More Than Business: A Mother’s Day Tribute to the Weis Women

An Interview with Cyndi, Carly, and
Abby Weis

Welcome to our special Mother’s Day celebration blog! Today, we’re toasting to an extraordinary trio — Cyndi, Carly, & Abby Weis — who have not only nurtured their family bonds but have also flourished together in business for a remarkable 21 years. Running a business is no small feat, and doing it as a family adds layers of joy, challenge, and deep connection. We’ll dive into their journey, explore the magic of their teamwork, reflect on the evolution of their relationships, and learn about the unique blend of love and professionalism that has fueled their success.

Together we honor these incredible women whose story is not just about business success but a beautiful testament to familial love and dedication.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Interview questions were distributed individually to Cyndi, Carly, and Abby, who each responded without knowledge of the others' answers. It's worth mentioning, especially considering the remarkable similarities in some of their responses, demonstrating their genuine alignment!

Question: For anyone who might be new here, please let us know your role at breathe yoga!

Cyndi: Founder

Carly: I’m an acupuncturist at breathe as well as breathe’s Yoga Director. 

Abby: I’m the buyer for both breathe and breathe at home as well as an esthetician at breathe.

Question: breathe has now been in business for over 21 years. What did you think your role at breathe would be when it opened vs. what it is now? What’s changed for you?

Cyndi: In the early days I opened the juice bar at 5:30am, worked all day in retail and then taught an evening yoga class. That typical 14-hour day was my life for years and I loved it! My role now has shifted. I am involved in all aspects of breathe but I no longer do all the things. I have a fantastic team that excels at executing the vision!

Carly: I really never had an intention of making my career at breathe! I was a sophomore in college when breathe opened and never had that strong “I know what I want to be when I grow up” intuition but knew I leaned toward writing and communication. At that time I considered being a high school English teacher. 

Abby: I don’t think any of us could have imagined what breathe would turn into when we first opened in 2002. I was a senior in high school working in the juice bar and in retail after school and on the weekends. I don’t think in my 17-year-old mind I ever even considered that I would be here or that breathe would be open 21 years later.

Question: What comes to mind when you think of the early days of business at breathe?

Cyndi: So many things…..1) We had 9 yoga classes/week on the schedule. We now have close to 100 live classes/week between in-studio and online. 2) I developed the smoothie recipes and did our first juice bar training in my kitchen at home. The Classic Smoothie recipes haven’t changed and the Protein Punch is still our #1 selling smoothie! 3) The entire space for breathe was 1400 square feet. We now operate in 9000 square feet with 2 studios, a spa, commercial kitchen, bakery, cold pressed juice facility, juice bar, and destination retail shopping. The original concept is the same, just expanded.

Carly: Small: the physical space was a fraction of what it is now. Family: my whole family had a role early on including my grandparents. Support: I can still remember people’s first and last names from the early days even if I haven’t seen them in years. There was this intricate web of family, customers, and vendors who helped lay the foundation that I think not only helped breathe survive but it is still what it is built upon today. 

Abby: Straight hustle. My mom (and my dad) have given me such a perspective of what it means to truly be an entrepreneur and what it looks like to invest sweat equity. The early years were harder and simpler in some ways. Harder because it was getting something off the ground but simpler because it was a much smaller engine to run.  

Question: How involved has the whole family been since the beginning of breathe? 

Cyndi: When I opened breathe in 2002 my husband was traveling for work and Carly and Abby were in school. It was the perfect time for me to commit the necessary time and energy into starting a business. Carly and Abby (and their high school friends) worked the juice bar. Larry was my weekend handyman. 

Carly: I moved back to Rochester in 2006 and started teaching yoga while I was getting my acupuncture degree. My dad was often the backbone of support behind the scenes until more recently. My grandmother used to fold laundry, “tidy” the clothes in the store, and created the granola recipe we still use for acai bowls. 

