Women in Fitness Business

Shannon Brasovan is a yoga business consultant at Two-Brain Business, a yoga teacher, the former chief yoga officer at Myriad Yoga and former co-owner of Naptown Fitness.In this episode, we talk about why many yoga studio owners are oddly reluctant to be profitable, and we cover the one thing they can do today to bring in—and retain—more quality clients. We also get into why "having it all" is not humanly possible and how to run a business with your spouse without ruining your marriage. Finally, Shannon tells the story of how yoga saved her life.LinksBooking link: Shannon BrasovanInstagram: YogabusinessownerInstagram: Besowgrow3:07 - Yoga and making money5:07 - Valuing yourself8:03 - How yoga saved Shannon's life14:00 - Boundaries16:45 - Dialing in operations20:10 - Private instruction perks23:04 - Running a business with your spouse28:00 - Entrepreneurial superpower

Brianna Battles is the founder of Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism and the CEO of Everyday Battles LLC. She’s also the host of the Practice Brave podcast, a strength and conditioning coach, an athlete and a mother of two. In today’s episode of Women In Fitness Business, Brianna talks about the identity shift and physiological changes of motherhood and pregnancy, the stigma and preconceived beliefs about coaching or training pregnant/postpartum athletes, and what drew her to change these beliefs.She also discusses creating her own online certification program for pregnancy and postpartum coaching, building her business, personal branding, and her future goals for her brand and company. For more information about Brianna’s brand and mission, visit https://www.briannabattles.com/.01:13  - Identity changes of motherhood04:43 - What drew Brianna to create this business09:16 - Biggest mistakes made by coaches of pregnant/postpartum women18:01 - Does motherhood make you a better athlete?20:05 - Inspiration behind Brianna’s business model27:12 - Details of Brianna’s coaching certification course31:23 - Practice Brave podcast37:41 - The future of Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism and Brianna Battles

When her gym was shut down by government pandemic restrictions, Elspeth Storrar pivoted. She’s now the CEO of Girls Get Strong Cycling, delivering online cycle coaching to women across the globe. She also runs women-only cycling camps in Mallorca, Spain. We talk about her shift from gym ownership to online coaching, the myriad benefits of cycling for women, and what she’s learned about running specialty camps. ​1:09 - The "hit-by-a-car test"1:51 - The pandemic pivot3:29 - Typical clientele4:33 - Online cycle coaching6:15 - The business model8:32 - The cycling camp11:26 - Benefits of cycling16:46 - Focus17:33 - Connecting and listening to your audience21:06 - Growing the team

Stacy Kim is the owner of Kuma Fit women’s kickboxing studio in maine. She’s also a passionate advocate for inclusion of all women in the fitness space and the creator of Feel Strong Movement, a directory that lists gyms and trainers who are committed to making the gym experience less intimidating and more comfortable for women. In this episode we talk about shame - and the role it has traditionally played as a motivating tool for women in fitness. We talk about what’s keeping women out of the gym in a post-covid era. We also get into how shifting the conversation away from weight-loss and toward feeling better can be a positive force in your coaching practice. 1:18 - Why shame has been used to motivate, pitfalls of shaming7:52 - Stacy's move toward women's fitness10:28 - Retooling the onboarding process12:40 - Focused ads for women13:48 - Post-pandemic aversion to gyms17:02 - Steering the focus from weight-loss to intrinsic benefits19:34 - Feel Strong movement21:43 - What 'positive-based' coaching looks like in a class setting25:47 - How to attract more women to your gym, and keep them there32:24 - Stacy's career path

Perimenopause represents a significant chunk of a woman's life; yet it's rarely discussed, and women are often at a loss when it comes to managing symptoms. Tracy Minnoch-Nuku wants to change all that.Minnoch-Nuku (B.Ph.Ed - Otago, NZ and MBA, Vic, Melb.) is an educated and experienced advocate for women's health and fitness. She’s the author of My Menopause Memoir and the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast, Sexy Ageing. Through her platform, she's begun a frank and open conversation to help women navigate this change—and thrive. In this episode, we get into her own experience with perimenopause, what fitness pros need to keep in mind when working with 40+ women, and how to shift your mindset to see the benefits that come with age.My Menopause Memoirhttps://www.sexyageing.com/

