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Devin: What is your superpower?

Briar: Adaptability

Business isn’t just about profits—it can be a catalyst for building community. Briar Rose Penney, the steward and CEO of Inner Space KC, exemplifies this philosophy. During today’s episode, Briar Rose shared how their unique yoga studio and community space blends wellness, creativity, and collaboration in a way that has not only grown their business but strengthened the bonds between diverse groups in Kansas City.

Inner Space KC operates as more than a yoga studio. It’s a thriving ecosystem where martial arts, dance, qigong, and tai chi classes meet creativity and collaboration. “We have 12 commercial tenants that rent with us,” Briar Rose explained. “Their rent directly subsidizes our programming and stabilizes our finances. But also, we all kind of would only be here because of each other.” This symbiotic relationship allows the space to host everything from art markets to activism events, creating a vibrant hub where personal care and creativity intersect.

One key to this success is Briar Rose’s emphasis on building community through intentional care. Volunteers, or “caretakers,” play a vital role in maintaining the space’s welcoming atmosphere. “Touch everything—even if it’s something that no one is going to notice,” Briar Rose said, underscoring the importance of attention to detail. “The feeling of it being connected with and touched and attended to does translate. People can feel that when they walk in the space.” This meticulous care has contributed to Inner Space KC’s remarkable 30% revenue growth over the past year.

Briar Rose’s approach also underscores the importance of staying true to the values that make a business unique. After a period of trial and error, they found that leaning into their studio’s distinct offerings—rather than imitating others—created the consistency and growth they needed. “We had to come back to what was already working and let that show us, ‘Oh, this is how we grow.’”

Inner Space KC is currently raising capital through a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign on Honeycomb Credit, marking their second successful foray into alternative funding. Briar Rose emphasized how this approach has opened doors where traditional financing fell short. “Banks really just don’t see you,” they said. “The Honeycomb thing was a really cool expansion of my horizon. There are alternative sources of capital out there—you just have to open up to them and look.”

By blending business with community-building and creativity, Briar Rose is helping redefine what success can look like. Inner Space KC is proof that fostering connection and care can lead to both financial growth and meaningful impact.

tl;dr:

Inner Space KC blends yoga, martial arts, and creativity to foster community and collaboration in Kansas City.

Briar Rose Penney embraces volunteers as a cornerstone of Inner Space KC’s welcoming, thriving environment.

Adaptability and a willingness to pivot have been key to the studio’s 30% revenue growth.

Alternative crowdfunding has enabled Briar Rose to bypass traditional financing and expand Inner Space KC.

By building a business rooted in care, Briar Rose proves that community and profit can coexist.

How to Develop Adaptability As a Superpower

Briar’s superpower is adaptability—the ability to pivot, learn, and grow through challenges. They describe this skill as a willingness to “try things and recognize that not everything you try is going to work,” adding, “You really just have to be willing to pivot without drama or ego or blame.” Briar Rose’s openness to experimentation and their capacity to let go of rigid ideas have allowed them to navigate the complexities of running Inner Space KC with grace and resilience.

Illustrative Story:

Briar Rose shared how they initially focused on growing memberships and increasing foot traffic at Inner Space KC, believing this was the key to success. However, the strategy didn’t yield consistent results. Instead of doubling down, Briar Rose reflected on what the business truly needed. They realized their community valued the studio’s unique, niche offerings rather than uniform programming. By leaning into these strengths, they saw class attendance and memberships grow organically, highlighting the power of adaptability in business.

Tips for Developing Adaptability:

Embrace Experimentation: Be open to trying new approaches, even if you’re unsure of the outcome.

Learn from Failure: View setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than reasons for discouragement.

Seek Feedback: Surround yourself with peers and mentors who can offer constructive criticism and guidance.

Stay Curious: Cultivate a mindset of curiosity to continuously explore new possibilities.

Let Go of Ego: Avoid attaching yourself to rigid plans or ideas; be willing to pivot as needed.

By following Briar’s example and advice, you can make adaptability a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Briar Rose Penney (they/their):

CEO / Steward, Inner Space KC

About Inner Space KC: Inner Space is a community movement, yoga and healing arts center in midtown Kansas City, MO. Community Movement is the body that owns and manages Inner Space, our building and 12 resident small business tenants and community events.

Website: innerspacekc.com

Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/innerspaceyoga

Instagram Handle: @innerspacekc

Other URL: heartlandmysteries.substack.com

Biographical Information: Briar Rose (they/them) is an artist, teacher, spirit worker and the steward and lead care-taker of Inner Space and Community Movement. A lifelong student of the body, they have been teaching movement since 2013. Rooted in animism, land-based traditions and radical politics, their work draws from deep reverence and ongoing study of qi gong, yoga, community ritual and folk magic.

Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/alexisblairpenney

Instagram Handle: @heartlandmysteries

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