Detroit Mom’s Local Love series highlights local women and the businesses they have built. We love supporting small business! Today’s Local Love Spotlight belongs to Erin Saba, Co-Owner of Ohana Fitness and Wellness, The Chaos Collection LLC, and creator of the How Mama Got Her Groove Back Postnatal Program.
We started by asking Erin to share a few fun facts about herself with us!
- She has had three different birthing experiences–an emergency C-section with her first, a drug-free vaginal birth with her second, and a planned C-section with her third.
- She loves food and will find any recipe and find ways to “health-o-fy” it.
- She is obsessed with putting playlists together and music with a good beat–any genre, but she prefers rap. She thinks that in another life she was a DJ!
We asked Erin to share a little bit more about her business with us. Get to know Erin and her postnatal program, How Mama Got Her Groove Back, below!
How did you come up with the idea of your business, and how did you start?
“I had three different birthing experiences which led me into three different recoveries. Being someone who has always been in the fitness industry, I realized what I was doing pre-baby just wasn’t working anymore and there needed to be a resource for moms that not only cared for them by showing them the way with safe fitness routines and healthy easy meals to throw together, but also putting an emphasis on mental health as well. I pieced together what worked for me as well as SO many personal lessons within this program to help moms lose the stress, overwhelm, and pressure of not knowing where to start in their postpartum journeys to truly feeling heard, seen, and taken care of, giving strategies and tools to make their lives easier so they can focus on being present and enjoying the journey of new-ish motherhood.
“It’s a whirlwind in the beginning and time moves fast. The last thing they should be worrying about is googling “how to lose weight after babies.” There’s a lot of contradicting advice out there and things that are unrealistic for new moms. This program is different, empowering moms with a plan of action and lessons to help get them through some of the hardest periods of motherhood.
“I’ve been Co-Owner of Ohana Fitness and Wellness for over eight years now. As I’ve grown through seasons of life, it’s encouraged me to create tools and resources to help women through similar stages of life. With proper education and a whole lot of life experience, this idea was born. I have always been passionate about health and fitness and a huge advocate for self-care so this only made sense to create a program specific to the season of life that I have been in. Getting non-stop questions from women about what diet did I follow, what does my workout routine look like, how do you find the time to workout with babies? etc… All those gave me the outline of How Mama Got Her Groove Back Postnatal Program.”
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out?
“To not worry about competition or other people doing similar things. The reason your business will be successful is wholeheartedly because of YOU as an individual and that’s [something] no one else can copy or create. They can certainly try, but there’s only one you.”
What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given?
“Stay in your lane and focus on your mission, not all the shiny objects that come about that are only sent as distractions.”
Have you faced adversity in business due to being a woman? How did you navigate that?
“OH yes… When Sam and I (my business partner) had our first negotiation meeting for a rental property we were trying to expand into, we were not taken seriously, because of our ages and being women. We were asked if it were our first time with negotiating because “he could tell.”
“We didn’t end up doing business any longer with that person and it’s been a blessing in disguise for sure. Little did he know we had done our research diligently, called on many mentors, knew exactly what we wanted, and asked for it. Unfortunately he tried taking advantage of us and we weren’t standing for it. We are smarter than that. HA.”
How do you persevere in challenging times?
“I am extremely resourceful and have no issue with hard work. There may be tears shed but that won’t deter me from accomplishing things I set out to do. Life happens, entrepreneurship is no straight line. There’s ups and downs in all things, but that’s the beauty in it all, isn’t it? You get to decide how to respond. I’m a glass half-full kind of girl.”
What impact do you want your business to have?
“I really want this program and message to get into a mom’s hands who needs it the most. It’s never about the money–which of course money is nice. MISSION and purpose last longer than money ever will. My life goal and business goal has always been if I can change at least one person’s life for the better, that’s more than enough for me.”
What are the pros and cons of being a woman business owner in 2023?
“Pros: you can literally do anything if you’re willing to work for it. We live in a world where you can research how to start a business, how to create a business plan, how to learn how to do XYZ. There’s really no limit to what you can do.
“CON: Seeing other women on social media and seeing others that may be further than you in your career, and then comparing why you’re not there yet.”
What knowledge would you share with someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
“Be in it for the long haul. Have passion and purpose behind what you’re doing and don’t ever let anyone get in your way or tell you that you can’t do something.”
What do you do for personal and professional development?
“Podcasts: Jasmine Star, Earn Your Happy. LOVE a good book, too. One of my favorites was recommended by my former coach–Don’t believe everything your mind tells you.”
What mantra or quote do you live by?
“I am grateful for all the blessings in my life. For each season has only made me realize that I once wished for the life that I’m living now. What a gift it is to be alive.”
What’s your favorite place in Detroit or Michigan?
“I got two. Ohana Fitness and Wellness: my happy place and the happy place of so many other women. And then my home: I am a homebody if I’m not working.”
Where can our readers find you on social media?
You can follow Erin Saba on TikTok, Instagram, and on the websites for Ohana Fitness and Wellness and How Mama Got Her Groove Back Postnatal Program!
