Momentum Matters: 5 Steps For Starting A New Business

The number on question people ask me about my experience as entrepreneur is “How did you get started?” then there are a bunch of follow-up questions like …”Did you have a clear vision?”   “Did you have a business plan?”  “Did you have investors?”   And the answers are No, No and No.  I’m a big believer in the power of momentum…..once you get moving in a direction that energizes you, it’s hard stop.  And while you’re moving forward, you start attracting amazing opportunities. Or at least this was the case for me. Let me shed some light on what I believe to be the 5 key steps for bringing a business idea to life.  (Warning:  None of the steps require writing a business plan.)So a little bit of background,  I was a pretty risk averse person and I played it by the book throughout my 20’s… graduated from college, spent two years in HR at Texas Instruments, earned an MBA, then joined a Big 4 consulting firm.  Overall life was good, but deep down I knew something was missing. While I was grateful for the stable salary, opportunity to travel and exposure to complex corporate challenges, something inside of me was not satisfied.  I’ve never considered myself a “creative” person, but I had a deep desire to “make new stuff” and lead people and feel excited about my work, and I wasn’t getting that.  During that time, I was also struggling with my weight as I had to travel to a different state or country every week, Monday through Thursday.  So eating healthy was a challenge.  I started taking Turbo Kick classes at 24 Hour Fitness and they were so freakin’ fun!  I got really into it, loved the way I felt after class, and thought it would be fun to sign up for instructor training just so I could get better at the moves.  So one weekend, I paid the $189 fee and spent a Saturday learning how to teach Turbo Kick class (the best decision of my life).  And this leads me to STEP #1: Follow what energizes you.  Never in a million years did I ever think I would ever start a fitness company.  After all, I was chunky kid and my childhood dream was to be a talk show host.  BUT, I really enjoyed these group fitness classes.  They were a hobby.  They were challenging.  They excited me and I didn’t mind working really hard and really long to get good at them.  I love this quote form Mark Cuban, “If you really want to know where your destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.”  I realized I was spending more of my free time planning workouts rather than working on client decks….very telling.  At that point, I knew I wanted to start some sort of fitness venture, but I didn’t know what it would look like.

While, discovering something that energizes you is super exciting, it still takes lots of  hours to develop the craft and become great at it. As a former collegiate athlete this principle is engrained in me and I know that I have to practice a ton if I want to be great at anything. If I was serious about starting a fitness company, I was going to have to develop a rigorous routine to develop the skills required to do so.  STEP #2: Start Developing The Skills You Need To Succeed.  At that point I got a part-time job (side hustle) at 24 Hour Fitness teaching at least 1 class per week.  I knew I couldn’t start a group fitness company unless I was a badass fitness instructor.   I also started this blog because I knew that I needed to develop some marketing skills (of which I had none).  Blogging gave me hands on experience with social media and free marking tools.  It also gave me a therapeutic outlet to share my story in a very authentic way.  Blogging changed my life.  For realz.  For 2 years I maintained the side hustle of teaching fitness classes and blogging, in addition to working full time in management consulting.  Yes, I was tired.  Yes, I had a lot to juggle.  But my side hustle pumped me up so much that I didn’t mind staying up late and working all weekend to keep my blog updated and prep for fitness classes.  The skills I developed during this time prepared me to excel in leading my business, before I even started my business.

2012, After starting my blog, I got some “professional” fitness pics taken at JC Penny! (wow Brit)