Abby: 100% involvement from the 4 of us since day 1. Involvement has looked different as the years have gone by. My dad used to work in corporate America so his involvement was less “boots on the ground” in the early days compared to now, but his contribution in terms of support and being my mom’s sounding board and #1 fan has been unwavering since she opened. Carly and I have gone through being high school students, to college students, to working full time, to having 5 babies (between the two of us) to now managing working full time jobs in part time hours so that we can be an active part of breathe as well as involved and present moms.  

Question: What does it mean for you to be able to work with your family every day?

Cyndi: For me, it has been unquestionably the best part of growing breathe. We have so much trust and faith in each other which has allowed  breathe to evolve into something so much more special than I could have done without them. I am so grateful that they have wanted to be on this ride with me!

Carly: I can’t even imagine another life. It was predestined for me. 

Abby: I’ve been asked this question countless times over the last 21 years and my answer has always been the same.  I think being in a family business can either make or break your family dynamic.  For us, it’s only made our strong family unit stronger.

Question: What has running a family business together taught you about yourselves and your own families?

Cyndi: Carly and Abby have gone from working in their mom’s business to running the business with me. In the beginning Abby tagged along with me to buying shows and Carly assisted in the yoga teacher training. Now, I tag along with Abby while she does 100% of the buying for breathe and breathe at home, and I am Carly’s wingwoman in TT. I am so proud of these girls!!!

Carly: We’ve learned what our own strengths are and we’re very aware of what each other’s strengths are. We’ve each been able to carve out our own path while still working for the same goal. 

Abby: The saying is true: kids won’t do what you say, they’ll do what you do. I find that to resonate because I really do watch what my mom does at work more than anything. I admire her work ethic, her ability to problem solve, and she honestly never gets overwhelmed or flustered. The woman has serious guts - she’s just not afraid. She’s teaching me all of the time and doesn’t even know it.

Question: What are the unique challenges/perks of running a family business?

Cyndi: For us, the perks are many! We get to hang out together and co-create something that is meaningful to us and serves others. One of the challenges of spanning a family business over 2 decades is to stay malleable to how we are changing as people. Carly and Abby started at breathe as teenagers, built careers, became mothers, and now balance their lives similar to how I did when I opened breathe. For me, I’m finding more space in my life now. I love visioning, mentoring, and supporting my team.

Carly: The perks for us far outweigh the challenges. We have an excuse to spend time together, travel together, create together, succeed together, fail together. No matter what, we’re together and that supersedes anything else. 

Abby: Leaving work “at work” doesn’t exist. breathe is a member of our family who comes to every family dinner, every family vacation, etc. I wouldn’t consider that a bad thing but she is very much a “member of the family” that we talk about all of the time - we have no boundaries in that department. :) The biggest perk is that I get to see my mom, sister, and dad almost every single day. That makes me the happiest.

Question: How do you handle conflict or disagreements?

Cyndi: The four of us have a ton of respect for each other. We also know who is a quick “go for it!” and who will be the devil’s advocate to tease the pros and cons out of the situation. We balance each other out and it works well for the business too!

Carly: We don’t have many and I think it’s because we’ve been able to create our own areas of expertise so there’s very little crossover. Usually if there’s a disagreement it’s 1 to 1 so the 3rd person becomes the mediator. 

Abby: I know most people wouldn’t believe us but we really don’t have conflict - or at least it’s very rare. The biggest thing that helps (for me) is trying to remember when it’s my mom talking and when it’s my boss talking.  

Question: How have your relationships changed since Carly and Abby also became mothers?

Cyndi: I try to balance my conversations more than I used to. I do my best to keep work requests at work and focus on the kids and family when the girls are not working. I do love it when they bring the kids into “Mimi’s Work” for smoothies! I am so enamored with these little people :)

Question: A little over a year ago breathe experienced a huge change by dissolving the franchises. Now that some time has passed, what has this change meant for you and the business? 

