Finding a New Calling in Yoga

Tim Dale once owned more than a half-dozen restaurants and nightclubs in San Francisco. But a sabbatical from the business world took his career in a different direction.

He started practicing yoga during his three-year break from the nightclub scene. Dale, who had always been active in cycling, skiing and rock climbing, decided he needed a change in his fitness routine. "My body was asking for it," he says. "I think it got a little beaten up from all the high-impact sports."

He tried yoga for its therapeutic and detoxification benefits, and soon discovered other changes within himself. "I became much more focused," Dale says.

Experimenting with a range of yoga styles eventually inspired Dale to start a business that offers the same kind of variety. He launched a group of San Francisco-based studios offering hybrid yoga classes -- a mix of styles such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, Acroyoga and Jivamukti -- and recently opened his fifth location. "I came up with the idea of Yoga Tree to symbolize diversity and branching out to embrace each person's practice," he says.

In an interview with SecondAct, the 53-year-old businessman talks about his work philosophy and how running a yoga business isn't much different from operating a restaurant.

"Aha" moment: While scouting for new restaurant locations during his break, Dale had the idea to open a yoga business and spotted a space that looked perfect for a studio.

Getting started: He met with people who already had yoga studios to learn the ropes and used profits from his previous businesses as seed money. He also hired a headhunter to find teachers. He "sat on my hands a little bit" while looking for the right people who shared his vision.

Restaurant business vs. yoga business: His service industry skills came in handy in the yoga world, too. "There's hospitality involved, there are aesthetics involved, there's the look, the feel, the customer service."

Philosophy: Follow your passion."When I start projects, I don't immediately think 'Am I going to make money?' The first thing I think of is 'Is this something I love?' And the money comes later. I try to figure out how to make it successful afterward, but the first thing is you have to make it speak."

What's next: He plans to stay in the yoga business and perhaps open more studios. "Yoga's been really good to me. I get to live the dream because I'm doing something I really believe in. It's calling me."

Words of advice on starting a business: "You have to paint a clear picture, create the vision and then carry it out. But after it opens, you have to be able to let it go and have its own life. Once you bring the bodies in, once the place has a pulse, you have to allow that to breathe life into the concept."