Interpretive movement
PHOTO/DAVID A. RODGERS
A conversation with Jeanne Hackett, founder of A Running Conversation in Scarborough.
Founded: January 2008
Employees: None
Startup costs: $4,000
Projected revenue, year one: $20,000
Projected revenue, year two: $20,000 to $30,000
Contact: 939-0830 20 Sylvan Rd., Scarborough 04074
www.arunningconversation.com
Can you tell me what the business is all about?
I provide consulting, coaching and counseling. I started last year — right out of the gate, I was engaged by Peak Performance Multisport [in Portland] to help them develop some running programs. I set up a fundamentals program in the fall for people thinking about starting running. I pulled in speakers, various experts on different topics — nutrition, goal setting, gait analysis.
So that was right out of the gate, and it helped me formulate what I was doing, because I had been in a position through the summer where I wasn’t sure. So [at that time] I was working with Barbara Babkirk up in Yarmouth, and she’s a career specialist. And Barbara recommended that I get involved with this New Ventures program through Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community. That started in October and it was about 16 weeks, to January. That’s where I started to focus on a business plan.
When you’re doing the programming for Peak Performance, you’re doing that as A Running Conversation?
Yes. They’ve hired me as a consultant basically. I started working for Peak last summer, but things started to coalesce through the New Ventures program.
How do you divide your time between working for Peak and doing individual coaching?
That’s the challenging part. I’ve been working for Peak and it’s really been great. They are a title sponsor of the Maine Marathon, which is in October. So we decided to run a program to train people. It’s keeping me really busy. What’s happened is I’ve not been able to really develop the part of my business of working with individuals who are in transition, who want to make a change or who have an aspiration.
When you’re training people, what do you do as the motivator and the coach?
Well, I am an experienced runner. I have been coached myself for 17 to 18 years. I still have a coach and I run with a team and I’m competitive locally. So I have a lot of basic experience. It’s just about being conservative — I don’t want anyone to get injured. And I’m a conservative runner that way. The training group just started two weeks ago, there are 18 people signed up for that. So we’re meeting for long runs and I’m making schedules for people and I’m in touch with them all individually.
What did you use your startup funding for?
I did have a professional logo made and I did put a website up and I had business cards made — on the cheap, VistaPrint— and I planned a [running] retreat for January and then I just didn’t have the time to market that, but I did have some brochures and collateral for that. I have since purchased a computer for the business.
How do you market the business?
A lot of it is face-to-face, getting the word out, having a business card, talking to people. Lunch-and-learns are a great thing for me to do to tap into corporate wellness programs. I’ve been over to Wright Express to talk about running a 5K. The Sugarloaf marathon was last month up in Kingfield, and I had a little table at their expo.
You were saying you’d like to do more one-on-one work. What would that be like?
Well, a lot of people say, “I want to do this marathon,” or “I want to do this half-marathon,” but I’m thinking there are some people who are dissatisfied on some other level, or want to create a change in their personal life and aren’t sure how to do that. And I would suggest that if you want to create change, if you want to make movement, then you need to get moving. And it will really facilitate that. And naturally there are goals with that. “Yeah, I’m going to [run] three times a week” — that’s a goal. “I am going to do that 10K in two months.” That’s a little longer type of goal. But it sets you up to move. How that would look would depend on the individual.
And I just think what I bring to bear is my experience having done that. I was working for over 13 years for a company and wanted to make a change, and so [I took a] risk, jumping out without knowing what was next.
Interview by Kerry Elson
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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