Bryan McAnulty: Welcome to the Creator's Adventure, where we interview Creator's from around the world, hearing their stories about growing a business. What gets someone with no tech or social media experience over 400,000 followers. In two years today, I'm talking with Mia Soskic about how she grew her online business, teaching face fitness, and made an impact in a niche that most people don't even know exists.

My name is Bryan McAnulty. I'm the founder of Heights Platform. Let's get into the show.

Hey everyone. We're here today with Mia, the founder and creator of face workout by Mia. She is an expert in face massage and she has been educating and inspiring clients in the practice of face exercise and massage since 2016. On top of that. Mia is a mother restaurant tour and social media star who devotes her life to helping others look fresher, love their skin, and feel more youthful without the need for Botox or fillers.

Mia. Welcome to the show.

Mia Soskic: Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. And I'm very happy that I'm. .

Bryan McAnulty: So my first question for you is I'm curious, what would you say is the biggest thing that you're doing or that you did that helped you to achieve the freedom to do what you enjoy in your business, in your life?

Mia Soskic: I think it's just passion, which I feel for what I'm doing.

For example, when I started my restaurant in 2004, I was very passionate about cooking and having healthy food, a restaurant here in town. Split which I'm living in. It was not easy task to do because there were many, many things which I had in my restaurant and which I'm having today. But those times they were not.

So it was like Chi seeds, millet, barley. It was like Amand, Ken, so many, so many of the ingredients, which are normal today, but in 2004, it was completely new thing, but I was very passionate about it. I was always with my clients, with my customers, with my guests and explaining everything to them. So they really like it that this personal approach.

So I think that what I was passionate about, I could also, you know, teach others and make them believe that this is very good thing. We should join. We should come here. We should try these desserts. We should try these, these snacks and the lunch and everything.

Bryan McAnulty: So, so yeah, I think that's a great answer.

Can you explain to our audience what exactly base fitness is and what are the benefits of doing base exercises?

Mia Soskic: So face fitness exercises are a structured program of exercises for face muscles. And many people don't know, actually I was not also aware before that we have more than 50 muscles on our face and our, and on our neck.

So if you, we are regularly doing the exercises for those muscles, we can still be very youthful and look younger as we age. So many, many ladies which are My clients are li life proof that that is really working and they have 50 or 60 and they really look young because while aging we lose muscle muscle.

And collagen. And if we regularly do face exercises, then we are improving the volume of our muscles. And then we have a skin which is now setting down, which is very tight. And also we are producing this collagen a year after year with face exercises, which also gives us freshness in the. So it's a, it's a really program, which a person has to try to start to believe because after one month you can see results and you can really be convinced.

This is really working. Many, many ladies are having a lot of issues on their faces, which they don't like. And they will go for Botox of fillers, but this is a long term. This is a long term solution. And I was the one who tried Botox and filler before I discovered face exercises. So I know now that this is a long term solution for my face to look younger you know, up to my seventies, eighties,

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah, that's great.

So I, I think I could see how it would make sense and be useful. I like to, to think that I try to be pretty healthy myself and I was actually thinking that I live in Texas and here it's very flat for most of the state. . And so, because of that, I really feel like when you're driving, you really need sunglasses because at certain times of the day, there's just, the sun is always hitting you.

And I feel like if you didn't wear sunglasses, then you'd always be kind of squinting when you're looking. And I feel like if you had to drive all day, fortunately I can usually work from, from home or my studio. I don't have to drive that much, but. If you're someone that has to drive all day, I feel like you tend to get kind of wrinkly or you're using only some certain muscle over and over.

So I could see how that could be important. Is there any like example of a exercise you could show me how to do quickly of like one specific exercise that's popular?

Mia Soskic: For the eyes?

Bryan McAnulty: Sure.

Mia Soskic: Yeah. So what you just said is really so true when the eyes are tired and it can be also by working on a computer after few hours, mm-hmm eyes are tired and then we start to squint.

So this exercise, which I'm going to show you now is very good to do in between working time. For example, after three hours, when you notice that you are starting to squint, then take a break and then do this post. It is called cat eyes. So you should place your hands at the temples and then you pull them towards the hairline and up.

Oh, okay. Like making orient eyes. Yes. Orient eyes. Now you wrap your mouth around your teeth,

Opened, opened mouth mm-hmm now close the eyes. And while you have closed the eyes look upwards.

Bryan McAnulty: Oh, wow. I can really feel that it stretches actually. That's surprising.

