How Kristi Stuart Started Over in Business With Inner Wellth

Starting over in business after losing something you spent years building can feel impossible, especially when that loss is public, painful, and deeply personal. For many entrepreneurs, resilience isn’t built during the easy seasons. It’s built in the moments when they’re forced to rebuild from the ground up.

After growing Barre Belle into one of Canada’s largest female-founded fitness brands, Kristi Stuart faced bankruptcy, layoffs, and the collapse of the business during Covid. Instead of walking away from entrepreneurship entirely, she chose to start again. In this interview, Kristi shares what it took to rebuild her confidence, launch Inner Wellth, navigate imposter syndrome, and become a more resilient entrepreneur through one of the hardest chapters of her life.

Hi Kristi! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

I am an award-winning entrepreneur. I grew her first business to become one of the 5% of female founded companies that had multi-million-dollar revenues and became Canada’s largest female founded and owned fitness brand.  Unfortunately, Covid forced an extreme pivot of both my business and personal life. In February 2022, I launched a personal training business which expanded to include nutrition counselling and in May 2023, I launched Inner Wellth, the first supplement line dedicated to alleviating perimenopausal symptoms and increasing lean muscle mass in women. I am a highly respected and trusted nutrition and fitness expert, have a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, am a Certified Menopause Support Practitioner and have completed my Certification in both Personal Training and Nutrition Coaching from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In my very limited spare time, I enjoys walking my dogs, reading, hanging with my husband and our two teenage children (when they let me)!

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I love being around motivated, hard working women. I find it so inspiring to hear what other Entreprenistas are working on, and how they are overcoming challenges to change the World with their products.

What gave you the confidence to start over in business again?

Inner Wellth is the second business I've founded. The first was a huge success until Covid. Due to lockdowns and closures, we were forced into bankruptcy. I've been sued by banks and landlords, had to lay off all of my staff and watched something that I worked on night and day for 6 years straight, fall apart. It was devastating. But knowing that I went through the hardest thing, and that I learned so many invaluable lessons, gives me confidence to know that I'm stronger and smarter now. Regardless of what happens, I will make it through to the other side!

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I have a background in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. I was a pharma rep until I had my kids and then I stayed home until my youngest was in kindergarten. I then co-founded Barre Belle, and grew it to 9 locations across Canada in 3 years.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No! I always thought I would get a corporate job and climb the ladder.

When first launching your biz, initial marketing is so important! What were some of your first marketing tactics?

I started making IG videos for my grid. They weren't super polished, but they were incredibly informative. I wasn't selling at all, just sharing information. Once I established myself as a thought leader, when I launched my product and shared why it was so great, women were very excited to buy! I've spent the past 4 months sharing both impactful information and sales videos and am very pleased with the results.

What was the hardest part of rebuilding after business failure?

My biggest challenge has been being a solo founder this time. I really loved previously having a co-founder. I love having someone to bounce ideas and strategies off of. I find I second guess myself and my imposter syndrome rears its ugly head! One of the reasons I joined Entreprenista was to find a community of women that can act as soundboards and advisors. I'm very excited to both offer insight and learn from this robust community!

Related: Imposter Syndrome in Leadership: Practical Solutions

What makes you feel most proud as a resilient entrepreneur?

I'm most proud that I had the courage to start again. My first business was incredibly, successful but was destroyed by covid. I was brokenhearted, depressed and hit rock bottom. The fact that I was able to pull myself up and start a new business is a testament to my spirit and I'm proud of myself for that!

We all want to believe in work life balance...but sometimes it does not seem realistic. Do you actually believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Not really. Something always has to give. I believe that when you make a decision you need to accept your decision and not feel guilt. For example, if I make a decision to attend a work event in lieu of a child's soccer game, I will not feel guilty that I am missing the game. It was a choice I made for the betterment of my business, and I'm going to take full advantage of the work opportunity. There have been many times where I've missed networking or work events in order to be with my family and I refuse to feel guilty about that either. Choose the best option that works for you at the time and then lean into that option to get the most out of it and do not ruin it by feeling guilty about the decision you made.

What's a piece of advice you can share that you wish you'd known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

This too shall pass. It's good advice during both the good and the bad times. It reminds you to enjoy and appreciate it when you are seeing success while at the same time knowing that when times are challenging, you will overcome and get through it.

Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? Sign up here for a free info session.

What recent milestones have reminded you that rebuilding was worth it?

I just hit $100,000 in sales in just 4 months with with no paid advertising whatsoever!

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

Inner Wellth is only 4 months old, so I have a lot to accomplish over the next few years! I want to scale online in both Canada and the US and move into wholesale.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!

Updated on: May 18, 2026