So now I was rolling!  During this time, my blog was growing and getting recognition from PopSugar and Greatist.  My classes at 24 Hour Fitness were packed.  I was feelin’ myself!  BUT, I wasn’t making any “real money”… I had a hobby… I didn’t have a business…  I wanted to start a business so I could work in fitness full-time and quit my “real job!”  But I had a ton of business ideas and was feeling overwhelmed.  From apps, to class formats, to video series – ah!!!!!  Many of you can probably relate with me at this point… so you have a “passion” or a business idea or an interest in something but you don’t know what to do with it.  You spend countless hours discussing it with our friends, journaling, thinking about everything that could go wrong, etc.  Then you get overwhelmed with all of these thoughts and say, “screw it” someone else is probably already working on this and 5 steps ahead of me.  I get it.  I’ve been there.  This was me.  But the best thing you can do at this point, is JUST MAKE SOMETHING ALREADY  (STEP 3).  I made workout DVD (GRIT Ultimate Body Burn).  There’s so much power in simply keeping the ball rolling.  Your product or service doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to reflect you!  AND you need the experience of creating something from nothing.  Creating my workout DVD gave me a new level of confidence that I could take and idea and bring it life.  It also polished my project management skills and collaboration skills.  And it was just fun.  So if you’re mulling around in the “idea phase” stop thinking and start doing!

Once you’ve created something, you’ve got to find like-minded people who LOVE IT!  Notice I didn’t say you need spend tons of money on mass marketing.  That’s not a good look.  You just need to find people who are already on board with what you’re doing and educate them! Remember, momentum is everything!  Give them free samples, throw a party and buy their drinks share your story with them. STEP 4: Find Your Tribe and Energize Them!  A highly engaged tribe of people who love your product/service are the most valuable asset your business will ever have.  During my 2 years of side hustlin’,  I was teaching FREE classes at the W Hotel every single weekend.  I would post free workouts on my blog every single week.  I was energizing and investing in my tribe. If you show people that you genuinely love them and are passionate and committed to a common purpose,  they will be your biggest advocates and all of the marketing you need. Find the RIGHT people, love them and keep them excited!

Now that you’ve got ball rolling, just keep it rolling!  Once you stop, it’s so much harder to restart.  STEP 5: Never quit, never ever give up. Sure there are obstacles and setbacks and bad days, but hopefully you absolutely love what you’re doing and you’re enjoying the process.  I’m a big believer that if you’re  committed to a positive cause, consistently improving and growing and strengthening your tribe, your business simply CANNOT fail.  It’s actually impossible….as long as you don’t quit!  The opportunity to open the first GRIT Fitness studio literally fell in my lap.  A student in my Turbo Kick class at 24 Hour Fitness has a son who was looking for someone to share his commercial space in Downtown Dallas to run fitness classes.  Seriously?!?!  GRIT Fitness was developed out of a side-hustle, a 30 minute workout DVD and this blog.  But the energy and momentum from years of smaller efforts are what has grown us to a business led by 50 fabulous women serving over 3,000 clients. Never underestimate the magic of simply moving forward.

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Dallas GRIT Fitness Flagship | Construction Progress

Hey hey friends!  I’m SO THRILLED to share a construction progress update today because SO MUCH has been accomplished in so little time.

So, this week all of the former walls in the facility were demolished leaving this huge open space…

and by the end of the week, the new wall frames and sheet rock were constructed –  YAY!

This is a major milestone because the new GRIT FITNESS flagship studio will have 2 studios under 1 roof: 1 group fitness studio + 1 indoor cycling studio. (It’s also just super cool to actually see the future floor plan in real life – not just on construction drawings).

I’m big believer that variety is the spice of life and the key to an effective fitness regimen, so I’m super keen on providing continuous variety to my clients AKA the #GRITFAM.  Offering cycling classes in additional to our 7 original group fitness classes is a phenomenal sweaty combo!

Furthermore, we made more great progress on the locker room.  Last week the locker room looked like this (NO plumbing)…

This week the trenching for plumbing got underway and we are on track to install showers!

We still have lots of work to do (e.g. flooring, lighting, sound, decor) but the BIG construction efforts are well underway and almost done.  Summer will be here before we know it and I can’t wait to offer more of our fun, fierce fabulous fitness classes to the Dallas community.

