If you are growing a boutique fitness or wellness business, you will inevitably reach a point where things are happening quickly. New clients are coming in, there’s a ton of classes or appointments scheduled each day, you’re managing new employees or contractors… or trying to do it all yourself.

Things are moving too quickly — and you’re reaching a point where you can’t do it all anymore. You have to have a “Come to Jesus” moment with yourself: Is this what you really want? Do you want to create a business that is bigger than you? OR is it time to cut back so you’re not burning out?

First thing you should know: this is not a bad place to be. Technically, it just means that you’ve grown as much as possible in the space provided, so something has to change. You, as a business owner, have a decision to make; you can either grow your business by going all in, or scale back, shut down, and call it quits. 

So, let’s walk through a scenario to help you see what this “fork” might look like for you — and which path you’ll take.

Consider the following scenario 

You are working for a Pilates or (insert your chosen niche here) studio. You’ve established yourself as one of the most sought-after employees/trainers on the team, and you know that you’re really good at what you do. Someone, whether it be a client or a co-worker, tells you that you could probably do this on your own. 

The thought sticks with you. There might be a need for more of your specialty in the community, you might think about ways you can do your job better if you branch out. You also just want more freedom in your life and not to work under someone else. So you decide to start your own journey, whether it begins as a simple side hustle or whether you jump in with both feet and go full-fledged entrepreneur. 

Your business grows quickly, you establish a good reputation, and you’re bringing in money. But you become so busy and so booked you forget the other components to running a successful business, like office and managerial type work. The things that you’re good at, the practice, your niche, doesn’t feel like work..but the other stuff? You’re not loving that side of the business world, and you’re not giving yourself the time to learn those things anyways.

So what do you do? You hire help. But you learn that there’s a big difference between delegating vs. abdicating. Your new hires don’t do things like you do, and you didn’t build in the time to teach or train them. So now you don’t only have a full client roster, you’re managing other people, and you get to the point where you’re not good at either thing. There’s too much on your plate and you can’t do it all.

This is when you reach the fork in the road. Something has to change in order for you to grow. IF you want to grow, that is. You need to institute some system, some accountability, but you don’t know how. And that’s okay – they don’t teach that in PT school, or certification classes. 

So then, what’s your next move?

Foundations and Infrastructures

There are so many different systems involved in running a business. And there’s a big difference between owning a business and owning a business that actually runs. 

Personally, I want to own a business that runs on autopilot, that can exist without me having to be there all the time. My studios can 100% run without me, the business doesn’t skip a beat if I’m not there.

I hit the fork in the road 5 years ago and I had to decide between being done, giving it all up, or doing what my business needed of me: become a leader. I didn’t know how to grow and build an infrastructure, so I had to invest in a program that helped me establish some of those key foundations. 

Here's the deal: you can’t build a second story if you don’t have a strong foundation – so don’t try putting the cart before the horse. When you do hit the fork in the road, you might have to slow down a little at first. We call this slowing down to speed up. And you’ll need to be patient as you put the infrastructure/foundation in place. 

What are some things you can be doing during this slow-down period? You can reevaluate the systems that you have in place, create an onboarding system for when new people join, and begin to build the foundation with which to grow. 

Need help taking the path of growth?

I’ve got just the place for you to contemplate your next move…

The Beyond the Movement Inner Circle is a 12-month mentorship program that I created with exactly these types of conversations in mind. It’s literally what we do: coach, provide resources, and give expert advice and support in order to get you to where you want to be. 

The Inner Circle also takes people that are already successful in their business who suddenly need to grow, but feel like they don’t have the time or resources to do it. We help them streamline and fine-tune their businesses so that when they do grow they’re doing less of the day-to-day work and more of what they're passionate about. 

So if you’re at a fork in the road and know that it’s time to commit to GROWTH, consider joining the Inner Circle today. Apply for the Inner Circle now!