Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adam Lien, founder, and CEO of The Lift Box, located in Summerville, SC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At The Lift Box, we offer a superior fitness subscription experience that stands out among the competition. We have a strong presence in the military community and take great pride in the value we provide to our subscribers.
With over 300 partnerships with top brands in the supplement, healthy snack, RTD, and gym gear industries, we have built strong relationships that allow us to offer our subscribers the best products to help them reach their fitness goals. With over 125,000 boxes delivered, we are dedicated to helping our subscribers achieve their fitness aspirations. Our subscribers are wide-ranging, from your stay-at-home moms/dads to bodybuilding champions.
I'm also the CEO and Founder of Headlines Over Sidelines. Headlines Over Sidelines is the digital destination for readers who want less BS in their workout routines, supplements, and gear. Our advertising offerings provide you with the opportunity to get in front of an audience that's come to us to find the best-performing products on the market. From banners to advertorials, Headlines Over Sidelines will help you get off the sidelines and crush your brand's advertising goals.
Tell us about yourself
I started by packing under ten boxes a month to sending out thousands of boxes each month to our subscribers. Today, I lead a team of 20+ experts who are inherently invested in the well-being of each and every The Lift Box subscriber and media consumer!
Back in 2017, I was the Primary Instructor of the USCG Basic Tactical Operations Course, standing on the rooftop of a live-fire shoothouse on board Camp Lejeune with my fellow instructors. One instructor mentioned they didn't like a pre-workout because it tasted terrible. Another instructor said they had just bought an expensive protein that didn't even mix well. I knew there had to be an easier way to try supplements and healthy snacks before spending money on full-sized products. So, in 2017, on top of a live-fire shoothouse, the idea of The Lift Box was born.
I had no idea what I was doing, though. No background in subscription boxes and no clue of how to create or where even get boxes, let alone how to source the products needed, but I knew I could quickly learn and create something special. I took a month of leave (time off) to do market research. I began looking at one and two-star reviews of the top competition in the space. I made lists on my whiteboards and found the commonalities between these lists, and created The Lift Box.
The best way to build a community is by connecting with people on a personal level. I love hearing from my subscribers and taking the time to get to know them. The more I know about them, their lives, and their fitness routines, the easier it is for the staff and me to curate a monthly Lift Box that's just right for them.
Over the last five years, we've partnered with 300+ brands in the fitness industry, creating one of the most cost-effective in-hand sampling opportunities in the industry.
Today, The Lift Box is the largest monthly fitness subscription box in the US!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Started three brands that are all successful with employees. Having the opportunity to build brands from the ground has been challenging but extremely rewarding.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
You have to be ready to pivot at any moment. When you own the company, it's up to you to make the tough decisions. You can't rely on anyone else.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Perseverance. It will not be easy, and being an entrepreneur is a game of how much you can endure.
- Be flexible. Not everything will go the way you envisioned. It's ok to pivot and be wrong so long as you're learning and moving forward one inch at a time.
- Build a product or service that has a path to being profitable. Don't rely on other people's money because once that runs out, you're done. You must figure out ways to be resourceful and learn.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.theliftbx.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliftbox/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theliftbx/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lien/
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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