It’s not too late to back our campaign and help make this vision come to life.  We can’t do it without you!  Thank you so much for the contributions, kind emails and words of encouragement so far.  You are loved and appreciated.  #thebestisyettocome

xoxo, Brit

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The Power of Vulnerability

Hey friends!  Happy Sunday.  I hope you had a fabulous weekend!  My weekend was super busy, but I don’t mind (I like it like that).  Last week, I hosted my best friends at my bachelorette pad for a LOOOONG overdue book club meeting/wine night.  We start the book club over 3 years ago, but unfortunately have not met in the last 18 months.  Needless to say, we very much appreciated the time together AND thoroughly enjoyed our book, Daring Greatly by Brené Brown (yay Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday crew).

Daring Greatly is all about the power of vulnerability.  While putting ourselves in vulnerable situations often makes us feel weak, it’s actually one of the most empowering actions we can take to strengthen our relationships and our sense of self-worth.

The week I had a unique opportunity to “choose vulnerablity” by sharing a video that I think makes me look “weak.”  Here’s a little back story…last summer I met an awesome producer, Clint Howard, via Thumbtack who developed the GRIT promo video that’s my studio’s website.  A few days ago he sent me this “behind the scenes” video he created.  I hesitated to share it because I want to put on a “strong/girlboss” image, but after thinking about it some more I decided it’s good for me to be totally transparent and let my clients and blog followers know exactly why GRIT exists and why the #GRITFAM means the world to me.  You can watch the video below…

Grit Behind the Sceens from Clint Howard II on Vimeo.

While I run the risk of being made fun of, negative feedback, etc., I’m comfortable enough in my own skin to face whatever outcomes may be.  Most importantly, I believe in the vision of GRIT Fitness so much that I want to make intentions crystal clear.  Quite honestly, this is the first time in my life that I’ve felt this way and it’s so liberating!  Having a truly unique personal passion/ life purpose is simply the best.  And for it, I’m forever grateful.

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Hey Friends – happy 2016! First off, my sincere apologies for the sporadic blog posting.  We have been crazy busy at GRIT Fitness with a rush of new members who are ready to get fit and feel fabulous in 2016.  I’m not one for excuses, so I’ll just say “my bad” and start doing better.  Most posts coming – I promise!

To kick off the New Year, my team and I met for an inspirational brainstorming and goal setting session.  We chatted about things that were going well at GRIT and things that we can do better. We also spent time articulating our vision of an “amazing fitness experience” and then set some team and personal goals around that vision.

Fortunately, I had a great boss back in my consulting days who taught me about setting SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time Bound.  What are your goals for 2016? I encourage you to also set smart goals – they are more effective for driving to results!

As a small business owner and new entrepreneur I value this quality time with my team.  Sure, I see these ladies everyday as sweat and smile during our classes at GRIT, but the most important thing I’ve learned during my first year as an entrepreneur is that my business success is 100% dependent on the engagement and performance of my team.  Without my team – I have nothing! #realtalk

As a self-proclaimed “independent woman” this was a tough pill for me to swallow because a part of me prides myself on developing the concept for GRIT Fitness on my own and getting it up and running by leveraging my skills and experience.  But as we continue to grow, there are SO MANY things that I simply can’t do by myself and SO MANY things that I just don’t know.   I have to develop and empower my team to be leaders in their own right, take risks and to share their gifts with others.

While I absolutely LOVE group fitness and feel so blessed to wake up every day and pursue my passion, I get so much more joy from serving my team and creating a foundation for us all to pursue our passions together.  I’ve learned that “it’s great to do what you love, but even greater with the great team.” Teamwork really does make the dream work.  xoxo,Brit

Maria, GRIT Body Sculpt & HIIT instructor, showing off her mug
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GRIT Fitness 2016 New Year Challenge

Happy 2016 my friends!  I hope you rang in the new year with those you love.  I enjoyed New Year’s day by teaching SOLD OUT back-to-back classes at my studio at “Brit’s 2016 Sweaty Surprise” class.  Essentially, I picked all of my favorite songs from 2015 and choreographed a mash-up workout of kickboxing, body sculpting and dance exercises.  It was a one hour of good old sweaty fun.

