Natalie Holloway: Innovating Fitness, How Bala Changed the Game
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 25 November 2025
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
See what happens when women founders build together. RSVP and join us for the Dear FoundHer Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Session on December 9th!
Natalie Holloway reveals how a simple idea sparked during a frustrating yoga class grew into a fitness brand that reshaped an entire category.
Joining Lindsay Pinchuk, Natalie traces Bala’s beginnings from a gut-level insight to a Kickstarter launch and then to the turning point that came with Shark Tank. She talks openly about rapid growth, the reality of running out of inventory, and the tough moment when she realized their team had grown faster than the business itself. Natalie explains how scaling back helped Bala regain clarity and why a lean structure now drives their strongest year yet. She also offers practical direction for early founders who want a business that can last. How do you know when to trust an idea that feels small? What protects a young company when momentum hits faster than expected? Natalie’s answers land with experience and honesty, and this episode will leave you with a clearer sense of what sustainable growth really looks like.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Community And Support Matter For Women Founders Over 40
05:17 Who Is Natalie Holloway And What Is Bala Fitness
06:11 Leaving Advertising Burnout, Traveling Asia And Discovering The Bala Bangles Idea
11:34 From Side Hustle To Kickstarter Funding Bala’s First $40K Production Run
14:19 Grassroots Marketing On Shopify, Social Media And In Studios To Prove Product Market Fit
17:43 Shark Tank Appearance, Pandemic Fitness Boom And Bala’s Explosive Growth
21:47 Building Then Shrinking The Team: Lessons In Hiring Fast And Scaling Smarter
26:44 Expanding Beyond Bangles: Volifying Dumbbells, Power Rings And The Fitness Category
27:50 Best Year Yet: How Bala Became A Lean Profitable Business With Trusted Agency Partners
30:51 Natalie’s Top Three Lessons For Female Founders On Profit, Hiring And Passion
35:33 Three Immediate Action Steps For New Entrepreneurs: Research, P&L And Documenting On Social
Connect with Natalie Holloway:
Links:
Join us for our virtual networking and Forum Open House
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Dear founder, it's your host, Lindsay Pinchuk, and in just a few minutes, you're going to hear |
| 0:05.4 | Natalie Holloway, co-founder of Bala, not only share her incredible story, but also talk about |
| 0:11.3 | how it is her personal mission to support other women entrepreneurs. Natalie and I share so many |
| 0:17.1 | priorities when it comes to business, women supporting women being one of them. |
| 0:21.9 | This support is crucial. When I started my first business, I didn't have a network. I didn't |
| 0:27.6 | have a group of women to turn to when I had questions, needed advice, or just wanted to feel |
| 0:32.5 | less alone in the day-to-day of running a business operation, which is why after I sold my business and |
| 0:38.5 | exited, I created the Deer Founder Forum, a community for women business owners over 40 |
| 0:43.8 | who are building real businesses and are ready for real connection, collaboration, |
| 0:48.5 | and support. And now I want you to experience what that feels like. Join me on December 9th for our virtual open house and networking session |
| 0:57.8 | where you'll meet other incredible women founders, ask questions, |
| 1:00.9 | and see firsthand how having a community in your corner can completely change how you run your business. |
| 1:07.5 | It's completely free to attend, but space is limited, |
| 1:10.4 | so you're going to want to |
| 1:11.1 | grab your spot now using the link in the show notes, because you and your business deserve |
| 1:15.4 | a support system. You deserve to not have a go at this alone. And now on to today's episode. |
| 1:23.3 | Welcome to Dear Founder, the podcast that pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build and grow a successful business. |
| 1:31.6 | No gatekeeping, no fluff, just real talk. |
| 1:35.8 | I'm your host, Lindsay Pinchuk, award-winning entrepreneur, founder, and proud member of the 1% of female founders who've led their company to an acquisition. |
| 1:45.7 | I bootstrapped my first company from $500 to seven figures before selling it and learned |
| 1:51.0 | more from the mistakes than from the wins. What started as a podcast here has grown into a |
| 1:56.8 | movement, supporting female entrepreneurs like you through not only this show, but also |
... |
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