wise thoughts on community.
Making awesome happen takes a team. trying to do everything, and be everything for everyone will land you in the luny bin. There is no way I would be where I am without the love, support, encouragement and actions of my community. Having a community of humans that are doing the work together is the best! ODD is always working to be that community and we start each year off with a weekly course to be that fam for one another. Join me on this years journey starting Jan 31st!