The road to GRAND OPENING is long and winding.....

When I started the endeavor of finding a home for Mind Your Body Oasis in January of 2011, I had no idea it would be 2 years until the Grand Opening.  This journey has been a tremendous learning experience.  I have learned what the term "Hurry up and wait" means, over and over again.  The best piece of advice I can give is don't quit your day job until you have a signed lease.  It took a year of a tumultuous ride through commercial lease negotiating to obtain an executed lease.

Next, it was a 7 month wait until the space was demoed and delivered to me for construction.  The best advice here: hire an architect that knows the county building permit laws and permit officials.  Alternatively you can hire a contractor that has an established team of Architect and MEP engineers that all know the current building and zoning laws.  Check referrals on all the people you partner with and trust your intuition.

Lastly, ensure your space is zoned for your use before you sign the lease.  A valuable and potentially costly lesson was learned here.  MYBOs space was zoned for Food only and the landlord did not catch this in their submission for demo permit.

Know that you will go through many emotions, stressful minutes, hours and days, and a lot of money, but make an agreement with yourself to enjoy the ride and learn from the process.  The process is so valuable and will serve you the next time you decide to take the trip again for your next business!

Much love,

Amanda