Meet Erica Marquez | Studio Owner & Aerial Flight Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica Marquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I had been stuck in a rut personally and was completely unhappy with my body and everything I saw in the mirror. I had used aerial as a self care option in a past life and when the pandemic shut down the world I brought out my old yoga trapeze and started playing around again. It wasn’t long before I started to see results and decided to get certified to teach. It was the restrictions on gyms and yoga studios that led me to opening a mobile outdoor studio that allowed people an opportunity to care for themselves in a fun way and reap the benefits of being outdoors.

What should our readers know about your business?
A butterfly effect is the small change that makes a big impact. That is the essence behind my studio. I started with just a few classes a week that were mobile, outdoors, 11 rigs, and a love of helping other people. My kids and I started putting fliers on doors in our neighborhood, cars when we went to the store and then I decided to run a booth with rigs at the local market and that started bringing in more interest. I decided to offer an 8 week bootcamp with set days, times. I wanted to provide a fun, safe, judgement free opportunity for people to work out and become a healthier version of themselves no matter their fitness background. It became a hit and when summer was approaching my clients didn’t want to stop so with a little financial luck I decided to open an indoor studio. This process took much longer than I anticipated and we were down for nearly 4 months. We have set ourselves apart from the rest of the yoga world. We want our clients to focus on themselves, listen to their bodies and have fun and as a result we don’t have mirrors in the studio. We don’t want them to be focused on what others are able to do that they may not be able to do yet. We also don’t want our clients so focused on what they look like that they are not actually getting the full benefits of the work out. We have created a brand for all bodies. A judgement free zone that is fun, safe and healthy. I just passed my 1 yr mark of helping others move their bodies and find a confidence they forgot they had. My favorite part is seeing these women find themselves, hearing the stories of how much our mantra helps them in their every day life and how much my clients love coming to the studio. As we enter into our second month of indoor classes I’m finding new challenges at every turn and that includes empty classes, advertising and how to spread the word and make sure that people see it is not as intimidating as they think it is.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my besties come down from Oregon we spend a lot of time outdoors. We love to paddleboard down the Salt River and then grab food at some hole in the wall. We make sure we get dinner at Steak & Stone, hit the Queen Creek Family Market if one is happening and Food Truck Fridays! We also love to go to 1st Fridays in Phoenix, Breakfast Bitch and Gadzooks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Michael, is by far my biggest fan, support and challenge. He is the mastermind behind my outdoor and indoor rigging and constantly pushes me to be better, take risks and try something out of my comfort zone. He stepped up with our kids and still manages his own business. He challenges me every day to be more than was ever expected of me.

Website: Butterflyeffectaerialyoga.com

Instagram: @butterflyeffectaerialyoga

Facebook: @butterflyeffectaerialyoga

Youtube: Butterflyeffectaerialyoga

Other: Tiktok: Butterflyeffectaerialyoga

Image Credits
Charisma Captured – Kyle