Helping Women Move, the Pilates Way

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hannah Lawford, Owner of Hustle HQ, located in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

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

My business is health & fitness. I own a pilates studio for both small group classes & privates. I also recently launched an online studio.

Tell us about yourself

A little bit about me... I am an ex-dancer and have been moving and goofing since the age of 5. I was dancing competitively and professionally until only recently. I was super into Art and fashion in high school. I think being around stage productions from such a young age and having a mum who sews all my costumes very much influenced my interest. I studied Bachelor of Arts with a major in Fashion at University. When I graduated from university, I opened my first retail business (with the help of my parents). This taught me SOOO MUCH! I opened at a time internet shopping was just beginning, so it was super interesting to see it transition. I was still dancing part-time during my business, and when we closed, I then did some more serious professional dance work while completing my Xtend Barre certification. I taught Xtend barre (think ballet, pilates, fitness fusion), which led to my Pilates certificate. I studied Mat and reformer through a very highly renowned company. Once I was trained, I was across multiple studios in Perth. During the start of COVID, I thought, why not start taking clients from home in a small detached shed we have? This then boomed into what is Hustle HQ today! I have owned Hustle HQ and have been running as a business for the last two years; however, about a year full-time!

I am motivated by so many factors, my partner (who also has a successful business), my goals, my vision, my clients, and my dog, haha. However, I believe motivation only gets someone a certain distance. Discipline get's them further & gives real results.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would consider myself a fairly new business. So I would say my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is believing in myself to go full time & thinking outside the box.

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

Being a business owner, you're always 'on.' I find it hard to stop my brain from working. Even if I don't have 8 hours worth of clients in 1 day, I am still doing the job of a team of 10, and that also means 9-5 hours isn't really a thing; it's more like 24/7. Another hard part is caring for the mental load of finances. When you are employed at the end of the day, you know you get paid the same time each week; you get super, annual leave, sick pay, etc. You don't have to physically find the $$ when you are employed; however, when you're a business owner, you have to get good and comfortable with sales and money conversations. At the start, that felt really icky and hard for me. I still struggle with it now and again.

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

The top 3 tips id give to someone looking to start a business... Ooooh, a hard one to answer! Well, if you're just starting out, it's always better to do it all 'right' from the start rather than have to chase your tail later down the track, so I'd say these 3 things are really important when you first start out:

FIGURE OUT & WRITE DOWN YOUR WHY.
STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE.
SEEK GOOD FINANCIAL ADVICE / GET AN ACCOUNTANT WHO WILL EXPLAIN THE PESKY $$ STUFF FOR YOU.

If having a business was 'easy,' everyone would be doing it. In saying that, believe in yourself, back yourself & YOU WILL DO IT!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://www.hanshustle.com/
https://www.movewithhustlehq.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hans.hustle.perth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlawford_/

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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