I'm this episode, I talk with registered psychotherapist Bonnie J. Skinner about how our own mental well-being is affected by the different challenges that fitness entrepreneurship brings.We delve into imposter syndrome, managing the transition from work to home, and the big one for many women in fitness business—burnout.Bonnie is a Registered Psychotherapist with a background in Neuroscience, and over a decade of experience in helping individuals strengthen their mental fitness skills. As a CEO, executive coach, a wife and Mom, Bonnie knows first hand the unique challenges business owners and executives face on their journey to success. In addition to her clinical practice Bonnie runs Level Up Mental Fitness Coaching for clients in high performance roles, helping them gain confidence, consistency and focus. https://www.yourmentalfitness.ca/https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentalfitness4ceoshttps://www.skinnerpsychotherapy.com/1:00 - Impostor Syndrome2:19 - Shift to home + transitions7:44 - Partner support13:09 - Social pressure16:30 - Dealing with sexism in coaching18:56 - Capacity building and burnout23:41 - Positive entrepreneurship and CEO mindset

Today I chat with Laura Phelps Stackhouse. Laura is the strongest female powerlifter in history, currently holding 8 All-Time World Records. She is a personal trainer and the founder of Queen Bee Power, which is aimed at training others in the Conjugate Method she learned from Louis Simmons. We chat about the pressures surrounding being the strongest woman in the world, harnessing nerves, dealing with haters and carving a legacy for women in the strength arena.Note: This episode was recorded prior to Simmons' passing on March 24, 2022.Website: https://www.queenbeepower.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queenbeepower/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queenbeepowerLinks: https://linktr.ee/queenbeepower1:32 - Training at Westside Barbell4:47 - Lessons from Louis6:18 - Working through nerves9:50 - Dealing with pressure12:23 - Leaving competition15:53 - Coaching women17:03 - Strength training benefits for women19:00 - Strong women in pop culture21:45 - Social media haters and overcoming negativity27:00 - The future of QBP

Today I’m talking to Flik Swan and Victoria Marr. They are classically-trained ballerinas, professional dancers and the co-founders of Sleek Ballet Fitness, which combines fitness training with the steely strength of classical ballet technique. We talk about what its like starting a business with your best friend, taking risks, the identity crisis that can often come with career shift, motherhood and more. If you are curious to try out Sleek Technique for yourself (I’m a big fan), head to sleekballetfitness.com where you can take advantage of a 7-day free trial. FB: https://www.facebook.com/SleektechniqueIG: https://www.instagram.com/sleektechnique/1:02: Starting a biz with your best friend3:10: Balance and compromise4:52: Dividing business and personal time6:53: Coping with a career shift8:05: Redefining yourself11:11: Taking risks and starting a new business16:03: Developing an authentic ballet fitness technique20:07: Getting product to market22:54: Getting comfortable in front of a camera23:50: Becoming moms together26:13: Deepening knowlege of where clients are at27:57: Coping with Lockdowns31:15: Vision for the future

In today's episode, I chat with Kirstin Smith. Kirstin is a fitness entrepreneur and coach, gym owner, realtor, wife, and mom to four young kids. She has a new book out called Confessions of an Unhappy Housewife, How I changed my bullshit stories and created a life I love. Today we get into the sense of identity loss that often accompanies becoming a mom, the myth of ‘I dont have enough time’ and how a painful transformation has led her to help others. Website: https://kirstinsmith.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/thekirstinsmith/Book: Confessions of an Unhappy Housewife: How I Changed My Bullsh*t Stories to Create a Life I LoveFacebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthymomslivewell1:15: Ideals vs. reality2:20: Losing my identity 7:09: Depending on your spouse to fulfill all your needs10:36: The downward spiral15:30: The tipping point22:42: Mindset shift24:47: The Coaching Pyramid28:40: Shifting off autopilot35:30 Teaching other women to write their own story