To keep the momentum going, I’m hosting a #NEWYEARBESTYOU challenge for our GRIT family. If you don’t live in Dallas, you can still participate!  All you have to do is write down one personal goal of how you will be your best self this year and email it to [email protected].  Then you must complete 15 workouts that are each at least 30 minutes long before the end of January.  Share your progress by posting 15 post-workout pics to Instagram and use the hashtag #newyearbestyou.  Everyone who completes the challenge will earn our newest “I’m Allergic to Basic Workouts Tank Top” #dontbebasic.  Let’s do this thang!

If you live in Dallas, come join the challenge in person!  We are offering a killer New Year deal for unlimited classes and official membership to the GRIT Family.  For only $105 per month you can join the party, take the challenge and hang out with me (which I hope you want to do)!  Here’s the link to sign up: REGISTER NOW

Alright gang, let’s make 2016 the best year of our lives and let’s do it as a team!  Here’s to a happy, healthy New Year!  xoxo, Brit

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GRIT & Gratitude

GRIT and Gratitude- What are you grateful for

Hey friends!  I hope your day is going well. I can’t believe it’s already November – this year is flying by.  However, I love the fall and I love this month because of its gratitude focus.  I’m a big advocate of performing acts of gratitude because…

Grateful people are less resentful, more optimistic and healthier than their ungrateful counterparts

We have a couple of fun events going on at my fitness studio this month to help us focus on being grateful.  For starters, this Saturday at 12:30pm we’re hosting a Thanksgiving Potluck Party complete with food tasting, bottomless mimosas and Fabeltics swag bags.  As a Fabletics Master Trainer, I get the awesome privilege of hosting official Fabletics events in Dallas.  If you live in Dallas, come join the party!  You can join for free as long as you bring a dish to share, otherwise the entry fee is $10. Check out our Facebook Event Page for details!

Fabletics Event with Brit Rettig- Potluck

Also, our November Challenge is all about Gratitude.  This month, members of our #gritfam have to complete 10 classes and post 10 contributions to our gratitude board.  In doing so, they earn the newest GRIT tank top.  Pretty cool huh?

GRIT and Gratitude Fitness Challenge

Check out all of the gratitude posts that we’ve accumulated so far!  Just reading all of the things that people are grateful for instantly boosts my mode and makes me appreciate life.

GRIT and Gratitude- What are you grateful for

 I hope that you also take on an attitude of gratitude this month – it’s great for the mind, body and soul.  xoxo, Brit

How do you practice gratitude?

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Start-Up Success Secrets

Hey friends!  I just returned to Dallas from a fun-filled, informative weekend in Chicago!  My primary purpose was to visit my best friends (Jan and Lakshmi) but in the midst of our patio chillin’ and fine dining I received some valuable business inspiration!

I read #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso during my flight.  Have you read it?  It was a funny and inspiring read that got me in “empowered entrepreneur mode” for the duration of the trip.  My main take away from the book is to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL BELIEVE IN YOU TOO.

My in-flight reading! #GIRLBOSS

The weather in Chicago was absolutely perfect, sunshine with a cool breeze.  Lakshmi, Jan and I enjoyed several cocktails on the patio throughout the weekend.  Jan is a member of SoHo House so we also had a yummy lunch on the roof.  So fancy huh?

The weather in Chicago was absolutely perfect, sunshine with a cool breeze.  Lakshmi, Jan and I enjoyed several cocktails on the patio throughout the weekend.  Jan is a member of SoHo House so we also had a yummy lunch on the roof.  So fancy huh?

I was excited to put on an old dress that I love – it’s a metallic, fitted Alice & Oliva dress – an oldie but a goodie.  I wore it 2 years ago the Dallas Autumn Ball (see here at the bottom of the post) and was pumped to get some more wear out of it this weekend.  I love fancy events – great drinks, lots of dancing and engaging conversation – what more could I ask for?

