From marketing to office yogi

By Karen Tina Harrison | Special to amNewYork

May 7, 2007

Tevis Gale. (Handout Photo / May 6, 2007)

The Big Career Switch: From marketing exec to corporate yogi

Who Pulled It Off: Tevis Gale, 38

What She Does: Through her consulting biz, Balance Integration, Gale teaches yoga, productivity, and destressing to corporate employees.

What She Used to Do: Gale worked for AOL's marketing department, planning media campaigns for their advertisers.

Why She Switched: "I wanted to be my own boss and see how far I'd go on my own," Gale recalls. "I'd done yoga since childhood and knew that relaxation tools can really help people personally and professionally."

How She Did It: "I was very lucky," says Gale. "I quit my AOL job, and they became my first client. Then word-of-mouth brought me other corporate accounts."

What Corporate Yogis Do: "I go to offices and give classes in yoga, meditation, and work-life balance," says Gale. "Then there's the crunchy part of owning a business: doing finances, scheduling, promotion, networking. And as your business grows, you hire, train, and manage staff."

How's the Money? "As with any startup, you may or may not break even at the beginning, so you should have a financial cushion just in case," Gale says. "Potentially, a corporate yogi can equal or exceed a corporate suit's salary. And you'll have a lot more fun."

What About Perks? "I love this job," she says. "Every day is different, and the work challenges me creatively and business-wise. People are at their best when they want to improve their jobs and lives, and it is exhilarating to help them do it."

Who Does This Job Well: "The ideal background for what I do is corporate experience plus yoga expertise," Gale says. "You need excellent communication and business skills, and also patience, empathy, and dependability."

What Else You Should Know: "A corporate yogi's dress code goes beyond casual Fridays," says Gale. "Sometimes it's a suit with heels, sometimes it's drawstring pants with bare feet. You get close to your pedicurist."

Where to Find Out More: www.balanceintegration.com