Small Business Shoutout: Go Fit Mom
Once the pandemic was declared, I started reaching out to various business owners to see if they wanted to share their story. The story you and I don't know, but we should know. Being a business owner is stressful in itself, but then you have to shut down (in some way or another) because of a pandemic ... stress is understatement. I wanted to give these business owners a voice. The general public needs to know the inner workings of a small business. My hope is after reading some of the thoughts and stories from these business owners, a little more compassion will be had by everyone on the outside looking in.
Every Friday, I plan to feature a small business in a "Small Business Shoutout" feature. This Friday belongs to Joy Holdmeier, AKA Go Fit Mom. Joy and I have known each other for about 12 years. She was my personal trainer at one point and a friendship developed from our time together. She's passionate about helping other moms in all aspects of life, which is why she created Go Fit Mom. We talked about her business and mom life in a two part episode on the podcast: Episode 11: As A Mom, Being Busy Doesn't Always Mean Significance and Tips On How To Keep Your Children From Engaging In Negative Self-Image Talk.
Joy helped me get my booty moving during stay-at-home orders. She explains how she took her knowledge and experience and turned it into a positive during a pandemic in this week's "Small Business Shoutout":
Can you stay fit and healthy during a pandemic? Absolutely! Welcome to the online fitness and wellness industry or specifically, Go Fit Mom.
I will say I’ve felt really bad for in-person instructors, personal trainers, and gyms who rely on people physically walking into their gym to train or workout. I also felt for so many people who considered themselves “gym people”. The ones who never thought they could do it from home. But guess what? Most of them have learned to adapt and realized, YES, they can be successful at home! Both in business and in their personal fitness.
I’ve been working on building my online wellness coaching business for several years. I’ve done the gym thing. I’ve trained clients early mornings and evenings for enough years. I’ve been personal training for 20 years! Crazy to think. Once I had a family and got tired of missing out on my daughters’ evenings, school events, games, etc. I decided that there are so many moms just like me that also shouldn’t have to “miss out” just to stay in shape. You ABSOLUTELY CAN be a Fit Mom and workout at home. You ABSOLUTELY CAN have a support system without physically taking classes with other women. In a way, this pandemic was the answer to my prayers. Finally... everyone would realize they can participate and be successful virtually. You do not have to spend hours in the gym to be healthy and fit.
I’m not going to pretend I was happy about the pandemic and people getting sick and everyone having anxiety and fear. It was very hard to navigate and it definitely created new challenges for moms. Now, instead of trying to figure out how to fit in fitness with work and kids, you now had to also add teaching to your list of to-do’s. Some moms just fell off completely. My job was difficult. Moms usually put themselves last as it is, but now to get them to prioritize themselves during such a stressful time was even more challenging. I’m always up for a challenge though! I jumped right into offering an online program called “Creating Your New Normal” back in April and May. We dedicated 30 days to crafting what we wanted our days to look like. We took control by mapping out our days, working on gratitude and mindset, planning meals, and letting go of what was out of our control. I always learn best by teaching and this was definitely one of those programs where I was learning as I went. It was great to connect with other moms who had the same goals as me. We were able to share daily online and give each other encouragement. It’s what I’ve always loved about Go Fit Mom. No matter where you live, no matter your shape or size, no matter how many kids you have, these moms have been my rock! These moms who are complete strangers to each other at first become the best of friends. They share stuff they don’t even share with their friends or family because they know there is no judgement in our groups. It’s a beautiful thing.
I, like so many other instructors and trainers started teaching classes online. I started using my YouTube channel and Facebook Live more than ever and I welcomed so many new faces. Sometimes going through something challenging like this is just what you need to break through!
The other business that sort of fell into my lap, but proved to be the greatest blessing was Zyia Active. No shopping malls open, no problem!! Now women would be forced to shop from home-- which has always been the way to go for me anyway! Zyia Active is an activewear brand and the mission is to inspire and uplift by making activity a fun and essential part of your life.These are clothes that we can LIVE in. Moms especially need to move, be comfortable, and feel confident. This is the perfect line of clothing for moms.
I had been invited to a few online Zyia parties, but just wasn’t sure I wanted to add another thing to my plate. I was also skeptical of the quality. After all, the prices were good! I had been used to spending A LOT of money on quality athletic wear from stores with fancy bags ;). I decided, what do I have to lose? It falls perfectly in line with what I already do. I’m going to give this a go! Wow, I’m so glad I followed my gut there! Moms everywhere need this. They needed “work from home” joggers, and “workout from home” leggings and tanks. We were already spending our days online, so now we could shop right from the comfort of our homes for a great product!
Zyia is only sold through independent reps, so you are cutting out the middle man. No store fronts, and no fancy bags. The savings gets passed right to the customer. As a rep, you get a free website and you are ready to start your business within hours. Seriously, anyone could do this! My business has been such a blessing. I’ve ranked four times in five months, have an amazing team of women, and have used the extra income for new home projects. Yes, we moved during a pandemic also. That was fun :).
Of course all of this growth also happened while I was home from my full time job as the Programs Manager at the Missouri Athletic Club. I had such anxiety about the club closing and the “what ifs” of my job, but again… I challenged myself. This was just confirmation for me that EVERY person should have a side hustle! Yes, what IF you lost your job tomorrow? So many people have. What would you do? These direct sales businesses have saved people! Don’t ever underestimate your abilities to start your own business. It’s never a bad idea to have a small business on the side. I feel so lucky to have Go Fit Mom and Zyia during this time.
So while doing business during a pandemic has it’s challenges, you can come out stronger on the other side. There is always something to learn. There is always a silver lining. We do things we’ve never done when times get tough. We learn things we never knew about ourselves. We grow!
Connecting with me:
Go Fit Mom on Facebook and Instagram
The Go Fit Mom Community Group
Email me - gofitmomstl@gmail.com
Past "Small Business Shoutout"recipients: