Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Larissa Nicole, founder of Larissa Nicole Fitness Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

Larissa Nicole Fitness is a nutrition, fitness, and wellness business that serves a growing community of busy, food-loving women who are struggling with their weight and body image and looking for ways to break out of "diet culture" and build a more sustainable, healthy and balanced lifestyle. We support our community in two key ways:

  1. Fitness and Nutrition Coaching & Education - including free online content, digital products, webinars and workshops, 1:1 and group coaching services.
  2. Recipe Development & Food Blogging - our website + email newsletters are loaded with "macro-friendly" recipes that taste just like your favorite comfort foods but are filled with all the nutrients you need to reach and maintain your fitness goals.

Tell us about yourself

Before I was a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, metabolism expert, and food blogger, I grew up in a large Italian family and struggled tremendously with my weight. After losing over 60 pounds and overcoming body dysmorphia and disordered eating in my own fitness journey, I'm so grateful that I now get to merge my Italian roots and love of food with my professional background to teach other female foodies how they can sustainably build their dream bodies without having to diet or eliminate the foods they love.

Creating and sharing new recipes that taste just like your favorite comfort foods but are filled with good-for-you nutrients is one of my favorite things! I love hearing that I've helped another women ditch the diet cycle, get stronger, and feel more confident in her skin - it motivates me to keep doing what I do every single day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I created a 12-week nutrition, training, mindset, and lifestyle coaching program called Stronger Ever After that provides serial dieting, food-loving women with a sustainable system to lose the body fat, build lean muscle finally, and feel confident in their bodies without the restriction, giving up their favorite foods or spending hours in the gym.

Being able to watch my clients who were previously struggling with late-night snacking, food fear, and a poor relationship with their bodies turn into the strong, confident, and unapologetic women they are today is one of my biggest accomplishments as both a coach and a business owner.

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

Because service providers are literally the focal point of their businesses, it's hard not to get your personal feelings tied up in certain endeavors' success (or not).

I've had to do a lot of mindset work around detaching emotionally from my business - especially if you're the face of the brand. ("Larissa Nicole Fitness" is named after me, after all!) For example, suppose you're having a low sales period despite trying a new marketing strategy. In that case, your emotions may start to find meaning in this by assuming people are not interested in your product - which may lead to you doubting your abilities, second-guessing your offer, overworking yourself, etc. - but this kind of self-sabotage doesn't serve you or your business. It's a constant learning process!

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

  1. If you're just getting started and don't know how to take that first step, I recommend finding people you admire in your field of interest and politely reaching out, telling them why you admire them, and offering to buy them a coffee in exchange for a bit of time to ask them some questions. You'd be surprised how much more information and clarity you can gather by asking someone how they got to where they are today.
  2. Although free information and mentorship can be extremely valuable, I found that I grew the fastest when I hunkered down, hired a coach, and made massive (sometimes scary!) investments in myself. (Just be sure to do your due diligence, interview the coaches you're considering, and perhaps even chat with some alumni before making any financial commitments.)
  3. There's no fast way to success. Have patience with the process and know that each step and lesson along the way will take you that much closer to your long-term goals. Keep remembering your "why" and know that it's okay to pivot and make changes along the way.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes! If you're a busy, food-loving woman struggling to reach a fitness goal, I created a FREE 5-day meal plan to support you! It's filled with simple, drool-worthy recipes from my blog, all wrapped up in an easy-to-follow guide (which includes recipe instructions + nutrition details for easy access), which you can download here:
https://larissanicolefitness.click/guide-1

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.larissanicolefitness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larissanicolefitness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larissanicolefitness/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lnicolefitness
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/larissanicolefitness/_created/

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.