Meet Nikhat Jharia | CEO & Stretch Therapy at The Stretch Barre

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikhat Jharia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikhat, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
If I was asked, “What was that aha moment that led you to starting your own business?” I’d have nothing to offer. I didn’t experience that aha moment – one moment I was a newly graduate with an overwhelmingly strong opinion about the healthcare system, and then we were 6 months in, incorporating The Stretch Barre, LLC.

In hindsight, the beginning processes a business owner experiences, were processes I was experiencing 6 months into. Owning and operating a business, no matter how small or large, is challenging; and no one tells you that, they, too, do not know what they’re doing. So whether it was payroll, accounting, marketing, branding, scheduling, content, or the actual operations of it, each challenge brought with it an excuse to quit. However, with each excuse there was a constant one reason to keep going – I hate our healthcare system. I believe strongly that all people have the birth right to get help, to get treatment, and to be guided to a healthy way of living. Our system is set up to treat health issues, but it is imperative to shift that perspective and create a system that focuses on preventing health issues. My thought process when building The Stretch Barre was how can I take the skills and education I have acquired, and create something that fills the disparities in our healthcare system.

Thus, we have The Stretch Barre – a business created to bridge the gap between growing pains, frequent massages, surgery and physical therapy. A business created to treat growing pains before they create unrepairable damage. A business created to care for mental, emotional and physical health.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Deciding to work for yourself and your community is the so overwhelming and confusing – yet it is the most fulfilling experiences. It’s filled with self-doubt, questions, hurdles, and yet is empowering. My best friend always reminded me, and often times still has to, that “It’s not suppose to be easy, because if it were, then everyone would do it.” So if there is someone reading this, thinking about taking the leap, I, a not yet successful businesswoman, would like to say start today. It’s not going to be easy, in fact, it’ll be very hard, but you’ll do it and it’ll be the most rewarding feeling ever. So start today.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston has increasingly become the hub for all things food, attractions, and public activities. I’d have to have a spicy Mexican dinner at Carmelo’s in Sugar Land, the biggest slept on hole in the wall. Discovery Green and Buffalo Bayou are my favorite spaces for outdoorsy time. But food and drinks you can’t go wrong in Houston – there’s something for everyone.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When they say to surround yourself with the people you want to see in yourself, they say it for a reason. Being friends with motivated, ambitious, driven, and passionate people has propelled me to do more of what I love but do it with dignity. It sounds cliche, but my family’s support means the world to me – without that I wouldn’t have been able to commit full time to The Stretch Barre.

Website: Www.stretchbarre.com

Instagram: @stretch_barre

Linkedin: Nikhat Jharia

Facebook: The Stretch Barre