Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Summer Innanen, Body Image Coach based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help women to stop hating their bodies. From a professional perspective, I'm a trained life coach specializing in body image, self-worth, and confidence. I help rebellious women all over the world who are done with dieting to get free from body shame and live their life beyond the scale.
Tell us about yourself
I struggled with body shame and confidence for decades. Growing up, I don't remember a single time when I felt good in my body, and that shame quickly spiralled into an obsession with dieting in an effort to "lose the weight once and for all," which would occupy more than half of my life.
It wasn't until I experienced a complete hormonal breakdown at the age of 32, brought on by my fixation with weight, dieting, and exercise, that I had my wake-up call moment and knew that I needed to stop trying to makeover my plate and start making over what was going on inside my head.
So I smashed my scale, started eating like a grown-ass woman, and spent years working on getting to know who I was beyond the size of my body. This inspired me to want to help others to do the same. We spend so much time, energy, and money trying to "fix" our bodies when there is nothing wrong with them in the first place. The negative thoughts we have about our bodies are not our fault - they are something we learn from this culture, which means we can unlearn them. What inspires me is seeing what an incredible impact we can have on this world when we reclaim that time and energy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is still being here eight years later and having made an impact on thousands of people around the world. I'm so grateful to the people who listen to my podcast, read my book, and work with me as clients.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is dealing with the fear of rejection or judgment that comes with being a public figure. As women, we're conditioned to be people-pleasers. It can be hard to break free of that way of being to own your voice and be confident in your message, especially when that message is counter-cultural.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start before you feel ready - you will never feel "ready" to do things outside of your comfort zone. You need to feel that fear and do it anyway. Start with the smallest first step and go from there.
- Expect failure and rejection - the more we can welcome these things and see them as learning experiences, the more resilient we become and the more risks we can take.
- Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs - there are unique struggles that come with running a business, and having friends or colleagues to lean on for advice and support makes this journey so much easier.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://summerinnanen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SummerInnanenCoach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summerinnanen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/summerinnanen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/summer-innanen-vallillee-079324a/
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.
