Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Teressa Dinshaw, partner and co-founder of Align Custom Fit, located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Align offers a new path in self-care, focusing exclusively on the feet. Many people actually don't know how to care for their foot health or even that they might need to! The feet are the foundation that supports your entire body. They are the launchpad for your ability to enjoy ease of movement - whether you're walking, running, standing, or doing sports activities like golf or skating. So why do we neglect them? Because most foot clinics (and our healthcare system in general) are pain-driven. We wait until something doesn't work anymore before we take care of it. Align Clients know a secret, though, to strengthening, guiding, and soothing the feet to future-proof them. We offer a foot health experience that is actually luxurious, enjoyable, and very beneficial to your health. Your experience through our concept clinic, boutique, and spa will have you wondering how your feet could possibly be cared for any other way. We invite you to experience foot health luxury.
Tell us about yourself
With a degree in political science focusing on the improvement of the human condition, I fell into a career advocating for natural health products and, later, physical recreation lifestyle services with our local municipal government. Here, at a community center, is where I first met my partner. After 2 decades of combined business and clinical experience, we decided that his work as an Athletic Therapist - Pedorthist could better serve the needs and desires of people. That self-care, an aspiration to enrich one's health proactively, self-education, and self-discovery combined with aesthetic pleasure - could encourage people to enjoy improving their foot health and have better results. Thus the Align Custom Fit Footwear & Footcare concept clinic was created.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is bringing together like-minded people - both employees and clients - to work on mutual goals and accomplishments. Our core values truly inspire our daily work, and it is so fulfilling.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things for me that comes with being a business owner is my ability to grow and scale this amazing health concept. Our kaizen approach is truly enjoyable, but losing momentum post-COVID has been quite the challenge we are still coming out of to re-engage with our loyal clientele. Many of whose lives have become more sedentary during the pandemic. It is also continually challenging to focus on growing and scaling the business while keeping engaged with clientele and employees' everyday happiness and satisfaction. Daily emotions seem to be intrinsically tied to the company's financial health. It is a daily balancing act of integrating all life's realms into a peaceful state.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Create a team around you for support, including finding and meaningfully connecting with other business owners who know your struggle. Purposefully try to balance emotional wellbeing and financial wellbeing. Take the time to spend on the parts of your work that bring you true enjoyment every day.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.getaligned.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlignCustomFit/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aligncustomfit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aligncustomfit
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/AlignCustomFit/_created/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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