Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Naomi Hudetz, founder of Treeline Review, located in White Salmon, WA, USA.

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

I'm a long-distance hiker, and I founded Treeline Review with my hiking partner to be a trusted source of information for both inexperienced and experienced hikers. Our goal is to break down barriers to entry and get more people feeling confident about being outside. Although we started with a mission of getting people inspired to take on a long-distance hike, we've expanded into other sports such as mountain biking, snowshoeing, kayaking, running, and all sorts of other outdoor activities.

Tell us about yourself

I worked as an actuary in my previous career, but I was burned out and ready for a new challenge in life. I didn't know what the next chapter was going to look like, but I quit anyway. And that turned out to be the best decision I could have made because it made me open to opportunities that I wouldn't have seen while still working. So when my friend and hiking partner approached me about starting Treeline, there was no doubt about what my answer would be. Creating something from nothing and changing peoples' lives for the better -- that's what keeps me motivated!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

One of my proudest moments to date was landing in the top spot on Google's search results page. I knew absolutely nothing about SEO before I started Treeline, and I wasn't sure the day would ever come that we'd be in the #1 spot. I still find SEO to be somewhat of a mystery, but I'm proud of how far we've come!

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

For me, the hardest thing about being a small business owner has to fulfill so many diverse roles. I find myself needing to function in accounting, search engine optimization, marketing, PR, content creation, editing, social media, and project management. In my previous career as an actuary, my job was specialized and fairly narrow, so learning all of these new functions and switching between them has been challenging.

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

  1. Be fully committed, but don't burn out. Starting a business is a marathon, not a sprint, so you have to learn how to manage your time and energy. And it's hard to find long-term motivation if you don't have a commitment to your purpose. To that end, I like the advice to "hire your weakness." Doing tasks, you don't enjoy or aren't good at usually leads to sub-par work and burnout.
  2. Persistence pays off. Do the work today, do the work the next day, and the day after that. You may not see the rewards in the short term, but know that your work will compound over time.
  3. Have a bias for action. I frequently experienced analysis paralysis, and I finally realized that not taking action is a decision in and of itself. Just make a decision and take action. Even if it turns out that it was not the optimal choice, you will have learned something. Action is a form of learning.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Get outside your comfort zone because that's where the fun is!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.treelinereview.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreelineReview/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treelinereview/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/treelinereview
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/treeline-review/about/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.