Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Couto, Founder and CEO of HYLIF Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

HYLIF is an online Holistic Health Coaching Community. We help women 35+ reduce belly fat and stress while increasing their energy to feel strong and sexy in their skin by living healthy.

Tell us about yourself

I first went back to school for health and fitness after having spent years unhappy with my lifestyle, feeling sluggish and stressed. Having three small kids by 23 really took a toll on my body and my identity. I began an exercise routine at my kid's martial arts academy. There, I started feeling better about myself and my body. However, it didn't end there. I still had a lot of challenges with consistency, bad habits, belief in myself, mindset, and who I was as a person. After choosing to go to school to learn more about exercise and nutrition, I worked as a personal trainer in Toronto. Although I enjoyed my work, I wanted to go deeper.

After years of working on my own physical and mental health, I believe that if women learn to prioritize their health and self-care, they can show up better for their communities and generations ahead. I also believe it creates a space for mindfulness and care for how we show up for our planet.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Helping women explore what they're capable of is a phenomenal feeling. As well, I would say hitting six figures in my first year as an entrepreneur was also incredible. Having been a single mom who had to work around the clock to make ends meet has really shown me that circumstances can change with the right focus.

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

Entrepreneurship has really pushed me to face the hardest parts of being a human. I've truly come to see that everything is a reflection of my own energy. Preserving and nourishing that energy has become a sacred priority. To serve my clients at the highest level, my own self-care is a non-negotiable. It has been a beautiful but certainly challenging unveiling.

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

  1. Develop a self-care strategy for yourself so that you can show up at your best. If there's no oxygen in the tank to give, no one can breathe.
  2. Always have a mentor/coach that you're working with. As a human, we need support as much as our customers do.
  3. Be yourself - it can be difficult to know who that is in this time that we live in but allow yourself the space to explore and define it as you move through. It's part of the journey of being an entrepreneur - not getting to a destination but always enjoying the journey to the next.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

No matter how challenging it gets being out here in this space, I can't imagine anything else. Helping women discover their untapped abilities/capacities is the most rewarding feeling in the world. It's my purpose!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hylifstr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.couto.505/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hylif.inc/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.