Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jason Prowse, Founder of Hook & Cross Fitness, located in Markham, ON, Canada.

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

Hook & Cross is a personal training service offering fitness kickboxing, physique transformation, and Strength & Conditioning for amateur and professional athletes. We also have an instructional YouTube page and an online apparel store.

Tell us about yourself

After 20+ years working in consumer goods corporations, I went through the Simon Sinek process of finding my 'why' as a team development activity. I settled on my Why as "to help & teach people to improve their performance." I realized that I couldn't do that effectively in the corporate world, so I turned my attention to my passions of 35+ yrs, fitness & martial arts. I realized I had 2 black belts, years and years of experience, and a deep passion, but I wasn't putting it to use. Shortly after, my wife was diagnosed with leukemia, and I had to take compassionate leave from my career. Once she was on the road to recovery, I started building my fitness business, acquiring equipment, qualifications, and new clients.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'd love to pick out some of the things I've achieved with my clients, like a 60 y/o business exec who improved his fitness enough to come off meds and dropped 35+ lbs of fat or the single mother of 2 teenagers who I helped get a shredded six pack which is the envy of the gym, or the team of kickboxing kids that I trained in strength & conditioning and who went on to sweep the board winning champion belts at the Canadian National Championships. But I think the biggest accomplishment may actually be having kept my business going and providing fitness services through the COVID pandemic lockdowns. It's hard to justify that you are committed to helping people achieve their fitness goals if you quit at the first major hurdle. I'm not only proud that I kept my business alive but also that I helped dozens of people stay fit even though access to gyms and outdoor activities was severely restricted.

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

With a corporate business background, I've found many things that new business owners struggle with to be easy & straightforward, such as budget planning, forecasting, and marketing planning & execution. However, I absolutely hate to have to do bookkeeping. I find that I procrastinate on that side of my business, and it only piles up and causes headaches down the line. So top line, I'd classify the hardest thing as having to wear different hats for roles I have no interest in playing in the business. I'm proud of what I've learned and achieved, but it certainly was and is a painful process at times.

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

  1. Do what you love and find a way to get people to pay you for it. Pay someone else to do the parts you don't enjoy doing.
  2. Learn how to do business planning, spend time planning, and then execute even if you feel the plan isn't ready - you can always adjust it as you go. Ready. Fire. Aim.
  3. Don't forget that you run a business, and businesses have to make money. If you take care of the money, then the business can take care of you. If you shy away from the business side of things in favour of only doing the part that you love, then your business won't and can't last long.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hookandcross.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hookandcross
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonprowse/

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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