Mamaprenuer: Sarah Mueller
Business: Sarah Mueller Fit
Site: www.sarahmueller.fit
Facebook: Lose That Baby Weight
About Sarah:
Sarah says, “My husband Carl and I have 4 kids, ages 2-7. It is wild, fun and sanctifying raising little humans into respectable adults. We just moved to Tennessee to be closer to grandparents and to be able to go on more date nights (not gonna lie.)”
About Sarah’s Business:
Sarah is a registered dietitian and fitness consultant who runs online, 4-Week Bootcamps for small groups of women. She sets up simple strength training plans that her clients can complete on their own schedule but emphasizes lifting heavy weights. (And she notes that you should be able to lift it 8-12 times to get awesome results.) She says, “When these women combine my workouts with the nutrition principles that I teach them, in our supportive, private Facebook group, women are blown away by the results they achieve and, most importantly, have found something they can continue long-term.”
Why did you decide to become a Mamapreneur?
I am passionate about helping moms feel better in their bodies by applying basic nutrition principles and intentionally putting on lean muscle. Many women head straight for the treadmill or to exercise classes because they are ‘safe' and ‘comfortable,' but end up frustrated by their lack of results. I want to teach them how to shape their own figures into lean, strong physiques by building their own workout plans and lifting heavier weights than they thought they could.
Also, there was so much nonsense out there from direct marketers and people who spread fads that I felt like it was my responsibility to speak up. I have to defend sound nutrition every day or people will uproot their lives trying to keep up with the latest juice cleanse or carb cycling diet – or whatever!
I want to teach people about small changes that add up and help them fall in love with the process. Results will appear when you don't even expect them! I have 4 kids and preschool is not cheap. I set a small goal in the beginning of the year to just make enough to cover preschool. I am proud to say that I met and surpassed that goal.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve experienced in your business?
I have a great product. I believe in it and it has transformed my body and my clients' bodies. But I can't seem to tap into the cold market in a big way. Marketing is fascinating but so frustrating to me. When I tell people about my business, they are very interested in it, but I struggle to get in front of the right people online. I can only meet so many people in real life. I want to scale it so that more women can experience life change and feel empowered to take control of their health (and let's face it, fit into their favorite jeans too!)
How did you overcome that challenge?
I'm constantly learning. I've taken Beth Anne's free Facebook ads webinar 3 times (and I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy it but I simply didn't have the funds. I invested in the Pinterest course, which was probably a mistake because I don't have a clue about Pinterest and would rather focus on getting better at Facebook ads, but alas…).
I am constantly developing ads and tweaking them and trying to figure out how to get in front of the right people. It is frustrating because direct marketers and mass market ‘coaches' have ruined social media for those of us who actually are experts. Their techniques are typically spammy and I struggle to cut through the noise.
A lot of my success has been with my warm market and individual outreach to fill my programs. I also belong to a business mentor group and it is very valuable to get on the phone with someone once a month who can give me specific and direct action items to take to move my business forward.
What is your greatest win as a business owner?
In January, I decided my word of the year was going to be ‘GROW'. I did grow. In the beginning of the year, I got people to pay me $5/month for a Habits Community on Facebook. In April when I hired my business coach (because I felt like I was spinning my wheels), she told me to shut that down because I am worth way more than $5/month. She constantly reminds me to own the fact that I am a registered dietitian and can charge people what I'm really worth. I ran a Beta group in April at 50% off my 4-week boot camp and got 15 ladies in the group. They all loved it and continued on after that, and I was able to get some amazing testimonials from that. Making real money gave me the confidence to charge full price in the groups I ran after that. To date, I have helped over 50 women learn how to train and eat better! I have improved my branding and my website and feel I will be able to raise the price in 2017 because I have a quality product to offer that many women NEED!
Describe your ‘day in the life’.
My alarm goes off at 5:15 and I shower to wake up and get ready to be a business woman (go live on facebook, carry myself with confidence in public, etc). I check in with my Facebook groups and respond to emails while drinking coffee. It is hectic getting my husband and 4 kids out the door to work, school – and preschool when they have it – but on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I have 2 hours to devote to my business. I love it.
I probably also work 4-6 hours per day on my business at naptime, after bedtime, while kids are playing outside, and other fringe hours I can find. I prioritize my own health and workout at my local YMCA a few times a week, lifting heavy weights. This keeps me in shape so I can sell my product, but it is also great therapy from raising 4 small kids!
I am also involved in Bible Study Fellowship and Moms in Prayer a few times a week; Jesus is very important to us. We do naptime in the afternoon, and I will catch up on Facebook lives from other business owners or webinars for continuing education while the kids are sleeping. My first grader gets off the bus at 4 pm and the kids will play or watch TV until dinnertime. I try to plan a weekly menu to take the stress out of mealtime. I encourage my clients to do the same and will frequently give them ideas for their menus. I don't eat ‘clean' or weird foods. I eat normal foods and encourage my clients to do the same, including their favorite treats regularly.
My husband works in Nashville so he has long hours and a long commute — it is hard on him! He comes home and works a second job as an online stats tutor. He is a very hard worker and loves being with his family. I am truly grateful for him. Our evenings are pretty boring as we both sit on the couch with the TV in the background, working on our separate businesses. I love mine and it gives me great satisfaction; he does his because it provides for our family and brings consistent income. We enjoy regular date nights and thrive on alone time together. I head to bed, later than I mean to, around 10:30 and sleep well, ready to conquer another day in His strength!
What’s your great big dream for your business?
At some point, I will need to put my program into an online do-it-yourself program that I can scale beyond what I can do in groups now. I want to empower more women by giving them confidence and the tools to build their own effective strength training workouts. I want to challenge them to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and surprise themselves by how strong they really are. I want to give generously to ministries that help women enslaved in human trafficking in this country. I want to be an influencer who speaks truth and encourages people to live their best lives.
Share a tip with your fellow Mamapreneurs.
Make a weekly menu. I sit down every Friday and write out the nights of the week with what we'll be eating. Stick with meals you can cook without a recipe (spaghetti with meat sauce, hamburgers and sweet potato fries, chicken salad on onion rolls). I make my grocery list for the week based off this, and there is no last minute scramble to figure out what to feed 4 hungry kids + 1 ravenous husband. I keep boxed mac and cheese on hand for meals my kids might not like (stuffed bell peppers or chili). I know. What kind of dietitian am I? (Hey, Kraft took out all artificial colors so it's really not that bad!)
Share a funny, crazy, or disastrous Mamapreneur moment you’ve had.
I was dropping my kids off for VBS this past summer when we had just moved to Nashville, so I was a mess and forgot I also scheduled a client consult call at the same time. I was late calling her – she just wanted to get information on my program and feel me out – and when I did, there were kids screaming in the van in the background and I was very frazzled and didn't have my regular questions in front of me. There was awkward silence at the beginning and I stumbled over my words trying to get her to open up. It was a disaster. We got to a playground and my kid threw a tantrum while I was on the phone, trying to get him safely across the parking lot. I listened a lot and apologized and maybe she just talked to me out of sympathy. I later emailed her to apologize about how unprofessional I was and offered her a deep discount. I never heard from her again. #mamapreneurlife