Mia Soskic: Yes, it's very, very good for the eye muscle. And if we have strong eye muscle, then we won't have droopy eyelids. Many, many ladies are concerned about ruiness here. And if the muscle is very strong, you will have lifted eyebrows and you won't have access skin.

And also because it is around muscle around the eye, you will also not have under iPads, which is also making your face look much, much much, much older. If you are having underly beds, you look tired and you look like you are having 10 years more. I had really, really bad under, I was even tried with fillers to, to, to improve it, but it didn't help, but exercises helped me just in three months.

Wow. I saw the results in three

Bryan McAnulty: months. Got it. So you mentioned before you had a, a restaurant in in split Croatia before you started this teaching base exercises online, what inspired you to teach this online and how did you make the switch to this online business?

Mia Soskic: Yeah, actually, I had two restaurants.

One was in the center of the town. We have a beautiful center of the town here, and many tourists are right now. There it's very crowded. And the other one was in, in the business area where the low lawyers, the banks. So I completely another part of the town, but I had two. So since I started with face exercises, I realized that I cannot go on with that with two restaurants, because I had to have 25 employees.

It was really demanding a lot of time and energy from me. So in 2019, I decided to close one restaurant and I decided to to spend much more. With face exercises and deliver developing a group of women, which will come regularly to my classes in one fitness studio here in split. But what happened 2020 pandemic?

It was pandemic situation and we couldn't be together in this fitness studio anymore. So I told them, don't worry, I'm here, learn this zoom and all these online things, which I really didn't know. And it was such a headache. So I was really concerned. Will I be able to learn this? I was in a restaurant business.

I was never on computer and expert for zoom and for other these special things that you have to know. So I learned zoom and I, I called them please. We will continue the exercises based fitness exercises on zoom twice a week for half an. And they all joined, but not only they joined ladies from Zagreb ladies from other area here.

In creation, speaking language, because before we were former, I was Lavia and many, many countries around Croatia are also speaking creation. So all these ladies joined and in, in a few months I had a group of 50 ladies with, on the zoom doing. Fitness exercises with me. And this was really, really something I, I, I realized that it is really so many ladies interesting here.

And you know, it was low down. So many ladies realized, wow, I have to do something for my face. I cannot go for Botox. I cannot go for a filler. I cannot go even for face massage or any face facial treatment. So they were really, really curious to start with face exercises and to see how is result, how they feel and to, to, to see the results on their faces.

And just recently, on the 1st of April this year, I started also zoom online classes in English. So it took me two years to realize that many, many ladies who are not speaking creation are also interested to have these online classes. So I started it on the 1st of April and I'm having it regularly since then.

Since this year.

Bryan McAnulty: Great. Yeah. So it's interesting how you, you started locally actually like in your own area. Yes. But now, like we've noticed on your Instagram, you have 400,000 followers now. and I think that, like, I love examples like this because you're in a niche that a lot of people would either, either never think of, or not even know exists.

And I like to see when like somebody's so successful in that niche, because I feel a lot of Creator's just starting out kind of stop themselves and think, well, what do I do? I have to pick something that is really popular. I can't, I can't do this. Maybe it's not popular. . And now here you are that you have over 400,000 followers on Instagram.

So do you feel that you get a lot of new clients from your social media?

Mia Soskic: Yes, I'm really actually all of my clients are from Instagram. Actually. I'm not active on other social medias, like TikTok or Facebook or LinkedIn. I'm just really, really fun of Instagram because it gives me opportunity to have every week live.

It gives me opportunity to have this small videos. I have lots of, lots of messages from the ladies and men in my messenger, which I'm answering every day regularly. And also I'm having this follow up program for them. I'm giving many, many extra bonus things to my clients, like individual consultation for 10 minutes, which they like a.

To have personal contact with me. Mm-hmm so that I see their faces and that I can tell them the, the structured program for just their face. So I like to do these individual consultations and I have many clients also on my subscription packages. I have three month subscription to the video trainings and 12 months, which is having a better.

Lower price. And many ladies are there and I'm supporting them also answering them questions, trying to help them stay motivated by having this individual free zoom talks with them here and there. When they ask usually when they join the subscription, we usually have 10 minutes and then.

Asking them. Okay. Let me know in two months, your picture before and after so that we can check together what are what is advancement, where to, you know, put more Put more emphasis.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah. Credit emphasis. I wanna go more into that actually, but before we do can you share some tips or strategies that you think might have helped you to grow your Instagram?

