Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maria Caruso, COO of IncentFit, located in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

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

In short, we help people get paid for making healthy choices. The less cryptic version is that IncentFit is the world's most flexible and intuitive wellness benefits solution. Since 2013, IncentFit has helped over 300 organizations of all shapes and sizes create and implement a custom wellness benefits program designed around the unique needs of both employers and employees. It is safe to say that the 69% average employee engagement rate that our clients see month over month is largely attributed to the customization, flexibility, and automation that our platform offers.

Our ability to automate nearly every aspect of a corporate wellness program gives HR and Benefits administrators their time back: away from the time-consuming aspects of facilitating a wellness program and back to where it matters, their people.

Tell us about yourself

I was freshly out of an MA program (in Philosophy, no less) and had no idea what kind of job I wanted. I met our CEO through a women's tech organization, and he was looking for the elusive wearer-of-all-hats. I was looking for a place where I could learn something new every day. I also was excited by the idea of working at a startup with a small, fast-paced team. Our CEO had a clear vision, so for me, it wasn't a risk to work for a bootstrapped company. Since then, we've grown the team from 3 people to 20. Each day I make it a goal to teach one of my teammates something new about our product or customers. I give myself bonus points if I make someone laugh!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Building a highly collaborative team that supports each other and has fun!

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

Learning how to think proactively and not reactively when it comes to making scaling decisions.

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

First, build for actual customers and get real feedback. Don't imagine what your customers want--find out! Second, Build MVP; don't over-engineer your product. You should be willing to do a bunch of manual work up-front to deliver and then slowly "automate away" your work overtime. Finally, invest time into hiring the right people who love learning and asking questions. So many companies go the way of contractors or people they deem replaceable; however, building a good culture with people you actually like and respect is the bedrock of any good business.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Employee wellbeing goes beyond perks. Ask your employees what they want and be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to provide them with the benefits and support they need.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://incentfit.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncentFit
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/incentfit/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.