Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Karina Inkster, Owner and head fitness coach of K.I. Health & Fitness, located in Powell, British Columbia.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My team and I work with vegan clients across the globe, helping them to nail their fitness goals and fuel their feats of strength with a plant-based diet. Most of our clients are high-level professionals over the age of 40 who want to build a sustainable foundation for healthy aging.
Tell us about yourself
Improving others' quality of life has always been priority #1 for me in my work. Helping clients create new healthy habits they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives is a privilege and a responsibility I don't take lightly.
While completing my Master's degree (in Gerontology, specializing in health and aging), I realized I wanted more one-on-one work with people.
Academics and research will always be a foundational aspect of what I do (my 5th book is coming out soon), but I needed more connection. After defending my thesis, I became a certified personal trainer and started working with my own clients.
Seven years later, in 2017, I transitioned to a completely online business model. This allowed me to serve more clients and serve them better! As a business, this model is much more scalable -- I earn four times as much as I did working with clients in-person while working about 60% as many hours. It's a win-win for me and my clients!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
- Growing to a team of 5, from just me
- Running a successful podcast for the past 3.5 years
- Publishing 4 books with Skyhorse Publishing in New York. Book #5 is coming out in June of 2022!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Turning off my brain. Running your own business means that there's always something to do: a To-Do item to check off, a project to start, a system to create. Setting boundaries around work is challenging when you're running your own show.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- The more established your business gets, the more often you should be saying "no."
- Build your business around the life you want to live. Don't live your life around the business you think you want.
- Providing services by the hour is not a business. It's self-employment. That's is perfectly fine, if that's what you want! But if you want to "grow" your business, think in terms of scalability from day 1. I made the mistake of waiting seven years to consider scalability. Start early. Start now!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.karinainkster.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinainkster/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karinainkster
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.