Because when did you start it actually it's, it's pretty recent that you, you got from zero to 400,000?

Mia Soskic: 2020. I had 400 400 follow.

Bryan McAnulty: Wow.

Mia Soskic: So it was two years and a half. And actually what happened? I liked videos, but in, in summer, in August, 2020 reels, Became popular. Actually, they started to be on Instagram.

So I really like this reel. I said, wow. I can show few exercises in 30 to, to 60 seconds and have attention of my clients. To see what I want to learn them. And the ladies really like it a lot. The time posting regularly, these real videos. And also I had once a week live when they can ask me a question, when they, then we can have a live on a specific topic.

One week, the neck one week, the cheeks, one week eyes forehead, every week we had a different topic and they also saw that I'm really there for them. And that I'm really into it. Yeah.

Bryan McAnulty: I mean, just talking from you, it's clear that you're very passionate about this. So I'm curious though, I feel that some Creator's worry that if they give away all that for free.

Then who would buy their paid product. So did you ever have any worries about that or, or anything like that, where if you're already doing these lives, even for free, that who's going to then buy your paid product, what, what would you say to somebody who's worried about something like that?

Mia Soskic: Actually I think if you're serious about doing face exercises, you want to have everything at one place in Instagram is everything, you know, ups and down.

You have to scroll and you cannot have structured program at one place. So I have this seriously, this, and they are really you know, willing to pay the subscription all the online classes. And I have really. Affordable prizes to support them to join me for, for example, online classes are 39 dollars per whole month, and we have eight to nine training trainings.

So they are they saw that when they are having this personal contact with me through subscription or through online classes, then they are staying more motivated. And if you are just going alone without someone to guide you and picking here and there on Instagram, few videos. Then you won't have you know, quick results and on the long term, maybe you will get tired of doing alone without the guidance.

Bryan McAnulty: Got it. So it's the fact that you're putting everything into a structure for people giving them that extra personal attention and then kind of the accountability of being able to work on it with you and with others. So yeah, that, that completely makes sense. I agree with that. I'm curious, how else do you hope to keep your students motivated?

Because this is something like, especially since it's an exercise, you have to keep doing it.

Mia Soskic: Yes. I'm really, really trying to have as much as possible personal, personal contact with my clients. And some of the ladies, they don't need it. They're just inspired. And they're just after one month, two month, three months, they are continuing with the online classes and some of the ladies like this live online classes and some of them who, for example, have kids.

Or they're working at that hours. When are the online classes they take subscription and you know, I'm always there for them. They know that and they are not shy. They always ask questions. I answer the questions, but sometimes it's easier for me to jump on a zoom and have personal contact seeing the.

And then trying to solve the problem because it's not only auntie age, which face exercises are doing. They're also solving some other problems. For example, many ladies are there who had a stroke. Mm, and they have paralyzed one part of the face and they have to work out those muscles to, to make them alive again.

And also I have some ladies with other problems. For example, one lady had a bite from a dog. And it was completely frozen this part of the face. So she had to do regular trainings to also start to chew food on that side to make that muscles alive again. So there are many, many personal situations, which are not only on the age regarding face exercise.

Yeah. And yeah, my clients are usually 40 and plus I, I started when I was 40, this summer, I celebrated my 47th birthday. My daughter is getting married tomorrow. Oh, wow. And yes. And my, I noticed that most of my clients are 40 plus ladies.

Bryan McAnulty: Great. Yeah. It's good to identify that. And I think it's really interesting.

Would you have thought when you started that there would be these other situations of people that you'd be helping, like people recovering from a stroke or muscle injury?

Mia Soskic: No, no. For me face exercises at the beginning was only on age. I was thinking, okay, I can make my face. And the face of my clients look younger and that was my motivation.

But then they were approaching me with these problems and I said, give it a try. And they, they, they were regular in doing the exercises and they had good results and they were very, very thankful and very satisfied.

Bryan McAnulty: That's great. Yeah. It's I think Really inspiring when you can find in the, the niche that you're working in, that there's even more than what you thought of is possible for you to help people.

So we noticed that you've collected many positive reviews for your program and on your website and your social media pages, and you share pictures of your clients and you have the before and after. And I think that's a really great way to showcase the benefits of the transformation that you're providing people.

Can you share a little bit with us about how you collect those testimonials and pictures and videos? Because I think for a lot of Creator's, it would help them to be able to get more reviews from their customers.

Mia Soskic: Okay. So two years ago I was giving online classes in Croatia and all these ladies are actually from Croatia, which are on my webpage.

