Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in sports and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Daly, Founder of Train Daly, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Train Daly is a coaching platform providing strength and conditioning coaching and programming for open water swimmers, triathletes, and masters swimmers. We help endurance athletes perform their best through strength and conditioning.
Tell us about yourself
I am a former collegiate all-American sprint swimmer with a degree in Kinesiology. My competitive experience as a swimmer, with formal education and 15 years of industry experience as a strength coach, helps me connect the dots between swimming and strength for endurance athletes. I realized early in my competitive career the benefits of strength and nutrition programming to be a better athlete. It's an approach that continues to serve me in my post-collegiate career as a master and open water swimmer and also as a coach sharing high-level best practices with adult competitors.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
A large part of my early career was working in corporate fitness in New York City as a personal trainer and educator, working with the general population with a focus on endurance sports.
In 2020 I left that role of over a decade to start my own business focused on strength and conditioning for swimmers. I work primarily online, serving swimmers worldwide, and split my time between New York City and Budapest. I'm proud to have successfully migrated a 100% in-person New York City business to a 90% virtual business working with swimmers in over a dozen countries.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Narrowing down your niche, tailoring a message to a specific audience, and crafting an expert reputation. I went from working for a world-renowned company with an executive team, marketing department, sales team, and management staff to now wearing many of those hats as a small business owner. I no longer spend 12 hours a day in a space with 1000 potential leads walking through the door each day and a corporate system to support my coaching business and success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Have a business plan, seek out a mentor, and lean on your network. Setting goals, creating a system of support and accountability, and leveraging your greatest asset, your network, are invaluable as you decide to go off on your own.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.traindaly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanTrainDaly/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandaly/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/traindaly
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dandalyjr/
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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