Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexa Cawley, President, and CEO of Forever Friday Consulting, located in Dix Hills, NY, USA.

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

I'm a marketing consultant for health & wellness business owners! I started my career 11 years ago at lululemon when the boutique fitness industry was a completely different place than it is now. My clients are amazing studio owners, registered dietitians, and wellness entrepreneurs who are truly changing the world.

Tell us about yourself

I started my career in 2013 working for lululemon and learned very quickly that the fitness industry is unlike any other. My career took me to some pretty cool places - opening flagship stores for lululemon, overseeing marketing for 26 SoulCycle studios, and opening many boutique fitness studios and health food chains. I was working for SoulCycle when I realized that there are so many small businesses that just don't have the resources they need to market their business effectively, and I wanted to be the person that helps them succeed. Watching my clients and members put in the work to learn how to grow their business inspires me constantly!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

So much -- my podcast, The Friday Society, has been a huge source of accomplishment for me. From interviewing top CEOS to ranking as a top 3% global podcast, it's grown to see such success in just a year and a half of being on-air, and it makes me so happy. Besides that, seeing my clients consistently thrive in such a shaky time for fitness has made me so proud.

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

I'm going to be bad at answering this -- because I truly love every second of being a business owner. I love the time freedom, location freedom, the ability to begin work on a project immediately if I feel inspired to, and the ability to shut something down if I don't think it's working. I guess the hardest part is that you have to get good at self-encouragement and reflection. Set time for yourself to reflect on what went well and didn't go well each week.

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

  1. Set time to reflect. Every single week, write down three things that went well, three things you'd have done differently, and what you spent the bulk of your time on, and be honest with yourself. Are you spending time working ON your business [as a founder and CEO] or IN your business [like an employee]?
  2. Prioritize the things that bring you JOY. If you decided to become a business owner so that you could send emails at 4 am and work out at 10 am, keep doing that. A lot of people tend to resent their business as soon as it grows because they aren't building their business around their life anymore; they're building it around money. Continue to build your business around what makes you happy -- it's a process that never stops.
  3. Keep a happy folder. Every single time you feel proud of something that's happened in your business, take a screenshot or write a note on how you're proud of yourself. No one gives you a performance review in this self-employed life -- you need to do that yourself! Include DMs from clients and followers, emails, and all the things that make your heart happy and proud.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Just go for whatever you want to do. Whatever you're scared of, whatever reasons you're giving yourself not to do something... that's just fear speaking. Act from love and purpose, and you'll never fail.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://foreverfriday.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foreverfridayconsulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreverfriday.co/

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.