Cyndi: Wow - this question caught me by surprise. We started the franchises as a way to give more people access to what breathe offered. It was a challenging and fulfilling ten years. The decision to dissolve the franchise relationship and allow everyone to move in their own directions happened organically and amicably. For me, I can best describe the experience as I had been running marathons for ten years and now I run 10Ks! It feels great!

Carly: Out of the 3 of us, change is always hardest for me. I’m grateful for the path we took with opening franchise locations because it offered me professional growth and introduced me to people (owners, students, customers) who I likely wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’m grateful for this fork in the road to work back to operating as a single location with a single team because it allows me more time with the staff and community we have under one roof. 

Abby: Becoming franchisors was a huge accomplishment and required a different type of endurance and dedication. Going back to our roots and being the sole breathe yoga feels really good.

Question: Carly and Abby, how has becoming mothers changed your approach to work, or has it? Cyndi, how has becoming a grandparent (“Mimi,” to be exact!) changed your approach to work, or has it?

Cyndi: The hardest shoes I have ever tried to fill are those of my mom as a grandmother. Many times I have had to accept that my mom didn’t run a business so was able to spend a lot of time with the girls. Since I don’t always have the luxury of time, I am intentional about how I spend time with the grandkids and love making memories with them.

Carly: I don’t think becoming a mom has changed my approach to work other than maybe streamlining my priorities and allowing me to work more efficiently. In my 20s and early 30s my typical day started with seeing acupuncture clients beginning at 7am and throughout the day until I shifted gears and would teach my classes usually at 4:30 and 6pm. I don’t have that same level of flexibility any more so it has forced me to be more strategic with how I schedule myself to accomplish what I need to do to manage my work life and my home life. 

Abby: Being able to be a working mom honestly feels like a luxury to me. Carly and I both share a nanny who is literally an angel on earth. She gives me such peace of mind so that when I’m at work I can fully be present and feel like “old Abby.” You change when you become a mom. Nothing is as it was. But when I’m working, I feel like my old self and that can feel really good.  

Question: What do you see as each other’s strengths when it comes to running the business? 

Cyndi: 

Carly — Abby and I always say that Carly is the most likable Weis :) She just is! She is smart, kind, genuine, and exceptionally good at whatever she decides to do. 

Abby — If I needed to phone a friend to get me off of a deserted island, my call would go to Abby. She is resourceful, fiercely committed, loyal, and wouldn’t stop until I was safely back on shore!

Larry — After 44 years of marriage, I know and love our differences! He is beyond intelligent and knows quite a lot about pretty much everything! He will give me sensible advice and then still supports me if I decide not to take it :)

Carly: 

Cyndi — My mom is the visionary and keeps the business inspiring, creative, and moving forward – breathe is a complete extension of who she is.  

Abby — My sister is one of the main people to implement my mom’s vision as well as execute her own through purchasing every item you see from the skincare, to the sweaters, to the furniture they are sitting on. 

Larry — My dad deals with everything complicated that nobody knows how to do and prevents the whole thing from falling apart.

Abby: 

Cyndi — My mom is a true visionary and entrepreneur. She literally can’t help herself when it comes to brainstorming, pipelining ideas, growth, etc. I’m always in awe of her ability to lead the way in new concepts and innovation. My mom is also extremely fair and generous. She has high expectations because if you’re on her team she believes in your highest potential and wants you to achieve it.  

Carly — Carly has a way with words and is an amazing teacher. When she’s in the yoga studio teaching class or leading a group of teacher trainees she is 100% in her lane. She’s extremely articulate and can make the most complex concept so simple to understand. She takes her acupuncture practice very seriously and has the most gentle approach. She just has a way of making you feel safe, heard and taken care of.

