Creating Conscious Community: Behind the Scenes of The Yoga Expo – An Interview with Arianne Traverso

Ever wonder what it’s like behind the scenes at a major yoga expo?

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Arianne Traverso, business coach and co-leader of The Yoga Expo. Find out how Ari discovered yoga in college, experienced a profound spiritual connection, and soon became an acroyoga trainer traveling around the world!

We go behind the scenes at The Yoga Expo and learn about Ari’s dynamic partnership with Sandra Tribioli, whose organizational brilliance beautifully complements Ari’s creative spirit. You’ll love the heart behind the events that they curate! Plus, we discuss the importance of building a professional presence in the yoga world including nuggets of wisdom you don’t want to miss. Here we go!

How has yoga changed your life? 

Arianne Traverso: That is the biggest blessing I’ve ever experienced, honestly. I started practicing in 2001. I was, I think, a sophomore in college. I was invited to a class, and it was a hard class. I looked around me, and people were doing headstands, putting their foreheads on their shins. Mind you, I was always athletic, but I was not flexible, nor had I ever done anything mindful. I grew up Catholic school, but I also grew up in Miami, so there was a lot of opportunity to play. I remember going to that first class. I was living in South Beach at that moment, which was the heyday of Miami Beach. Man, there were tears, frustration, and anger. Very little peace in that first class, but just the awareness of seeing these things that I had never really paid attention to.

Yoga, that first class, was an avalanche into awareness. I immediately kept going back. I bought the three-month pack for $90. It was wonderful, and I was religious because I’m a bit of a type A personality. The challenge of doing the poses that other people were doing pushed me a lot.

I remember being so angry. There was so much anger that I was like, why can’t I do these things? It was frustration more than anger now that I look back. Little by little, the subtleties of the practice started coming in, and the lifestyle. Now I look back over 20 plus years later, and I’m like, thank God for yoga. I stopped really drinking. I adopted much healthier nutrition. My friendships changed from my party friends to my yoga friends. I started reading spiritual books. I started chanting because I had a huge disassociation from the Catholic religion.

I left the church when I was 14. Even though I still went to Catholic high school, I was really disconnected from that dogma and was floating aimlessly. My dad’s atheist, so I had no other than this religion that I had pushed away. I was floating, and this brought a reconnection to spirit, to the universe, to God. Whether it was Hindu or more new agey, there was something. All that beauty, that quiet, there was a lot of quiet in my mind and soul. From the mud, you can’t find your diamond ring. Well, I was able to find my diamond ring.

At what point did you realize you wanted to lead others in their journey?

Arianne Traverso: I was forced into it. In 2005, I got a call from my teacher. I hadn’t done a teacher training, but I was a dedicated student. I was reading Sanskrit in my bathroom, going to every workshop, and following her around. She called me and asked if I was coming to the six o’clock class. I said, of course. She said, well, you’re teaching it because I don’t feel well. I was like, what? She said, you got it, you’re good, just lead the practice as if you were practicing.

I showed up to a full class because my teacher was very popular. It was Ashtanga Yoga, and I led the primary series using Sanskrit, counting in Sanskrit, the whole shebang. After class, a few people came up to me, including one gentleman who was doing advanced poses. He said, wow, that was wonderful, how long have you been teaching? I said, 90 minutes. Now, 20 years later, Greg, who had been a yoga teacher for a decade, called me out that day, but it solidified my confidence to lead.

How did you develop an influence on a larger scale? 

Arianne Traverso: When I started teaching at 25, I wasn’t thinking of grandeur and impact. I loved doing it and worked in advertising at that time. About a year later, I took a teacher training in the Acroyoga modality, which was brand new.

Can you explain what Acroyoga is?

Arianne Traverso: Acroyoga is partner-based yoga where one person is the base, and the other is hanging over their legs. There’s traditional yoga, partner yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutics around it. I fell in love with this practice and took teacher training. I was one of the first teachers in the world with Acro. It opened my mind because I was invited to teach in Holland, Germany, France, South Africa, and more. My first retreat with my friend Laura had 30 people wanting to learn Acro. It was foundational with traditional yoga but broke the pattern. I’m the artist in my family versus the economist.

It felt in alignment with who I was because my number one value was freedom. I saw this as a doorway to work and travel. I was on planes, guiding or leaving Miami, going to other cities. I realized the impact I was having because I could step into big conferences and be called upon. It pushed my edge because it’s a visual practice. People asked if I wanted to perform, and I was like, no one needs to look at me.

Now, as a business coach, I tell people to find that one thing they want to be known for and show up as a leader within that one thing. Whether it’s the poses, arm balancing, energetics, chanting, or mantra, find what lights you up. If you did that one thing all day long, you wouldn’t get tired and would only be energized.

