{"id":47763,"date":"2023-10-20T15:55:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/entrepreneur-sarah-wills-on-taking-risks-embracing-vulnerability-and-creating-a-business-with-purpose-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:55:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:55:00","slug":"entrepreneur-sarah-wills-on-taking-risks-embracing-vulnerability-and-creating-a-business-with-purpose-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/entrepreneur-sarah-wills-on-taking-risks-embracing-vulnerability-and-creating-a-business-with-purpose-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Entrepreneur Sarah Wills on taking risks, embracing vulnerability and creating a business with purpose – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SarahWills_681x333\"<\/div>\n

Sarah Wills was enjoying all the trimmings of a well-established, well-paid senior position in a large organisation when her life was thrown into turmoil. Pausing to reflect on her purpose and values, she did that one thing that many people dream of, but only few have the courage to do.<\/p>\n

She left the corporate world to start her own business.<\/p>\n

Who:<\/strong><\/span> Sarah Wills<\/p>\n

What:<\/b><\/span> W Health and Fitness, #WTribe Program<\/p>\n

Elevator pitch:<\/span><\/b> I\u2019m Sarah W. I run women\u2019s wellness programs that are designed to teach women to value themselves and create sustainable wellness habits.<\/p>\n

Only mildly crazy people start their own businesses. How\u2019d you get here? What led you to starting this business?<\/h3>\n

I had a 15-year career in a large global company and for 15 years I was happy doing that. I was climbing the corporate ladder, I had three university degrees, cruising along \u2026 I got to a point in my life where I was quite senior in the company and I had a good life.<\/p>\n

I had a marriage, I had children, a good career. But there was something missing for me; I didn\u2019t quite feel fulfilled or happy.<\/p>\n

Then I did a leadership course for women called \u2018Compass\u2019. It started to teach me who I<\/i> was; to give me some self awareness around, \u201cWho is Sarah and what does Sarah<\/i> stand for?\u201d<\/p>\n

And what I realised was that I wasn\u2019t living a life around my true values, I was living a life around what others expected of me.<\/p>\n

When I sat back I thought, well, I\u2019m in a position where I can be true to my values and continue my career and be more authentic. To embrace my feminine characteristics and be more empathetic, be more kind, be more vulnerable, be more collaborative.<\/p>\n

In doing that I started to enjoy my job a lot more. But it also ignited a passion in me around inspiring and empowering women.<\/p>\n

It made me look around and see that when women support women it\u2019s the most magical thing, and I looked around and I saw women who were acting in a very destructive way. And a big \u2018A-ha\u2019 for me was when I realised I\u2019d probably been doing that a lot myself \u2014 judging other women, making them jump through hoops like I had.<\/p>\n

Then I went through a couple of real life-changing situations. I went through a separation, became a single mum, then my own mother became really sick and passed away. And through that moment of hitting rock bottom, I asked myself, \u201cWhat is the legacy you want to leave? What are you here for?\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I decided to take the leap of leaving the corporate world, which was too restrictive for me to go and pursue my passion, and to go and start something on my own.<\/p>\n

You were obviously already interested in health and fitness, so how did you bring your aspirations for women in business into your small business?<\/h3>\n

When my mother died and I was still working full time I went a little off the rails. I spent a few months self indulging and feeling sorry for myself and drinking and moping and being unhappy.<\/p>\n

But then I got to a point where I threw myself into fitness.<\/p>\n

I joined a group, called BattleFit Australia, that had a really good community around it and very quickly, when I came out of that \u2014 having hit rock bottom \u2014 I thought, if this worked for me, combining self awareness and fitness, then imagine how it could feel for other people.<\/p>\n

I was getting a lot of counselling too, so that was where I was getting the mindfulness from. But I found fitness was a saviour for me.<\/p>\n

It helped me prioritise and put me first. I was starting to feel like I was losing myself in the roles that defined me. I was a single mum, I was a career woman, I was a homeowner, and fitness was my vehicle to get me back to discovering \u201cwho is Sarah\u201d.<\/p>\n

Combined with the mindfulness component, that\u2019s how I became a healthier happier version of me. Then I thought, wow, if more women could go through some element of this, I could be making a difference.<\/p>\n

So when did you officially start the business?<\/h3>\n

I left my job in July last year, and what I needed to do was go and get my Certificate 3 and 4 in fitness. While I did that I piloted the program.<\/p>\n

I had a lot of friends and family contributing to designing what a 10-week program would look like and as soon as I finished my studies in September I launched my first program.<\/p>\n

And how\u2019d it go?<\/h3>\n

Amazing. To be honest, the success of the program blew my mind, and the success of it is what\u2019s reignited my energy to keep going.<\/p>\n

The changes I saw in some women in 10 weeks, because they were learning to be more mindful and to do fitness for the right reasons \u2026<\/p>\n

I believe 95% of the fitness industry is preying on women\u2019s insecurities, preying on the fact that women don\u2019t love themselves and want to look a certain way or fit in with other people.<\/p>\n

I want women to do fitness and eat healthy and connect with like-minded women because they love themselves, not because they hate themselves.<\/p>\n

What are some of the toughest lessons you\u2019ve learned in launching your own business?<\/h3>\n

The toughest has been the self doubt.<\/p>\n

Leaving a highly paid job with an amazing company that I\u2019d been with for 15 years, then taking it all on myself. The income became non-existent and then there are times when the doubt comes in and you think, \u201cHoly shit this is too hard, what am I doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve said, \u201cWhat am I doing\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in those times I practice vulnerability. So when I feel like it\u2019s all uphill and like \u201cI can\u2019t do this\u201d, I practice vulnerability and I go to people I\u2019ve worked with and I let them tell me how much I\u2019ve helped them.<\/p>\n

Is there anything you miss about the corporate world?<\/h3>\n

Ah, the pay check? Look, it is that security.<\/p>\n

The corporate world provided a security net. As a young single mum, it is quite daunting. I have to create everything for my children and it is bloody scary sometimes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got to pay the bills, the mortgage and create a future, but what I keep saying to myself is that it is<\/i> there, as a fallback, if I ever get desperate.<\/p>\n

But what I\u2019m doing now is taking everything I learned in the corporate world and following my passion. I believe three years from now, if I can really make this work then I\u2019m doing something that\u2019s even more incredible. Because my work has even more meaning for me.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to women who are considering doing what you\u2019ve done \u2014 leaving the fast lane to start their own thing away from that security?<\/h3>\n

First of all, believe in yourself.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got a piece of paper on the wall that tells me to remind myself of my purpose. Remind yourself of why you\u2019re doing it and who it will impact.<\/p>\n

The other piece of advice is be vulnerable and reach out for help. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve joined all these women\u2019s business groups and there is a huge amount of women \u2014 and men \u2014 out there who do want to support women.<\/p>\n

Over half the stuff I\u2019ve done has come from ideas from other people and it\u2019s because I\u2019ve been prepared to stand out there and say, \u201cThis is what I\u2019m trying to do, can anybody help me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reach out for help, and accept help.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on SmartCompany. <\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter, LinkedIn and iTunes. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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