Five Tactics I Recommend to Female Founders by Sara Olafsdóttir, the Founder of Withsara
Sara Olafsdóttir grew Withsara from covid project to a company with members in 50 countries. Here’s her story and the 5 tactics she recommends to female founders who want to start a venture.
I am the founder of the female online fitness and health platform Withsara. Withsara supports women in getting an effective and fun workout from anywhere at any time. The goal is to provide one of a kind classes that will make each woman feel stronger, healthier and at their best.
What led me to start Withsara
I got a degree in business in 2013, but never really found a path for my education. As a former dancer, my passion has always been movement and nutrition, so before I started Withsara I had been a fitness instructor, Barre teacher, and Yoga teacher for over a decade. During that time I developed a workout method that is a mix of pilates, barre, yoga, and functional movement. When I got certified as a Nutritional health coach in 2019, my approach to women’s health became more holistic, and soon I was helping women in my spare time finding balance in their exercise, nutrition and mentality. This was the seed for Withsara.
The first version of the service (MVP)
The Withsara journey started early 2020 when the whole world was at a standstill and going to the studio or the gym was not an option for most women. I was locked up in Covid quarantine in my home country, Iceland, when the idea came. As I had been working as an instructor in Stockholm for a few years I knew a lot of women were changing their workout behavior and eager to get access to a studio experience from home. I was eager to provide it to them.
The first version of Withsara was far from perfect
I decided to move my classes online. To be able to act fast we had to simplify what we needed to build. This was our first version of Withsara:
A website and a member area
A subscription model, $39 a month
Very accessible and simple
3 new full body workouts a week
No class longer than 30 minutes
In the beginning the quality was very raw. I had no proper filming equipment like microphones, lighting or a camera so I used what I had, an iPhone 8 and the natural light from the living room. My husband and I spent day and night for a few days to create all we needed, everything very minimal, but most importantly it worked. We launched on the morning of March 23rd, and when I went to bed that night we had over hundred women as paying subscribers.
Growing Withsara from a project to a company
Withsara grew quickly and soon I realized I had an opportunity to really help women and at the same time build a business around it. I kept publishing new classes every week in the beginning, with only one type of class. But over time that would expand to 11 class categories with two other teachers on the platform.
In the beginning the customer experience was very basic and built with no-code tools. But as more members joined, we got feedback every day on how we could make the experience even better. That encouraged us to develop our own platform with everything our members wanted.
Withsara today
Now little over 2 years later, thousands of women from over 50 countries have signed up for Withsara. What started as a way for a few women to get a workout during lockdown has now transformed into something bigger and more meaningful than was ever imagined. There are three full time employees at Withsara, and we offer 350 workouts spanning 11 class categories and programs.
Aligning your passion with the company’s mission
I know what pressure modern women are facing today, having experienced it myself. As a new mother, building a family, career, social life and everything else in between can be a real struggle to prioritize our own health in the midst of it all. But in those busy times there is nothing as important as giving ourselves a few minutes a day where the focus is entirely on ourselves. And that is exactly what I am passionate about and what I want Withsara to help with. Being able to workout from anywhere, never spending longer than 30 minutes on it and making it enjoyable is key to allowing women to fit a workout easily into the busy schedule and getting that much needed time for themselves.
My approach to women’s wellness
My goal is to inspire women to find a sustainable workout routine and to build healthy habits that will improve their way of living in their day to day life. The foundation of a successful workout routine is not to make any drastic changes but to create sustainable habits that we gradually add to our everyday life and overtime turn into long lasting healthy lifestyles. Our approach to health and wellness is 'balance', not extremes. Balance results in consistency, which is the most important thing you need to work towards your goal.
5 tactics I recommend to women who want to start a venture
The past two years have been a rollercoaster of learning. Along the way I've gained insights that I think every female founder could benefit from.
1) The product doesn’t need to be perfect in the beginning
When you start, try building the most basic version of what you have in mind. It does need to create value for your customers, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. Just get it out as soon as you can, and improve it over time.
2) Speak to as many people as possible
Seek the advice from people you know, even smart people you don’t know. Having more minds thinking about your product will improve it, help you grow and see new perspectives that you couldn't have seen otherwise.
3) Believe in yourself
When you start out, there will be voices of doubt from yourself and others. Listen to them but never let them derail you.
4) Keep going, because good things take time
Getting a new venture off the ground is fun, but it’s hard work. To reach your business goals will take time and consistency. Constantly improve what works and pivot away from what does not.
5) Prioritize your health
Being an entrepreneur can be mentally and physically draining. Make sure to counter the highs and the lows in your journey with exercise, movement, and healthy eating. Don’t forget to socialize with your friends and family and have a good time.
Thank you for reading my article! If you want to learn more about Withsara you can go to my website Withsara.com and follow me on Instagram.
