about us

Via Yoga Founders: Kelly Kemp and Michelle King

Kelly Kemp, Director of Operations for Via Yoga, was in radio sales for 10 years, the last few as the national sales manager for eight Seattle radio stations in the Entercom group.  She has a degree in business and has studied yoga since 1997.

Michelle Gantz , Director of Programs, has a degree in painting. She has studied massage since 1993 and yoga since 1994. In 1998, Michelle started teaching Ashtanga yoga, much of that time at Samadhi Yoga in Seattle, where she’s currently teaches anatomy for their teacher training program.

Kelly and Michelle first met in 2001 when Kelly attended an Ashtanga class that Michelle was teaching at a local studio in Seattle.  Kelly became a regular of Michelle’s classes and started seeing Michelle for massage as well.  A friendship was formed and has continued to grow ever since.

In 2002 Kelly took a trip to Sayulita, Mexico.  While there on vacation, and through the help of a mutual friend, she met the owner of a local hotel.  The two began to talk about adventure travel for men and women, about yoga and surfing, and blending them all together.  An idea was born.  She headed home to Seattle looking for a partner to share in this potential opportunity.

On her return, Kelly approached Michelle with a way to have ownership in a yoga business without having to open a local studio. With Kelly’s business experience and Michelle’s teaching background the two brought unique talents to the table. As they worked on their business plans, they talked about their philosophies. They wanted to create a place where people could slow down and escape their hectic lifestyles; where they could relax and challenge themselves at the same time.  They wanted to allow their guests to do this via a vacation to Mexico, via learning to surf, via reading and napping throughout a lazy day and of course, via yoga.

The first Via Yoga vacation Michelle and Kelly hosted brought together just six women from across the country.  The weather was unusually windy and cold, and the yoga studio at Villa Amor wasn’t quite ready. But the two noticed that the women enjoyed themselves despite some of these set backs. Via Yoga was officially on it’s way.

Kelly and Michelle feel that every one of the vacations they have offered has been a success for one very important reason—they witness their guests have life-changing experiences.  “We set the stage,” says Michelle, “and we watch them as they relax into the trip. We give them room to take time for themselves, to discover themselves, and make friends. People create the vacation they want. It all exists in Sayulita. We’re there to support them with classes and offer ideas for local adventures.” “Guests come to have fun,” adds Kelly. “They’re on vacation, a vacation that’s full of adventures. They’re not part of a serious, structured yoga retreat.” “But if that’s what they want, we’ll make it happen for them,” says Michelle.

With some basic marketing—a web site, a few small ads, networking at conferences—the business grew. Three years later, guests come from all over the world--men and women from a variety of successful backgrounds, from retail to the tech industry, from store owners to CFOs. 

“I keep in touch with several of our guests,” says Kelly. “Many of us have remained friends. It was a surprise to meet so many different people from so many walks of life, and I really enjoy it.” It’s not only the guests they enjoy meeting; they also have new friends in Sayulita. Early on, the two decided that the best way to thank the local community for their support was to support them in return. So they recommend that guests take their meals in town, interact with the residents, shop at the stores, visit the galleries, and sample the local experiences that the area has to offer. 

The two have started planning their next venture—a series of yoga vacations catering to high-end travelers at the plush five-star resort of Las Alamandas in Mexico, scheduled to begin in March 2006.  When not in Mexico, Michelle continues to teach yoga and run her massage business while Kelly works on the day-to-day operations of Via Yoga from their office in Seattle.  But they eagerly await their next yoga adventure and the new friends they make once back at a Via Yoga vacation in Mexico!