Cyndi: My open source story — Linux, the loyal friend

Editor’s note: Cyndi is my yoga teacher and the coauthor of our book, “Linux for Small Business Owners.” This article is collected from her many contributions to that work, with some minor changes.

Cyndi

I come from a wildly different background [ than David ] having worked most of my career as an independent small business owner in the Health and Wellness industry. Having had a brief stint in my 20’s and early 30’s in corporate America, mostly as an Office Manager and some in Sales, I learned fairly quickly that I needed to make my living working for myself doing something that felt congruent with my passions and interests. Hence, I opened my first Yoga Studio with a partner in October 1999. Less than 2 years later I parted ways with that partner because we did not share common ideas about the spirit and direction of the business.

I happily owned and operated my own studio called Moving Mantra Yoga for the next 15 years wearing all the hats…teaching, managing a staff, creative director, operations manager, marketing manager and community liaison. It was a big job and I loved it.

When my youngest graduated University and set out on his own leaving me an empty nester, I wanted to expand my horizons so I closed the studio and created Zakti Health, giving me the opportunity to be a one woman operation doing the things I loved most…teaching Yoga, doing therapeutic bodywork, leading wellness retreats and offering wellness coaching to individuals and groups.

For the next few years I built Zakti and then the Coronavirus pandemic hit, essentially annihilating my hands-on and in person business. The pandemic forced my hand to once again reinvent and refine my work. I set about building digital learning programs and found more than ever how important reliable, secure and dependable my OS an Open Source software needed to be.

When it comes to business, I’m smart enough to know my shortcomings, so I relied upon the expertise of contractors to help me in the areas I did not have the skill set or interest in, namely technology and accounting. That was a wise move that helped my businesses grow and thrive over their tenure.

Technology has always intimidated me and in the early years when I used Microsoft as an OS, I was continually challenged with regular malware, viruses and system snafus that held up my business, leaving me frustrated and hamstringing my ability to earn a living. Finding reliable and affordable help to remedy the ongoing challenges was a continuous problem.

Problems

Using Windows as my OS, not only did I have to purchase virus and malware protection programs on a regular basis, but those programs repeatedly failed to protect me from infection.

I don’t have to tell you how much of an interruption a corruption can be! I’ve lost important data that I had to pay to recover, and sometimes was unable to restore lost files and lists to their original integrity. Not to mention having to hand over my computer or laptop for a number of days to have the fix done.

There has not been a single incidence of infection since switching to Linux. I store my clients’ personal information on my computer, and with Windows, I was frequently concerned about that information being compromised. Building a trusting relationship with my clients is fundamental to my work. When I claim to not sell their information to anyone, I want to be able to back that up.

How I made the decision

Just so we’re clear…I’m no expert when it comes to technology. Not even close.

I’m the kind of computer person that likes to just press a button and have everything work harmoniously without interruption. What I am is a creative person who writes and teaches yoga and coaches people to be healthier and happier. The last thing I want to do is to spend a lot of time jousting with my computer trying to make it do something it’s hell-bent on not doing. As a small business entrepreneur, I want to spend my time and energy creating content that helps my clients. Most small businesses have similar mindsets. We like to use our resources to produce products and services that people will pay for, and all that makes that possible behind the scenes is just a necessary evil. Okay, maybe evil is a strong word…but if you’re reading this book, you get what I mean.

When I started my first yoga studio in 2000, computer technology was way out of my wheelhouse. In fact, for the first two years I didn’t even have a website. I did everything from scratch including collecting emails, sending newsletters, marketing events and corresponding with my student base. And I was quite content operating my business in that way. My focus was on teaching yoga and creating community.

That was all well and good until my client base grew to the point where my very rudimentary systems were no longer manageable. It was time to systematize things to support my growing business. I chose Microsoft Windows as my operating system, not knowing there were many other options around. I purchased a product to manage newsletters and mailing lists. I hired a web designer to create an interactive website with a sales page. I thought I’d created a solid system for managing my clients, programs and staff. And at first, all went well. Computer trouble resided as a vague fear in the recesses of my mind. I happily went about my business until my computer, operating with Microsoft and protected by anti virus software, became infected with malware. That sent everything into a hair-pulling tizzy. Nothing worked. I smashed at buttons, cussed like a sailor… and nada. I called my smart computer friends and all they could do was offer sympathy and say “I hope you backed everything up”.

So I carried my desktop to a repair service where they held my computer for a solid week while they re-installed my operating system and advised me to purchase another virus and malware protection program. My business was frozen in time while they worked. I lost some data, a lot of time, some cash and my Pollyanna attitude toward my operating system.

The new system and software worked for a while, only to be infected again. And again. Eventually, I was advised that I needed to replace my computer. So I did. I rolled with that for a few years and managed to avoid any major crashes and snafus on my beautiful new laptop, which enabled me to set work anywhere. I religiously backed up, and purchased expensive new versions of operating and protection software yearly. I naively thought all was well…

Until it wasn’t. Those expensive updated software packages were crap, and I’d had enough time and experience under my belt to add it all up to conclude that operating my business as it was had become very costly, both in time and money. Not to mention my energy. Technology had become a drag and I wasn’t happy.

