Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with JC Deen, Founder of JCDFIT, located in Boston, MA, USA.

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

At JCDFIT, I provide sensible and practical strength training and nutrition information through articles, books, online groups, and one-on-one coaching. My clients are men and women who want to be fit and healthy without worrying about all the tiny, unimportant details that seem to bog down most of the fitness industry content, which is mostly based on pseudoscience. I coach men and women of all exercise backgrounds and experience levels.

Tell us about yourself

I was a chubby kid growing up, and I loved playing sports. When I got into athletics, I started to lose the excess weight and fell in love with strength training. When I got to college, my athletic days were over, but I kept lifting weights and started exploring the bodybuilding lifestyle with a focus on getting leaner and more muscular. While in college, I got certified and began working as a personal trainer. Then I started my website, jcdfitness.com, to share all of my insight and personal journey from going fat to fit. I wrote an article called The Former Fat Boy syndrome, and it got picked up by Men's Health.

From there, I decided to take everything fully online and offer online personal coaching and nutritional counseling for people who couldn't find a trainer in their local area. I'm motivated to do what I do because I like helping others get beyond the mental roadblocks around getting fit and changing their lifestyle. I also enjoy making content and teaching, so writing emails, articles, books, and building new digital products comes fairly natural to me.

Do you have daily rituals for work / wellness / fitness / mindfulness? If yes can you please explain your rituals so we can include them as well?

Every day, I engage in physical activity for at least 15 minutes. Typically, I work out 3-4 days per week. On the days when I don't, I ensure to achieve at least 7,000 steps per day. Additionally, I incorporate specific mobility workouts lasting 15-20 minutes each day. I have my meals planned out, starting with a smoothie for breakfast, followed by planned lunches and dinners to adhere to my nutrition plan. I use my phone to track my workouts, specifically through the Strong app.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'd say it's having taken nearly 1,000 people over the last 10 years through my 1-on-1 and group coaching programs. And I still work with a few of them after all this time.

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

The mental and emotional attachments you have to something you've built when it doesn't pan out how you want it to. I remember creating products, releasing them, and only a few sales trickling in. It's devastating when you suddenly realize you wasted so much time making something people didn't want.

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

  1. Learn how to sell over the phone or in person. This skill will translate into everything you do, and it'll build the necessary character traits to succeed in building your own business.
  2. Study the market by working under a pro. If you don't have much experience in a market you want to get into, go find someone you can work with. Even if it means taking a job with them that you're overqualified for. Just do the work and learn as much as you can. You'll learn more in 6 months of working in the industry than any amount of reading and research you could do.
  3. Wear all the hats in the beginning. When I started my business, I was the personal trainer, website builder, email marketer, content creator, and customer support. It's not practical to do all of this forever, but if you do it all yourself, you'll have a better grasp of how it's supposed to work, and then you can create systems for each skill and hire out someone to do this work for you.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you need assistance reaching your health and fitness goals, visit my website - JCDFIT. Feel free to get in touch, and I'll see if I can help.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://jcdfitness.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcdeen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCDFitness

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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