Women In Sports - Suzana Andersen

"I love myself. Only those who conquer face challenges." This is the reminder that Suzana Andersen uses for her most difficult days. In her youth she would even write it on her shower glass stall while bathing. Suzana is the founder of the pilates and dance studio 'Studio Suzana Andersen' and has been an entrepreneur from a young age.

She started dancing ballet at the age of 14 -- "late even", she says. Her teacher soon recognized her talent for dancing, and asked her to be her assistant, helping with the younger children. "It was a way for her to introduce me to the beginner classes without me feeling out of place", she explains. Although her passion for dance was enormous, Suzana ended up studying Economics at FAAP, influenced by her then-boyfriend who would later become her husband.

At the time, her parents were living in Paraguay (she is the daughter of a Brazilian father and a Paraguayan mother), while she lived in São Paulo with her grandmother. Suzana tells me that one afternoon, her grandmother asked her to go pick up her cousin from a swimming school. When she got there, Suzana saw that there was an empty room upstairs. And so, at just 18, she suggested to the owner that a dance class should be established there, making the start of her entrepreneurial journey.

"Entrepreneurship is a way of being, it's about being proactive, the person who says 'let's do this, let's do that'." Suzana describes that her daily routine was hectic: in the morning she attended college, in the afternoon she ministered dance classes, and at night she attended ballet classes.

For three years, her routine remained unchanged until, in her last year of Economics she decided to start another degree in Physical Education. Suzana completed both degrees, got married and moved to Denmark due to her husband, of Danish origin, going there to work.

Always active and in search of new challenges, Suzanawas determined to start working in Denmark too. She ended up teaching at a school called 'Teatro e Movimento'. "I didn't need to work there, but that's my temperament of not staying still," she says.

Laura Gurney and Suzana Andersen, founder of 'Studio Suzana Andersen'

When I ask about the difficulties that entrepreneurs face, Suzana doesn't hesitate in her answer: "You'll face difficulties every day. Even if you do nothing. Having difficulties in your day-to-day is part of being alive. But as an entrepreneur, the desire to do something surpasses any challenges."

She highlights the following as necessary requirements for those who want to be successful in the sports and gym industry: being constantly updated and having a true passion for what they do. "Students are looking for an attentive and dynamic professional. So, what can never happen is you think that you have already figured it out and thats that, done," she points out. She also reminds us that leaders must instill this same commitment to constantly be motivated in their team, ensuring that the teachers are also always updating themselves.

Suzana currently manages her studio in partnership with her daughter, Sophie. She notes that Sophie soon realized the advantages of having her own business alongside her mother, in terms of financial compensation and time management. Today, they jointly handle both the classes and the studios administration.

However, Suzana highlights the challenges of owning her own business: the fact that she is always working. "When you work for another company, you have to work a specific schedule; when you have your own business, the demands are greater, whether it's the weekend or the holidays," she explains.

When she looks back on her career, Suzana feels at peace and fulfilled with her choices. She says that when, at the age of 54, she lost her husband in 2020, it was the fact that she had her own business that allowed her to continue supporting her home and family. Suzana takes pride in seeing her two children on the same path of owning their own businesses: Sophie by her side and her son running the company that belonged to his father.

"You can do anything, the only one who stops you the most is yourself."