Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Robbie Harrison, Founder of Navitas Fitness, located in Almeria, Spain.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I run a personal coaching service for Kettlebells and Cooking training, delivered online and in person. I focus on these two areas so they can empower their health. One of the biggest problems is that people don't know how to use ingredients and food to actually feed themselves; plus, when it comes to exercise, we want to develop multiple things such as strength, movement, and motivation, which, with kettlebells, is an extremely effective tool.
Tell us about yourself
I have worked in Kitchen since I was about 14, and my professional work was as a chef for many years, but on the side, I've always been involved with sports from a young age as well and am a big fitness enthusiast, so it seems kind of natural that I fell into it eventually. I wanted to move away from providing luxury service for people in restaurants and help serve people's health better, so I took steps to become a personal trainer to begin the process. It has been extremely difficult but very rewarding nonetheless. What keeps me going is knowing that I am creating something that really impacts other people's lives. Because for me, the mind-body connection and health are the foundation for which we can put ourselves out there into the world every day with a sense of confidence, freedom and is capable of anything. I hate to see it when people feel lost or neglect their health without knowing their full potential.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
In my industry, one of the biggest accomplishments is client's feedback and success, which always fuels you going forward. Of course, there are more general achievements, such as setting up your systems and feeling independent and recognised by others in the industry, which is a huge part of the process of development. Perhaps a big accomplishment is a crossover between the personal and professional, whereby in the process of starting a business, that creation and destruction, you learn a lot about yourself as well as what you actually want to do for others which is incredibly powerful. I'm proud to have taken this very challenging route at a time when it seems the whole world is quite uncertain.
Finally, a big one for me has been trying to build a business in a different country than where I'm from while maintaining an online presence. There are many additional challenges in a personal, social, legal, and logistical manner. So, although I've had a lot of stress over the last couple of years, staying true to my goal has been a big achievement.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Sometimes switching off can be difficult and relaxing because you always have 1001 things going through your mind. Therefore your ability to manage time and allocate and prioritise tasks is hugely important to making progress in your work. Another hard area is accepting the fact that not everything you do is actually working, and you have to go back to the drawing board; it's frustrating and sometimes painful with the amount of effort you put into things, but you have to accept this ideation process. Otherwise, you'll fail at the first hurdle. And I'm sure I have plenty more mistakes and failures to come, but if you learn the hard way, everything will feel easier in the end.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find other people and build a network of support - both personally and professionally. You don't know everything, and other people know a lot more. Don't be a fool and try to reinvent the wheel. If I were to restart today, I would have put more time into receiving mentorship. I've had a couple of advisors and mentors along the way that have helped me at particular points, and it does give you a world of difference.
- Be clear about what it is you actually want to do and why because if you aren't sure, then as you go along, you can get very lost in what you are doing.
- Everything takes longer than you think, except that you may have to struggle for longer than you thought, and you may have to make changes you weren't expecting.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.navitas-fitness.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navitasfitnessuk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navitas_fitness/
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/navitasfitness
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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