Ally Antis is our wellbeing guru! She is helping Antis employees find their center in her role as Corporate Yoga Instructor. Ally is also daughter of our Founder and CEO, Charles Antis! We sat down with Ally to learn more about her childhood (which is amazing), journey through yoga, her work helping others and how she hopes to impact the world. 

Tell us about yourself, where did you grow up? 
My name is Alexandra Tiare Antis and I grew up in beautiful southern California. My childhood was filled with many adventures, from building sand castles on the beach to visiting third world countries with my family. I attended a public school in Mission Viejo called Capo Valley High school, which is in the top 2.5% of US high schools.

Tell us about your dad and what you’ve seen him go through as a business owner? 
My dad has always worked hard to have a stable and successful business. Even when times were tough, I remember him persevering and always looking for the next step. He definitely had his ups and downs with the company, but always went through it with an optimistic attitude. As a child through to now, I watched him turn his business into his dream job.

What do you think about the company’s take on doing what’s best for people? 
If you’re always giving back to the people and community, then only good karma can come back your way. This company is transforming lives because it is based on giving back to the community and its employees.

How has the company impacted your life’s purpose?
This company has given me a positive outlook on life. It reminds me you can achieve anything you set your mind to by living your life with a positive attitude and persevering through the hard times.

How did you get into yoga? Where did you learn about yoga? 
I got into yoga when I was fifteen years old after suffering a knee injury. Before yoga, I would run miles without stretching. I was in physical therapy for three months until someone introduced me to yoga class. After my first class, I was hooked. About a year after practicing yoga, I became a certified yoga instructor at 16 years old. Yoga has taught me to live a happy and authentic life. Yoga holds a very special place in my heart and has molded me into the young women I am today.

You have been Corporate Yoga Instructor at Antis for some time now, how did that come together? How long have you been running sessions?
After completing my 200-hour Life power yoga teacher training, I needed somewhere to teach and begin my yoga career. I talked about it with my dad and we came across corporate yoga. He then gave me the opportunity to teach yoga at Antis campus, in the creative space. I have been teaching yoga at Antis for over two years now.

Thinking back on when you first started running the sessions, how did Antis employees react to yoga? 
Yoga is typically taught at a yoga studio or fitness club; but not normally in an office space. In the beginning the employees seemed a little hesitant, but soon after they began to enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Was it difficult to get people to take part?
It was a little bit challenging. Social media updates/posts encouraged many employees to come.

Bringing everything to present day, have you found an improvement in the wellbeing of staff? 
I believe yoga helped created a positive energy and brought employees closer.

What does wellness mean to you?
In my own words, wellness means to be happy with yourself and to live a purposeful life driven by love and the connections you have with others.

Should companies explore different ways of increasing the physical and mental wellness of their employees?
Yes, they should. Increasing employee’s well-being will help create a better culture at other businesses.

You have also been involved in Habitat home and international builds, can you tell us more about these?
I did my first global village build when I was 14 years old with my dad and brother. This build was in Mongolia, a very beautiful third world country. This global village build gave me a new perspective on life and left me filled with gratitude. A couple years later, when I was 17 years old, I did another global village build in Macedonia. Taking the step to go on this build alone at such a young age helped ease me into adulthood. I went in with no expectations and came out a new person. I met some amazing people through habitat for humanity that I keep in touch with today. Some of the habitat staff even comes to the office to enjoy a yoga class at Antis campus.

How have these builds shaped your life experiences? Can you share a story or experience?
Going on these builds at such a young age helped shape me into the person I am today. In Mongolia, when we were done building the family’s home, the family was filled with so much gratitude and love. I can still remember the smile on the families face when we gave them the key to their new home. Seeing their reaction changed me to know when people come together, they can make such an impact on someone else’s life. It helped me discover that I love helping others.

Do you think the journey to building a home is as important as the end result? 
Yes, I believe the journey is the most important part. You start out working with strangers and come out with lifelong friends. Because of the experiences you share together, the relationships you make on the builds are never lost.

How have these experiences prepared you for your life’s journey?
These experiences help better prepare me for my life journey by showing me the secret to life, which is to give back to your community. When you give your time and effort to a community, you leave a more better fulfilled person.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
Visit all the seven wonders of the world, teach yoga out of the country, do more third world humanitarian builds.