Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bre Dumke, Owner of Movement Design Lab, located in Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

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

My business is Movement Design Lab. We are a fully equipped Pilates and GYROTONIC Method studio that specializes in helping individuals who want to move their best. Many of our clients come to us to eliminate chronic pain, rehabilitate post-injury or operation, or add more strength and mobility to their bodies. We work with clients of all ages and from all walks of life: mothers, fathers, grandparents, athletes, gardeners, doctors, lawyers, basically anyone who has a body and wants to enjoy moving their best.

Tell us about yourself

I first got into this work during my own rehab journey. In 2010, I survived a fall while climbing in the mountains of Southern Colorado. I am incredibly lucky to be alive, and I consider myself even luckier to have had a physical therapist who recommended that I add movement therapy to the work I was doing with her. Fortunately, I was pursuing my graduate degree in Exercise Physiology at the time of my accident, so this work came very naturally to me intellectually. However, even though I have always been an athlete (I formerly ran D1 track), this work was incredibly hard for me physically. After a few months with a Pilates teacher in Colorado, I knew I had to learn more about the Pilates method, and after graduating with my MS from Colorado State University, I pursued my Pilates Certification. A few years later, I took over the studio here in Salt Lake City (it was originally En Route Movement started by Jenn Marie Maynard Earle) and decided to also pursue my GYROTONIC Method Certification. Twelve years after my accident, I couldn't be happier that I decided to become a movement therapist. I am forever grateful for how this work has helped my own body and the hundreds of clients I have been fortunate to have worked with on their own journeys these past 12 years. It's remarkable watching someone regain & rediscover their body without pain & with strength and freedom.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I consider every single client that I am able to regain pain-free movement as an accomplishment - especially my clients who have been in pain for years, and after only a few sessions of teaching them biomechanics & how their body moves and, they find that they are able to move again without pain. I love it. It is so rewarding to watch someone be able to enjoy life again.

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

Honestly, juggling work & life. Being a business owner means there is always something I can do. I am also now a mother to my sweet two-year-old son & back in school finishing up my Ph.D. in Kinesiology here at the University of Utah. It's a lot to juggle, but I love that being a business owner gives me the freedom to set my own hours and my own goals.

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

  1. Hire help. You might want to, but none of us can do it all. I personally have hired an accountant, photographer, & web/graphic designer. All of it was/is so very worth it.
  2. Set boundaries. Emails can wait. Phone calls can wait. I promise it will all grow in time.
  3. Have patience. I've owned the studio for 8.5 years and can say none of it happened immediately. A good business takes time & continued persistence to really become what you want.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I absolutely adore what I do. I love my clients & my colleagues. Each and every single client inspires me to keep teaching and be the best teacher I can be.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://movementdesignlab.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movementdesignlab
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movement.design.lab/


If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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