By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition & Granolala

My company has grown beyond my wildest dreams. We have a multitude of delicious products. We are in every specialty store in every town and city across the country. We are a household name. And more recently, we have been purchased by a multimillion-dollar company. I’m now semi-retired. What a huge change. I’m finding that it’s really hard to get used to this new lifestyle. Having said that, I won’t fully retire. I still have my other business that I love. It’s flexible work, as it’s online. And I love the clients we serve there. They keep me grounded.

This new freedom allows me to travel the world and enrich my soul with the beauty of other lands and cultures. The days I spend exploring old cities, Art Galleries, and Museums are many. I have the pleasure of interacting with locals to get the true flavor of their community and not some bland overpriced taste via a tourist attraction. I get to learn and grow while I seek out other fabulous things to share with the world. There just might be a new business idea lurking at the back of my mind. We shall see.

Getting to call some stunning places home now as I own a handful of pied-à-terre in a few countries that I love. Spending time staying in my cozy apartments in my favorite towns allows me to work on my drawing and painting again as well as brushing up on my photography skills. The time to create is so precious to me and I now have the freedom to pursue this.

Spending much more time on the water as well as getting to jet ski in some of the world’s most beautiful places. Combining my love of art, photography, and travel, I get to create and share images that I could not do otherwise. And I get to put my perspective on it. My current plan is to ply the waters of the Norwegian Fjords for a couple of weeks getting to know the people and customs while documenting my travels. After that trip off to a more tropical locale. Maybe French Polynesia, the Caribbean, or the Canary Islands. So many beautiful places to discover.

I’m just loving this new adventure I’m on. And I’m thrilled that I can share it with others. My hope is to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone, do the thing you’ve been wanting to do, and become successful beyond your wildest dreams. And meet me for a drink on the patio in a faraway country to celebrate. This is the good life.

The post April 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition & Granolala

If someone had warned me that I would experience constant overwhelm with starting a new business, I would have remained employed. The amount of work needed to get a business started, and then keep it running while continuing to work on building the business is incredible.

There are so many things to consider when you have a start-up. If it was only sharing the thing you love to do it would be so easy. However, there are so many supporting jobs and tasks to perform, many of which may not be part of your skill set and often you didn’t expect. A decision needs to be made whether or not you want to take the time to learn each of these new skills. The option of hiring outside services is there, however, they need to be budget-friendly and someone you can work well with.

Second guessing yourself? Check. Dreaming about the next steps in your business? Every night. Battling with tech? Par for the course. Other surprises that pop up? You bet they do.

It all seems never-ending. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, something else crops up that needs your immediate attention.

But the day will come when you realize so much of what you’ve been working on is functioning as anticipated. You discover you have fewer tasks to do. The work routine has a schedule. You can focus on building the dream you set out to realize.

It’s a process that takes up so much time and focus. It’s exhausting. It’s uncertain. It can be demoralizing one minute and euphoric the next. But after going through all of that, it’s all worth it. Every single moment.

The post February 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition & Granolala

How do I define success? I have been mulling this question over since it was first asked of me. My initial response was “oh that’s easy. Success is…um…hmm”, well actually not such an easy question to answer. Trying to come up with a clear answer still eludes me and it probably always will. The more I think about it the more I see that it’s a heavily loaded question and a very personal one to answer. For me, success is like a kaleidoscope. It changes with every situation I find myself in.

Success isn’t measured by significant financial gain, although that is a bonus. Finding success is a process to work through as I have done many times over. Sometimes the process is easy, other times it’s incredibly difficult. It’s working towards a set goal. It can be a small step or a huge leap in the right direction. Success can be defined by making a decision. The decision can be to stay on course or deviate. That’s success. It’s working through a new idea or reaching the finishing point of a project. Both of those can give a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling of succeeding. Finding yourself where you want to be is successful just as finding yourself where you need to be despite what you do to avoid being there.

No one else can truly measure your success. So, yes, success is personal. Deeply personal. And when I have that feeling that I’ve succeeded, oh is it ever good.

