186 How to Start a Lifestyle Movement with Wanderlust Co-Founder Jeff Krasno

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Jeff Krasno explains how Wanderlust grew from a post-9/11 yoga studio community and a Costa Rica retreat into a global movement blending yoga, music, food, meditation, and creative culture. He emphasizes that true north is an ongoing practice of self-discovery, and that meaningful growth requires staying authentic, creating space for reflection, and serving local communities.

Main Topics: Origin of Wanderlust: Krasno traces Wanderlust back to Skylar's Kula Yoga studio near Ground Zero after 9/11 and the transformational Costa Rica retreats that inspired the festival concept. Wanderlust as self-exploration: He defines Wanderlust not only as travel but as an inner journey toward truth, best self, and 'true north.' Building and scaling an experience-based business: The conversation covers the first Squaw Valley festival, fundraising challenges, grassroots marketing, and the difficulty of scaling a high-touch, curated experience worldwide. Practice, space, and daily rituals: Krasno discusses meditation, breath awareness, physical mobility work, and creating distance from digital noise as tools for clarity and creativity. True north, leadership, and authenticity: He frames purpose as aligning work with love and values, leading with grace, and avoiding hollow expansion that loses the movement's original spirit. Impact of small actions and community: He argues that change comes from many small daily choices—local food, gardening, community participation—that compound into broader cultural shifts. Definition of greatness through aligned living: He concludes that greatness is embodied by people who integrate passions into an inspired life and express gratitude for the chance to do meaningful work.

Key Arguments: Wanderlust is both external travel and internal exploration; the brand intentionally uses that dual meaning to guide people toward self-knowledge. The movement began organically from a yoga studio community after 9/11, not from a grand plan to create a global movement. Experience-based businesses are hard to scale because intimacy and curation matter; larger attendance can dilute the practice. Authenticity must be preserved as the company expands, especially because its core values are hyper-local, communal, and highly personal. Clarity and creativity come from space, meditation, and reduced digital distraction rather than nonstop productivity. Progress happens through billions of small decisions, so individuals can contribute to change without becoming public leaders or politicians. Greatness is not one big achievement but the alignment of passions, service, and purpose in daily life.

Data Points: Episode number: 186 - Lewis Howes introduces Jeff Krasno on the School of Greatness. Kula Yoga age: 14 years - Skylar's yoga studio had been operating for 14 years at the time of the interview. First retreat idea date: 2006-2007 - Krasno says the Costa Rica retreat experiences that inspired Wanderlust happened around this period. First big festival year: 2009 - The first Wanderlust festival was held in Squaw Valley. Solvent year: 2010 - Krasno says the business became solvent in 2010, enabling rapid expansion. First festival production cost: $1.4 million - He estimates the total cost of producing the first Squaw Valley event, including talent. Paid yoga/lifestyle attendees at first event: About 800 - Approximate number of people who paid for the yoga lifestyle portion of the first festival. Festival count worldwide: 42 events - He says Wanderlust had grown to about 42 events around the world. Annual attendance: About 130,000 people - Projected paid attendance across the event platform for the year. Brooklyn one-day event attendance: Over 10,000 - He cites the Brooklyn event as a one-day event that drew more than 10,000 people. Podcast audience: 800,000 downloads a month - Lewis Howes mentions his show reaches this audience size. Current company gender makeup: 58 women and 2 guys - Krasno describes the gender composition of his Brooklyn office team. Age at hip replacement: 44 - He notes having a hip replacement at a relatively young age.

Pivotal Quotes: "Wanderlust is this innate desire to travel... there’s also this insatiable quest to look inward and explore yourself" — Jeff Krasno: He explains the dual meaning of Wanderlust as both outer travel and inner self-discovery. "Wisdom comes in the spaces" — Jeff Krasno: He describes the value of creating mental and emotional space for clarity, creativity, and better decisions. "Life is process" — Jeff Krasno: In summarizing three truths about life, he frames growth as incremental and ongoing rather than a single breakthrough.

Implications: Listeners are encouraged to treat greatness as an ongoing practice: simplify, create space, act locally, and align work with purpose. For wellness and experience brands, the episode shows that authenticity and curation matter more than sheer scale.