We recently connected with Jennifer Edmonds and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

My business focuses on supporting women who are struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. These are topics we often don’t speak about. They’re “taboo,” therefore it’s often hard for women to find the support they need. I am outspoken about they way women are treated in society and within the medical world when they are struggling to have a family. SO many of my students have experienced miscarriage, but their doctors, workplaces and social circles minimise what they’ve been through. They’re constantly told things such as “it was early” “you can just try again” ‘at least you know you can get pregnant.” My business offers both physical and mental support to women in these situations.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jennifer – I’m a Yoga, Pilates, Meditation & Breathwork teacher specialising in fertility & women’s health. During a long & difficult fertility journey of my own, I eventually found the practice of Fertility Yoga. This practice was able to ease anxiety, relieve my chronic insomnia, re-balance a thyroid condition…and eventually it helped me to fall pregnant naturally.

I now run an online business, Element Pilates & Yoga, helping women all over the world to overcome fertility challenges & find their way to motherhood. I provide online support, programs and courses for women from pre-conception to post-partum.

My teachings aim to support a woman’s fertility, balance hormones & ease the anxiety of treatments. The personal care I provide for my students really sets me apart from other programs and I believe it has really contributed to the success of the business. I put together personalised programs, connect my students with others in a similar position so they feel less alone, and refer them onto other allied health practitioners who can support them in other ways (when needed).

I am most proud of changes the practices I teach have in womens’ lives. I often hear that my students are finding it easier to cope with fertility treatments, they have more energy, they feel more connected to their partner and have reclaimed joy back into their lives. I am also very proud to be a support in so many of my students finally having a baby, too.

I want people to know that the journey of infertility and pregnancy loss is one of the hardest things you’ll have to go through – it’s also very common, but that doesn’t make it easy. The lasting trauma from so many of these experiences are not to be underestimated. But there are ways to support your mind and body that lighten the load.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I have found building my presence on social media one of the most effective ways to grow my business and generate sales. I built my audience organically through 4 different strategies:

– Focus on my audience’s pain points rather than just giving them solutions (combining how-to videos with compassion & understanding for where they’re at)

– Using humour

– Being consistent

– Collaborating with others

Advice to anyone getting started:

– Avoid using bots or paying for followers
– Show up every day
– Connect with others in your niche to collaborate through live videos, podcast interviews & offerings
– Follow trends to build awareness but stick to your own messaging & content

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I never dreamed I’d be running an online business for women struggling with infertility!

I worked as a clinical pilates instructor for about 12 years before covid hit. When this happened, I was also in the midst of my own difficult fertility journey. My workplace closed down & i was forced to take my teachings online. When I discovered Fertility Yoga early in 2020 and saw the amazing impact it had on my life, I decided to retrain as a yoga teacher. The more I learnt about these fertility practices, the more i reaslied they needed to be available to as many women as possible all around the world.

There is very little support available in terms of exercise for women who are struggling to conceive, so my initial offerings soon became very popular and I have grown my programs and courses bigger every year.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elementpilatesyoga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen.elementpilatesyoga/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elementpilatesyoga
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7OGYIuCxwJgH4KuaW1Jq4w
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@elementpilatesandyoga