Who are you, what is the name of your business, and what do you do?
I’m Gina Axelson and I’m the founder of ThePilatesBiz.com. I’ve been a pilates instructor and studio owner for 12 years and now I show other instructors how to make a great living via my online course, Profit With Pilates. I love what I do and thanks to the internet I can help pilates instructors all over the world!
What ONE THING do you think gives a woman the “BUZZ” worthy factor?
One thing that always gives a woman the buzzworthy factor is her willingness to support other women. I love how the energy in a conversation changes when another woman realizes I am not competing with her but actually wanting to support her achieve her goals. I’m completely inspired by other women and think the more we help each other the stronger we all become. Some of my best friendships and business relationships started by me reaching to ask, “How can I support you?”.
What three female celebrities do you think we could learn from – and what ONE sentence lesson do they teach us?
The 3 female celebrities I think we can all learn from are: Ellen DeGeneres as she is not afraid to be herself, have fun and also stand for causes she believes in. The second would be Princess Diana as she was a brave woman who showed her feelings and got involved in causes even though she didn’t need to. (I will never forget her holding an HIV+ baby and how that changed the public perception of what was possible despite an HIV diagnosis.) The last female celebrity would be Taylor Swift as she developed tenacity at a very young age and has never wavered or let anyone stop her from achieving her dream.
To date, what has been the biggest obstacle that you have had to overcome in order to succeed?
The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is starting new projects before I feel “ready”. In the past I would have waited longer and researched more, but now I know to succeed and have the impact I want to have requires action when inspiration strikes and being comfortable finding my way as I go along.
What do you enjoy the most about being a woman entrepreneur?
What I enjoy most is the freedom in all aspects of my life. The freedom to be me, to determine my future, and how I choose to spend my time. There is nothing better than knowing I am designing my life and that it is up to me to create what I want!
What ONE success tip or strategy can you leave us with?
A success tip I live by is to join a Mastermind Group and surround yourself with successful people. This has really propelled me and inspired me to do more and think bigger than I would ever had without them.
What is the last book you read and what was your #1 takeaway?
I just finished reading Anita Moorjani’s book “Dying To Be Me”, and found it incredibly inspirational. My biggest takeaway is that we are all connected spiritual beings seeking a human experience rather than human beings seeking a spiritual experience. (Thank you Wayne Dyer!)
