Maura’s in the business bend of things
Irish yoga teacher is vying for ¤290k on TV’S Apprentice
I have big plans to make Yoga with Maura a household name
MAURA RATH
BY SANDRA MALLON
AN Irish social media star is among the contestants on this year’s The Apprentice.
Maura Rath from Co Wexford is among the 18 candidates who will battle it out for €290,000 from Alan Sugar on the BBC One show.
The glam yogi, from Killenagh, has over 40,000 followers and earns a living hosting sunrise yoga events across Ireland as well as her own podcast.
She is hoping to use the money to expand her business.
As the hopefuls were announced for the new season, the BBC said: “Yoga teacher Maura’s business is rooted in the promotion of her clients’ wellbeing in a way that makes business boom.” When asked by the BBC for her “biggest business success to date”, Maura replied: “I hear back that my business brings some people a little bubble of selflove, it helps some people with that winter dread, and people move stronger and more freely than before.”
On the subject of her “biggest business fail”, she said: “My biggest lesson was buying into the hype and the sales pitch of a custom app, which was an expensive experiment and wasn’t the best experience for me or my customers.
“All this learning was poured into my new mobile-friendly website, which is working great!”
She told the BBC that she “swims in the Irish Sea all year round come rain, hail or snow”.
Maura added: “I am obsessed with sea swimming and cold-water dipping and actually prefer the colder months.”
Rath concluded that she deserves Sugar’s investment “because my business promotes positivity and well-being, in a profitable and scalable way, with five income streams”. In an Instagram post yesterday, Maura wrote: “Finally the hardest kept secret is out! I am a candidate on this year’s Apprentice, yes me yogi Maura. The business side of yoga has always fascinated me. I have big plans to make Yoga with Maura a household name, which is why I’m going for investment from Lord Sugar.
“This has been my hardest business journey to date, testing me emotionally and physically. It’s been an absolute rollercoaster and I can’t believe on February 1st episode 1 will be out! Yes, St Brigid’s day which I think is a good sign for an Irish woman.
“As my yogis know my daily practice is everything to me, and when that was taken from me (I couldn’t practice while in there) it really took its toll.
“I can’t wait to share this journey with you all. That’s if I don’t get fired after task one.”
The new series of The Apprentice begins on BBC One on Thursday, February 1 at 9pm.