Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fitness and health but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sara Syed, Owner of The Studio Cleveland, located in Cleveland, OH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Studio Cleveland is my first business. It’s a yoga and wellness studio located in downtown Cleveland near the Cuyahoga River and the East Bank Flats. I became the owner of this business in September 2018.
Since, I have expanded the business to offer yoga and wellness services to businesses, schools, and other institutions throughout NE Ohio. We have taught at many well-known institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, and Chase Bank. We just taught a class to the NBA Utah Jazz coaches over the weekend!
Personally, I also offer meditation and yoga retreats throughout the world! I have hosted retreats in Ohio, New York, Costa Rica, and my upcoming retreats are in India and Nepal!
I also host yoga and meditation teacher trainings for anyone that wants to deepen their knowledge and practice of yoga and meditation. These courses allow all graduates to teach yoga and meditation classes professionally as well.
We serve anyone seeking to improve mental and physical health. We serve all people.
Tell us about yourself
My main motivation for starting my own business and becoming self-reliant was simply that I didn’t want to engage in meaningless work. I wanted to utilize my skills, passions, and authenticity to create a life that serves others. I also didn’t feel like I belonged in any particular sector for work—none of the existing jobs seemed appealing to me. Even the education field, which is what my graduate studies were for, was riddled with common core and standardized testing, which was not something I wanted to be a part of.
The moment I truly realized being an employee wasn’t for me was while I was working for a loan company in Strongsville, Ohio, in 2017. I received an email stating the company’s goal was $33 billion in revenue for the year and it was up to us— through our dedication and hard work—to help the vision come alive. I was probably earning $12/hour at the time I exchanged forty hours of my life per week to help the people at the top earn $33 billion annually. That didn’t sit well with me. In addition, I was mocked and ridiculed in the corporate field for using lavender essential oil throughout the day and having Himalayan salt lamps in my cubicle. I was definitely the black sheep in that job.
I was motivated to earn a living doing what I love, while being of service to society. I preferred living an authentic life over a secure life. This was my driving motivation for becoming a business owner.
Even on my hardest days, service to our students and holding space for our teachers is what keeps me going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think my biggest accomplishment as a business owner was keeping the business alive throughout the COVID pandemic.
I am in the business of physical and mental well-being. When the COVID pandemic began, people needed our services the most. We actually worked harder during the beginning of the COVID pandemic than ever before to make sure we were keeping our services available to the people who needed them the most.
Another major accomplishment has been simply seeing my business grow over the course of half a decade. As a minority woman, I did have some negative backlash when I first became a business owner. Due to my young age and childlike personality, I had some people who really did not believe in my ability to run and grow my businesses. In the past half-decade, I’ve been able to 4x the revenue of the business, increase the number of jobs created within our businesses, create opportunities for others, expand our reach, and more.
Another big personal accomplishment was hosting a yoga teacher training in Costa Rica—that was a personal dream of mine since 2014, and it became a reality in 2022! In April of 2022, twenty-five students attended my 15-day long retreat and teacher training in southern Costa Rica, and I couldn’t have asked for more.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business has been learning to have boundaries and say no. I’ve also had to make really hard business decisions that ultimately affect people’s lives and livelihoods. I’ve had to let people go. I’ve had to let friends go. I’ve had to learn how to not put the opinions of others before what I know to be best for myself and the businesses.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get everything in writing—agreements, warnings, protocols, processes—everything!
- Get an accountant— it will save you a lot of time and possibly a lot of money also.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks and be authentic. Let your authenticity shine in your field or line of work rather than trying to copy what others are doing. Instead, be the best at whatever it is you offer. Don’t fear competition. Don’t compromise your morals and values for money and opportunities—business should be run ethically.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thestudiocleveland.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestudiocleveland
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saranadiasyed/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestudiocleve
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarasyed91/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.
