Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mahri Relin, Owner of Body Conceptions by Mahri, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a private training fitness company that works virtually and in person with women undergoing major life transitions like fertility, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and perimenopause. We provide highly personalized and targeted workouts during these times. We also have a strong network of practitioners in our circles that provide extra support and treatment for our clients. Our method - Body Conceptions - is dance-based with cardio and full-body sculpting. It uses dance principles, but you don't have to be a dancer on any level to do it. The workouts are music-driven, fun, challenging, and ever-changing and incorporate the whole body!
Tell us about yourself
I received my master's in clinical psychology right after college, but I made a choice to dance in NYC and around the world in musical theater for 12 years before I came to fitness. The fitness world I entered used dance as its foundation, and that's how I discovered amazing ways to incorporate dance into fitness work. I realized early in this journey that pregnancy was not well-addressed in the fitness world at that time, so I decided to focus on prenatal exercise as our primary specialty from the beginning. This soon expanded to a very deep interest in helping women recover after they had their babies (when they often didn't know where to turn). This naturally expanded to other times for women that can be confusing and lacking support and information (like fertility and perimenopause). I am motivated every day to help women feel strong and supported by their bodies and connected to a community of trainers and experts who truly care about them.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I never imagined having my own business when I came into the fitness world, so the process of learning how to create everything from the ground up was scary but also enormously rewarding. Beyond those beginning steps, my biggest accomplishments lie in the individual and profound changes I have seen in my clients. Many of them go from debilitating pain before they start with us to more strength and capability than they ever thought possible. I have worked with many women through multiple pregnancies and beyond, and the ways they have gained strength, confidence, and connection with their bodies have made me feel so grateful to do this work.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things for me is balancing relationships with business objectives. I highly value the connections I make with my trainers, my clients, and our partners. It can be difficult to balance everything if there are differences in our goals and objectives. However, I believe strongly in collaboration and making sure that I am listening to everyone's needs as carefully as possible. Listening carefully like this helps me learn new and important information, and I am usually able to come to a better conclusion with everyone in mind. But it can still be a challenging and even scary process if there is contention.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I have so many tips, but I will try to distill them the best I can :)
- Get connected to your "why." Understand your reasons for starting a business. Connecting authentically with your mission will help direct your decisions and help you through all the daily ups and downs of your business with a sense of purpose. It will also help you create a business with heart and passion that will get others excited and invested in you.
- Ask for help. It's impossible to do everything yourself, and we often don't recognize our blind spots. Talking to people who are experts, as well as to friends and other entrepreneurs, exposes your ideas, people, and opportunities you might never have considered. People love to help, and you might discover amazing opportunities you would never have considered by reaching out.
- Be willing (and prepared) to pivot. If there's anything I learned from living through the pandemic, things can change radically on a dime! You might start with a specific business plan based on certain conditions and needs, and things can change. It's important to stay focused and directed in your work, but you should also keep your eyes on what's happening in the world. If the needs of your target market change, be prepared to change direction if necessary. Having this kind of flexibility will feed your creativity and will allow you to stay relevant and flexible. Change can be hard, but it is almost always rewarding!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bodyconceptions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodyConceptions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodyconceptions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bodyconceptions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahri-relin-336b678/
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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