The new year is regularly labeled as an opportunity to resolve to make changes in our lives. Some people commit to lose weight, while others to quit bad habits. Whatever the motivation, self-improvement is the ultimate goal. And for entrepreneurs, those resolutions are a big piece of what drives them to succeed.
Hustle Aesthetic--a micro-community of entrepreneurs, leaders, and go-getters focused on realizing fitness and lifestyle goals--utilizes a team mentality to help people achieve whatever success looks like to them.
Participants at Hustle Aesthetic become members of The Grind Tribe--a group of individuals trying to build their business and life success with their bodies. Members of the tribe support each other and hold one another accountable.
Tribe members commit to 12-week transformation programs, which include customized meal plans and daily coaching support. A VIP program adds bi-weekly coaching calls, one-on-one coaching, styling sessions, a business accountability partner, and 24/7 support.
The program focuses on three main tenets: lifestyle, fitness, and mindset.
“It really boils down to mindset,” owner Elijah Tyson said. “When it comes to building a lifestyle, clients need you to understand them. Hustle Aesthetic builds programs around ways that fit their lifestyle and bring practicality to how they can achieve their goals.
“My goal is to get them to say ‘being the best version of myself aligns with my business and being the best version of me.’”
Grind Tribe members meet at Jada Blitz Training in Clarence. Tyson said he has clients from all walks of life but they share at least one thing in common: they’re driven.
“Some work in corporate, some are just passionate about finding balance,” he said. “Everybody is an entrepreneur in their own way. For some people it’s about being in business and making money, but for others it’s about being in control of their lives.”
With a background in personal training, Tyson developed Hustle Aesthetic after he discovered a lack of professional networking programs in the area that focus on health and wellness and decided to make a platform to address that.
“I created Hustle Aesthetic for one reason: to get people to understand you don’t have to be made to feel like you have to trade health for success, because that was the environment being offered,” Tyson said. “I wanted to come up with solutions for that.
“I’m always trying to expand my professional network and build relationships. I would go to networking events a few days a week – always the same kind of bar scene with alcohol and unhealthy appetizers – and that didn’t fit my lifestyle.”
Developing Hustle Aesthetic was also a path to self-actualization for Tyson.
“I always felt like it was my purpose to help people reach their full potential and fitness was my way to do that,” he added.
One thing that Tyson found helped his own entrepreneurial goals was the affordability of starting his business in Western New York. He noted the region’s affordability as key to helping him be able to develop the business he wanted without sacrificing creativity.
He also found the local start-up community to be very supportive.
“The entrepreneurial ecosystem is very close knit and everyone wants to see everyone else succeed,” he added. “I get to go and meet people and learn about all of the positive things that are happening. Buffalo is very friendly for upcoming entrepreneurs to meet with people and come up with action plans that will help them succeed.”
But that’s not to say there haven’t been challenges along the way. For one, Tyson has built Hustle Aesthetic on his own without support from outside capital or small business incubators. He’s also had to learn to deal with the stress and mental gymnastics that come with starting your own business.
“Entrepreneurship is filled with so much anxiety and it’s not always easy to mentally prepare for it,” he said. “What happens when a big client drops off or you have to find a new space?
“Being able to realize it’s not the end of the world when you encounter problems is really important. Remember that part of what makes you an entrepreneur is finding solutions to problems and that is also important.”
Tyson hopes that, going forward, he’ll be able to expand Hustle Aesthetic to a larger platform, speaking to companies about why it’s important to remind employees that you don’t have to trade health for success.
“That’s a myth largely perpetuated and that people are now desensitized to,” he said. “Balance doesn’t exist, only alignment does. Position every single action: job endeavors, relationships, etc.
“Position that with your core and your purpose. When you have clarity on your purpose, you can get anything done, and in that vein, you do not have to trade health for success.”