At some point, you had the vision to create a gathering, an expo, around this, and you’ve created The Yoga Expo with multiple locations. What’s the story of how that came to your mind?

Arianne Traverso: I will correct you. I am not the creator of The Yoga Expo. I ended up buying The Yoga Expo, and everything happens at pivotal moments in your life. I had been a studio owner for about six, seven years in Miami and wanted to transition out of brick and mortar. I had been teaching at The Yoga Expo for a couple of years, teaching Acro and doing business of yoga talks.

One day, out of the blue, the previous owner, Kyle, called me and asked if I wanted to take over The Yoga Expo in Florida. I was like, what, me? Okay, because that’s usually my answer to things. I’m just like, whatever, I’ll jump out of the plane and figure out how to build a parachute on the way down. I started leading the Florida show while he ran the main brand, had Oregon, had Los Angeles, and it was super successful because I had already been teaching and built a massive community in South Florida.

This is also how I met Sandra, who was leading her holistic life expo. We were doing parallel things, and a few years ago, we came together to grow and take over the entire brand. I can’t say I’m the creator of The Yoga Expo, but with Sandra’s help, we’ve grown it and given it a different feel. We’re both females, moms, and have been living in the holistic world. Sandra was a holistic health coach for many years, super spiritual, whereas the previous owner was more of a businessman.

People say, man, the energy, the community, the feel, the vibe, and we’re blessed to have built a community with this show. I’ve gotten many comments from people, like a woman who went to our expo six years ago and attended a class with specific practices she had never done before. She knew she would be able to have a baby because of that class, and two months later, she got pregnant. She said it was our show. When someone says that to you, the explosion of emotion is overwhelming. I hugged her, and though I’m not a big crier, I had what I call inner tears and felt so humbled.

Arianne and Sandra

You mentioned Sandra. What is it like to work with someone in a partnership to put on such a big event? What are the benefits and challenges of having a partner in something like this?

Arianne Traverso: You can’t just use the word partner; you have to use superwoman. I’m blessed because Sandra is a super wonder woman. She was like, you don’t know how much I work, and I’m like, aha, you don’t know how much I work. We’re both like, oh my God, we are both producers. When I met Sandra years ago, before the expo, her energy was vibrant, and she had this big smile. I’m short, 5’3″, and Sandra felt like she was six feet tall, though she’s about 5’8″ or 5’9″. She had a presence about her, and I thought, whoa, this lady has energy.

When I decided to ask for support, I was building my business, coaching, and had four different companies. I was busy with coaching and knew the Expo needed more attention. In this business, you either hire people, raising capital to have people work for you, or bring in a partner. I was leery of partnerships because I had partnerships before that worked well until they didn’t. I put it out into the universe and posted on Facebook. Sandra wrote me, and we started the conversation. It felt easy. She comes from a logistics and IT background, is super creative, and a Virgo.

For those who know Virgos, you understand. In business, whoever you bring into your sphere needs to be your opposite. I’m a Gemini, creative, a bit scattered, and Sandra is organized, diligent, and excellent at building relationships and focusing on sponsorships, which I don’t like to do. I had clarity on the type of person I wanted and the tasks they needed to excel at, and it clicked.

We’re both moms; she’s a mom of three, and I’m a mom of one. There’s an understanding that we have each other’s backs, and family comes first. When she’s having stuff, I ask how I can help, and when I’m having stuff, she asks how she can help. She’s smart, funny, and we cuss; it’s great.

Sandra and Ari

What are some challenges in previous partnership relationships that people should be aware of when stepping into a potential partnership?

Arianne Traverso: Everybody’s got a way of working and a personality. As we get older, we become less flexible and less tolerant. Think of the angry older lady neighbor. It’s in our constitution. In general, we dry up as we get older. There has to be an essence, and this ties into leadership. The best quality of a leader is to be flexible. When there’s a lack of flexibility and a lot of “you, you, you” when something isn’t working, you’ll end up having clashes and miscommunication versus evolution.

Anybody bringing on a partnership should make sure it’s with someone who is their opposite to a certain extent, meaning in strengths. I’m creative, I can record podcasts and do lives all day. I know my bottlenecks and constraints. See if that person has separate strengths so that when you come together, you make one super person. Have systems in place. The more you create systems and SOPs that you can follow, checklists, the more things will move forward. Even in meetings and communication, there’s a way to talk to each other.

Sandra and I are on WhatsApp a lot, and sometimes in a text, you’re like, hey, what was that? Don’t take anything personal. It’s like the four agreements. Don’t take anything personal. You don’t know what that person is going through. Clarity, communication, and trust are key. If there’s no trust, I know Sandra and whatever she’s doing, I trust her to make a decision. If I did second guess, let’s have a conversation around that.

