Firelight Yoga: Built on Friendship, Fueled by Community
Holly Bussmus and Jessica Bartley opened Portland’s Firelight Yoga in 2015, but the story began years earlier with two friends who needed a change. Holly worked in design and marketing. Jessica was a nurse. Both felt stuck and stressed. Yoga helped them find some peace and gave them a new idea. “We were watching the teachers and thought, ‘They really like their jobs – maybe we should do this,’” said Holly.
They were living in Boise at the time, but when they decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship, they packed up and moved to Portland. Getting started wasn’t easy. Jessica sold her car to raise funds. They shared a house with their husbands and three dogs while navigating all that was required to open a new business. For a while, they couldn’t even pay themselves. But they believed in the studio – and in each other. “It was a find-a-way-through kind of mindset,” Jessica said. “We just believed it would work.”
Today, Firelight Yoga is a well-loved studio in North Portland. Students come for all kinds of classes, from Deep Stretch to Hot Power Vinyasa and more. To make yoga more accessible to more people, a few sliding scale classes are priced at $10 to attend. There are also two free class offerings weekly, the first specifically for those in the BIPOC community and the second for anyone who identifies as queer or trans. Additionally, they award equity scholarships twice yearly for significantly reduced unlimited membership fees. Everyone is welcome.
Holly and Jessica also give back to the community that gave them their start by donating to local schools and nonprofits, as well as hosting social events and fundraisers. To them, yoga isn’t just about lowering stress – it’s about bringing people together.
That mindset has sustained them in good times and harder ones, too. When the pandemic hit, like many businesses they had to shut their doors. But the very next day, they were already teaching yoga online. They bought equipment, learned how to stream live video and just kept going.
That same year, in 2020, they also took a big leap and bought their studio space. That decision came with big risks, but they believed in their future. Four years later, they refinanced the mortgage with Banner Bank. “It feels like a personal friendship with our banker,” Jessica said. “We’re totally comfortable asking for advice or help when we’re figuring out next steps.”
Firelight Yoga just celebrated 10 years in business. They recently ran a sold-out retreat and are planning more for the future. They’re also offering new one-on-one wellness services. After everything they’ve accomplished, they’re still dreaming big. We’re proud to celebrate them and their success.
“Holly and Jessica’s studio is considered one of the very best in the Portland Metro Area,” said Jesse Cathey, VP and Senior Business Banker. “It’s gratifying to serve them and watch their business thrive.”
