We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JULIANA SCHEIDHAUER a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

JULIANA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

At Reimagine Resources (RR), serving our local community is where we take great pride. At the heart of our business is our one of our main values: social responsibility. We feel we have a duty to give back, to do everything we can to promote wellness. Because RR prioritizes a healthy body, we have selected five local charities, organizations, universities, and nonprofits to donate over 15 pieces of pre-owned exercise equipment to:​

​1) Oasis International (serving refugees)
2) Adult Teen Challenge
3) Salvation Army
4) Saint Louis University (SLU) Kayaking Team
5) City League

These initiatives had made a huge impact. In particular, earlier this year, we donated an upcycled treadmill to a refugee family whose son lost his legs. He used our donated treadmill to practice walking again with his prosthetic legs. We know fitness equipment can be expensive, making it difficult for refugees to afford, which is why we made it our mission to do our part and close the gap between those in need and those with resources to give.

JULIANA, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Juliana Scheidhauer, Founder and CEO at Reimagine Resources.

Today, Reimagine Resources has grown into a full-service fitness solutions platform that commercial gyms can trust to create, install, maintain, and support their fitness space, reimagining their fitness resources. We have developed a comprehensive platform that seamlessly connects commercial gyms with our trusted, trained labor, equipment, and servicing solutions.

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

In March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, everyone, including myself, was kicked out of our normal workout routine and forced to find creative ways to maintain our health at home. With just one treadmill, $500, and my parents’ garage, I started selling pre-owned fitness equipment. I was having fun simply filling a need, never with the intention of making this a business.

But with time, I couldn’t deny the fact that in-person sales were booming all over the region, and I was shipping equipment across the country. I quickly became the #1 private seller of home fitness equipment in St. Louis that year. Then one day, I received a “cease & desist letter” from my parent’s HOA. Not one to be held back, that challenge that propelled me forward. Despite my hesitancy to making this into a “business,” I redirected my energy into officializing my start-up business and giving it the name, Reimagine Resources.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

For the past 3 years, I’ve conducted extensive research of the fitness industry, the customers, and the manufacturing process and growth opportunities, traveling throughout the Midwest and East Coast to interview gym owners, manufacturers, and leaders in the fitness equipment industry as part of my full-time job. I have come to the conclusion that the fitness industry lags behind and is ripe for disruption. Being a female, minority business owner can prove challenging this fitness industry, which is why I have gone to great lengths to accelerate this company by:

-earning my BS degree in Finance from Thomas Edison State University at 18
-earning my Executive Masters in International Business from Saint Louis University while building my business at the age of 22
-accepting honors, like “10 under 25 for Innovators” in the St. Louis Business Journal
-gaining certifications and -winning awards
-completing programs, including the Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small Business Program

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reimagineresources.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reimagineresources.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reimagineresources
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reimage-resources/

Image Credits
Social media specialist, Precious B.