Small Helping Small - The Bend Magazine

Small Helping Small

Three local businesses have come together to form a co-op environment for the community

By: Jessie Monsivias  Photos by: Rachel Benavides

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The women of DWNTWN CC Collective are bringing a communalbrexperience that includes a full yoga studio, a Kevin Murphy hair salon, and anbrEtsy design studio to the enchanting Water Street Village. Yoga Time Studios founders Erica Bertero and Leah Murray are makingbra breakthrough in community-based leadership by collaborating with Angela Acunabrof Sunkissed by Elle and Morgan Langbrof Beau Monde Hair Gallery. “This isbra huge thing for Leah and me to have something unique and original, a co-op wherebrsmall business helps small business,” says Erica Bertero.

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Before Yoga TimebrStudios acquired their own space, Leah Murray and Erica Bertero lived theirbrpassion of teaching yoga through a preliminary collective with Island Time Sushi Bar. Both women sharedbrthe vision of collective space with another business as means to lift onebranother other up.

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What began as a weekly after yoga hangout at Island Time Sushi Bar quickly grew intobran offer for the women to practice yoga on Monday nights when the restaurantbrwas closed. Classes became so popular that restaurant patrons thought the sushibrbar was open on Mondays and would mistakenly come in to eat dinner. Island Time eventually began opening on Mondays.brNow, Monday is one of their busiest nights.

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The lounge evolved into a full fledge studio during the day,brbut Leah and Erica agreed that the classes were getting so big they needed tobrhold night classes. Coincidentally, that realization and the chaos of HurricanebrHarvey caused Erica and Leah to seek a new space and revamp the yoga communitybrin the heart of Corpus Christi. The women worked together to find a space for abrstudio.

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Yoga Time Studios was born as a donation-based yogabrstudio that delivers a portion of its proceeds to specific nonprofits such asbrThe Purple Door, The Gulf Coast Humane Society, and the Surf Rider Foundation.brHowever, the DWNTWN CC Collective encompasses more than just yoga.

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Sunkissed by Elle offers unique custom-made yoga wearbrdesigned to fit your body and meet your needs. Make an appointment, and thenbrcome in to take measurements and discuss fabrics and fits. Once you decide onbrthe look you want, she’ll make it. After being introduced to BUTI yoga bybrErica, Angela took to designing her own yoga clothes. “I knew what I wanted outbrof a yoga pant, so I found what I needed in a pattern that was especiallybrsuited to my body. That’s hard to find in a store. I knew that it couldn’t justbrbe me, so I decided to offer that service out of the Collective studio.” Youbrcan make an appointment and then go in to take measurements and discuss fabricsbrand fits. Once you decide on the look you want, she’ll make it.

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The third component of the Collective is Beau Monde Hair Gallery is an eco-friendly Kevin Murphy salon.brWithin the studio, Morgan provides wellness and beauty services without the usebrof harsh chemical products. The salonbroffers haircuts, color treatments, blow outs, and styles. A fellow yogibrherself, Morgan has always aspired to work on hair and do yoga in the samebrspace.

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By encouraging and empowering local businesses and women,brDWNTWN CC Collective has transformed what it means to be a community bybrinstilling yoga life philosophies of abundance, teamwork, and generosity in thebrCoastal Bend. “I’m really hoping this shared studio space becomes a bit of abrgetaway for the community!” Angela says. “We put a lot of time and thought intobrthe feel and décor of what we want for people to experience as they take a yogabrclass, book a hair appointment, or have a fitting. I hope people get thebrfeeling of community and strength coming from a group of women trying somethingbrnew out!”

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Regardless of the reason bringing you into the Collective,brthe experience you have while there is much the same. The women behind thisbrproject will greet you with the warmest of welcomes, the feelings of love andbrcommunity will surround you, and you’ll leave with a desire of returning, nobrmatter the service you’re seeking. 

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For more information about DWNTWN CC Collective and itsbrbusinesses go to dwntwncccollective.com or follow them on Instagrambr@dwntwncccollective.