Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Becky Sheehey, Founder of Sweat Happy Wellness, located in Peterborough, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a Therapeutic Wellness Centre with a core focus on Reformer Pilates. We offer a unique experience by teaching small group classes on the famous Reformer machine. Our classes are designed to align the body, therefore creating less pain and optimal movement patterns, and help to heal our clients from their injuries and muscular imbalances and improve their sports performance. Our clients are amazing-they teach us as much as we teach them. We see a wide variety of clients, from professional hockey players to golfers and runners to chronic pain and cancer recovery clients. We see pre and post-natal clients, we see people recovering from injuries, and we see people who are just looking to work out in a safe and inclusive space.
Sweat Happy aims to leave you better than we found you. We know that a daily dose of movement makes people happy, so our goal is to create biomechanically sound, pain-free, and happy people to help heal the world.
Tell us about yourself
I am a Registered Kinesiologist and have been working with all kinds of bodies for 10+ years now. I started out as a competitive runner when I was just 15 years old. I quickly became hooked on running and never missed a day for ten years; however, I was flooded with chronic pain when I was only 25 years old. This ended my running career but created the birthplace for my Pilates journey. When I found Reformer Pilates, I was working at a Physio clinic, seeing all kinds of people suffering from biomechanical imbalances, much like I was experiencing. I blended Kinesiology and Pilates together to create a movement experience that really works in balancing the body and conquering pain.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I now have two Pilates studios in Kawartha Lakes-one in Lindsay and one in Peterborough. We made it through the pandemic and continue to serve our clients today. That was a big accomplishment for me as we were only one year into our brick-and-mortar business when COVID started. It wasn't easy, but I am happy to say we're still here, all thanks to our wonderful staff and clients.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It is hard to divide your time and find a work-life balance. I have two young children, as well, and finding a perfect balance and knowing when to turn off "work mode" can be difficult at times. Business is a wild ride. It has its uncertainty, but I also find that raising little kids is the exact same. Keeping your cool and staying balanced is all about taking excellent care of yourself so you can show up better for everyone around you-in business and at home.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I would say you need to be patient and persistent, and you must love what you do. You CAN do it; you absolutely can. The world needs you to share your unique gifts and skillset, so just go for it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sweathappywellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweathappywellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweathappywellness/
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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