Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Becky Phares, Founder of The Body Initiative Pilates Studio, located in Lafayette, LA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm in the business of helping people feel good in their own bodies.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a dancer who wanted to stay in the movement industry, but teaching dance did not allow me to be a good wife and mother. I started teaching Pilates because the hours seemed better. I unwillingly fell in love with the work and the way it allowed me to help people both mentally and physically. I get to create my own schedule, establish relationships with my community and do it while wearing yoga pants!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I just recently opened a group reformer studio. This allows me to help more people and gives me more time to run both my business and household.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Having people work with me. When I first started teaching, I worked for someone. Then when I opened my first studio, I was a one-woman operation. Now that I run group classes, I have teachers working with me. Organizing schedules, trusting that they will show up and teach a good class, finding replacements, and keeping them happy, weighs on my heart and mind. I. can never shut it off, and when it's not me in the studio, I worry.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- It's okay to be nervous when starting something new. If you are not nervous, you don't care.
- Start small and build your dream. When I first opened, I shared space with a dance school. I worked from 8-3 then they taught dance from 4-9. The rent was cheap, and it allowed me to pay off my equipment in the first year. Now my husband and I own the building I teach in.
- You have to be there. Your business needs your face, name, and time. If you don't have the drive for that, you may need to reconsider your plan.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thebodyinitiative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086146511718
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_body_initiative/
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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