Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gail Adler, owner of Body High Fitness, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I own Body High Fitness, a strength and conditioning boutique fitness studio in Chicago, IL. Our customers are mostly residents in the Wicker Park neighborhood who want to improve their health and fitness and also be a part of a supportive fitness community. Neighbors from all fitness levels, including beginners, are welcome. There are many options for fitness classes in our area, but few are locally owned and built with the community in mind. I believe in the small business community and want to do my part to ensure it thrives.
Tell us about yourself
I opened Body High Fitness in May 2021 after quitting my corporate job of 7 years. My dream was to one day open a fitness concept like Body High, and the COVID pandemic provided an opportunity to support my neighbors by improving their health. My daily motivation is to help each client improve their lives for the better through exercise. I want to provide a safe space for all people to come and work on their health.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are almost at our first anniversary, and over the past 11 months, I am most proud of the positive change we have helped our clients make in their lives. We have witnessed our clients lose significant weight, progress in their strength training, and improve their self-confidence. To me, that makes everything we do worth it!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The fear of the unknown! One of the hardest things for me has been the unpredictability of what will happen tomorrow, next week, or next month that could substantially impact our ability to operate as a business. As the owner, it is up to me to fix everything, and a lot of the times, the issues that arise are something I have never dealt with before. I've made my fair share of mistakes, but it's important that I've learned from each of them to improve my decision-making processes going forward. As long as the good decisions outweigh the bad, I know I'm doing okay.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Plan, plan, plan. Model out the finances for the business to ensure it's a sustainable idea. This will save you a lot of headaches later on. Building a model where you plan and lay out all of the expenses you'll have, and the equipment you need will help give you a roadmap for what metrics you need to hit to make your idea sustainable.
- Make sure you are passionate about the idea/business. It will be very difficult in the beginning, and you likely will find plenty of excuses to throw in the towel, but if you are passionate and enjoy your work, it makes all the difference.
- Just do it! Small business ownership is one of the hardest careers but also the most rewarding. I have learned more in the past 18 months than I did in my whole career. This experience cannot be taught in school and has made me more confident in my personal life and bringing new ideas to market as well.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bodyhighfitness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodyHighFitnessChicago
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodyhighfitness/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BodyHighFitness
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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