The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
We are constantly being faced with new challenges.
There are so many, it feels like the list won’t end but there is something we have learnt about challenges and that’s that they will always be there and without them we would learn nothing.
What helps when challenges come our way is the ability to adapt. If we did not adapt well to new situations, we would fail very easily and there would be no growth within ourselves or our business.
One of our biggest is moving home and starting again. We moved our business back to New Zealand just after lockdown, along with all our product. We started a new Instagram page from scratch, which is our main source of sales – as we set up our first incorrectly and it could not be un-done! We had to think fast as we no longer had our manufacturers and suppliers in Australia to produce new product and couldn’t afford it as we spent everything to move home.
That’s when we decided to create 5 pre-made fitness eBook programs that cater to a variety of fitness goals including different eating options and loads of recipes to suit each goal, along with video tutorials for every exercise. We pumped them out within a few weeks and launched. This helped with bringing attention to our new store-front on Instagram and brought in new product for our customers which corresponded well with our existing sports supplements. We then started hosting live online workouts each week, which we loved as we got to connect with more people being home and enjoy providing a positive element to both ours and their day, especially during the second NZ lockdown.
It hasn’t been easy starting again as we were only less than a year in at the time, but we have adapted to our situation and have created so many new ideas and visions out of it.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Cons for us have been the uncertainty of income while having a family to care for. There have been times of stress but we have learnt to be patient, have trust and continue to do what we love because things happen along our path that continue to tell us to just keep going. We gave up our steady income 2 years ago to live out our dream as a family and we wouldn’t change that for the world. It’s a sacrifice you have to take from doing something you don’t want to do to actually being able to do something you love every day. If you just focus on money, you lose your passion and it becomes very exhausting. Another con is that there is no off button. We can easily work all day and through the night because it is ourselves that we rely on, so we have learnt to prioritise our time and have balance with work, family and our own time.
A pro for us has been our growth as people. Looking back from the beginning to when we had our first idea till now is insane. We can’t stress enough how much you can do if you just start! You never have to be perfect or know anything but you can learn anything and discover so much along the way. Doors shut and new doors open all the time if you just keep going. The amount we have learnt is something we never thought we would as we are a team of just us two. We have taken on board every role from every design element, website building, marketing, customer service, etc. It’s all us behind everything and we are proud of how much we have learnt.
More pros for us are the people we have connected with, people we have helped and people who have helped us along the way and believed in us. From people we know to people we didn’t know – without them we wouldn’t be where we are today and it has been an honour for us to be a part of their health and fitness journey or for them to be a part of the support of our business.
From every purchase, supportive message, like, comment and share the support of some people has been incredible and we are so thankful for everyone who has been apart of our journey. Connection is a huge pro and as people we believe we are meant to be connected and help each other in some way.
Another pro would be our children growing up and seeing us work hard to do what we love and getting them involved where they can too. Because we work from home, this is something we have had to adapt to, so creating our business to work with the whole family dynamic instead of against it has helped a lot and they can grow up with ‘family first’ values while seeing with their own eyes what we can accomplish.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We are currently working on Made2Move fitness programs for schools. Our goal is to incorporate our affirmations, which are: I AM STRONG, I AM SMART, I AM LOVED, I BELIEVE IN ME in all our programs. We believe in the importance of exercise, self belief and love for a child so this project is very close to our hearts and we cannot wait to launch. Our dream is to tour NZ primary schools with an interactive play.
We are also in the process of creating activewear which has been something we have been working on for a while. Our goal is to create sustainable, timeless pieces that are basic but also unique and stand out, and can be worn with comfort and confidence anywhere. Coming soon…
Find out more about their online kids’ programs on their Made2move website, and on Instagram and Facebook. You can also check out their Made It Health and Fitness website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
