Check Her Out: Stephanie Tieman of CoreStrong!

What exactly is your business?  

I own a group personal training studio that allows everyone of all fitness ages and levels to attend. We also offer a variety of classes from strength, cardio, boxing, rowing, trx, yoga, nutrition classes and barre. We wanted to be a one stop shop for all your fitness needs.

We offer heart rate monitors to each of our clients which allows all of our classes to be individualized for each person and even metabolic and metabolism testing. We take all the guess work out for you and help you come up with the best plan for YOU!

How did you come up with your business idea? 

I have been into fitness my whole life. I started this journey because I always struggled with my weight, as well as not feeling well. My main goal was to figure out how to feel the best I can.  I tried everything and learned that it has to be a health balance between nutrition and fitness and wanted to teach everyone about this.  My struggle will be their success!  I started with boot camps and I also had a small training facility, but my biggest obstacle was that I wasn’t able to reach out to, or even accommodate everyone. I also realized people were leaving me to try different things. I wanted a place where they could everything they need under one roof. I also wanted to teach them that working out doesn’t have to be a job. We have the heart rate monitors to show them they don’t have to work so hard to get the results they needed.

I am also a firm believer that everything in our life is revolved around our Core. “If you do not have a strong core (aka foundation) with anything in your life (family, business, faith) it’s very hard to make it stronger. You aren’t strong unless you are CoreStrong!”  

All of our classes involve the core and work focus on making your Core the strongest it can be- which is where I came up with – CoreStrong!

How did you find out about Aviatra? 

I had a couple clients approach me and tell me about “Bad Girl Ventures” and that they were moving to Covington. They knew I was new to the business industry and wanted to buy out my partner. They told me about Flight Night and I went. After that, I was hooked and knew this is the program I wanted to be a part of.  

What is your inspiration? 

My clients are my inspiration. Since I have started in this industry, I really wanted to teach everyone that becoming healthy and fit doesn’t have to be so complicated. I want to show them what I learned through my journey and struggle so they don’t have to experience what I went through to feel good.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?

I get to change people’s lives every day, and that in itself is a blessing. CoreStrong has given me an even bigger platform to do this, and that fact I get to do this every day is why I do what I do. But at this very moment, my biggest accomplishment is that I finally was able to buy out my business partner and I am officially sole owner of CoreStrong. I don’t think this would have been possible without Aviatra.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?

My mentors and realizing that there is help out there. I didn’t do this on purpose, but for almost 3 years I was doing everything by myself.  Working with Aviatra, I learned that there are so many services and opportunities that offer help not only to small businesses, but also women-owned small businesses. It has been a game changer for me.  Having a support system is very important for longevity.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

Everything lol!  This was one of the most terrifying leap of faith ventures that I have ever done. My life before CoreStrong wasn’t that bad; I had my own little studio and offered boot camps all throughout the area. I had no overhead and my work load was enough for me to take care of on my own. CoreStrong was so much bigger and completely different than what I was doing, but I am so glad I didn’t let fear talk me out of it. Yes, I made mistakes and I learned from them.  My biggest challenge was learning to let go. I didn’t have to be the best at everything.  I just had to hire the best and ask for help.  

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?

I am definitely looking into growing and expanding CoreStrong. My plan in 5 years is that we will be over all over the country, not only with more locations, but also virtually. This industry is always changing and evolving, but I believe that we have a product and idea that will not only be a necessity for people, but also has longevity.  

Any advice for future Aviatras? 

It is ok to ask for help.  That was one of my biggest faults when starting my own business. I felt I needed to know everything and do it all.  That is definitely not the case. Hire people who are smarter than you and love your business just as much as you do. Trusting people was hard, but once I learned to let go, my business started to run like it should. Going through the Aviatra Accelerators program was life changing for me. I will be forever grateful for the people I met during my journey and would definitely recommend to ANY AND ALL women who want to start their business.