I wrote a book called “The Abundant Yogi” on Amazon, and I talk a lot about partnerships in that book. 90% of partnerships break up. Right doesn’t mean wrong. They end up in a split, and to me, that’s a staggering number. Nowadays, we talk about divorce, like over 50-60% of marriages end up in divorce. I look at my husband and think the way we lead our relationship should never lead us to a divorce. Can I have that sacred union within my business partner as well, and have the respect, loyalty, and trust to move things forward, versus letting personalities and bullshit get in the way?

Arianne and Sandra

It seems like a high level of self-awareness and willingness to be aware of strengths and weaknesses is needed for a successful partnership.

Arianne Traverso: Yes, and I love that you said take responsibility. I’ve dropped many balls, and when you said that, I took full responsibility. I totally dropped that ball, forgot to add you on that document. So sorry, I’m going to make up for it, but then you rectify it. Being humble and grateful, all those qualities, and knowing if something doesn’t work, have an exit strategy.

How do you make decisions for the direction of The Yoga Expo if one person wants to go in a different direction?

Arianne Traverso: Luckily, we haven’t had too many of those moments. I don’t like conflict, and I’m not married. If Sandra wanted to create a new initiative that I wasn’t excited about, I’d say create the initiative, keep most of the revenue, and give a percentage back to the Expo. Just don’t make me work more. I don’t have the bandwidth, but if it’s in alignment with our core values, mission, and vision, go for it. I know whatever you do, you do it well. We introduced an influencer program, Sandra’s idea, and I thought it was amazing. How can I help? I don’t know much about this industry, but I’m willing to learn. Let’s make sure it’s beneficial for your extra work as well.

Before we dive into specifics around The Yoga Expo, I want to hear more about your business coaching. What does it involve? How could people benefit from it?

Arianne Traverso: I run skill-based workshops throughout the year, like email marketing, funnel building, and launching. I give people tools to learn specific skills they need to move forward, mainly in marketing, sales, and social media. I have many courses people can buy. My big coaching program is called the Evolved Digital CEO. In that program, there’s specific coursework for self-dedication, and I look at it from an objective, experience-based perspective. I’ve been an entrepreneur for almost 20 years, and my main goal is to remove obstacles from your path. 

I call myself a consultant problem solver. I help you do what you want to do. If your goal is to launch an online course, I help you navigate all the steps needed, from visibility to sales, scalability, software technology, and mindset. I work with people privately and in a group setting. I also have an agency side to it. Since I’ve been working in marketing and creative fields for so long, we do full done-for-you services. I help people launch their business, from website brand to launch to running ads.

I always tell people, wherever you’re stuck, connect with me, mainly on Instagram. Let’s talk. Maybe it’s taking my $27 course as a great place to start, or maybe you’re ready to start launching ads and reaching a bigger audience. We’re all at different places. There’s no cookie-cutter business strategy. I hate it when people say this is the one thing you need to do. That is one thing you could do, but does it make sense for where you’re at right now?

What is your vision for the Yoga Expo? How does that vision get expressed through the events?

Arianne Traverso: Our motto is a celebration of consciousness. We bring people together in our events to give them new experiences, whether it’s meeting a new teacher, a new brand, or listening to a life-changing lecture. It’s to celebrate consciousness, community, and the strength that living as a wellness practitioner brings to your life. We’re all about that ripple effect. If you meet that one person at the show or sign up for that one retreat, it takes you to the next level. That’s our mission.

Our mission is also to highlight local, not famous, teachers and presenters. When I was more in the teaching world, I would teach at the Yoga Journal conference but not as a headline presenter. The Expo broke that pattern. For example, my client and friend, Ellen, has been teaching for over 30 years but was never going to be a Yoga Journal teacher. We highlight the local community and encourage studio owners and hidden gems to showcase themselves and give their gifts while receiving potential clients. Many of our participants are local. If you’re a studio owner or a teacher in LA, it makes sense to exhibit your business and teach at our show.

We cater to professionals to help them build a bigger business. Sandra and I do a lot to support them. We do webinars for all our presenters and exhibitors on how to maximize their participation because both of us come from a marketing and sales background.

I walk in the front door of The Yoga Expo in Los Angeles. What do I see? What do I experience? What do you want me to feel?

Arianne Traverso: You will probably see my face. Immediately, you’ll be welcomed by our amazing volunteers. We love our volunteers so much. Then, you get to pick one out of seven classes every hour. It’s like a platter of yoga, lectures, sound baths, meditation. You could go shopping in the marketplace, listen to a live band like Kirtan, or we have DJ Bumi coming to LA. It’s really like picking your own day.

