Starting My Online Biz

Today's not about fitness or nutrition, but rather about starting a business online.

I can only speak from my experience but I'll try to generalize so you can carry the info over to any industry.

Here's my point form step-by-step if you don't want to read the full post:

1. Discover what it is you truly LOVE to do. What brings you happiness?
2. Educate yourself both formally and through people in your industry. And never stop learning.
3. Register your business & buy a domain.
4. Establish your niche. Who can you help the most?
5. Build an online presence. Social media is such a powerful tool.
6. Be YOURSELF. Don't be a sell-out and don't sell yourself short.
7. Don't expect to make millions overnight.
8. Be open to constructive criticism and always look for new ways to reinvent yourself and your business.
9. Remember WHY you started your business. Is it only to make money? Eventually that may not feel purposeful enough.

In 2013 I accidentally moved to American from Canada (as in I cancelled my flight home and just never left). This meant I couldn't just apply for a job because technically I was a foreign alien. Solution - work online!

...but let's back track for a second.

What brought me to California was my passion for fitness. I loved all things bodybuilding. The gym, the structure, the discipline, the muscles, competition day, everything. So naturally, I would post my physique update, competition photos, meals, recipes and bits and pieces of the rest of my life online. I had people asking, "How do I get abs?" "What do you eat?" and a million other questions about fitness.

I would answer a simple answer until finally I found myself helping a ton of people and answering hundreds of questions. "I should create a business" I thought. Actually, I'm not very entrepreneurial-minded, so it was more a suggestion from my mom, my hubs and people offering to pay me to train them lol.

I already had a bachelor of science in kinesiology and a couple nutrition certifications but I never had the intention of working online. It wasn't such a "thing" in 2013 as it is now. Luckily, my foreign alien status (and family) nudged me to try.

So I started designing training and nutrition programs for people.

But what type of software you're wondering? It doesn't matter. There's a ton out there so just search, ask, see what peers and competitors are using and you'll find what you need. Just remember, people aren't as interested in your methods, your software, if you're techy or not... they just want results and the trust, accountability and support along the way.

My genuine love for the sport and the industry led me to this point - I actually had some clients and I was making money! But I felt so weird giving my prices when somebody would contact me, especially after years of giving free advice. Having a registered business and slowly establishing my business gave me the confidence to reply with packages and prices rather than a direct answer to one of the many questions I was receiving. I quickly learned that people expect to pay for a service (especially a great one!), and it was just me being timid and "feeling bad" that gave me the mental hangup. But having the registered business (and website), and knowing my eduction was up to par and my intentions were to help others was what I needed to feel confident at first.

I got my first few clients by continuing to post my own fitness journey online. I wasn't advertising or trying to sell. I actually still don't pay for any ads and I think this is the most advertising I've ever done (shoutout to a business course I'm taking!). I was still just doing what I love to do and this allowed others to realize that they could find the same love for the sport and transform their health and bodies too!

I'm now at the point where majority of my clients are through word of mouth. So that's something for you to look forward to too. And even more incentive to offer a really really really good product and service.

Looking back at my first programs compared to now, I cringe! They were so ugly. Content was fine, but the layout was awful - well, for 2021 standards at least. I think my programs have gone through 100 facelifts, I've moved completely away from the bodybuilding industry as I've grown as a person, trainer and nutritionist. When I evolve, my business evolves too. Sometimes that feels scary, but when you listen to your heart, remember WHY you started your business, hone in on your niche and aim to maximize how much you can help others, the evolution feels natural.

I made sure never to sell-out. I get many emails offering to post products for money, be an affiliate for some company, be sponsored by another company, blah blah blah. And you will too! But my answer is usually no. I vowed to only promote and represent brands that match my philosophies, even if that means missing out on money. Why represent another brand when you can be your own brand anyways?

My social media posts are authentic. I'm myself. I don't try to be someone I'm not and I feel that's very important for building rapport, trust and a friendship with your clients. After all, they'll should be getting to know you pretty well throughout your business relationship. The last thing you want is for someone to feel like your social media personality and true personality don't match.

Side note - I think I hit a new level of "real" with my clients today after showing up to our calls after an acne procedure that's left my face as red as a tomato!! Haha.

Lesson: Be YOU. You're the reason people want to work with you!

And don't be discouraged if your social media doesn't have thousands of followers! Quality is greater than quantity. So post great content, be consistent with your posts (setting a schedule helps), and the people will come. The right people anyways. More is not always better so don't focus on the number. The number of followers you have doesn't define you or your business.

So... my best advice from my experience: find your passion, do it every single day, and you WILL make money doing so. Be yourself, lead with your heart and intention to help others succeed, and before you know it, you'll have a killer website, a booming business, and the 9-5 life will never exist again.

...it'll be more like a 24/7 365 life! Just joking... kinda. But even still, it's awesome!