Larry — I think my dad’s biggest strength is that he’s reliable. Like I said earlier, my dad had a very successful and long term career in corporate America with his “dad job” as Carly and I always referred to it because we never fully understood what he did. I can think of countless times where I would call him and I would say “hi” and start talking and he would say, “Are you ok? Are you safe? Ok, I’m presenting in a meeting and can’t talk, just wanted to make sure you were ok.” I honestly don’t think he has ever not picked up my phone call. I’m saying, like, ever. To this day, he’s like that. Extremely reliable. Whether I’m calling him because the toilet is clogged at breathe (yes, I’ve done that) or I’ve got a pallet of inventory that has been delivered and need him to help me unpack it or I have a bunch of online orders that I need help packing up - he’s never too busy for me. It’s something that doesn’t go unnoticed, I appreciate it and hope to do it for my own kids.  

Question: What do you see for the future of breathe? 

Cyndi: Just as I never had an exact plan for how breathe would grow, I have also not been tied to an exit plan. I have trusted the process of walking through doors that open versus pushing through those that don’t. I am excited to be turning 65 this summer. I have no intention of retiring (ever!). I am working differently than I have in the past, giving myself more space and letting Carly, Abby, and the team continue to grow and thrive!

Carly: My mom and sister will roll their eyes but I don’t like to look ahead to the future. I couldn’t have predicted any of the stages – including me being as involved as I am in the first place – and I’ve been utterly content at every one. 

Abby: There have been so many iterations of what we thought the future of breathe would look like over the years. I really believe that it will unfold exactly as it should. It’s happened like that for the past 21 years and I believe it will continue to just reveal itself as we move forward.

Question: What’s something that you think might surprise readers about running breathe? 

Cyndi: With the exception of my husband who has only recently become more hands on operationally, none of us have a business degree. My love and passion for health, yoga, meditation, and nutrition drive my personal lifestyle choices. Then I take what works for me and share it with others.  

Carly: I'm not sure what people would be surprised to know! I still have myself cemented in my own mind as a 20-something year old working with my mom and sister so maybe people would be surprised that I'm now 40 years old with 3 young boys (or maybe I'm just still surprised by that!)

Abby: That it’s not an act. We really do like each other this much and really do choose to spend time with each other any chance we possibly get. If we’re not at work, we’re usually with each other.  

Question: What’s your favorite part about being a mom?

Cyndi: Being Carly and Abby’s mom is, and will always be, the highlight of my life. They are extraordinary women and I am so grateful that I get to be their mom.

Carly: Watching a human being develop is fascinating. I love being witness to watching someone experience something for the first time whether it be learning how to walk, learning how to communicate, learning how to ride a bike, learning how to share and be kind, learning how to get on a bus and go to school, learning what makes them each feel pride and experience happiness. 

Abby: Watching them come into their own. I love my kids more than I could ever articulate but even more than that, I really like who they are becoming as little humans.

Question: Carly and Abby describe Cyndi as a mother and as Mimi. Cyndi, describe Carly and Abby as mothers and your observations watching them become mothers.

Cyndi: I am so proud of both of them.  They are incredible mothers! Carly has 3 boys and I have never seen her happier! These boys love mud, loud noises, trucks, and making a mess. Carly just laughs. She is the glue in that family and her boys will be mama’s boys forever! Abby has a son and a daughter. I watch her explain things to them like she would to a friend. She is teaching them to be aware, insightful, kind, and polite. The fierce commitment that Abby brings to all her relationships she also brings to parenting. She is tireless.

Carly: No one has been more supportive of my path while at the same time always helping me to see the possibility of what could be than my mom. My life is fuller with more fun, more ease, more growth, and more happiness because of her. 

Abby: There are so many words I could use to describe my mom but the word that comes up for me right now is supportive. She’s been consistently supporting me my whole life - not just in the celebratory times but in the tougher seasons of life too. I know, without a doubt that no matter what, my mom will be there for me. I never have to question it and that is something that I want to provide for my kids as well. She’s the one I want to talk to when anything big (or small) happens - she’s always my first call.  To be able to count on someone, really count on them, is priceless.