“Keep your friendships and business separate”
With a multi-million-pound Hollywood fitness empire that whips the A-list into shape, SIMONE DE LA RUE, 42, insists passion overpowers everything
Hear your inner voice
I began my career dancing on Broadway, but when a show I was in was cancelled last minute, I had to make money fast, so I started running my own dance fitness classes. Fortunately, as I knew people in the entertainment industry, I could attract celebrity clients, like Sandra Bullock. I did this for a few months while auditioning, and had my eureka moment in a dressing room surrounded by dancers complaining about how unstable the industry is. Earlier, I’d got my first cheque book with ‘Body By Simone’ on it. I looked at it and thought, ‘I have to make it work running my own studio.’
Hustle hard for your dream
Be prepared to hold your own hand – both figuratively and, sometimes, literally. After quitting Broadway, I dived in head-first and rented a 3,000 sq ft studio in New York with a crazy expensive lease. I had to physically hold my own hand to stop it shaking when I signed the paperwork because I didn’t want the landlord to see I was so terrified. At the start you have to get in the trenches. I scrubbed the toilet and manned the front desk, all while training for seven hours a day. But whenever I felt like breaking, I gave myself a pat on the back and said,“Keep going.” Passion overpowers everything.
Don’t mix friendship with business
When I started out, I hired dancer friends as teachers, but as soon as they got a call from a casting director to do a show, they’d move on. It put my friendships under pressure. I felt as though I didn’t have any friends any more, because they were employees. Now I don’t mix friendship with business – it’s more straightforward to hire people who just see me as the boss. You can’t be everyone’s friend.
Adopt a dancer’s mentality
It sounds cheesy but my mum always fed me with positive thoughts. When I was a kid she’d say, “Good morning, you’re beautiful and strong,” and it gave me the confidence to go on stage, or walk into a boardroom. Business can be a tough, masculine world, so women have to be strong mentally, emotionally and spiritually – something I teach all my clients. If I’m nervous before entering a room filled with potential investors, I’ll do a little pre-show ritual: take deep breaths, do jumping jacks and prepare to perform as my best self.