by Erica Herbst
Veronica Torres Hazely opened V12 Yoga with her husband Ade Hazely hoping to bring the transformative power of yoga to downtown Dallas. Veronica built her business out of her existing dedication to the practice for stress relief and the physical and mental 
benefits. She came to PeopleFund after consulting with the Small Business Center in Dallas. “PeopleFund provided the startup capital for my business. It allowed us to sign the lease, do the build out, design our website—all the bones and structure. We were able to pay our first month’s rent, our equipment, our sound system, and deposits on utilities,” Veronica said.
In the first month, V12 received 50 new members, 80 percent of which are new yogis, something the owners are excited about. V12 is among the few studios in the area and Veronica believes it to be the largest. The large space allows her to offer private group training and health and wellness workshops not found at other studios. Once you enter through the dark wood doors, you are greeted by root chakra red walls representing the feeling of being grounded and a sense of belonging. Veronica enjoys the stories of the yogis who come through V12, many of which thank her for the transformation they see in themselves. Veronica hopes to offer yoga classes in Spanish, a novel concept in Dallas. She also wishes to bring yoga to underserved populations as part of the Dallas Grow South initiative.
Veronica combined the spirits of entrepreneurship and giving in her founding of V12 yoga, inspired by her grandparents. “My grandfather, who could not read or write, was an 
entrepreneur. He had a successful commercial real estate construction company [in Austin]. He was known for getting the best jobs and doing the best work. Even today if you hear the name Torres it’s institutional in Austin, and that says a lot about his work ethic. My grandmother was a community giver,” Veronica said.
Veronica currently works for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau as the Director of Business Development. She has worked for the Dallas CVB for 10 years in community engagement, diversity marketing, digital strategy, brand marketing and the campaign for BIG Brand strategy. She advises new entrepreneurs to never give up, work hard, and face their fear. “There is going to be fear… I remind myself daily of the faith I have in what I’m doing to offset the fear. The what-ifs can be consuming. Surround yourself with people who lift your spirits,” Veronica said.
She will be speaking about her experience in the business world at PeopleTalk Dallas September, 11 2014.