If you’re getting tickets, don’t wait until the day of, so you can plan your day. We have the full schedule on the website. David will be doing live podcasts. We curate the marketplace so people can connect and get a full sound bath. We have a whole spa in there. We go above and beyond to curate the day so there’s something different happening in every room. The ticket is $65, whereas some bigger shows are like $400 for a two-day ticket. It’s first come, first serve, so plan your day.

I do this in business coaching too. Plan so you know what you’re going to do. If you really want to see that one teacher doing the Kundalini thing, show up at that door and wait a few minutes. If you don’t get in, there’s another amazing class next door or the next hour. Go chill on one of our bed systems, sleep for an hour or 30 minutes.

There are a lot of things to do – classes, music, live podcast interviews, the marketplace, businesses showcasing conscious products and brands. If a local teacher or business wants to get involved, how could they get involved?

Arianne Traverso: We invite them to check out our website, theyogaexpo.org, and our Instagram @yogaexpoworld. If you’re interested in exhibiting, talk to Sandra at sandra@theyogaexpo.co. If you’re interested in presenting, come talk to me. We have a form on the website where you apply.

What do I look for in a teacher? Professional and experienced are my two magical words. If I look at your application and there’s no website, no YouTube channel, your Instagram is full of your dog and baby, and there’s nothing I can refer back to, you have an email list of 50 people, but 25 years of experience, I most likely won’t accept you. The foundational things are missing, which is a professional business. If you have both, you have a much higher likelihood.

I tell people, if you want to get a job, what do you do? Who do you connect with? Write me on Instagram, go above and beyond, schedule a call with me, show up to one of my webinars, do the due diligence. I get 20 applications a week for teaching, so how do you stand out?

We always give preference to people who are exhibiting. If you’re serious about growing your business, get a stand, a booth. We’ll give you preference because we know you’re committed to showing up at 120%. Our participants will know you have that level of energy and commitment to helping them. It’s full circle. Thank you for asking. That was a great question. 

You talked about Los Angeles. Let’s hear the dates of that. You have upcoming events. What’s the future of Yoga Expo? Walk us through some details.

Arianne Traverso: Los Angeles is on January 11, 2025. We all love those numbers, so it’s going to be amazing. Then we have Fort Lauderdale on May 3rd, 2025. We’re also looking at Chicago and Arizona for dates in March and July of next year. We’re probably putting together a virtual show. We did that during the pandemic, and they were wildly successful. We’re excited to bring that in. Don’t ask me when it is, but it’ll happen.

The in-person shows take up a lot of our energy, and we have this one in less than two months. We want to grow. We want to hit Europe, Japan. Yoga Expo wants to be a force of community building through yoga. Our business model caters to local businesses, not that we don’t bring in national sponsors, but there’s that warm, fuzzy, lovey energy. We bring people together. That’s our thing, come together, let’s connect.

How do we cooperate to keep doing good things? That’s the cool thing about our show. For example, when I have all the participants in my WhatsApp group, I say, hey guys, introduce each other, get to meet each other. Maybe there’s something you could build together that goes beyond the expo. You never know, you might be one connection away from your big dream coming true.

We’ve got Los Angeles coming up, Fort Lauderdale coming up. If someone was interested in luring you into their city, would you be open to that?

Arianne Traverso: Potentially, we never say no because you might be one conversation away from your big dream. The stars need to align, but we were potentially doing something in New Jersey, and it didn’t come through. We want to do New Jersey, New York, Northeast. We’re always open.

This year was challenging in terms of life with Sandra’s family and my daughter. We were having some relationship issues, but thank God we’ve gone through the next stage. She’s almost five, and things are changing. Some people reached out to us, and we probably didn’t take that conversation further.

Now we have better systems and more team members because we can’t grow with just us two. We’ve brought in amazing people to support us on admin and communication. I think next year, in general, has a renewed energy. There was a white rabbit in front of my house the other day, and there are no rabbits in Miami. I took it as a sign, something good is happening. I was like, take me down the rabbit hole, let’s go.

We’re always open. We love partnering with project-based partnerships. If we wanted to do a yoga expo and a company, unite and conquer, those are the best types of relationships.

TheYogaExpo.org for tickets to the upcoming Los Angeles show on January 11th, 2025, and Fort Lauderdale. For Instagram, @yogaexpoworld. Remind us of your personal business website.

Arianne Traverso: Yes,@ari.biz.coach is Instagram, and bizyogi.co is my website.

Ari, thank you for sharing your heart and wisdom. I’m excited to be a part of The Yoga Expo in January.

Arianne Traverso: We’re going to have some awesome interviews. I’m excited you’re leading this. Thank you for being one of our media sponsors and partners. We’re beyond thrilled. I’m interested in learning from you, with all your media and producer knowledge. I’m honored to be interviewed by you, thank you.