Oh hey – show stopper! LOL

The fun didn’t stop there.  On Friday morning I got to attend another exclusive event with Lakshmi (yeah – she’s connected). It was a private breakfast and discussion at the Virgin Hotel for a hand-selected group of 1871 entrepreneurs. Alistair Campbell, former spokesman/press secretary  British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was the keynote speaker.  He talked about his new book, Winners,  and having a “winning mindset.”

Alistair Campbelle (right) and moderator (left) at Virgin Hotel Breakfast event

I found his comments very thought-provoking.  Especially this one…

THE WINNING MENTALITY IS BASED OUT OF ADVERSITY.  

He elaborated with numerous sports examples.  But his bottom line was that the feeling of “not being good enough” can really drive some people more than anything.  As a small business owner and a “grit” enthusiast, I couldn’t agree more.  Nothing motivates me more than overcoming obstacles and proving to myself and to others that I am capable.

The rest of the weekend was filled with laughs, deep conversation, a sweaty ride at SOUL CYCLE and a final farewell home-cooked dinner at Lakshmi’s place.  While the fancy events were nice, I gained the most valuable insight and inspiration from my dearest friends.  Every time I’m around them I feel so good about myself because I know that they love me for who I am.  I can be 100% myself, silly-jokes, crazy comments and all.  And this brings me to the last secret to start-up success = CREATE A BRAND THAT IS TRUE TO YOU.

At the end of the day, there are unlimited products and services in the world that are essentially the same.  However, winners are able to deliver value in a different/unique way.  A way that makes people feel connected to them.  The best way to be unique is to be yourself!  Let that uniqueness shine thr

Me, Lakshmi & Jan taking a selfie before I headed back to the Big D
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Top 5 Inspirational Quotes for Business Owners

Image: Annabel, Kemi and I posing at the IDEA World Fitness Conference – GRIT Fitness Instructors represent!

Hola friends!  I hope your week is going well.  This week is a bit of a bear as I’m still getting back in the swing of things after being in Los Angeles for the IDEA World Blog Fest & Fitness Convention. This was my 2nd time attending as last year I went for the 1st time and had an absolute blast.  Check out my blog post reflecting on my most memorable moments the 2014 IDEA World.

This year’s conference was equally energizing and inspiring and better yet, 2 of my best friends & fellow GRIT Fitness instructors (Annabel and Kemi) came with me!  We enjoyed 3 days of workshops, workouts and fitness classes in LA.  My adorable aunt (who’s 75 years old and super amazing looking – OMG see photo below) hosted us at her fab house.  We had an awesome trip perfectly balanced with relaxation and invigoration.  Here are a few pics…

Day 1- arriving at IDEA World Fitness Convention w/ Kemi (left) and Annabel (right)
After super sweaty Soul Cycle class in West Hollywood! We opted for a fierce workout instead of a fancy dinner on night one (wink wink)
I ran into some of my Dallas Fitness friends while in LA – say hey to the Lync Cycling gang!
And more Dallas Fit Friends – Mark Shipman from the Ride House & Shredded by Mark 🙂
I took a killer workout with Gabrielle Reece – HighX workout – check it out!
And obvi I made lots of new blogging buddies during Blog Fest!

I love attending these conferences because I pick up little nuggets wisdom from fellow fitness entrepreneurs.  Here are the Top 5 takeaways that impacted me most…

Top 5 Inspirational Quotes for Business Owners

  1. Nobody can be you like YOU can – Dare to be different from the masses.
  2. Only iron can sharpen iron – Surround yourself with positive, smart highly motivated people.
  3. Work ON your business and IN your business – Don’t get so caught up in your business operations that lost focus on strategic planning.
  4. Anticipate and prepare for change – Change is inevitable so put lots of energy in continuous improvement and never get too comfortable in your current situation.
  5. People are your greatest asset, treat them as such – The only thing that truly seperates good business from great business is passionate and loyal human capital.
Farewell photo with my new selfie-stick! Me, Kemi and my Aunt Nita who hosted us at her beautiful home in Baldwin Hills, CA!

