who. the goat yoga creator
major. communication
hometown. los angeles, ca
dream job. entrepreneur
To the passive onlooker, the scene of freshly-cut grass, ocean lookouts, and dogs with frisbees in their mouths, may serve as the most evident and captivating sights on a regular Saturday afternoon in Isla Vista. However, one is sure to be pleasantly surprised by the scene of goats laying atop 20 people in Shavasana, within the Anisq’Oyo park, the heart of the small town.
It was nearly one year ago, when a student entrepreneur developed the brilliant to buy his own goats to IV, and begin a groundbreaking business that would soon capture the hearts and minds of the residents of the town .
Wearing a pair of overalls to help him play the part, Eli sat upon the grass with his goats nuzzled beneath him as he disclosed the details of his success. Thirty minutes prior, he had been leading a flock of 35 students, in meditation with the help and comfort of the goats. With his hands interlocked behind his head, and back bent at a forty five degree angle, his entire demeanor confidently screamed ‘look what I’ve done, I’ve made it!’ He shared that what began as a mere idea to make money to buy a Coachella ticket, soon blew up and became a permanent business which he named “YogoatLA.” Today, the business provides Eli with enough monetary support to pay for his own rent, food, and other necessities.
Goat Yoga is not likely to be a noteworthy sight to the regular resident of IV, and the goats are well known by many. In fact, when Eli takes the goats out for walks around the town, he looks forward to the multitude of individuals who rush towards them to greet them. Furthermore, Eli’s advertisement posts on Free and For Sale (the official UCSB Facebook group), attain much popularity, and rack close to 100 likes and comments each time.
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“In August of 2017 I went to go try goat yoga for myself, and was put on a waiting list for 4 months which I thought was kind of absurd, I didn’t understand why something so relevant took so long take a part in.”
“After I went ahead and experienced the event for myself, I decided that id really like to host an event. I decided to rent a few goat for my first event in IV.”
“I posted on Free And For Sale and it kind of blew up. I sold over 65 tickets for my first event, and I noticed that I could really make this a thing. Then I decided to buy and train my own goats, and now I host goat yoga.
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"Now I go to parties and people are like ‘are you the goat guy’ like it’s funny, people know about the goats and it’s a thing that’s now unique to IV which is kind of cool."
“Isla vista is a very tight knit community and people here are very supportive of one another especially with start ups. People are super into yoga around here so that kind of helped me.
"This experience has shown me that I want to do something creative in my future. A desk job is not for me at all."
There are many ways in which students living in Isla Vista can entertain themselves on a regular Saturday afternoon. While the most obvious of those options do in fact include red solo cups and EDM blaring through speakers, it is really the unique and non-mainstream activities that set IV apart from any other place in the world. It is the simple presence of a few goats amongst a group of college students meditating on Yoga mats that help add to the unparalleled character of the little town of Isla Vista.
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Eli attributes much of goat yoga's success to the large sense of community that Isla Vista promotes and exhibits. For him, advertisement is free, and is as simple as a Facebook post to UCSB Free and For Sale or quick word of mouth. To Eli, the solidarity and closeness of the community allows for his business to grow, and if it were not for the residents’ knack for uniqueness and veering far from the “norm,” his idea would not have become a reality.
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The pride that Eli holds in his recent accomplishments stems from the mere fact that he was able to transform a simple thought, into a tangible reality. Despite the challenges that arose upon the creation of his company, he continued to test his abilities, until he found happiness in his outcome. Today, Eli walks with confidence, as his baby goats trot behind him, ready to lead a new group of students into a deep meditation.
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