Janel Norton isn’t just a business owner with a passion for yoga—she is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force as a combat photojournalist. She was also a press information officer and photojournalist for the United Nations, spending her early career documenting crises in Panama, Bosnia and Liberia. After 20 years as a photographer, Janel returned to school for her master’s degree from the University of South Florida. After facing a difficult job market upon graduating and discovering how yoga helped her maintain balance, she enrolled in a yoga teacher training program. “I managed to trade my photo and marketing skills for a 200-hour yoga teacher training and began teaching a few classes at the studio where I practiced near my house,” Janel explained. Her newfound love of yoga—and teaching it—quickly turned into ownership of Trinity Yoga Studio. Janel credits the leadership and work ethic instilled during her military training as a large part of how she formed her path from U.S. Air Force to business owner: “Once you enter into the ranks, there’s constantly a push for growth. Making rank and supervising others is just part of the natural progression of things—the nature of how the military operates instills confidence, a sense of purpose and direction.” Eventually, Janel wanted to give back to other veterans like her which lead her to co-found the Veterans Alternative, a non-profit organization designed to serve Veterans experiencing trauma incurred while serving in the military by training the mind, body, and spirit to heal after returning home from military service. Janel now travels nationwide to provide yoga and iRest to first responders as part of the O2X Human Performance Team co-founded by two former Navy Seals, as well as at special operations retreats for The Brian Bill Foundation.
