Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia McConnell, Co-Owner of Fly Together Fitness, located in Somerville, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Fly Together Fitness is a pole dance studio that welcomes people from all backgrounds in the greater Boston area!
Tell us about yourself
I am primarily a cancer biologist who works in Biotech who has been pole dancing as a hobby since 2011. Our business was formed when eleven pole dancers and instructors in the Boston area began discussing their dreams of opening a studio. All of us were from different professional backgrounds and in various stages of life, but we became friends, and later business partners, united by our love of pole. In 2019 we founded Fly Together Fitness with the goal of increasing the accessibility of pole dancing and pole fitness and creating a space in which anyone can grow and discover pole. Our mission is to empower members to achieve their physical and emotional health goals through many diverse aspects of pole, aerial fitness, and dance.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think our biggest accomplishment as a business is creating a sense of community within our client base. When students step through our doors, they join a community. We lift each other up with encouragement and support both in and out of class, help each other gain strength, explore different means of self-expression, and grow with each other. Fly Together Fitness is a place where dance meets fitness; creativity meets sensuality, flexibility meets acrobatics, and, most importantly, where the community embraces individuality.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Opening in December 2019 and having to shut down 4 months later for the pandemic was the biggest challenge for our business. Given that we are an in-person group fitness business, working around Covid restrictions was very difficult. However, we were able to adapt to online classes and not only survived but learned to thrive in the new normal!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Create a support system for yourself. Running a business is difficult; ask for help when you need it!
- Be honest and transparent with everyone around you, from your staff to your customers and, most importantly, yourself.
- Don't forget to celebrate your accomplishments and look how far you've come. Building something from the ground up is incredibly rewarding, so take some time to feel that pride and warmth when you look at your business!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.flytogetherfitness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flytogetherfitness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flytogetherfitness/
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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