Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Serena Benali, founder of In Good Nutrition, located in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm Serena Benali, a registered dietitian and founder of In Good Nutrition. Our mission is to make the world a better place through nutrition. Through a collaborative approach, we help individuals co-create a sustainable way of health and wellness that is simple and enjoyable.
Tell us about yourself
After healing my own relationship with food and seeing how it changed the trajectory of my life positively, I decided to become a registered dietitian and assist others in developing healthy relationships with food and reaching optimal health and wellness.
Each day, what motivates me to do what I do is my clients and the transformations my clients make. Getting to guide people along a path to reach their goals is extremely fulfilling.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my biggest accomplishments is the personal growth I’ve experienced that comes along with creating, launching, and growing a business. To be a successful business owner, you must continuously evolve your mindset, be reflective in the way you practice and operate your business, and constantly strive to be better while maintaining gratitude for what you accomplished and where you’re at so you don’t get lost in the chase for more.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Finding your own rinse and repeat strategy for running your business. There are so many different ways to run your business and market your services, and there is also a lot of noise out there about how you should or could be doing it. There is no one right way to run your business.
Finding what works for you may take some time, and just because it doesn’t work the first time doesn’t mean it won’t work. Give things time to run their course.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just get started! It doesn’t need to be perfect to get started. You don’t need to have the ideal website, business cards, logo, etc. All you need to know is what problem you are solving for your ideal client.
- Get a support network. Running your own business can be isolating. Find a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and provide each other with accountability and support or whatever you need to grow and thrive. I have a group of entrepreneur dietitians that I meet with weekly, and this group has been instrumental in my business growth and success.
- In business, you never lose; you only learn! Your business will evolve over time, and you will experience what you may see as “setbacks” but are truly lessons. Having the grace and wisdom to acknowledge this will help your business evolve and succeed with greater ease.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Lori Greiner, A “Shark Tank” investor, is often quoted saying something among the lines of: only entrepreneurs will work 80 hours a week for themselves to avoid working 40 hours a week for someone else. I think this quote is spot on! It’s true, especially in the beginning, you will put in many, many hours, and you have to be willing to put in the work to make it work. If you believe in yourself and your product, it’s not a matter of if you will be successful but when.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.ingoodnutrition.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ingoodnutrition
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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