Woman-Owned Yoga Accessories Company Shares Origin Story

Yoga Jaci, an online yoga accessories company based out of Cape Coral, Florida, is proud to share the origin story of the company's founder, Nicole Leonie, and how she came to lead her own successful online marketplace.

Leonie began in the corporate world as a supply chain manager. She recalls that the pay was high, but there was something missing. "I just wasn't feeling satisfied, even though I was making enough to help support my family," she says. "I had two awesome kids and felt like I had it all. But it just didn't make me happy."

Her two kids were the biggest reason for Leonie to quit her job in 2014. "I realized that I was leaving the kids home all alone while I was at work," she says. "It was so bad that one day my eldest son said, 'Mom, every day I come home from school with only 4 walls to keep me company, I feel so lonely.' It broke my heart to know my son was coming home to an empty house. It was then I knew I had to make a change."

It was then that Leonie decided that she wanted the flexibility and freedom of running her own business. She started Yoga Jaci in February of 2015 with the goal of helping people get inspired to live a healthier life through the practice of yoga. She started selling a yoga towel made for bikram and hot yoga sessions. The popularity of the towel and Leonie's 20 years of supply chain knowledge resulted in the storefront expanding quickly.

Meanwhile, the popularity of yoga has been on a rapid rise over the last few years. According to research from the National Center for Integrative Health, 21 million people in the U.S. practiced yoga on a regular basis. For Leonie, that meant a huge opportunity. "I practiced yoga regularly for years myself, and noticed my friends were starting to get into practicing it too," Leonie said. "I just knew I had to start on Amazon as soon as I could."

Yoga Jaci's Yoga mat towel is made of absorbent and soft material that is sized at 72" x 24" to cover the user's yoga mat during hot yoga sessions. During these sessions, practitioners sweat from doing poses in relatively high temperatures. The towel is meant to catch the sweat so that it does not ruin the mat. It is also machine washer and dryer safe. Yoga mat towels and yoga hand towel as a sets are also available, all in a variety of colors.

The store also offers a yoga bag that measures 27.5 inches x 6.5 inches, made to fit a yoga mat along with Yoga Jaci's yoga towel. It comes with two zipper heads for easier opening and closing. The bag also comes with three pockets for yoga practitioners to store their wallet, keys, phone, and other items in the bag during sessions. It comes with an adjustable shoulder strap with a bag for less painful carrying.

Yoga Jaci's products have been a hit since the marketplace launched, and all of their products have received consistent 4- and 5-star reviews. "This is the second Jaci Yoga Mat and Towel I have purchased via Amazon. I do hot yoga at least 4 times a week and I have found myself always reaching for the Jaci towels over my more expensive towels - they are the perfect length, thickness and they always absorb so well without soaking through. I would highly recommend this set, as I own two and anticipate ordering more in the future. They work fine if you choose (or, forget) to wet them down before class, and they work well wet too. Can't say enough about how much I love these towels," said Alex F. in an Amazon review.

Karin Z. also said in a 5-star review, "I have had this yoga bag for a few months now, and I really like it. It is roomy so that I can carry all that I need for yoga class with me; mat, towel, clothes, water bottle. It's comfortable to carry and stays in place when you are walking. I would definitely recommend this bag if you want a yoga mat bag that can do more than just carry your mat."

Leonie says, "I'm so proud of what Yoga Jaci continues to do for our customers. We appreciate all the feedback from them and love to see our goal of helping people live healthier make an impact."

Those who are interested in learning more about Yoga Jaci's line of yoga accessories are invited to visit the company's website and the company's Amazon storefront for more information.