Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Karoline Januario, founder of Skinny Keto Nutrition & Fitness, located in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My mission is to help others to achieve their health goals by tapping into the body's ability to burn body fat for fuel while nourishing the body with whole-food nutrition. I am a certified personal trainer and specialize in keto nutrition and fitness. Many of my clients have tried different short-term diets and failed. As a result, they are looking for a true lifestyle change that gives them the desired results and is sustainable long-term. For many, weight loss is only the first step to getting healthy.
I see myself as an educator and love sharing my experience and knowledge on how a ketogenic way of life can inspire a whole new approach to food, health, and prevention of diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. I connect with clients all over North America and Europe through personal one-on-one coaching and community group sessions.
Tell us about yourself
I was struggling with my weight in my 20's and 30's, always on a diet, and having a bad relationship with food. After my second pregnancy in my mid-30s, I was not able to lose the extra weight I gained on top of my pregnancy weight. I knew that I had to find a long-term solution to lose weight and also improve my overall health for the future. I have always been interested in nutrition and health, and while researching different ways of eating, I came across new studies on the ketogenic lifestyle. I noticed the amazing advantages it offers, namely accelerated weight loss, reduced hunger, reduced inflammation, and improved overall health.
After my own successful weight loss journey over five years ago, I became a passionate advocate for the low-carb/ketogenic lifestyle. Over the years, I have seen this lifestyle transform my client's bodies but, more importantly, improve their health and improving their relationship with food. Seeing these changes and the positive effects it has on their lives inspires me to keep going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I started coaching, I realized that one of the biggest challenges my clients face after our coaching sessions are done is to keep them motivated to keep going on their journey and to have a support system in place for the future.
I feel my biggest accomplishment is the creation of a Facebook community for my former clients and newbies alike, where they can share their daily meal ideas, their accomplishments, and their failures. We even have weekly online chats. I have seen amazing camaraderie and friendships develop through this forum. When my clients continue on with the keto lifestyle and thrive, that means I have accomplished my mission.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, as a small business owner, it would be time management and prioritizing. I would love to have more time to create online content or to do research and read new studies on the subject. I have many ideas, but there are not enough hours in a day to do it all!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be clear on your "Why." Starting a business requires a lot of passion and heart. Failures and disappointment are part of the journey. Having a clear vision of what you want your business to be and look like is the key to making it. "If you build it, they will come" is my motto.
- Never give up! Especially in the beginning, it is sometimes hard to keep going when you are not yet established and well-known. It curbs your enthusiasm, and you feel overwhelmed.
- Decide on the milestones you need to reach for your business and come up with a detailed strategy on how to reach them. Breaking down bigger goals into smaller, workable milestones and knowing how to get there allows you to concentrate on the task at hand and not feel too overwhelmed.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.skinnyketo.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/skinnyketo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnyketo/
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.