Empowering women, one Happy Body at a time
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Posted: Tue 21st Jan 2025
Samantha Gnimavo's love for food stems from her French upbringing and African roots, but her eating habits weren't always healthy.
As a sugar addict and fussy eater, her diet was far from balanced until her twenties, when she began exploring the world of healthy eating and re-educating herself.
During the pandemic, Samantha discovered her true calling as a nutritional therapist.
Drawing from her family's experiences with women's health issues, she founded Happy Body to help women thrive on their wellness journeys.
Here, Samantha talks about her route into nutrition, the business skills she's had to develop along the way and the benefits of getting support from Grow London Local.
What inspired you to launch your business?
I'm very fortunate to have been surrounded by women all my life. I have four older sisters and have witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to women's health – from extremely painful periods and seeing my sisters in the dark for days, to breast cancer.
So, when I was studying nutrition, it was simply obvious to me that I would focus on women's health in my clinic.
In my second year of study, I decided to do six months' mentorship to build my business from scratch. I was able to register Happy Body Ltd in 2022.
I now offer one-to-one packages where I support amazing women struggling with painful periods, poor sleep, stress, weight loss. My real passion lies in fertility, where I support couples.
What challenges have you faced as a business owner and how have you overcome them?
Getting leads and consistent clients is something I'm working on. I'm French so I've had to learn a lot about running a business in the UK. But fortunately the UK makes it easy to start a business compared to France.
Taxes terrify me but I was lucky to meet accountants who are self-employed and I know I can reach out to them if I need help.
Managing my digital presence has been a pain point but Grow London Local put me in touch with a fantastic organisation called Centa.
They were instrumental in helping me with my digital presence and gave me a six-month plan to follow. I was mind-blown by their professionalism and expertise.
How did you hear about Grow London Local and what has your experience been like?
I had no idea that support was available for business owners.
I randomly heard someone on a nutrition call mention something about getting support from the local council. I checked out the Islington Council website and discovered Grow London Local.
I didn't know what to expect and ended up speaking to [Business Support Manager] Jo, who was just an angel. She really took the time to listen to me and provided me with the support I needed.
Another thing I have absolutely loved are the Coffee Mornings on the first Friday of the month. It can feel a bit lonely to be self-employed and meeting other entrepreneurs has felt like a breath of fresh air.
I used to attend lots of meet-ups and even hosted quite a few, so meeting people face to face feels like a privilege.
Would you recommend Grow London Local to other small businesses?
Yes. Because it's that next thing they need to get to the next level and meeting other small businesses is so inspiring.
How has your relationship with your Business Support Manager impacted your business journey?
Jo [Fillmore-Boonstra] has been so kind. I genuinely never expected this much from Grow London Local. She really nailed the type of support I needed and I'm eternally grateful.
What do you love most about being your own boss?
Being my own boss! Being able to apply my values to my work every day. Sadly, being an employee sometimes comes with challenges due to unethical decisions made by bosses.
What advice would you give to other small business owners in London?
Reach out to your council ASAP – there are so many people who can help you.
What's next for Happy Body? Any exciting plans or developments on the horizon?
Get more wonderful clients and start some collaborations. And because I love to learn, I'm getting my health coach certification in early 2025 to be able to support my clients even more.
I also believe in being better together so I'll be actively looking to start challenges to support women. I'd love to collaborate with personal trainers or other professionals who are focused on health and wellbeing.
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