April 14, 2019
Back when Tosca Reno was a depressed, overweight, and out of shape housewife, in a bad first marriage, she never thought she could be like the fit women she saw on the covers of today’s fitness magazines. Then, she met a man who issued a challenge that would change her career path, her life’s mission, and her outlook on the future.
How did you come up with the idea or concept for the Eat Clean formula?
Very easy. Robert Kennedy, my husband, challenged me to enter a body building contest. He taught me how to train and eat like a bodybuilder. By following his instructions for eating and working out, I discovered how eating clean could change my body.
*Note: For those who don’t know who Tosca’s husband was, he was fitness publishing icon, Robert Kennedy. He was the publisher of Oxygen Magazine, a revolutionary women’s fitness and nutrition magazine which helped to launch the careers of some of today’s top female fitness moguls.
You have had massive success with your brand. How has being the founder of such a successful brand changed your life?
Hugely. I once had a dream to be a writer, but I never had a voice. Writing for Oxygen magazine changed everything. It gave me the power to transform and find that voice, allowing me to help others find a way to achieve wellness.
How did you come up with your marketing strategy?
The initial marketing strategy was putting me in the magazine (Oxygen Magazine), writing the article Raise the Bar, and just writing the book. We initially printed 5000 copies of the book, thinking that would be enough, but it sold out in a short amount of time. It ended up on the Canadian Best Seller’s List, then, the New York Best Seller’s List. At that time, we hit all the talk shows.
What platforms do you use to market your products?
My websites and social media, like Facebook. The talk shows.
How do you achieve work/life balance?
It’s not perfect. My daughter just had a baby, so I’ve also been helping her. I achieve balance by following routines. I have an eating routine, a workout routine, and a work routine. This makes it easier to keep things in order.
What do you view as your greatest setback and what did you learn from that experience?
The last seven years. My son and my husband passed away. I had to learn how to become the person that I needed to be. I also faced poverty and the bankruptcy of the publishing company. All the money I had was gone. I had to learn how to handle these things with grace.
What was your biggest a-ha moment?
When I became a fitness person. I had been a depressed overweight housewife, but I discovered I could be one of those women on the magazines.
What drives you to keep going when things get really tough?
My children and my audience. I don’t have the luxury to cop out. I want to show them they can do it, too. They can handle life’s problems with grace.
What is non-negotiable for you?
Deceit and people dispensing health and wellness information without credentials. People are sick and looking for answers. Giving out false information makes the situation worse.
What is your personal vision for the future?
I want to help everybody quit the addiction of sugar and find wellness by using clean foods.
Finally, what is the most important piece of advice you have to offer up and coming entrepreneurs?
Find out who you are as a brand, so that you have something that makes what you are offering a necessity. Have the courage to look at who you are specifically and turn that into your strategy. Do it with your whole heart. Do it all the way.
Project Idea Evolution 