Meet Brianna Bruno

 

We recently connected with Brianna Bruno and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brianna, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity came from my parents, they are the most generous people I have ever met, not only with monetary and tangible items, but with their unwavering support and time. They have always been a safe space for friends & family to call on. My mom was a stay at home mom & raised my sister and myself in the most supportive and selfless way possible. She has supported all of our dreams and ideas even when we were just kids. She made our home the place to be, where any kids could come over and feel seen, welcomed and greeted with a full plate of food and an ear willing to listen. She is described by most who meet her as a ray of human sunshine. She taught us that generosity comes from the heart and should be given with no intention to receive. It comes from a good place, not self serving. My father was generous in different ways. He worked and provided selflessly for his family. Often on weekends or when he wasn’t working he would be found helping friends, whether it be a broken car or a second hand for a buddy working on a house, he was always there. I have seen my father grow his career and in his role help put hundreds of people to work, organize safe job sites and fight for fair labor laws. Being raised with these vast teachings of generosity, I believe has helped mold me into the leader & business owner I am today. I whole heartily believe If you choose to be generous you will attract abundance.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am Brianna Bruno, I spent 10+ years in the banking and investment industry while simultaneously teaching yoga & fitness classes at night and on weekends. During the pandemic many studios closed and opportunity knocked in my small town. I dreamt of a yoga studio that didn’t feel intimidating to walk into, that supported all body types, and felt like a community home. I got to work. Soulshine Yoga opened its doors with a practice under the full moon on April 26, 2021. Since then we have grown to 16 instructors, growth into an additional studio space, a healthy balance sheet, thousands of dollars donated to charities and over one thousand people through our doors. I was blessed with the arrival of my daughter in June of 2022 and I made the decision to leave my full time role as a senior regional sales consultant for Virtus Investment Partners. In this leap of faith I was able to fully lean into motherhood which asked me to slow down & become more intentional. I was also able to fully tune into the incredible community I was building. While leaving the corporate world was a hard design because it was all I ever knew, looking back it was the best decision I ever made! Our reputation has become “the neighborhood yoga studio” the one that meets you where you are, with no judgement. It’s been a dream come true! I plan to continue working on Soulshine’s growth, considering additional space, more healing modalities & new ways we can give back to the community

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have probably read the book “the 4 agreements” By Don Miguel Ruiz a thousand times. These teachings can be applied to any industry, and role as a human including relationships with others & parenting.
They are: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, always do your best.

be impeccable with your word- do what you say your going to do, your character is built by what you do. If you do what you say you will do you build trust & trust is the foundation to any strong relationship, is it earned & not a privilege.
don’t take anything personally – we can only control our own reactions, others reactions and behaviors are a projection of their reality. its really not personal.
don’t make assumptions-strong communication is healthy for all relationships, giving people the benefit of the doubt and releasing assumptions (preconceived behavior) will always take you further
always do your best – self explanatory, be you, be authentic, your people will find you
I encourage everyone to add this reading to their rotation of literature and inspiration for leadership.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents allowed me to be me, supported me through all phases, and set a wonderful example for me. They worked hard, helped each other, raised strong willed kids that grew up to be change makers, My sister owns a womans clothing boutique in the same building as my yoga studio. I believe we are successful because we were taught we always could be.

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Image Credits

Katie Russo Photography

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