Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nikki Lian, Franchise Owner of CKO Kickboxing Simi Valley, located in Simi Valley, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
CKO Kickboxing is a 50-minute cardio kickboxing class where we use real heavy bags for our workouts. 80 percent of the workout is on the heavy bag, and about 20 percent of the workout is bodyweight exercises, all mixed up in a High-Intensity Interval training session. Our gym caters to people who want to get in shape, feel great, and love the martial arts workout but don't want to actually fight. We are a body-positive coaching gym where you can also get great real nutrition coaching, personal training, and semi-personal training, as well as group fitness.
Tell us about yourself
I was a professional wrestler for 13 years and stayed in ring shape through boxing workouts with my trainer. I loved the workout, loved training, and helping people, so I decided to open a place of my own. What motivates me is knowing how much I'm helping people. This program is for everyone. We do everything here, from empowering women and kids to helping people work through their feelings (we call it bag therapy). We even train seniors and people living with Parkinson's Disease. We are a community gym; we are a family here. This is a lot of people's "happy place."
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am the proud winner of the CKO Franchise Humanitarian Award for 2019 and the Simi Valley Business Person of the Year for 2021. Those were huge wins for me. I am also honored to sit on the Board of Directors for the five-star Simi Valley Chamber Of Commerce. But my biggest accomplishment thus far, I would say, is opening a non-profit with one of my CKO Trainers. We provide health and fitness to the senior community in Simi Valley and people living with Parkinson's and other Neurological Disorders. Our non-profit is called Body Brain Train.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
If you're a small business owner and you're not initially the driving force behind it, it will fail if you don't have a love and passion for it. So you must be present. Burnout is a real thing, so keeping work/life balance in check is probably one of the most difficult things about becoming a business owner.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You need to have a passion for what you do and not go into business to make money. The money will come.
- Be a giver and get involved in your community. There are ways to do this that don't cost you much. In the long run, you're helping people, but you're also connecting with people.
- The success of your business shouldn't always be measured in money; it should be measured in how many smiles you put on people's faces and the good you're doing in the world.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.ckokickboxing.com/ca-simi-valley/
Facebook (Company): https://www.facebook.com/CKOkickboxingSimiValley/
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/nikkilianfit/
Facebook (Non-profit): https://www.facebook.com/bodybraintrain/
Instagram (Company): https://www.instagram.com/ckosimivalley/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/nikkilianfit/
Instagram (Non-profit): https://www.instagram.com/bodybraintrain/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilianfit/
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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