Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kylie Senft, Founder of Mini & Me Fitness, located in Victoria, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Mini & Me Fitness provides safe, inclusive, no- judgment group fitness classes designed for parents to bring their children. Classes are designed with everybody in mind; we provide modifications for all our prenatal and postpartum moms so they can feel confident and safe attending class.
Mini & Me also hosts a Just for Her class designed to meet women in your community and feel confident and comfortable while working out. Women of all levels and abilities are welcome in this class. These classes are safe and welcoming for anyone who identifies as female and uses the pronouns she and her.
Tell us about yourself
I am a certified personal trainer with CSEP and have a diploma in Exercise and Wellness from Camosun College. I have taken extra courses to become certified as a Pre and Postnatal fitness specialist. I have been teaching and training clients since 2011 but found a passion for teaching moms after I had my daughter in 2016. I started teaching Parent and Tot classes at Westshore recreation in 2018 and continued until the beginning of 2020 (then the world shut down). In late 2020 I started a private Facebook group called Mini and Me Fitness Online and would host weekly Facebook Live workouts for moms. Fast forward to January 2021, when the world was starting to open up, I reached out to the recreation centre and asked if I could return to teach Parent and Tot classes, as moms were begging me to come back. The centre said no, so I took matters into my own hands and took Mini & Me classes outdoors in my backyard! I started with three classes a week with 6 participants. I now teach eight classes a week, with 10-15 participants in each class.
I wake up every morning so excited to head to class, meet all the parents and see the children. The environment we've been able to create is magical.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The biggest accomplishment would have to be creating a successful business during a global pandemic. We have had to pivot so many times, with limited numbers, masks, vaccine passports, transitioning to Zoom classes, and then back to in-person. It's been a wild ride, but the moms have stuck with us, and we are proud to have endured the rollercoaster.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is ensuring we split our time equally between work and home life. We pride ourselves on connecting and getting to know all the participants, which takes extra time and effort, but is a vital part of the community we've built.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Connection: Make sure to personally connect with people. Take the time to check in or send a thank you note.
- Positivity: Always have a smile on your face and bring the energy (sometimes you won't want to, but do it!)
- Be adaptable: Things aren't always going to go the way you'd like. Don't be afraid to change course, and roll with the punches when they come.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.miniandme-fitness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miniandmefitness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mini.andmefitness/
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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