We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tanya Scott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tanya below.
Tanya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I’ve always been a risk taker in business, beginning when I was 27yrs old and opened my first personal training gym with just $35K and no business experience. I wasn’t afraid to fail – a wonderful, freeing energy that comes with youth. And I was naive. It never occurred to me that we would fail or what failure would feel or look like – naiveté masked as fearlessness.
The Risk: I didn’t know what I didn’t know but what I DID know was, I wasn’t afraid to lose $35K if it gave me freedom (and I didn’t think I’d lose), I did know I wanted to be self employed – my own boss – and that I wanted to structure my work life the way I wanted it to be. I was passionate about fitness, body building and health and had worked at two gyms in my early 20’s. I did know I was confident in myself and I did know I was excited about creating and operating my own business. This confidence plus fearlessness plus naiveté’ equals taking a big risk!
It was a successful business within the first year. At 27yrs old, in 1997, I was making $100/hr (nearly $200/hr in 2024). And I could work just 3 days a week if I chose too. I had complete time freedom. I’d created what I’d envisioned but..managing the business was very challenging because I had no prior experience running a business: The marketing, management, admin, payroll, customer retention etc. And my business partners and I began to disagree on operations. This interpersonal conflict was what ultimately resulted in my leaving the company. Because I also knew I wasn’t willing to work in a stressful, dysfunctional environment. My fearlessness ruled the day again and I sold my stock in the business and left with just a bit more than I’d invested and an amazing experience that formed the foundation of my 25yrs career in the fitness and health industry. I went on to open a second fitness studio – as a sole proprietor! – with far more business acumen, experience and success!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Tanya and I am the owner of Tanya Scott’s Boundless Health and Fitness. I’m a seasoned fitness and nutrition professional with over 25yrs experience guiding and supporting people in reaching their health and fitness goals. My career has taken many twists and turns and because I’m an avid researcher and student and multi-passionate entrepreneur, my expertise and approach shift and upgrade as new information is revealed. After working as a gym employee, then a personal trainer to then opening my two gyms, I’ve worked every angle of the fitness and nutrition industries. My expertise and specialization now, is in regenerative health and fitness and I especially appreciate working with women over 40yrs old. Because everything to do with health and fitness changes after 40yrs. And let it be known that 99% of the fitness and health industry, caters to and is based on research of, people in their 20’s and 30’s. And almost no research is done on women at all. Women over 40 need and deserve targeted, informed guidance in order to thrive and run the world.
My journey into the health and fitness world was a natural extension of who I am and my passions. I was a dancer for most of my life and at 18yrs old, got my first gym membership – no one I knew was “working out” other than moms doing Aerobics and Jazzercise classes. I wanted to be lifting weights. And I was often the only woman in the weight room. In college I got my first job at a local gym, working the front desk and learned so much from the trainers there.
In 1997 I opened my first personal training fitness studio with two business partners. I was 27yrs old and completely fearless about starting my own business; I was so excited to be creating my own thing! This was the beginning of my lifelong entrepreneurship. Despite our naiveté we were successful within our first year.
After several years, my eternal need for self and professional development led me to sell my partnership and move on to new things. I opened my 2nd and 3rd businesses in the retail industry and I went to Law School. Meanwhile I continued to do fitness and nutrition consultations and personally maintained a very high level of fitness and health. And after working in retail and law, I acknowledged that I missed working in the health and fitness space and opened my second gym. This time I did things differently: I did it solo, I developed multiple revenue streams and ultimately created a dream business. Though I was super busy, teaching too many classes and working individually with nutrition clients, while raising my 1.5yr old, I loved it! All of my years of creating and operating businesses coalesced into Boundless Health and Fitness, where I was making a profit, doing what I loved to do and solving real problems in real time. I had a teacher training in the works and was holding regular wellness seminars, book signings and B2B networking events. I wanted to impact a larger audience with a broader set of wellness tools. And then Covid hit…
In March 2020, like the rest of the world, my business was shut down. And after the first few months of enjoying the extended “vacation,” I began to see the grim future. My older clientele was not interested in returning to in-person classes or workshops. What was I going to do?
Like other times in my professional life, in the face of transitions or big hurdles, I got creative, held fast to my confidence and got to work. I pivoted to virtual everything: Classes, health zooms, one-on-one nutrition coaching and even virtual personal training. It was different and complicated but it worked. Meanwhile, a couple of years prior to Covid, I had began a deep dive into regenerative health principles to more deeply support my clients. The Covid downtime ultimately was a gift that allowed me to hone my expertise in regenerative health and menopause, which are now at the core of my services. In our new virtual world, I’m able to work from anywhere, truly helping people up level their health and recover from the epidemic of “mystery” illnesses, plaguing Americans: Autoimmune illnesses, gut disorders, severe and often debilitating menopause symptoms, skyrocketing cancer diagnoses and more. All of these issues are chronic now, but they are not normal and we must address them if we are to live our best lives.
My passion and mission is to educate and guide women back to optimal health. I’m solutions oriented and my superpower is my ability to see the bigger picture of my client’s challenges and blocks, both the physical and mental, while also perceiving their unique potential and what they need to move toward improved health, movement and optimal wellness.
Whether I’m working one-on-one with clients for strength and mobility or nutrition coaching or hosting detox cohorts or health webinars, I’m educating and supporting people out of discomfort and dis-ease.
Few things bring me more satisfaction than witnessing the transformative impact of my work. When people choose to put their health first and to do the work, their potential is boundless.
Have you ever had to pivot?
In March 2020, like the rest of the world, my health and fitness studio was shut down. And after the first few months of enjoying the extended “vacation,” I began to see the grim future. My mostly older clientele was not interested in returning to in-person classes or workshops. What was I going to do?
Like other times in my professional life, in the face of transitions or big hurdles, I got creative, held fast to my confidence and got to work. I pivoted to virtual everything: Classes, health zooms, one-on-one nutrition coaching and even virtual personal training. It was different and complicated but it worked while it had to. A few years prior to Covid, I had began a deep dive into regenerative health principles to more deeply support my clients. Covid and the skyrocketing deaths in America due to pre-existing and mostly preventable conditions crystalized for me my knowing that nutrition coaching and specifically regenerative health principles were how I’d have the greatest impact. And working in this capacity means I can help more people than I could in the studio, doing so from home or anywhere and I’m serving people on a deeper level. The Covid downtime ultimately was a gift that allowed me to shift my business perspective, zero in on my deepest business desire of profoundly changing people’s health story and it gave me time to hone my expertise in nutrition and regenerative health which are now at the core of my services. I’m now able to work from anywhere, truly helping people up level their health. Had I not trusted myself and kept my finger on the pulse of the industry, the pandemic could have been devastating to my business. But by being willing to pivot and ever curious and dedicated to the most up to date health and fitness information, it expanded my capacity and audience and I have more job satisfaction than ever before.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Integrity and people skills. I have an innate ability to meet people where they are and to listen and I am deeply honest. I foster unparalleled trust with my clients. When people feel seen and heard, and you consistently show up and communicate clearly, they trust you and want to work with you. It’s that simple.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tsboundless.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsboundless/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tsboundless/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
Image Credits
Tenaya Wieczorek