In the beginning of November, my husband and I welcomed our second baby boy into the world. 🙂 We are so thankful and blessed to be given these two handsome little dudes to raise. I chose to take 2 months off from my full time gig (fitness director and personal trainer at a private country club) so that I could spend time with my new baby and 1.5 year old, figure out this whole mom-of-two-kids thing (it is haaaard!), and just enjoy the holidays with loved ones.
While I am still checking in with my Facebook group and doing a few blog and business things here and there, I had planned to take it easy blog-wise for the remainder of 2017! So, while I am chasing a toddler, burping a baby, wearing the same clothes multiple days in a row, and not sleeping, I have a few fabulous lady entrepreneurs lined up to guest post on The Fit Niche and share their entrepreneurial journeys with ya all!
Meet Julia!
I honestly can’t even remember HOW Julia and I connected online, but we have been following one another for a while now. We both had our first sons around the same time and I always felt connected to her through Facebook posts. 🙂
We have chatted about business and kids over the years, and I am so excited to share her story with you today. Julia has truly embraced her local community, found her “sweet spot” in her business by working with runners, and continues to grow as an entrepreneur.
You can find Julia on her blog: The Petite Fastinista
Or her Facebook page: Julia Hickman – The Petite Fastinista
An Entrepreneur Story: Behind the Scenes with Julia Hickman #fitfam #sweatpink #mompreneur Click To Tweet
Here is Julia’s Entrepreneur Story:
I am a wife and toddler boy mom who’s been a fitness fanatic since childhood!
I remember going for runs to a park with one of my aunts and following along with her workouts. I became a volunteer aerobics instructor at my college’s gym but it took over a decade for me to follow my fitness dreams and became a certified trainer.
A few years ago, I became a CrossFit coach and coached a couple of classes at the CrossFit box where my husband and I attended. I knew I needed to become a coach after reflecting on how it made me feel when I talked about fitness and helping others with some of their fitness and nutrition questions.
I eventually parted ways with CrossFit and finally decided to launch my own training business this past summer.
I saw a need amongst some of the local women in my neighborhood for quick and efficient workouts in a friendly and non-judgy environment. I knew that when I went back to coaching, I wanted it to be on my own terms, with my own programming and be my own boss.
The group class thing was something I had been wanting to do ever since I stopped teaching Crossfit but just didn’t know how or when. I wanted to keep my skills fresh, help people, and make a little money.
I asked around and a few local friends said they’d come if I did a group class.
So I have 6 people so far. Classes are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:30am and cost $10 a class. Not everyone comes to every class, which is why I am looking to offer a “hybrid” program of one to two online workouts as well… which a few have expressed interest in.
To promote my classes, I posted about it on social media, emailed a few friends, and asked a few neighbors to share.
Recently, I’ve gone to a few local businesses and asked them for coupons to give to my clients and usually they’ve asked for my info too.. Athleta even wants me to come in and set up a table and then come back a different day to do a workout.
I’m also doing a running program for 5 weeks at $125- we meet once a week for a group run and then they do 2 other runs on their own following my run program. Three of my four clients want to extend it and do a Turkey Trot race together!
So, while I really enjoyed Crossfit, running is my baby. I also enjoy functional fitness (without crazy heavy lifting) and shorter workouts that busy women can do. And this is something that I saw a need for amongst some of my friends, whether they were athletes themselves or just trying to get back in shape.
I’ve recently become a contributor to one of my town’s online newspapers where I share informative fitness, running, and healthy living related articles. This has helped get my name out there and promote my business.
I reached out to a few brands for social media posts and it’s resulted in
a) great discounts
b) free products
c) or actual payment!
I’ve also met a very reputable chiropractor who wants me to train at his clinic as a contractor and make my own schedule – which I’m SUPER excited about the opportunity!
My advise to anyone looking to get into the fitness field or transition to working for themselves is to keep learning!
Don’t worry about fancy certifications right away – I’m just now working towards a running one. But I have years of running experience and have always documented my journey so people know that and trust me to help them.
Don’t take no’s personally and make sure you connect with the people who do come to you!
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Thank you so much, Julia!
I am speaking all about FREEBIES in the Social Media for Healthpreneurs Summit happening THIS week! (It is available after this week as well.) The summit teaches health, fitness and nutrition-entrepreneurs how to grow their business through social media.
*If you sign up for the summit using my affiliate link above and then decide to upgrade to the bonus videos in the summit, I will get a commission.
