Valuable business lessons I learned from being angry in yoga class
I used to get angry a lot during yoga. Numerous things bothered me: the constant reminders to breathe (I mean, that literally just happens), the poses I had to hold for too long (why can’t we just be done already?), and most annoying of all, the students who could shoot up into a headstand with ease (show-offs!)—something I could never do for fear of breaking my neck.
One day in class, my yoga teacher opened with a reading that annoyed me further; I just wanted to get into the practice. She said:
“Our relationship to our practice can materially change when we approach it with a mindset of being lucky and grateful for the gift of being able to move our bodies and experience our breath, while so many others cannot.”
As the angry yogi I was, this admonition hit me like a child being told to eat everything on their plate because there are starving kids in the world. But then, I thought about what might happen if I forcibly shifted my perspective to gratitude. Would I enjoy the practice more? Would I find real meaning in it? Would I finally be brave enough to do a headstand? So I tried. I actively and consciously pushed myself to view my actions through a lens of gratitude.
It worked.
Shifting my mindset took focus and effort, but I soon found enjoyment replacing frustration. I could tune into how breathwork forced me to slow down, calmed me, and helped me achieve more difficult poses.
Visualizing myself feeling joy, ease, and even humor in my movements felt like a valuable exercise to practice off the mat in my professional life. I was experiencing a few annoyances with certain aspects of my work, which I wanted to address to be a better contributor and manager in a role I truly enjoyed. I soon found that making the same mindset shift bore even more fruit.
Recognizing that there is a high “woo-woo” factor in this, let me break it down more practically:
Lesson 1 - A “Get To” Mindset Drives Better Outcomes
Many of us deal with challenges at work, often leading to negative feelings and friction that are counterproductive to problem-solving.
This past year, I faced a Jenga-like situation: 50% of my team became expectant parents, preparing for leave almost simultaneously—and raising some eyebrows about what was "in the water" at the office. We lovingly dubbed the situation "Baby Gate." Meanwhile, we also planned to implement new client engagement models and expand the team to serve a broader customer base—all while maintaining strong business continuity. As I navigated the situation, I embraced my “get to” mantra: I was fortunate to be trusted with finding solutions and had an incredible team beside me. Together, we developed and executed a plan that solved for all parts of the equation; in less than a year, we effectively doubled our team size, launched new models, and welcomed several healthy babies!
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Lesson 2 - Have Gratitude for the Teacher in All Things
My teacher often closes our practice with this saying. This sentiment has helped me open my mind to being more grateful for even the smallest moments of discovery.
In my journey to learn the complex and layered world of the payments industry, I now tune in to sources of enablement whenever possible. Every time I swipe a card, tap to pay, or make a payment online, I find myself fascinated by the downstream complexities I now know exist. I instinctively analyze payment flows for areas of potential friction reduction (and yes, I am deeply aware of how nerdy that sounds). I’m in awe of these seemingly “simple” events and thankful I work in an environment where I constantly learn. Though I feel sorry for my hair salon —on my last visit, I grilled them about their point-of-sale hardware and payment experience on their appointment booking platform. They did not ask me if I wanted to schedule another appointment.
Lesson 3 - Modifications Are a Sign of Wisdom, Not Weakness
I had wrist surgery three years ago and was told I could never again hyperextend my right wrist. As a result, I can only do certain yoga poses with modifications or support props. Initially, I felt ashamed that I couldn’t do what everyone else in class could. I learned that my modifications were “wise” actions to protect my body from further injury rather than an inherent weakness.
Professionally, I leveraged this principle by becoming more flexible and open to different ways of doing things. As a “seasoned” Customer Success leader, I’ve often relied on tried-and-true approaches simply because they were effective previously. When I moved into the fintech space, I assumed a SaaS CSM approach would work yet again. I was wrong. A “consumption-based” business model requires a very different touch than that of SaaS. I had to “modify,” and having this mantra allowed me to see the wisdom in embracing new strategies and adapting to new ways.
Oh, there is actually a 4th Lesson – It’s Just Practice: One of my teachers used to say, “It’s called yoga practice, not yoga perfection.” In yoga, perfection is unattainable—and if anyone ever tells you otherwise, run away quickly and find another class. When we remove the striving for perfection, we can find joy and fulfillment in the process. I’ve discovered that some of the best lessons I learned in my career came from my failures and mistakes.
This past Fall, I spent a week at a yoga retreat in Belize. We practiced for 2-4 hours each day. There were times when I had indulged in too many tropical fruity cocktails the night before our classes, and the voices of annoyance started to creep in. A quick look around my surroundings and a self-reminder of how lucky I was to “get to” be there genuinely changed my entire experience. It also gave me the confidence to do this…
Dedicated to Carine Gursky , an amazing leader, and inspirational human, and to the entire Stripe Customer Success Team, who makes me feel lucky that I “get to” work with them daily.
Customer Success @ Stripe | Partnerships | Product Strategy | Marketing | Tech ex-PayPal, ex-Citi, ex-China UnionPay
2wMelissa Hatter. Thank you for stepping back while standing upside down and giving valuable perspectives. Thank you as well for your sincere and unwavering leadership to help achieve better outcomes for our users, company and for ourselves.
Head of Global Customer Success Management at Stripe
2wSuch an impactful set of learnings in there Melissa Hatter. As always thx for taking the time to lift us up. In particular the 'get to' mindset strikes me as a good one to lean into right now.
CEO & GTM Advisor, Investor, Tech Start Up & Non-Profit Board Member
2wOh I just loved reading this Melissa Hatter! I’m such a fan of gratitude and mindset and I’m super grateful for you and what you shared here- Thank you!
Owner, Publisher, Editor-in-Chief at CuteMonster LLC | CuteMonster.com
2wNot too shabby, friend. I own a yoga mat. Now to actually use it. 😉
Vice President, Social Impact Partnerships at Discovery Education
2wI continue to be in awe of you - on and off the mat!