Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shane Baskin, Founder of Fitmotive, located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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

Fitmotive provides wellness solutions not only for individuals looking to improve their health but now for companies that want to incorporate health & wellness in the workplace and improve productivity & teamwork.

Tell us about yourself

Long story short, just like anyone, I went through a lot of struggles in life, which I believe helped build the person I am today. Growing up, we were very poor. I remember days when the cable was shut off, even the electricity. Days when my brother and I would have to go into our piggy banks to give our mom money for gas to get to work, which would leave her in tears, even know she worked three jobs at the time. I quickly learned at a very young age, 8,9,10 years old, that if I want to be able to do anything, even go get a Slurpee at the corner store with my friends, I'm going to have to do something to make some money. I'd borrow neighbour's manual push lawnmowers and shovels, then knock on doors to mow people's lawns and shovel their walkways. I'd make iced tea and juice and call people over to buy some in front of our house with a little table set up. This is when I believe my hustle & entrepreneur mentality was instilled in me.

Fast forward years later, working a roofing and framing job, one day, I looked around and noticed how everyone that I worked with was hurting, sore, and miserable all the time. That exact day I realized and decided that was not the life I was going to live. Sure enough, as the universe works, a friend reached out maybe a week later and asked if I wanted a sales job. I didn't, but I knew it would be a step back to help me take a few steps forward to where I wanted to be. I took the job in which, in fact, I learned a lot of great skills, but I knew it just wasn't for me. Towards the end of working for this company, I started helping people with their health & fitness. I started working with clients, although it started to take an impact on the quality of my work in my sales job. Three strikes later, I got fired for the first time from my sales job for working on my side hustle too much while I was at work. I had the decision to make to either get another job or to put my full focus on this health & fitness thing and barely get by with the clients I had and see what happens. I took the risk, and the first year was incredibly hard emotionally, financially, and mentally. But I got through it. I kept chipping away, and Fitmotive has continued to grow ever since.

Every day when I wake up, every single day, I remind myself of what I'm grateful for, what I need to get after and achieve, and what I will never, ever turn back to, and those are the things that motivate me. I still have a long way to go with lots that I want to accomplish, and although I'm not satisfied, I am proud.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

By far, the biggest accomplishment for me as a business owner has been the opportunity to help people and change lives. I believe that's the point of creating a business or product to be able to help people someway, somehow. Doing what I do, and being able to positively impact people's lives for the absolute better, makes me smile and helps me get up every morning.

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

Ah, that's a hard one. There's a lot. One of the hardest things that come to mind for me with being a business owner is the unknown. You never really know how your next move is going to go, and almost everything you try is a risk. But as long as you keep going, you either win, or you learn.

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

Three tips I would give to someone that's looking to start, run, and grow a business today would be:

  1. Focus on the consumer, not the competition. I used to spend a lot of time worrying about my competition, and it could distract me more than anything. Now it's very rare for that to happen. It's good to be aware, but it's better to focus on how you can provide the most value for your customers and clients.
  2. Take action and get your reps in. It's great that you have these ideas, but if you don't DO and take action on them, they're going to stay ideas & thoughts. You probably will suck at things at first, but the more you take action and the more reps that you get in, the more experienced you'll become and the better you're going to get.
  3. Don't be afraid to fail. This is a big one because a lot of people are, and they let failure define them and stop them from pressing on. Failure will happen over and over again as long as you're working on improving and trying to get better. Allow your failures to help you learn so that you can grow and not make the same mistakes.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.trainfitmotive.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainFitmotive/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baskinthaglory/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trainfitmotive/

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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