Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeff and Kristina Hunter, Owners of JerkFit, located in Richardson, TX, USA.

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

JerkFit American fitness brand that specializes in the design and innovation of fitness accessories like grips, gloves, weight belts, knee sleeves, etc. We are a worldwide brand where the vast majority of our products are made right here in the USA. Most other brands in the space simply order products from China out of a catalog and slap their logo on them, and they are in business. That's not how we do things here at JerkFit.

We are designers at heart and spend much of our time innovating or taking products we love and making them better. We were early in the CrossFit space and known for helping those athletes stay protected during their grueling workouts, but we have since expanded to general fitness and bodybuilding as well. As a premium made-in-America brand, our customers expect quality, and that's our primary focus. Our customers don't want cheap overseas-made products and are willing to pay a premium for them... but with that is the pressure to ensure quality control at all levels. We've got those systems dialed in now, but it's been a challenge to get here, no doubt!

Tell us about yourself

My wife and I were bartenders in Hollywood back in 2013. I wanted to try CrossFit, and I dragged her along with me. Immediately we were completely hooked. We LOVED CrossFit, and we loved the community and how we felt. But one thing that we instantly noticed was how awful it was on the hands. We would have huge open sores on our hands and then go to work. We’d have tons of customers, and we’d squeeze limes and lemons into their drinks, and our hands would be in excruciating pain. Absolutely could barely get through a night of work.

I decided that I was going to quit CrossFit since it was affecting my work, so I told my wife I was done. She insisted we not give up our new hobby and told me she’d just make me something. She busts out her sewing machine, and the next day I had these incredible gloves mixed with wrist support she made me, and they looked amazing. The next day I took them to our CrossFit class and showed them off. Everyone in CrossFit suffers with their hands, so when our classmates saw them, we had about nine orders that day to make more.

All of a sudden, more and more people requested we make these for them. We realized at that point, even though we had zero business experience, that we may be on to something and decided to launch them to the public. Within weeks of launch, we were selling like crazy. Before we knew it, we had the #1 selling fitness gloves on Amazon. Three months later, we were able to quit our jobs and devote our full time to our business and CrossFit.

Knowing how much our products impact people's workouts has kept us motivated. We get so much great feedback, and that really helps because running a business is hard and stressful. Just getting confirmation once in a while is enough to make it all worthwhile.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think the biggest accomplishment I've had as a business owner is being at it for nine years with zero business experience, no formal business education, and managing to keep this thing going. I've witnessed MUCH smarter people out there endure failures, and it's humbling that we've somehow stayed relevant for so long with much less knowledge or experience. I believe we've been lucky as this was our first real attempt at being an entrepreneur, but we've also been extremely resilient. It's not been easy, in fact, we've gone through some very difficult times and barely made it out alive, but we've managed to somehow continue on our journey, and that's very satisfying when you look at the whole picture.

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

The downside of running your own business is the fear of losing it. When your identity is tied to the success or failure of your business, the fear of losing it means losing a piece of your identity. That fear can be crippling at times and difficult to turn off. The ways I’ve tried to overcome that fear is to remind myself of the skills that I’ve acquired on this journey and that no matter what happens, I’ll be OK.

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

  1. My advice is always to dip your toe before going all in. If you have an idea, be nimble, disciplined, and resourceful but don't entirely quit your day job just yet. Test your market, get feedback, build an audience and do it all on the cheap as best as you can. You'll know when the market responds if you've found gold.
  2. Being a business owner or entrepreneur is lonely. Chances are there aren't that many people in your circle who quite understand what you're going through on a daily basis. It's hard, stressful, and makes you question why you put yourself through it all. Try to find people who are in the same position, and you will find that you are not alone in your feelings. Join mastermind groups and online groups, and go to entrepreneurial conventions. They can be a great resource to keep you on track, give you fresh perspectives and ideas, and keep you up to speed on what's working in an ever-changing marketing landscape.
  3. Lastly and most importantly, put effort into a healthy work/life balance. As a business owner, much of your existence is putting out fires and trying to grow your business simultaneously. The "to-do" list is never done. There is ALWAYS stuff to do, and in the past, I would work all day and through the night trying to cross off more things from that list. When we started a family, that was no way to live. The BEST advice I ever got, which changed everything for me, was "Work to the clock, NOT to the list." In other words, my work ends at 6 pm with almost no exceptions. My list may still be long, but my day is done. I'll pick up what's still on that list tomorrow. This has freed me up to be more fully engaged with my kids and removed a lot of anxiety of feeling like I had so much left to do. Now I just work to the clock and feel more accomplished than ever. Master your work/life balance, and you will thrive!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://jerkfit.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShopJerkFit/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerkfit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-hunter-62a54a178/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jerkfit

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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