Rock on this week!  xoxo, Brit

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Savor The Moment

Dallas GRIT Fitness Dream Team

Image: Me and my Dream Team at the grand opening of Dallas GRIT Fitness – so blessed to have the most energetic, talented and dedicated team of instructors and friends! View More: http://fagin007photography.pass.us/grit

Hello hello my dearest blog community!  I hope this post finds you joyous and well.  Wow – what a week.  My new venture, GRIT Fitness, is growing like crazy.  We’ve had record attendance over the past 2 weeks and I couldn’t be more grateful for the early success.  In the midst of writing newsletters, planning special events, networking with brand partners, creating playlists, cleaning and developing instructors, I’m trying to take a few moments each day to sit still and savor the moment.  Of course I want to grow GRIT Fitness to be the world’s leading fitness/wellness brand BUT sometimes I get so focused on “what’s next” that I forget that I’m actually living my dream TODAY!  This time last year, I hoped and prayed for an opportunity to quit my consulting career and wear workout clothes every day.  A chance to wake up each morning with a direct opportunity help people reach their fitness goals and simply be a source a positive energy to everyone I encounter.  Now I get to do just that.  So amazing.  For me, learning to savor the moment is easier said than done, but little by little I’m getting better at it and I can see an improvement in overall wellbeing, mood and happiness.

For instance, this morning as I sit at my kitchen table writing this blog post and checking things off of my “to do” list, I try to be really mindful of how yummy my greek yogurt parfait tastes.  Usually I just scarf it down while typing an email, but today I paused after I took a bite and thought to myself, “damn, this is pretty tasty.”  Sounds so simple, but it really put a smile on my face.

Brit’s breakfast 3/19/15 – greek yogurt, blue berries and watermelon (giant pot of black coffee not pictured)

Yesterday, I enjoyed tea time at Sip Stir Cafe with my good friend Megan, founder of the The Lyon’s Share Wellness.  We try to get together once a month to share stories and encourage each other.   Like me, Megan also quit her consulting career to start her own business.  She’s a certified nutrition and running coach whom I very much admire.  After our chat, I hung around the cafe and caught up on work and during that time I took a moment simply express gratitude for positive, healthy friendships.  I often take those for granted, but boy does being around positive people nourish my soul!  So good 🙂

Yesterday at Sip Stir cafe after my tea time with Megan – savoring positive friendships and the yummy apple/lemon grass tea

I’m going to continue to mindfully pause throughout my day and savor the good that’s in the present moment.  Hopefully it will become a healthy habit!

Alright gang, I’m off to teach my noon spin class for the awesome employees at Fossil corporate HQ.  I’ll savor that sweaty ride and endorphin pumpin’ playlist 🙂

How do you savor the moment?

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A Goal Without a Plan Is Simply a Wish

Image: Me in 2009 at 178 pounds vs. in 2014 at 155 pounds #progress #actionplan

Happy Transformation Tuesday!  I’m keeping today’s post short and sweet…

3 years and minus ~25 pounds…the only thing consistent is my dress (thanks to my tailor).  Once I got serious about taking control of my weight, and my life, I wrote down an exercise action plan and stuck to it for 8 weeks.  I worked out with a personal trainer every Friday morning, did 30 minutes on the elliptical every Monday and Wednesday and lifted weights every Tuesday.  Over time, I increased the intensity of my workouts and started eating less simple sugar.  The key to my weight loss success was writing down a weekly action plan that consisted of small tangible, realistic goals.  My success is NOT due to following a hardcore diet plan, starving myself or sticking to an insane workout routine.  Little by little my weekly actions became habits which lead to a healthier lifestyle.  If you’re just getting started on your fitness or weight loss journey, I highly encourage you to write down your action plan!  How will you achieve your goals?

A Goal Without a Plan Is Simply a Wish

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