Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Annie Forest, owner of Forest Coaching, located in Madison, WI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Forest Coaching uses kettlebells, bodyweight strength, respiration re-training, metabolic recovery practices, and mindfulness-based approaches to re-educate people that they are already enough and that they can develop a mindset and skillset that will create the strength to do anything. Our customers are men and women seeking pain-free, energy-filled lives, and the movement coaching to achieve that.
Tell us about yourself
This company truly started in 2010, when - as a full-time traditional health and fitness professional struggling with exercise addiction and severe eating disorder - I realized that the fitness industry was breaking the people it was supposed to help. I began to coach and teach from a place of radical and disruptive acceptance and grace, finding that vulnerability, consistent skill development, and a focus on the whole self were leading clients to areas of deep healing and strength. Today, I work to care for my 1:1 clients, serve and mentor my staff of coaches with care and serve those in our social media and email audience with educational content.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Taking a maternity leave! Being able to step away from the company for four months while watching it continue to grow was the biggest moment in my career. It meant that I had surrounded myself with others who shared my vision and passion so strong that they could carry it without me.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
BOUNDARIES. I literally just had to tell my partner to kick me off my laptop at 8 pm because I know that once I start a project or task list, I deeply struggle to step back and re-engage my personal life.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Surround yourself with people who excel in areas you don't. Then be humble and grateful.
- Watch your numbers, but not too closely. It's easy to assume that because there's money in the bank, you're profitable ... and it's also easy to get so tied up in watching financials that you feel paralyzed.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Every day, restate your purpose the minute you get out of bed. Mine is: "I'm here to serve, and we're here to disrupt." The day-to-day can quickly steal your passion … but the daily reminder is powerful.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.forestcoachingandstudios.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annieforesttrainer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forestcoaching/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annieforest/
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.