Several years ago, I interviewed Lindsay Junk, President of YogaSix, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Adam: How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?  

Lindsay: For me, not getting what I wanted early on in my career really helped shape where I am today. Starting in the very competitive, male-dominated fitness industry taught me that in order to succeed I had to be tenacious and confident. I learned that if I didn’t get that promotion or highly coveted position, instead of feeling bad about myself or giving up, I needed to work harder and stick with it. I was surprised at how failure did not faze my colleagues, but it drove them. My natural response to failure would have been to switch goals and try to achieve something else. Watching how the most successful people got to where they wanted inspired me to not give up and always stay focused on the end goal.

Adam: What advice do you have on building and leading a successful fitness brand?

Lindsay: Stay true to your vision and focus on the end goal.  It’s important to choose the right franchisees that understand and can uphold the brand standards, who have a passion for what the brand is all about. As we have been growing, I am learning how important this is. Luckily for us we have chosen a great group! I would also recommend taking the time to build a strong brand with a firm foundation of consistency to build brand awareness upon – brand consistency is the foundation of a strong brand that will stand the test of time.

There are a lot of choices out there in our industry. It’s also an industry that has fads that are hot for a while and then fizzle quickly. It’s important to stay true to your brand identity and not get side tracked by new concepts that can sway you into changing your brand. If your product is good, stick with it and make it the best it can be.  If we pivoted every time a new take on yoga came out, we would not have a quality product that we are proud of.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Lindsay: The best leaders I have worked with care about what they are doing and truly care about their people. They also are inspirational and push their teams to excel in a positive way by bringing them along in the journey of growing the brand – it’s a team effort and employees who feel this from their leader are more likely to give it their all. I am also drawn to leaders who are vulnerable and show their true selves. I find that those types of people are the most inspiring, and I have tried to emulate them. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Lindsay: 1.) It’s cliché, but if it was easy, everyone would do it! 

2.) Stay the course.

3.) Take care of your health and fitness, you will be the best version of yourself when you do – that’s how to ensure you can endure the bumps and obstacles.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Lindsay: Find something you love doing so it doesn’t feel like you’re going to work every day. My dad told me that when I was a teenager.  I have followed his advice ever since!

Adam: How can anyone pay it forward? 

Lindsay: When you notice someone doing something well, tell them. I know a compliment can make my day, and I love the idea of making someone else’s day with just a few words.

Adam: What should everyone understand about yoga?  

Lindsay: Anyone can do it. It’s not just for people who are flexible. It has many positive benefits, from the mental and physical benefits to making new friends in the communities that the studios create. 


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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