Creative entrepreneur Jane Krantz is an artist, a dancer, and a yoga instructor. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded Afterglow Studio to maintain her community connection and provide opportunities for other creative wellness entrepreneurs to utilize space.
MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price spoke with Jane about being a part of a creative community in Hartford and stepping into a business ownership role.
NAN PRICE: Was it intentional to locate your studio in Hartford?
JANE KRANTZ: It was. A lot of the yoga studios in Hartford had closed. I had lost all my yoga teaching jobs because they were all located in Parkville, which has a distinct yoga community that’s very inclusive and diverse. That’s something I wanted to keep going and providing for our community. So, Parkville was definitely an intentional location for where I wanted my studio to be.
NAN: It was also intentional to allow other creative entrepreneurs utilize the space.
JANE: Right. The studio has big windows with a lot of natural light. It’s great for natural light photography. Starting out, I reached out to local photographer Jeff Hong of J Hong Photography to offer the space, which he’s been using for his photography business. I’ve also been able to provide a space for other photographers and videographers to come in and create content.
NAN: As you’ve been developing the business, did you tap into any local business resources or did you find your way on your own?
JANE: A little bit of both. It seemed like the studio was very sudden—and it was. At the same time, I realize I’ve lived in Hartford for a while. I spent years teaching at so many places, and I’ve hosted pop-up classes at several different businesses. So, when I look back, I can see how everything is connected.
I had a loyal client base; I didn’t have to do a lot of work to get people into the studio. I also learned so much from working at The Dance Collective. I was a part of the team before they had a space. Jill and I worked closely together and I learned so much from building that business with her. I really want to highlight that too because I owe a lot to that experience. It helped set me up to open my own studio.
Read the entire interview at Innovation Destination Hartford