Insights from CITYROW Founder Helaine Knapp
Helaine Knapp is the founder of CITYROW, a fitness brand that specializes in rowing-based workouts. After a decade of growing CITYROW, Helaine has faced the good and the bad—and emerged stronger. Today, she is more passionate than ever about helping other founders and CEOs navigate the inevitable challenges of building and scaling a business. She recently published her first book, Making Waves.
1. Know your business
Who will continue to carry your vision and ethos forward as your business grows?
It’s important to stay deeply connected to the foundational aspects of your business, even as it expands. There is a need to maintain a personal touch—the key ingredient that makes the business special. In Helaine’s case, this meant staying actively engaged with the day-to-day operations: attending classes, interacting with customers, and personally responding to emails. This hands-on involvement ensured that the core values and culture of the business remained intact, even as the company scaled.
Staying close to the “bottom floor”—those working directly with customers and on the ground level—provides continuous feedback and helps guide business decisions that stay true to the original vision.
2. Know your customer
Who on your team can consistently advocate for your customers’ needs?
Knowing your customer isn’t just about demographics—it’s about truly understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points. Helaine stresses the importance of consumer research to ensure your product or service resonates.
Being able to advocate for your customers means having someone on your team who can deeply empathize with their challenges and desires. This person should be able to represent the voice of the customer in all decision-making processes. Whether you’re developing new offerings, tweaking your business model, or improving customer service, constantly staying attuned to customer needs is a critical part of building a sustainable business.
3. Know yourself
Can you truly identify your strengths and weaknesses?
The most important skill you can have is the ability to be honest and understand your capabilities—and limits—is essential when starting and running a business. Helaine candidly admits that teaching fitness classes was not her strength, which led her to partner with a co-founder who could complement her skills. Knowing what you’re good at—and just as importantly, what you’re not—allows you to build a stronger, more balanced team.
When starting a business, it’s critical to surround yourself with people who bring diverse expertise and fill the gaps in your own skill set. A successful team is built on complementary strengths. Whether you’re more strategic or creative, having people who can take on tasks outside of your comfort zone lets you focus on what you do best, ensuring both personal and business growth.