Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darilyn Owusu-Ansah. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Darilyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Entrepreneurship is no easy feat You may see individual’s on social media that make it look so easy and perfect ( I was one of those people that thought that) but there is SO much more to the job than you think. And I am to referring social media influencers, business owners, online coaches/mentor- the list goes on. Running any type of business takes patience, hard work, confidence, and again hard work. I run a brick and mortar business as well as an online business and I work harder/more hours than I have ever worked in my life. Some days are amazing and other days you second guess yourself and think ” was this truly a god idea? should I just get a regular job?” I have had these thought countless times in the past and the most recent being in the winter of 2023. I had just given birth to my first baby and I was out on maternity leave. I planned ahead for this BUT my daughter surprised us all with her arrival, as she came 4 weeks early. I did not plan well enough and being out a month earlier than anticipated got me into a tough spot financially. My business bills were racking up and I was not making enough income to support the bills, paying my staff, and paying a few personal bills/needs. It was during this time that I thought to myself “what are you going to do?” With the cost of goods, inflation taking its toll, and paying my employees to be here (when business was slow) made me question whether I should keep my business open or not. Was it truly worth it? God has always made a way for me before and he will continue to do so. I prayed on it and reminded myself of the following : working for the man is not what I want to do ever again, I have worked so hard to get to the point I am at (literally manifested and 5 year planned it), I get to be a present parent and this has always been one of my biggest “WHY’s” as an entrepreneur. So, although I was going through a hard season I knew that these seasons do not last and God will see me through it! And I am so thankful to report that he did. December and January were VERY hard months for me but I have stay committed to my dreams, goals, and business and things are looking up!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am someone that hopes to inspire, encourage and or motivate the next person to go after your hearts desires. It is never too late to switch careers, try something new, or set a big goal that may seem out of reach. Nothing is impossible with hardwork and belief in oneself. I have always had a 9-5 job and was content with working for someone else. I never envisioned the life I have now and I definitely did not see myself as a business owner but God’s plan. I enjoyed my last corporate job but I knew I wanted more out of life and a new job but I like stability and knowing what is next. So how did I become business owner/my own boss?

I started in the online space first! I became an online health coach in September 2018. I hired a coach for myself in April 2018 and he changed my life, I had never felt better in my skin, I got strong, tone, and lost stubborn weight I struggled with for years. I wanted to help others in the way my coach helped me and so online coaching was the start. Once I got comfortable with using social media as my platform and I knew I truly enjoyed helping others I expanded my skill set. I became certified in nutrition and then personal training. I also started running group workouts once a month ( I stepped out of my comfort zone with this one! I do not like being the center of attention or public speaking). My clientele was small but that didn’t stop me from sticking with it. My group workouts grew from once a month with 3-4 people (2 of them were my relatives) to twice a week with 20 women attending. My personal training business is 2 years old and has grown from 1 active client to consistently training 4-5 active clients, some old and some new! But none of this would have happened if it were not for the 2020 pandemic.

I was let go from my job during the lockdown and as devastating as that was, it opened a new door and opportunity. Unemployment gives you time to think and decide what you want out of life and I decided I was going to bet on myself. In addition to running my group fitness workouts I also began an at home protein cafe. I made protein smoothies, energizing refresher teas and protein donuts. My business began to boom through word of mouth and I finally found something that I loved to do! And that is when I decided I was going to open a brick and mortar business. September 2020 I signed my lease and January 29,2021 I opened the doors! I now run a successful smoothie shop/personal and online coaching business! Good nutrition=good physical results and I wanted to provide that to my clients and community. I am passionate about what I do. I love helping others and building relationships with my clients. I enjoy meeting new faces at my smoothie shop and I have so much fun at work- it does not feel like a job. I am your sugar and spice trainer- I am so sweet and kind to all but will kick your butt when it comes time to train. But all of my clients/customers have positive experiences with me and that is what I am most proud of. I treat everyone with kindness and the way I would want to be treated and I have had the best 4 years in my new career because of this.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My side hustle 10000% is the reason why I have my own business today! I began as a part-time online health coach with Herbalife nutrition in September 2018. I began to gain experience in the online space and with helping clients. With consistency and hard work I earned enough extra income to drop my retail weekend job. I no longer had to juggle 3 jobs and I gave myself the time flexibility to work from my phone and not have to clock in on weekends and during holidays. This was big deal for me because I had worked in retail for 11 years and finally had found a way out that was time and financially freeing.

I wanted to expand my skill set as a coach and that led me to get certified as a nutrition coach and personal trainer. As I worked on bettering myself God began to create opportunities for me. My coaching business peaked in 2020 and the loss of my full time job gave me a-lot of time to be home and get creative. And I utilized my time wisely by starting a small business that served protein smoothies, protein coffee, protein donuts, and refreshing energy teas. I worked my business from my kitchen and made deliveries. I marketed on social media and often did free smoothie and tea drops to business and health care workers. My efforts and the support/buzz from my group fitness classes brought me success and CONFIDENCE to scale up.

I had never been fired from a job and did not want my ego bruised ever again so I knew in order for that to happen I had to become my own boss. I took my business from the kitchen to a store front. I was nervous, scared, out of my comfort zone but I never had a doubt about the decision once I decided to go for it (thank you grandpa for being the one to push me. I hope I am making you proud). The process was seamless from start to finish as if it was mean to be. I began looking for locations in the summer of 2020, I signed my lease in September and I opened the doors in January 2021. God had a plan far larger than I could have imagined and I am so glad!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals and word of mouth are hands down the best way to grow your business. All but 2 of my personal training clients have been referrals. But social media marketing has helped as well. With my clients permission I will post snippets of our training session and tag them-they will repost and it reaches more people and views.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darilynnnnn/