Ilija Jahura

Ilija Jahura is a Kelowna-based fitness expert and health consultant. Ilija primarily focuses on helping clients navigate all health- and fitness-related junctures in their daily lives, including diet planning, cardiovascular and hypertrophy training, as well as muscle and strength development. He has long claimed that fitness is not his number one goal. His real goal is to help his clients feel comfortable in their own skin while tackling their own goals.

When onboarding a new client, the first thing Jahura asks is what kind of goals the client is looking to reach. Once this has been established, he works with the client to create a feasible plan to achieve those dreams. Ilija says the most worthwhile part of his job is seeing a client getting the results they have worked so hard for. No feeling can be better than that.

When Jahura isn’t at work, he can often be found spending time with friends and family. As someone who is interested in learning what the body can do, Ilija is known around town for being a major sports fan: basketball, football, soccer — you name it!

And of course, Ilija also enjoys taking the time to get in a good workout or read up on the latest literature and news related to the physical fitness world.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

It came from the constant need of everyday people — better body fitness! It’s the idea that anyone can change the way they feel about themselves, either physically and mentally.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

The schedule that I follow looks like this: When I wake up, I start off by spending time with family, loved ones, and the dogs before going into my daily workout routine. After that, I go straight into the workday, everything is pre-prepared, and I follow a strict schedule for every client. I do my best to accommodate any needs around training and nutrition. At night, I organize and prepare myself mentally for the following day by checking my planner, organizing equipment, and doing any meal prep for the following day. Repeat.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I use manifesting: If you think about something enough or believing in it strongly, it will become true.

What’s one trend that excites you?

The current trend of “getting healthy” excites me quite a lot. That’s because ultimately you will live a better happier life.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Sure, I think that’s an easy one. Something that is easy to do is just as easy ‘not’ to do. I am constantly striving to be more aware of my decisions, and in turn, I am always referring back to this.

What advice would you give your younger self?

That’s a difficult question. I think everyone should ultimately have a lot of advice to give their younger self — if you don’t, that means you haven’t learned anything! But if I had to choose one piece of advice, it would be this: Be more patient.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

There can only be one G.O.A.T. Only one person gets to be the ‘greatest of all time.’

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I try to maintain a structure in everything. That means sticking to the plan you have put in place. This helps a lot — when you are organized things become simple.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Look, the best advice I can give is don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. When you are first starting out, finding that first client (and later on, a whole client base) can be tough. So do not be scared to ask.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

As I said before, I think my first mistakes were not being able to find new clients. And I learned from that the hard way. Always be thinking about how you can expand and get yourself out there.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Think about what your community lacks — not something that is a product or a service — but a real need. Then go out there and start a non-profit that addresses that need.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I recently spent $100 on a fishing license and new fishing equipment. I think that’s probably the best money I have spent recently. More people should be willing to experience the great outdoors.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I’m a pen and paper guy. I haven’t really gotten into the software world yet, but I think anything that can help you keep track of data, results, and help to measure progress is a wonderful tool.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. This is also where the advice for question number 5 comes from.

What is your favorite quote?

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Key Learnings:

• Use the power of manifesting to help turn your dreams into reality; if you can imagine it, you can make it happen
• Never be afraid to ask for referrals if you work in an industry that depends on them
• Something that is easy to do is just as easy not to do