Entrepreneurs Heart Hartford- Grit ‘N Wit
Tell us about your business.
Grit ‘N Wit is a 5k obstacle course where brain meets brawn and is changing the landscape of America’s fastest growing sport – obstacle racing! To put the growth of obstacle course racing in perspective, more people now compete in obstacle course races than marathons and half marathons combined.
We began competing in obstacle course races in 2011, but felt that they were one dimensional and missing something—an intellectual component. On August 23, 2014, we hosted New England’s first 5k obstacle course combining brain and brawn! While being physically fit is sufficient at other races, here tough isn’t enough. Currently, we are gearing up for our second Hartford event on April 25, 2015. Additionally, we have been approached by a number of high schools in Connecticut and throughout the United States regarding hosting exclusive events. We are excited about this development as we are committed to promoting physical and mental fitness while creating a fun and unique event for all ages 10 and up.
Why did you decide to start your business in Hartford?
We have lived in Connecticut our whole lives (except for four years spent at Boston College – go Eagles!) and Hartford for the past six years. Hartford has a wonderful community that is small enough to allow you to connect with individuals and companies, and large enough to provide diverse resources that foster growth. Area residents are eager to support innovation in and around the city, which is immensely helpful when starting a business. Plus, our community’s unique access to health and wellness companies is particularly beneficial for fitness companies like ours.
We’ve been fortunate enough to partner with entrepreneurial centers, chambers of commerce and growing local businesses to build our business and the success of our events. As a team of two, we’ve been able to make incredible headway in a short period of time in large part because of starting our business in Hartford.
How does your business impact the community?
By hosting Grit ‘N Wit 5k obstacle course events, we impact the community’s health and wealth. Residents have a unique, fun option to become mentally and physically fit that is not available anywhere else in New England. There is also a direct economic impact to the community. It is estimated that larger obstacle course events that see 5,000 participants “generate approximately $1 million to each major local host community.” The main economic drivers are individuals who travel significant distances as they are more likely to make purchases, specifically on food, gas and lodging. For our inaugural event, 32% of registrants traveled over 50 miles to participate.
What words of wisdom would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur who may be hesitant to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?
“The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.” Seth Godin.
Don’t play the what if game…what if you had tried harder… what if you had devoted more time to making your business a success. Work hard and hold yourself to high standards. Regardless of whether your endeavor goes up, down or sideways, know that you put your best foot forward. Another word of wisdom, don’t be afraid to ask. It’s the only way somebody will know that you need help. And, you won’t believe how many people are willing to say yes!
What is it like being an entrepreneur in Hartford? What difficulties or challenges have you faced?
Having only started a business in Hartford it’s difficult to compare to how it would have been elsewhere. Funding has been the most difficult obstacle, no pun intended. We heard one of the founders of Tegu say that businesses don’t fail, they just run out of money. To a certain extent, that’s true. Starting a business, especially without a capital investment or grant, is not for the faint of heart.
But starting lean may also be a blessing in disguise. It creates a real sense of urgency – a powerful motivator that keeps us continually improving and moving forward.
What is your vision for your business venture over the next five years?
With increasing awareness around the importance of physical AND MENTAL fitness, Grit ‘N Wit aims to be the premier event for challenging one’s brawn and brain. In five years, we will build our brand into a household name and have facilities in the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest, which will allow us to host at least 20 events across the country on an annual basis.
