Get Stronger, Feel Younger - Reinvention Fitness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Doug Barsanti, Founder of ReInvention Fitness, located in Santa Cruz, CA, USA.

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

ReInvention Fitness is a fitness coaching service that specializes in working with people who want to overcome their aches and pains to get stronger and feel younger. Many of my clients have already done physical therapy for injuries but were never able to fully resolve their issues. Other clients have a history of minor aches and pains but were afraid of getting hurt working out, which often happens when doing exercises that are not good for their body.

Tell us about yourself

I used to work in a high tech industry and worked out as a hobby, but wearing out a hip joint motivated me to learn more about exercise science and understanding how getting stronger isn’t a goal unto itself — it’s more about WHAT is being strengthened and how. A chance for a career change led me to grad school and I started ReInvention Fitness in 2009. Since then I’ve worked with many clients with various medical and orthopedic concerns. Seeing my clients make progress and discovering that they’re able to do activities they haven’t been able to in years is incredibly rewarding.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been to move almost my entire business online. When the pandemic hit and gyms closed my clients were willing to try online coaching using Zoom or FaceTime until gyms could open up again. The online process worked so well and has been so convenient that they’ve stayed online ever since. Originally, I spent a lot of time hands-on with them to get their technique correct, but using verbal cueing and having them focus more on what they were feeling while doing the exercises has given them a better opportunity to truly learn how to move better and avoid injury. Many of my clients now are people that I’ve never met in person!

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

One of the hardest parts for me of being a business owner was finding my niche and figuring out how to market to that population. I’ve worked with people in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation settings and designed fitness programs for physical therapists. It took me a while to find my niche and learn how to directly state what I do on my website so that my message is clear.

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

My top three tips for starting a business are:

1. Find your niche and identify your ideal client
2. Learn how to market to that ideal client and make sure every piece of your marketing sends the same clear message of who it’s intended for
3. This is a big one for coaches, and especially fitness coaches as there’s always a perception of what a fitness professional is supposed to look and act like…. you are NOT the hero in your relationship with your client. The client needs to be the hero of their own story and our job as coaches is to facilitate that. The coach is the Yoda to the client’s Luke Skywalker! Learn how to market your client as the hero. This works wonders for attracting more clients and customers.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://reinventionfitness.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Reqhbn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinvention_fitness_llc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbarsanti/

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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