By this time I had met David and knew he was a computer pro. We had a friendly relationship and would often chat before or after his yoga class. In one of those conversations in which I was lamenting my computer woes, David offered to take a look to see if he could help. I jumped at the chance to have someone I knew and trusted to help me figure out the recurring quagmire of computer mishaps I was experiencing. Being the computer guru he is, David was able to fix things a few times with my Microsoft OS. Yet the problems still occurred.

The last straw on the camel’s back created serious problems for my business. I had purchased an expensive software program designed for Yoga studios and fitness centers to manage enrollments, payments and payroll. When my computer locked up, I was unable to manage my daily business. It felt chaotic and I was embarrassed that I didn’t know if the folks who showed up for class had paid or not.

I thought perhaps it was time to purchase a new computer and update my OS and virus protection….again. It was at this juncture that David suggested I rethink my OS and consider Linux. I’d never heard of Linux before. I was confident with my Microsoft skills, even though not at all confident with the system. It was scary to think I had a big learning curve ahead of me if I switched. Would I lose all the documents and lists created under Microsoft? Would Linux interfere with my ability to safely and smoothly send information out to my client base? I had a slew of questions!

I was shocked when David told me it wasn’t time for me to replace my computer. Ka-ching! More money in my pot. Then I learned that Linux was open sourced, so no longer would I have to pay those costly fees for updates and protection. Ka-ching! More moola for me and my biz. He assured me that, in fact, the Linux system operated much like Microsoft, so my learning curve would not be so steep. That Linux was unique in that it was constantly being improved by very smart people who had no ulterior motives other than to improve functionality. I felt so relieved.

No matter all that had come before, clearly the time to make a decision was here. I took a deep breath and went for it.

David installed Linux in short order, and we spent a few hours over a few days teaching me my way around Linux. In reality – and much to my delight – it looked and felt quite similar to what I had been accustomed to with Microsoft. What a relief it was to my technology-stunted brain that I could make the transition with relative ease and non-existent frustration.

Fast forward ….

I had now been using Linux for several years. On the same laptop that I was sure needed to be replaced! Although I encountered a few random glitches now and then, downtime was at a bare minimum. All those times that my business had been hamstrung by computer failures and infections no longer existed.

I’ve never done the accurate math to calculate the financial savings that switching to Linux has afforded me. Between paying pros for the computer to be serviced every time it froze up or failed to boot, purchasing yearly updates for software, and purchasing a new computer every few years, the savings for my small business was significant. The financial savings was a blessing for sure, but the benefits of switching to Linux went way beyond that.

I no longer agonized over the threat of my studio operations and automation being suspended, and that was priceless. I’m in the business of chilling out! No one needs a stressed out Yoga teacher. I had more time in my hands to create new content and programs that brought in new students. I’m in my element when I’m able to create, to write, and to teach. I can’t put a price tag on that. We all want to be able to use our passion and talents to make a living, right?

What I do know is that when Linux solved my roller coaster computer drama, my business grew. I was able to streamline with ease and confidence. No longer did I worry about my client information and proprietary data being at risk. I could relax into my business knowing all was safe and that as long as I updated regularly, everything ran without a hitch. I had the time and confidence to expand my reach and began offering big ticket items like retreats and teacher training.

That takes me to more recent history. I decided, after 15 years in the Yoga studio world, that I was ready for a new chapter in my life. It was time to transition to a different business model with much less management and more focus on my own creative process and having more personal contact with clients in a new context. I closed the studio and created Zakti Health. That meant a new website, new software and the challenge of rebranding oneself, which if you’ve ever done that, you know it’s a complex and time consuming process. Linux was with me through all the changes. Knowing I had a stable and secure OS, I was able to turn my attention in this new direction with confidence.

All went smoothly and swimmingly well. I was happy with my new systems and livin’ the life.

Then the pandemic hit and wiped out Zakti in a single day. It was time to pivot and swing in a new direction. Life can throw these kinds of curve balls to small business entrepreneurs! After careful consideration I decided to close Zakti and rebrand my business once again. This time, I wanted to create a pandemic-proof digital business. I’ve created a digital course using some complex software that works like a dream on Linux. I’m now doing quite a bit of podcasting, vlogging and live streaming, and I’m so happy to say that there is some really great open source software that’s making that both affordable and easy. Linux has felt like a loyal friend through all this transition in completely new territory.

Final thoughts

People like me need for technology to be reliable and simple so we can do the other kind of creative stuff we are best suited to do. I thrive when I am able to dedicate my energy to building programming and community. OS problems stress me out and suck my energy. The peace of mind, the time and money savings and the freedom from frustration I’ve garnered as a Linux user is why I’m a dedicated user to this day.

I’m here to testify how much easier Linux has made my work life and my personal life. I rarely stress over computer issues (and I’ve cleaned up my sailor’s mouth too).