Build Strength From The Inside Out - Oath & Grind
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Susan Hoff, Founder of Oath & Grind, located in St. Helena, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a serial entrepreneur in a sense and always looking to build something new and exciting. I've served 30 years with Best Buy and ultimately climbed the ladder to the Chief Communications Officer. In 2004, I started a winery (www.Fantesca.com) with my husband in Napa Valley. In 2015, I started a fitness and lifestyle community that has been rebranded as Oath & Grind. And I have a few more irons in the fire around international wine projects and resort development.
Tell us about yourself
After leaving my career with Best Buy as their chief communications officer (CCO), my husband and I started a winery in Napa Valley (Fantesca Estate & Winery) as a way to spend more time with our family and move on from the mayhem of corporate demands. We've always had a love affair with wine and decided to bring our experience to the burgeoning region of Napa Valley. By utilizing my marketing and communication skills and my husband's business development and sales background, we've built a winery that has gained wide recognition nationally and internationally.
I've also been fortunate enough to start a luxe lifestyle and fitness community (Oath & Grind) that allows me to share my passion. My blog and newsletter provide fitness and nutrition advice designed for women 40+. I started this project because I had dozens of friends who always reached out to me asking for advice. When I learned there wasn't a tremendous amount of resources available to older women, I took the initiative to build my brand.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We're fortunate to receive lots of praise for our winemaking and hospitality practices, but my favorite accomplishment is how our winery members write themselves into the brand. For example, we've had members who have literally named their yacht after one of our signature wines. We've also had members name their dogs after our namesake, La Fantesca. It's just an amazing feeling knowing that we've built something that people are so drawn to that they incorporate it into their personal life.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Finding a balance between personal and professional time. When you're an entrepreneur, you're always on. While you want to enjoy the other pieces of life that you've earned, what makes many entrepreneurs successful is they get their strength from always thinking about building and improving on success. I've made it a point to set aside distractions (phones and computers) during certain hours of the day to appreciate time with my family and friends.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, if you're the smartest person in the room, get into another room. We should always be learning, and it's difficult when you 'think' you know everything. It's important to be challenged.
Second, be well-rounded. You don't need to know everything about every little thing, but it's extremely useful to have a minimal level of knowledge with subjects outside of your immediate scope. For example, I love fitness and personal training, but I also need to know about finances, marketing, and communications. Without these tools, it's difficult to scale a business.
Most importantly, carve out time to be grateful. As an entrepreneur, you're often thinking about work, but making time to slow down and appreciate what you have around you will keep you energized for the long haul.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.oathandgrind.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oathandgrind/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanhoff/
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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