Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sofiya Marinova, a dance and movement coach, based in Berlin, Germany.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I empower people to feel better through dance, healthy exercises, and body awareness. My main online programs include fusion belly dance, Fix Your Posture courses, and self-love and care challenges. I also organize yearly dance retreats, where we can connect with nature, ourselves, and some lovely people. I work predominantly online with women, although everyone is welcome to join.
Tell us about yourself
Actually, I used to be a chemist once, but then I completely changed my career to dance and movement. What made me do that was my immense love for dance and the wish to share it with the world. Through time and injuries, I found my way to healthy movement and functional anatomy. At the moment, I blend all of my knowledge to create awareness-focused dance and exercise classes that are largely based on science and functional anatomy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Proving to myself that I can. As a small business owner, you basically need to deal with everything yourself. It is not just learning and developing your skills or transferring those to your students. You also need to do marketing, sales, finance, organization, technology, and many more things. For me, every day is a win because I am dealing with numerous things that I did not even study, and I am succeeding.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Finding time to rest and not feeling guilty about it when you do. When you have your own business, especially when it is something you love doing, work and pleasure get a little blended. You are actually enjoying what you do, so it rarely feels like work. On the other hand, not taking any breaks because you are so excited about what you do may be too stressful and overwhelming. It is tough but important to realize that rest is part of the work. Without rest, you can only do that much before completely crushing or being absolutely inefficient. Being patient with oneself is a lesson for everyone to learn.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Choose something you are really passionate about. If you are not excited about it, you won't be able to give the time needed to succeed.
- Be clear from the start on what you want to do. Create a focused niche. Find out where your ideal customers hang out and target them.
- Always keep learning and growing. If you stay stagnant, your customers will get bored.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sofiya.dance/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sofiyadanceandmovement
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofiya.dance/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiya-marinova-26059064/
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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