Tips For Inspiring Business Owners in the Running Industry
Being a business owner is no easy feat but the dream of ownership is possible! As part of our RUN THE BLOCK initiative, we thought our community could use a bit of inspiration and motivation to get started with their running business.
We had a chance to catch up with Victor Diaz, Owner of Renegade Running, and Harry Chandler, Co-Owner of Charlotte Running Co., about their experience as a business owner in the running industry. The two of them took their time to share their best tips for new entrepreneurs and gave great insight as to how they got started.
Check out their interviews filled with gems to get you going and motivated to run your own running business!
“Accept failure. Accept it and sit in it as an opportunity to learn and then move on.”
Harry Chandler became Co-Owner of Charlotte Running Co. after starting his career there as an employee. His dedication and leadership led to an invitation to become an owner. He says that his journey always led back to Charlotte Running Company and that it was meant to be.
One piece of advice Harry shared is to challenge the status quo to make a change. He also encourages new entrepreneurs to accept failure to learn and grow from their mistakes.
“You have to know your business better than anyone.”
Victor Diaz noticed that when he started running, he would be overlooked, followed, or ignored in running retail spaces that were not BIPOC-owned. His experience was the opposite when shopping at a BIPOC-owned store. Victor decided to make a change in the running industry by founding Renegade Running to promote diversity and offer a place for BIPOC people to meet and purchase the latest running gear.
Victor encourages new entrepreneurs to do their research in order to know their business better than anyone. He also shared that doing branding exercises should be a priority.
We hope Harry and Victor’s advice has encouraged you to start working on your business or to keep working toward growing your business! And remember, RUN THE BLOCK applications close on May 15th, 2024. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for mentorship, funding, and more for your running business.