From Adversity to Success: The Inspiring Story of Nastasia Nasr

The pandemic has taken its toll on the world, but nevertheless, some talented entrepreneurs were able to find opportunities during dark times and strive! 

The story of Nastasia Nasr is inspiring! While studying at the university in Beirut, she was working part-time as a trainer in local gyms. Everything was going well until the day that Covid struck and paralyzed the whole economic system in Lebanon and the world. During these times, there were a lot of fuel shortages, electricity cuts, transportation was prohibited, and the economic situation was very poor. This led Nastasia to leave Beirut and go back to her town Ras Baalbek. 

In her remote town, with poorer economic needs, Nastasia, who is full of life, found it difficult to stay at home and do nothing. Noting that she has a master’s degree in training individuals with special needs, she started contacting the older generations in her town and supported individuals by providing them with a healthy exercise routine that will help them decrease the negative effects of being stuck at home during the pandemic. 

After news of her progress with her patients spread throughout the town, she found herself incapable of providing individual sessions anymore due to the high demand, so she decided to create group classes in her backyard for everyone who was interested in her services.

But, all this success came with challenges.

•  First, working in her garden meant that during the winter, she would not be able to sustain these classes.

•  Furthermore, she only had equipment for individuals, which made it hard for her to maintain group sessions; this is when she heard of the ARED program implemented by The Nawaya Network.

She pitched her business in front of a jury panel, and she obtained a passing score to move into incubation to receive intensive coaching sessions by a coach at The Nawaya Network. She was able to receive funding which allowed her to purchase the needed equipment to sustain her operations. She also received important training related to management, finance, and marketing, all of which helped broaden her horizon of business knowledge and organizational management. 

The ARED program also connected her to suppliers who provided her with competitive prices, which significantly improved her ability to continue to serve her target audience at the fairest fee possible. 

Nastasia doesn’t only support the older generations with health problems, but she also trains children and provides them with amazing activities that allow them to use their energy on fun sports activities instead of sitting at home all day. It is worth mentioning that Nastasia is the only person providing such a service in her town, and she is committed to supporting her community during this tough period which has reflected positively on both her and the community at large.

Nastasia’s business:

• Started with 25 children being trained in the garden; today, she trains over 150 persons.

• She has recruited 2 team members, and she is consistently looking to increase the number of machinery and services provided in her new gym.

•  She is also providing one-to-one online sessions with clients from all over Lebanon and is looking into providing her clients with specialized kickboxing classes for kids and adults alike. 

To do this, she dreams of expanding her current location, employing more trainers, and thus becoming able to host a bigger number of clients, both at her gym and online. She also wants to work with dieticians, hence providing her clients with a 360-degree health service!

To think that this opportunity started during times of distress shows us the resiliency of our Lebanese youth who become entrepreneurs and how we can, in times of crisis, still realize opportunities and convert them into successful businesses.