Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephany Acosta, Founder of Elevate Fitness, located in Dallas, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business focuses on helping people get healthier, move better, improve joint pain, and achieve their fitness goals through tailored exercise and nutrition guidance. Our customers are people who are looking to improve their overall health and need accountability because they don't know how to implement a fitness program for themselves. Our customers also prefer a personal experience versus a big gym culture.
Tell us about yourself
I was previously in the corporate world and worked in telecommunications for five years; I was unhappy sitting at a desk for 8+ hours. I was working to make money, not because I liked what I was doing. My job was more draining, and it left me unmotivated to do anything active. Once, I was fed up with being unhappy with my unbalanced lifestyle. I decided to pursue something that I felt more passionate about, which was fitness. Once I learned the science behind fitness, I felt more motivated to understand movement better and help others who were in the same position as me when I worked in corporate. I'm genuinely motivated by helping people become a better version of themselves - whether it's physical, mental, or emotional. Exercise has the ability to improve all aspects of life. There's more science coming out each year to confirm that.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think the biggest accomplishment was opening up my gym. I took a very conservative approach to training clients at other gyms. I was fortunate enough to build my clientele to the point of hiring help. However, I was also subject to someone else's gym culture since I was renting space from someone else rather than creating my own. The most challenging thing was taking a risk to open up my own space and taking on that responsibility. It has now given me the confidence to set goals to open up more locations.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing I think as a business owner is learning to delegate responsibility to others. As you get bigger than you can handle, you wear multiple hats and get burned out. You then forget that you began the business in the 1st place. You don't want to lose your passion for what you do, but when you are good at what you do, then growth is inevitable. Balancing your work-life balance becomes the #1 priority, and it isn't easy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure you are passionate about what you want to provide.
- Have a healthy understanding that if you are good at what you provide, then you will get to the point where your business gets bigger than you can handle. Your passion will have challenges that you will have to manage. But don't lose hope in learning to manage it!
- Learn to let go- you can't do everything! Hire 1-2 solid people that you can rely on once you get to the point that you're too big to do it all. A team can make a big difference in what you can accomplish.
You can connect with Stephany Acosta:
Website: https://www.elevatefitnessnow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatefitnessnow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elevatefitnessdallas2012
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-fitness-now/
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