Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kathleen Trotter, a Fitness Writer and Trainer based in Toronto, ON, CA.

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

I am the author of Finding Your Fit and Your Fittest Future Self. I am a health expert, motivational speaker, and full-time health enthusiast! My customer is any human who wants to live a more active life but hasn't- until now - figured out how to make their dream a reality!! Really, my business is spreading the word that change is possible and that fitness can be fun, energizing, and empowering.

Becoming a more active human changed my life. Transformation is hard, but I know from personal experience that it IS possible. You just have to learn to think, "done is better than perfect. Something is ALWAYS better than nothing. UST DO IT. START NOW". As I tell clients, "just START. you don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start to get great. The only moment you have control over is THIS MOMENT!"

Tell us about yourself

I always thought I would be a lawyer. Growing up, I was more nerdy than active. I hated my body and had microscopic self-esteem. I often cried or faked being sick to get to go home. I snuck food. I used to tell my mom I wanted to walk home from school to get fresh air when I just wanted to stop and buy fries at the chip wagon. Not my proudest moments. When I was about 16, my mom got me a membership to the YMCA, and my entire life changed. Becoming active emboldened me; it helped me feel empowered and energized. I feel like I found myself at the Y. Well, maybe more accurately, I was given the opportunity and tools to "create myself''.

I wanted to be an international human rights lawyer. I wanted to save the world. When I started working as a trainer, it was just a way to make some extra money to help me through school. I thought I would do kinesiology in my undergrad and then go to law school. When I finished undergrad, I wasn't ready to give up the "fitness life," so I did a year of Pilates training, thinking, "Next year, law." At the end of my year of Pilates training, it hit me: "I like this world!" So, I decided to ditch law and get a Master's in exercise science. I realized I wanted to help others find that "grrrrr" feeling that comes with feeling strong and alive!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I feel very lucky that I love my job. I love my life. I love working with my clients. I love when people tell me, "I read your book, and it helped me." The fact that I enjoy my life and my relationships is an accomplishment. I also feel very proud that I own my boutique fitness studio in downtown Toronto where I train and coach clients in person and over ZOOM.

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

Setting boundaries. It is extremely easy for life and work to blur. This is particularly true because my fitness studio is in my home. If I let myself, I could work 24 hours a day.

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

  1. Be intentional with your time. Schedule in regular vacation and time for yourself. If you don't decide how you want your time to be used, the world will decide for you. You are no help to anyone else if you are burned out and exhausted. This is a lesson I am still learning.
  2. Have a growth mindset. I recommend the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. All experiences are just data. Take a long-term approach. Be open to failing and learning. Get familiar with the word "yet." I don't know how to do that YET.
  3. Create your village. Create a support network of people you trust and can learn from. You are not an island. Foster a community of people you trust who you can talk with.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Be patient with yourself. Have compassion with yourself and others. This life thing is hard.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.kathleentrotter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FITbyKathleenT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitbykathleent/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fitbykathleent
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fitbykathleent/

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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