So this week, my little community fitness business – Little Mis-Fit turns 8 years old!!!.
I look back 8 years ago , at the hopes and dreams I had when I set out on my journey and honestly can’t believe how fast the time has flown by, and how much my little dream has grown and become my reality .
I had always loved Exercise. I started running in primary school – one of the teachers used to take a group of us out on a Friday lunch time. Throughout Secondry school, I was on the cross country team and I loved PE. Now I was on the Cross country team, -but honestly I was so not the best runner at all but what I did have was the determination to try and to keep trying. I would train with the team each lunch time, I went to running club on a Tuesday and Thursday night and just practiced and practiced. I just really enjoyed it and I got faster and fitter. So when I left school the Career advice lady who came to school, suggested I may want to go into the fitness industry, at that time though I wanted to travel and sport was something I did because I enjoyed it , what if it was my job and I came to hate it??. so I became a travel agent!.
In 1995, at the age of 16, I left school after my G.C.S.E’s to enroll on a YTS (youth training scheme ) as a trainee travel agent – I wanted to travel the world . I liked the job but there was just something inside that told me , this was not really what I was meant to do . I have travelled to some amazing places and even got to work in Las Vegas a couple of time so when I was in my early twenties which was pretty cool.
Over the years however I did keep coming back to the idea of teaching classes. Finally in 2010 as the age of 30 , I found a local course and decided to go for it. Now not many people know this but in actual fact I signed up to do my Pilates course first!!!, then changed my mind and switched to the group fitness course instead. It was over 10 weeks and it was a tough 10 weeks!!. It was the first time I had studied in a long time and I was working full time and at college on a Sunday all day and trying to juggle the homework and choreography practice. Ha all that juggling though would stand me in good stead for all the juggling I do now!. I remember having a week off travel work , during the middle of it though and it was a lovely sunny day and I was sat in my garden , studying – thinking this could be my life! My life could be not being stuck behind a desk all day in a stuffy office for 8 hours , 5 days a week , but instead have the freedom of doing a job I loved and working more flexible hours. 8 years on , I am achieving that dream!. A couple years ago, I did eventually get around to doing my Pilates course aswell hurrah!. From that first moment of teaching – I knew I had found it – the job I was meant to do!. It just felt right
After getting my Group fitness qualification – I set up a Class on a Monday night in a local church hall. Back then I think I was on Facebook but no clue really how to use it . In fact I didn’t really know much about running a business at all! . When I was 24 and saving for my first house, aswell as my travel job though , I worked as a Virgin Vie make up rep – so I would go round delivering parties selling make up – as a make up junkie this was actually a bit of another dream job too , getting to play with make up and being paid for it ha. Hmmm actually I wonder if Charlotte Tillbury or Mac would be interested in me doing a little side work for them …………………. . Anyhoo I digress but actually being a Virgin Vie rep I did learn a couple things about marketing and running a business so I was not totally clueless as I learned about keeping my accounts and a bit about marketing but there would be so much more to learn.
It has not always been an easy journey – so many people think being their own boss is much easier than working for someone else. In actual fact its so much harder. I’ve tried things that didnt work out but there have been plenty things that have worked out and I genuinly love what I do . In recent years I have also started working with kids – doing Yoga , which is actually not something i ever set out to do, It was a little detour but again something I really enjoy so definatly a case of Serendipty (FYI totally love that movie!!)
I am truly truly grateful to each and everyone of you that has been part of the Mis-fit journey over the past 8 years – some of the people in that very first class, are still with me today and the same with my second class I set up a couple months later – they are also still with me. Without all you guys coming to classes and helping spread the word, Mis-Fit would not be what it is today. You guys inspire me to keep going , to keep teaching classes , to keep learning new things to increase my knowledge and keep classes fresh and fun. I love our little Mis-Fit community we have created , with friendships formed and the craic in the classes . I can have had a really stressful day at the 9-5 and all I want to do when I finish is curl up on the settee and watch netflix, but I know the minute I stand up in class and start teaching you all , sharing in the banter , laughing , Its the perfect medicine and I love that I know its the same for you guys too. You can have loads going on at home/work but you show up for class for some You time and we help you feel better too.
Huge thank you aswell to my mam, dad and sister who are my constant cheerleaders, cheering me on and supporting me and my friends who do the same and who understand when I can’t always play out because my working hours are so different to theirs but they are always there.
My Big goal was always to aim to make Little Mis-Fit my full time job. As I got more Qualifications and grew my classes , I was able to reduce my days at my travel job from 5 days to 3 days and last December I actually dropped down to 2 days. However having returned from Holiday this Summer and having talked about it forever and with the support of my family and friends all cheering me on , I made the huge decision to take a leap of faith and take Mis-Fit full time – eeekkkkkkk!. S*#t just got real people!!!!!!!. So from December 2018 – Mis-Fit is full time!!!! .
Maybe it will work out , maybe it won’t – that determination I had when I was starting out running , that has always stayed with me and I have every determination to try and make this succeed too -Either way I have to at least try – after all the magic happens when you step outsode your comfort zone! . I believe at least trying , will be Little Mis-Fit’s greatest adventure yet!.
Time now for Cake and Prosecco!!!!!!!!!!
Love
Joanne
Take the Mis-Fits Challenge!