Episode 203: How to Turn Your Passion into a Business with Karen & Jeremy Schaar, Roca Climbing & Fitness

This week on the podcast we got to record at Roca Climbing & Fitness with owners Karen and Jeremy Schaar. Roca is an indoor rock climbing facility (and more) in northwest Rochester. The business will celebrate its five year anniversary on December 15th. On the show today we talk with Karen and Jeremy about their passion for climbing and community, the risks they took along their entrepreneurial journey, and how they are navigating 2020. Today’s conversation is so important for the community to understand the experience of small business during the COVID pandemic, especially a business such as Roca, which will have had its doors closed to the public for at least four months by the end of the year. Tune in today to hear more about these entrepreneurs and how they are giving back to the local community.

Links from today’s show:
Roca Climbing and Fitness
Website: https://www.climbroca.com/
Facebook: @rocaclimbingandfitness
Instagram: @climbroca

Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start
4:10 Introduction to Jeremy and Karen
9:16 Taking big risks in life, plus kids and climbing
12:52 How Jeremy’s past business experience help to accelerate their process
16:40 Importance of leverage your resources
20:10 Amenities at the climbing facility
25:10 Social community of rock climbing
27:20 Building the Roca facility
32:40 Giving back to the community
36:40 Yoga for breast cancer patients and survivors
44:25 Impact of COVID on the business
54:50 Final thoughts
58:30 End

This week on the podcast we got to record at Roca Climbing & Fitness with owners Karen and Jeremy Schaar. Roca is an indoor rock climbing facility (and more) in northwest Rochester. The business will celebrate its five year anniversary on December 15th. On the show today we talk with Karen and Jeremy about their passion for climbing and community, the risks they took along their entrepreneurial journey, and how they are navigating 2020. Today’s conversation is so important for the community to understand the experience of small business during the COVID pandemic, especially a business such as Roca, which will have had its doors closed to the public for at least four months by the end of the year. Tune in today to hear more about these entrepreneurs and how they are giving back to the local community.

Links from today’s show:

Roca Climbing and Fitness

Website: https://www.climbroca.com/

Facebook: @rocaclimbingandfitness

Instagram: @climbroca

Music Attribution: Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library. 

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

4:10 Introduction to Jeremy and Karen

9:16 Taking big risks in life, plus kids and climbing

12:52 How Jeremy’s past business experience help to accelerate their process

16:40 Importance of leverage your resources 

20:10 Amenities at the climbing facility

25:10 Social community of rock climbing

27:20 Building the Roca facility

32:40 Giving back to the community

36:40 Yoga for breast cancer patients and survivors

44:25 Impact of COVID on the business

54:50 Final thoughts

58:30 End