Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tori Nishino, a Lifestyle Influencer & Shuffle Dancer of Tori Nishino Inc., located in Santa Monica, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is centered around social media and dance. I have two different customers:
- My audience and community that wants to learn how to shuffle dance. I've created an online beginner shuffle course where anyone across the world can learn and are eager to start their journey.
- Brands that want to partner with and promote their product on social media. I like to align with brands that are in the wellness, lifestyle, and travel space that want to reach a broad audience of over 2M across several platforms (Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram).
Tell us about yourself
I used to work in corporate America in finance. While my job was great, I felt extremely unfulfilled and wanted to do more with my life. I lacked a sense of purpose. I was also battling many mental health problems, especially prescription addiction. I became very passionate about wellness, fitness, and dance and worked on growing my online platforms in the evenings on the side of my corporate job. Eventually, I took the leap and became a full-time online entrepreneur, but not without many obstacles, self-doubt, and fear. My biggest passion is to bring joy and happiness to others while also inspiring them to follow their dreams and that it's never too late to start. What motivates me the most is making a positive impact on others and continuing to inspire others to live to their full potential.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is leaving my corporate job and making 6 figures doing what I love. I have a sense of purpose and passion and a LOT of gratitude that I get to do what I do.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Oh, my goodness. This is such a difficult one to answer because there have been SO many hard things I've gone through as an entrepreneur. I'd say the biggest one is continuing to overcome my own limiting beliefs, insecurities, fears, and self-doubt. There's a lot of imposter syndrome that happens behind the scenes, and overcoming that and believing that I have purpose and value to bring to others is truly always the hardest obstacle. I truly believe our biggest obstacle to achieving our dreams is ourselves. Our negative self-talk tells us we aren't good enough, what people will think of us, and so on. It's a constant battle and one I keep on working on. With every new level of my business, I notice more limiting beliefs come up, but I do get better at detecting them and changing that negative self-talk to a positive one.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- JUST START. It will be messy and definitely not perfect. But you learn more by doing than you ever could any other route.
- Google is your best friend. We are blessed with infinite resources and successful entrepreneurs sharing their tips and tricks all across the internet. If you can't afford a mentor or a course, there is infinite knowledge on the web.
- Self-awareness is SO important. When you want to start a business, make sure it's what YOU want, not influenced by others (friends, family, society). At the end of the day, it's YOUR business. Trust your intuition and only seek advice from others that are where you WANT to be. Many times others will project their own fears and insecurities onto you, don't let them and go prove them wrong.
- I need a fourth tip because this is so important – NEVER GIVE UP. "It's not over until you win." - Les Brown.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.torinishino.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torinishino/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@torinishino/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToriNishinoOfficial
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.