And I told them if you are willing to share your pictures before and after I'm giving you two months free online classes. So they, they told me, okay, I had my pictures before and after I would like to share with others. And we did these photo sessions regularly so that we can follow every, for example, Diana was really, really amazing lady who was very, very eager to have results and her face was really you know, so sick.

She was. 49 when she started to do the exercises and after only two months, she wanted to share her picture. I, I told her, Tanya, please wait one more month, three months is really something which we, we will have results, but no, she was really insisting that she's having a really great results after only two months.

And she wanted to share. So I said, okay, Send me pictures. And when I put in a, in a application on a phone, you have a when you can put one picture before and next to that picture, the after picture, when we saw before and after, and when we realized. How her face lifted, how much more volume were there alleviate?

She alleviate completely some deep wrinkles. Then we were really, really amazed. And then she sent me after 11 months again, picture, then we put this. First one and 11 months and it was really blow mind. Ladies didn't believe me. They said it is a Photoshop. And I said, okay, okay. I will, I will make live Turner on Instagram tomorrow.

And you will see here in life and you will have approved that. I didn't do any Photoshop. That it is real, real. So we had alive and many ladies after that approached me for online classes and for advice and for individual consultations, her, her actually her results are my best results error. Wow.

Bryan McAnulty: So did you start trying to get those testimonials like very early on or was it not until either already grown your clients a.

Mia Soskic: Yeah, not so many clients are, you know, willing to share their picture on the back page and on Instagram some clients they don't mind or that that's my face before. That's my face after I don't mind, but some ladies are shy.

Some ladies are also here very popular and they don't want that others know that they're doing face exercises. Some of the ladies, they, they keep it for secret just for them.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah. Well, I think that's, that's great though, to find that example that you're talking about of this basically star client who is so eager to want to show everybody what you provided for her.

So that's awesome. Since you're from Croatia, you mentioned how you had these classes in Croatian. And now you have them in English, right? So what made you choose to offer both? Was it just to, to grow and expand your business?

Mia Soskic: So many ladies were asking me on Instagram, in the messenger, when you will start online classes in English, and I really had to start it.

And it was really tough time for me to, to pick up the hour because with these hours. Classes are not recorded because I'm having on zoom gallery, you and I'm looking to the others while they are doing the exercises. So we are not recording it. And I have to have the proper time so that I can have the UK ladies and that I have the most of the ladies are from USA on my, on my online classes.

So I had to pick the time and still, I didn't cover with these hours, Australia and New Zealand and Thailand, the, this east part. Yeah. So I'm also planning, planning to have that in the future because it is completely other time so that they can also join this live classes. And I, yeah, because of many, many ladies asked me, I said, okay, I have.

I have to do this, and I'm very passionate about online classes. I like to work out with the ladies in live and to see them and to correct them when they're doing something wrong and to answer their questions after the classes, they always have some question. And then we also talk about skincare and what to do after the class, because after the class is the best time to apply face mask.

The POS on the skin are very open and ready to absorb face mask. So it is the best time to apply face mask where I always you know, remind them now, put the face mask and yes, we have a really, really nice. Conversation after the after the online classes. And also it is somehow this feeling of being in a group of women who are likeminded, who are, you know, having similar interests, interests.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah, definitely, definitely. That's really valuable. In our software in particular we actually just released like an updated community feature. because we feel it's really important that you're not only offering a training to people, but oftentimes some people, they just offer a community, but oftentimes everybody in your training, they, they have some kind of like mindedness and having a community for them really offers a lot of value for them to discuss with each other to share with each other, to hold each other accountable.

So yeah, I think that's, that's really powerful. What would you suggest to Creator's who maybe they're not from an English speaking country and they want to reach both a local audience and an international audience. Is there any suggestions for how somebody can expand, like you did.

Mia Soskic: Actually this I think this regular care of the customers of the clients and answering them questions, being them for them sincerely with your time and energy is a great.

Thing. And also, you know, I'm seeing on Instagram, many, many people are posting, lot of pictures in the stories and never having live. I think these lives are very important because then people can somehow get a whole picture of you and get gets to know you better and and conclude. Is she going to be my teacher or not?

The, the, the life is somehow one thing which helped me very much to approach more to my clients. So I think these lives are very good and they cannot they, they don't have to be too long. I don't like too long lives. I like to have them the maximum 30 minutes, so they can be for 15 minutes. Everyone has 15 minutes.