The post December 2022 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition

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My business stays the same, yet also evolves constantly. At the root, I’m still doing the same thing that I’ve done since the beginning. On the surface it changes and grows continuously. I’ve worked as a contractor in a gym as well as owning my own studio. I’ve trained clients outdoors, in their homes. and in my home. The location has changed many times. The level of success I reach with my clients has not.

Do I love what I do? You bet. But I need to change and adapt within my field to remain current. Continuing education and having various certifications is a big part of keeping my clients fit and healthy as we all age. Learning the new and unlearning the old and outdated. Adding new and fun tools to work with to keep my clients engaged is one way we move forward. Adding complimentary disciplines for a full-service package is another. But the basics that support all of this have stayed consistent over the many years I have been working in my field.

Maturing as a business owner is another aspect of how my business evolves and grows. Taking life lessons from both personal and work experiences and using them in my business is valuable. Not everything works perfectly but will often move in the right direction. As with anything, we’ve learned something new.

Is my business evolving? You bet. There’s something new coming around the corner soon, and I’m both excited and nervous about this addition. I can’t wait to share it with you. 

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Contact Marion at marion8@me.com or 1-416-994-7591

The post October 2022 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition

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What does my playlist say about me?

Playlists. So much music to choose from. So many different styles, moods, genres. Do I have a specific playlist that I gravitate to? No. Do I like to discover new music? You bet. Do I have a large selection of music that I enjoy? Yes. I tell people the types of music I dislike is a much shorter list than the music I enjoy. For me music can conjure up a variety of memories, lead me into new territory, or just keep me going in a good groove. I enjoy change and forward motion, and this is where my music choices often take me.

I also enjoy listening to music in multiple ways.

At home one of my favorites is Radio Paradise, Listener Supported Internet Radio. I’ve been a listener for many years and what I love is that I’m introduced to music I would never choose for myself, plus the interesting combination of genres they put together. I have my vast music collection that I keep on my computer. The HomePod is my friend with making my listening choices. I can call up any song, or artist, or have it surprise me. I often choose the latter.

In the car, I turn to SiriusXM with about a half dozen or so favorite channels, a local radio station, or I play music from my collection on my phone. The choice I make there depends on the length of the trip I’m making.

I prefer to leave my music choices to another resource as I make a multitude of decisions every day. Many responsibilities at home and at work means that I’m happy when I can leave that decision to someone else. And this decision is a simple one that doesn’t have any negative consequences. Only positive ones.

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Contact Marion at marion8@me.com or 1-416-994-7591

The post August 2022 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Marion Knaus with Raise the Bar Fitness & Nutrition and Granolala

A few years back I had an older woman contact me to help her improve her upper body strength using weight training. Why only upper body? As a runner she felt that she had enough lower body strength due to her regular running routine.

After a few sessions working together where we built a trusting and a good relationship, she allowed me to add lower body exercises to her routine. You know, just to see where she was at.

She wasn’t as strong as she thought. From that day onward we included lots of lower body exercises to her regular workout routine.

As the training sessions went on, she started reporting back that her run times and stamina continued to improve. Her improvements were so significant she decided it was time to sign up for a half marathon. For the first time. In her sixties. Not a 5K or 10 K, but a half marathon – 21 kilometers or 13.1 miles. Huge goal.

The day of the half marathon, I was there to cheer her on at the end. It was so exciting to hear her name announced as she crossed the finish line. The look of elation on her face was beautiful.

When she saw me there, it was hugs and tears all around.

And it was the beginning of many more runs over the years. 5K runs, 10K runs, the Santa Run, and many others.

The strength, stamina, and confidence that she built working out in the gym with me grew her athleticism leaps and bounds.

One funny story she told me was being in a pet store buying a large bag of kitty litter. The clerk asked if she needed help putting it in the cart.

“Nope,” was her reply as she easily hefted it into her shopping cart. She reveled in the shocked look on the clerk’s face.

Proof that it’s never too late to start an exercise program with a fitness professional.

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The post June 2022 appeared first on Led Me to This.