Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kevin Hejnas, founder of Healthy Flex Prescription, located in Freehold, NJ, USA.

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

Hello! My name is Kevin Hejnas, and we help tech pros (specifically, people spending 50-plus hours stuck in front of a screen) regain their energy and confidence through physical transformation. Today, we are more sedentary than ever and rely on coffee just to get through the day... The Healthy Flex Prescription program helps people finally accomplish their fitness goals and reap the benefits that come with dialing in a routine, overcoming a long-time obstacle, and doing it without giving up their favorites foods (for me, ice cream).

Tell us about yourself

For me, I didn't grow up-fit. I used to blame my genetics, thought, "man... I should've picked better parents," and would be jealous of all the fit kids running around at recess. I finally thought to myself that nothing would change if I didn't change. So I evaluated my habits (I found out I was sedentary, playing a ton of video games, and eating a lot of calorie-dense foods like chips). Not necessarily what I would assume a "fit" person would be doing.

First lesson - DO SOMETHING. Around that time (in high school), I finally GOT STARTED. My plan wasn't perfect... but it got me some results because I did less of the things that I knew were not serving me and more of the things I saw fit people do (better food choices, consistent workouts).

Second lesson - BE FLEXIBLE. I used to live by "carbs are the enemy, sugar is the devil,"... so I would avoid carbs at all costs. However, when I'd be out at the buffet or my family would order pizza... I'd have a bite, and then "the day is lost," so I'm taking down a whole pie. I had an issue with self-control around these foods I deemed "bad." I eventually learned about flexible dieting, which pretty much educated me that you need a calorie deficit to lose body fat. No foods are off-limits, and you're not "bad" for eating a couple of servings of ice cream. Moderation and portion size matter, and as long as your daily consumption is controlled, you can experience great results! This helped me break through a plateau with my physique and allowed me to be more consistent.

Third lesson - BE EFFICIENT. During my pharmacy school rotations, I worked 50hr weeks, running two businesses, and creating/editing daily Instagram and YouTube content. I was BUSY. And that was the time I started creating HFP. I knew I wasn't alone with this type of schedule, and I no longer had 3hr blocks to workout, lol. So I made it a mission to streamline my workouts (leveraging supersets), find solid on-the-go meal options, and ensure my program was SIMPLIFIED so that it would be ACTIONABLE even for people low on mental bandwidth.

I want to help others skip the mistakes and lessons I've made through my 13-year training career, and I know the confidence that fitness has given me. I struggled for years before finally seeing some progress and that experience of overcoming that challenge gave me the confidence I could overcome the other challenges in my life. (and take on some new ones!)

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a business owner, my biggest accomplishment would have to be being retiring/hiring my fiancee. She was "sugar momma" after we graduated college. That means she was paying our rent, for our meals, working full-time, and I was at home trying to build this business into something that could allow me to be a contributor. I had two months following graduation before I would have to call it quits and go complete my pharmacy licensing exams.

Thankfully, she stuck it out, and since then, she's been able to leave her previous career (she had some 16hr workdays as an engineer), join HFP as our operations manager, and we've been able to buy our first house together at the age of 27 with a lot of freedom in the way we get our work done. And we continue to grow and keep changing lives!

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

That initial period was TERRIFYING. I remember telling my mom, "Hey Mom, I know I'm $125,000 in student debt, but I think I'm gonna try to pursue online fitness coaching instead" ….needless to say, she wasn't too pleased LOL, But that was an important time in my life. I feel having that pressure of "sink or swim" really pushed me to make things happen. And I'm a big believer in "pressure makes diamonds," and I feel it's a great thing to have something pushing you forward.

Aside from that, throughout the growth of my business, a recurring issue for employees and me when everything is remote has been: "you can work whenever you want." That sounds great at first glance, but when you have messages coming in, tasks to get done, calls to schedule, etc … it's very easy to not set boundaries for yourself. So if you are a business owner, consider setting those boundaries and blocking out time in your schedule for your sleep, your dinners with loved ones, and your workouts.

The things that you are building this business to allow you to don't build a business that doesn't allow you to do what you want to do. You will end up resenting that business and NOT wanting it to grow.

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

  1. Be ready to be uncomfortable - if you're starting a business, you're gonna have to wear a lot of hats, and you're gonna have to learn everything. I remember I was so nervous when taking on sales calls, but with repetition, YOU ALWAYS GET BETTER, and you WILL get more comfortable. The more you do, the better you get. And I feel that acquiring skills is a skill. So dive into doing stuff!
  2. Like I said in the previous question: don't build a business you will resent. It's important as the owner that you love your business and want it to grow. So allow it to build the lifestyle you want, then you will want it to grow. (that being said, not every day is gonna be ideal, there are ABSOLUTELY days and weeks to PUSH... but long term, you need to be moving towards a lifestyle you want to have)
  3. Know your numbers - this comes from my mentor (shoutout to Michael Chu), but keep accurate records of the five most important areas of business: lead generation, lead nurture, conversion, delivery, and retention. You should have KPIs in those areas to know the pulse of your business and what is lacking. This is a fundamental I always return to, and it helps give an idea of what needs to be improved.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I appreciate the opportunity to share a bit about my story! Best of luck to all the aspiring entrepreneurs!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hejnasty.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/khejnas
https://www.facebook.com/Hejnasty/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/hejnasty
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hejnasty/

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.

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