I like to listen to the others live. And when I'm cooking, I'm just having my phone, put the light. And I'm cutting the veggies and looking at somebody else. And I want, which I, the person I want to get know better. I'm going to know her with listening to her life.

Bryan McAnulty: Got it. So how many times per week would you say that you go live?

Mia Soskic: I usually go once a week this week I skipped because of my daughter's wedding. I had so many things to do, but I usually, I, I usually had this schedule of once a week.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah, I agree. We're actually talking with another guest recently about how powerful it can be for being on a live live stream, being on even like a podcast like this, because I agree with you.

Like, if you're on, if you just make a post on Instagram, even if it's a real or a video, people don't really get to know you or, or figure out your personality. But just from a small interaction or even, they don't even have to be somebody who, who chats with you, but from seeing you live is a whole different thing to really understand who you are, what you do, what you're really passionate about.

And, and I agree. I think it's something that can help people decide that, oh, this is the person that I want to buy from. And I would encourage people. if you are nervous or, or don't want to do the, the live I think it's worth giving it a try. Because when people find you, the, the people who find you and watch you, they're, they're going to be like you most in most cases.

And they're going to, to resonate with that. And I feel that a couple live viewers. Is more powerful than a hundred or, or maybe even a thousand, just regular views on the post where they just scroll through it, but don't really pay too much attention.

Mia Soskic: Yes. Yes. Yes. I, I really like these lives and I saw that ladies are also looking at the one live, which I had about topic under bags is having 40,000 views.

And it's really, really showing that ladies are, and my clients are interested in this one because these numbers and also, you know, you are always looking. Statistics. And when you see how many ladies and clients are saving these lives, then you are sure, a hundred percent, they need it. They save it.

They want to have it for later.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah. Wow. That's a great example. All well, I think that's a, a great takeaway for anyone trying to grow especially on social media consider to try some more live streams. My next question for you is every guest we have on the show, we like to have them ask a question to our audience.

So if you could ask our audience anything, what would that be?

Mia Soskic: I'm really curious about how they are motivated to start with basic exercises. What is their motivation and also how they're started already how they're staying motivated. What is their motivation? What is their you know what is, what is their feeling?

Oh, I will today do face exercises and tomorrow I will also do them. How, how to, how they're staying motivated. That is really interesting. For me. Cool.

Bryan McAnulty: Yeah, that's a great question. I think I think it's interesting to think about like the motivation for any kind of exercise. What is, what is that and, and why do you do that?

Because I think it can probably help yourself even realize to kind of be more consistent with everything.

Mia Soskic: Yes. I, I I'm, I'm always having this topic on my life and I'm asking also them and many ladies are having different, different motivations and always something new, pop up some new motivation, and I'm really learning from that.

Bryan McAnulty: That's interesting. So that's all the questions that I had for you today. But before we get going, where can people find you online?

Mia Soskic: Online I'm at my English webpage Facebook called by mia.com. And there, you can find subscription packages and also online classes and online classes is right now possible to join in September, September. Starting from the fifth of 5th of September, I think. Yes, Monday. And during the September, they can also take a look and see if they want to join October because every month we have regular, this.

On live classes. And also there is a subscription package with more than 70 exercises with 21 video training. And whoever decide to go for that I'm offering this free individual consultation so that we can jump on zoom and I'm making for them easier. How to schedule the videos personally for their.

Bryan McAnulty: Got it. Cool. And where can people find your Instagram if they wanna see that

Mia Soskic: Instagram is, uhm, face fitness, Mia, face fitness. It'll open. I think when you, when you enter in a, in a, in a searcher Mia's face. Yeah.

Bryan McAnulty: Alright, great. All well, that's that's all for me then. Mia. Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Mia Soskic: Thank thank to you and have a nice day. And I'm very, very happy that you have so many listeners who are also interested in this topic because I feel this topic is very important. We all like to you look younger. And this technique is the most valuable, the most, most natural out, which you can find out there and is giving you long-term results and this satisfaction of doing something for yourself for your face muscles.

Bryan McAnulty: Great. Thanks Mia. So yeah, for anyone out there and anyone creating out there take a, take a Mia as an example of the passion behind what you do.

Thank you. If you enjoyed this interview and want the chance to ask questions to our guests live tune in on Tuesdays when new episodes premier on the Heights Platform, Facebook page, to learn more about the show and get notified when new episodes released, check out the Creator's Adventure dot com until then keep learning and I'll see you in the next episode.