Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dante Liberato, Founder of Ayurveda Somatics, located in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Ayurveda Somatics is the psycho-somatic bridge between movement and mindfulness. Offering the only ELDOA, Steel Mace Flow, and Conscious Combat Training in El Paso County, Ayurveda is home to various walks of life, training everyone from children to people moving well into their 70s. Our main thing is movement and martial arts; we have a few brave men stepping into the ring for the first time this year while simultaneously hosting weekly ecstatic dance parties creating a safe space for all modes of self-expression.

Tell us about yourself

I first started coaching in order to make ends meet when I was competing as a professional fighter. I've worked at a few gyms here and there but ultimately always desired to end up in my own space. I imagined I'd retire from fighting around 30 and open a gym then. Last year, while in preparation for my last fight, I collected a few injuries that would ultimately ask my body to step away from the competition. Through a lot of grief and soul searching, I let martial arts back into my life with the hope of creating a space for people to train hard like I always did but be taken care of like I never was.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment would be simply working for myself before turning 24 and running one of the biggest martial arts gyms in the city.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

For myself, organization and admin work weigh on me the most. I'm happiest when on the mats, sharing my passion and love for self-expression and movement. I'd be a happier man if I never had to fill out paperwork and sign contracts. I've learned that this authenticity and lack of motivation to 'build a business' certainly caused a delay in purchasing my physical space but absolutely helped me curate an organic, sustainable clientele base that's quickly become people I consider family.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. We've all got a soul dance and a survival dance. One keeps you alive, pays your bills, and puts food on the table. The other sets your soul on fire - it gives you life, and it's something you'd gladly pay to do. Figure out what your dances are, and then figure out how to make them look the same.
  2. Money will come, be real first.
  3. Never stop educating yourself. If you want to be unique, stay up to date on the latest research in whatever your field is, and don't just sell to people, be someone who can educate them.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ayurvedasomatics.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayurveda.somatics/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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