Hi, I’m Helaine
I’m a scrappy and successful founder and CEO, from startup to Series A (and beyond), who advises founders and consults with businesses to see them through the turbulent waters of growing a company, navigating side-by-side with them from the beginning to pivots to exiting. I also just published my first book, an inspirational memoir called Making Waves, and speak on all things business and life, in front of audiences large and small.
I was the shy, chubby kid. The one who got cut from the sports teams and whose mom called to get her back on - still cringing over that one. I’ve always been smart and a hustler and able to navigate any and all surroundings to make things happen - but never would I have imagined being the one to start the company. Except that I did.
It’s one of my greatest adventures and one of the hardest set of challenges.
It’s a good story.
It all started when I fell in love with boutique fitness after college: I was hustling the world of publishing, then tech-start-up life, and fitness was my outlet. Unfortunately, my passion turned to pain when I developed a serious lower back injury; those months of spin and bootcamp classes left me with some serious credit card charges, but the opposite of a strong physique - I was more damaged than when I’d walked in there.
The frustration of being hurt by something I thought was going to help me fueled a desire to identify something better for the market. I had a great idea. But then I did the thing most people don’t do (and some shouldn’t)...I executed on the idea.
When I was in the throes of my boutique-fitness induced back pain, a friend suggested rowing - the doctor had mandated a low impact workout, and rowing was not only low impact, but total body and torched calories. I initially rejected it as something “my dad did in college,” or exclusive to Crossfit dudes, but a few workouts on a sleek machine later, and I had the dream to bring this to the mainstream consumer. We’d do so by re-branding rowing to be sexy and pair it with total body sculpting moves off the machine, and that was it - the concept for CITYROW was born.
Executing on the idea is one thing but digging deep and solving problem after problem that all founders face is where the building of the company - and the executive/CEO - really happens.
After ten years of expanding CITYROW, you name it, I’ve been through it: the good, the bad, and the (very) ugly. And I know how to come out on the other end, maybe not unscathed, but still fighting.
Now, I’m more passionate than ever about helping founders and CEOs navigate the natural challenges of running and growing a business.
These days, I’m excited to not only share my story in my inspirational memoir, Making Waves, but also take my expertise, leadership and mentorship to the forefront and help the next wave of founders make their own waves!