Dr. Stefi Cohen is a world-record holding powerlifter, professional boxer, a doctor of physical therapy, an exercise physiologist and the co-owner of Hybrid Performance Method. In this episode, we talk about the driving force that makes her embrace challenges, the key to her success as an entrepreneur, and how her view has shifted when it comes to representing her own femininity and sexuality in social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steficohenTwitter: https://twitter.com/drsteficohen2:15 - Prioritization and focus4:23 - Learning curve of becoming an entrepreneur7:26 - Hybrid Performance's key to success10:21 - Stefi's brand and impact11:44 - Building an Instagram platform14:30 - Risque shots and showing skin18:38 - Dealing with haters, sexism23:00 - Objectification and second thoughts26:36 - Muscle stigma and media representation29:37 - On choosing 'hard'

Today I talk to Kaleda Connell. Kaleda is a former CrossFit gym owner, a Two-Brain Business Mentor, and the CEO of the web design and marketing automation company Gym Lead Machine, which is in the process of expanding into a gym management software platform called Kilo.Today we talk about what its like to go from gym ownership to the CEO of a startup tech company, what she’s learned in these last couple of years that have helped her grow as a leader, and her secret hack for a better work/life balance. https://heykaleda.com/1:46 - The learning curve to become a tech CEO5:45 - Managing staff and communicating11:12 - Rapid growth of Gym Lead Machine14:08 - Working with focus and intention19:23 - Kaleda's superpower24:10 - Hack for transitioning from work frame to home frame26:48 - What's Next? What is Kilo?

Kate Rawlings is a former CrossFit Games athlete, a mom and the owner of Coca CrossFit in North Ridgeville, Ohio. In my chat with her today, we get into what led her to the fitness industry, the crazy balancing act that comes with being a woman in the so-called "sandwich generation," and how getting through this past year has shaped her business.https://www.instagram.com/katekillerrawlings/https://cocacrossfit.com/http://iamstronger.org/http://www.lionessmind.com/1:15: Corporate world to gym ownership3:55: COVID and the aftermath6:22: Juggling responsibilities—the "sandwich generation"11:45: Mindset and self-love16:22: Working with women during pregnancy and postpartum 19:44: Lioness and I Am Stronger24:13: Dealing with changes

Adee Cazayoux is the CEO and founder of Working Against Gravity, an athlete who won the Bronze Medal in the 2016 Canadian National Weightlifting Championships, an artist, and mother of a 1-year-old son. We chat about the pressures on women to look a certain way, anti-diet culture and the healthy-at-any-size movement. We also get into Adee's own struggles with her weight and the path that led her to her current role as CEO of a nutrition coaching company. https://www.workingagainstgravity.com/1:41: Pressure on women to look a certain way3:49: Adee's body image evolution7:53: Importance of personal choice12:19: Mindset shift14:37: Initial plan—be a teacher15:57: Pandemic lessons18:26: How to motivate20:34: Coaching athletes22:20: Running a business with your spouse24:17: Delineation of sacred/secular time28:00: Motherhood experience31:39: Adee's entrepreneurial superpower

Jennifer Hunter-Marshall is the co-owner and head coach of CrossFit Garden City in Long Island, New York. She’s also an athlete who competes in CrossFit and functional fitness competitions, an actor, and a mom of two young kids.We talk about her unusual path to the fitness industry,  what it's like to have your kids grow up in the gym, fit-shaming and why the concept of "having it all" needs to be put to bed.https://www.instagram.com/yescoachjennhttps://crossfitgardencity.com/1:38: Unlikely path to gym ownership6:19: The concept of "you can have it all"7:25: Mom guilt10:25: New understanding of a mom's need for space14:19: Co-parenting with your biz partner16:53: Growing up in a gym21:34: The importance of being intentional20:22: Working with pre-/post-natal women25:21: Competition34:33: Fit-shaming38:36: Strong role models for daughters