Hera Hub is excited to announce our new Startup Story series. Each week we will interview incredible business women from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Our goal is to share our members’ wonderful stories with the public.
Name: Amy Mewborn
Company Name: Amy Mewborn Fitness
Description: I left a 15 year finance career by opening two barre fitness studios in San Diego. We work with women who want to get out of the large big box gym and lose weight, get fit, and have fun working out at a ballet barre! We offer a total body workout that incorporates your cardio and resistance in less than 60 minutes.
But one of my biggest passions is helping women create financial independence through business ownership. So, in 2014, I expanded to include the Amy Mewborn Fitness Brand. Through Amy Mewborn Fitness, I am certifying barre instructors and helping women open barre studios around the world.
Website: http://amymewbornfitness.com
How long have you been a Hera Hub member? Almost 3 years
To which location do you belong? Sorrento Valley is my home location, but you’ll find me in Carlsbad more often recently.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
I have always loved fitness. But my passion is really empowering women. And I found that this was the perfect marriage for me.
I was a financial advisor for 15 years. First, I found that the people with real wealth were the business owners. They worked hard, but the recipients of all their hard work were their families! For me, I had been working harder and harder, and was starting to see my pay shrink in a declining economy. It was then that I decided I did not want to be at someone else’s mercy to earn an income.
I decided to take my passion for women’s empowerment and fitness and started a very women’s focused fitness business. After four years in business, and consulting with many fitness studio owners, I decided that I really wanted to help women open their own successful studios. So, I created Barre60 – our barre certification program, as well as Barre In a Box to help women open their own barre studio.
I am expanding to offer additional programs for studio owners!
Who are your clients and what do you do for them?
My studio clients are local, San Diego women who have grown tired of the gym. Often they have been going to the gym for years, but stopped seeing results, and are tired of doing the same things over and over again.
We have created a warm, welcoming environment for women to come in and get fit with a fun, dance based workout that provides a total body cardio and resistance work out in less than 60 minutes.
My Amy Mewborn Fitness Business is all about helping women find financial independence through owning a fitness business. Barre In a Box is literally everything that I know someone would need to open a successful fitness studio.
What are your business’ values? How do they align with your personal values?
I believe in treating everyone as you would want to be treated. And to try to lift everyone around you up. As women, we have had to work really hard in some industries to be as successful and respected as our male counterparts. I believe that if we work together and support each other, we can all be more successful!
How/Why did you choose your business name?
Fit in 60 was because as busy women, we need our workouts to be efficient. I wanted women to know that they could get a total body workout, and meet their cardio AND their resistance needs in less than 60 minutes. We don’t have to work out for hours to see results. We just need to make sure that we are incorporating multiple muscle groups and both cardio and resistance into our workouts.
What do you love most about your work?
I LOVE spending time with positive women that are trying to better any aspect of their life! I am a huge advocate of life long learning, and I am inspired by being surrounded by women who are trying to do something for themselves – both in fitness AND in business.
What is the biggest challenge in running your own business?
Staffing! I am a little bit of a lone wolf. I am not shy, but I am not one who needs to be around people all the time. If I’m not teaching classes or meeting with studio owners, I am not great with small talk. So, overseeing a staff of 25 women, and making sure they are all getting the tools, training, and support to meet all their needs is sometimes rough for me!
What are your/your business’ goals for the future?
I would like to downsize to only one local studio.
I would like to help 12 women open new studios this year.
I would like to attend at least four major conferences this year to learn more about current business, marketing, and social media trends.
What advice would you give to a new entrepreneur?
Get a mentor! When I opened my first studio, I did it all by myself. It looked much easier from the outside than it really was. I wish I would have had someone that would have been there to help me bounce ideas and vet opportunities. I might have had more immediate success, a lot more free time, and a lot less stress!
hi there. i am curious about getting certified as a barre instructor. i currently take the classes at my local gym . do you have any advise for me in getting started and how to build the confidence in teaching in front of women .. exercise is something i love and i have had many people tell me that is something i should be doing is teaching barre. what are you thoughts and advice for me ?