There are many health benefits associated with hitting the pavement – sleep and stress management, increased productivity and reduced cognitive decline, to name just a few.
But running also appears to be a tool entrepreneurs can utilise to develop new business ideas, find new solutions to problems and get themselves out of a creative rut.
Seasoned business owner, Susan Bonnar, can attest to the boost in creativity and brain power a decent run facilitates.
An avid runner and Royal Navy veteran, Susan started making cards to post to her husband (also a Navy officer), while he was at sea on long deployments and she was home with their small children.
This turned into Dottie Designs, a small craft business that went on to win Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphis’ Small Business Sunday (SBS) competition, both in 2011 and 2018.
But Susan wanted to do more for the crafting and small business community and felt Dottie Designs wasn’t doing this enough.
Susan attended an event with entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter in early 2019, where he told his story of starting out by selling trainers out of the back of his van in the 60s and going on to launch Sports Division.
Feeling inspired, Susan went for a run and had an epiphany.
She founded The British Craft House (TBCH) in 2019, an online platform that allows British artisans to sell their handmade products.
TBCH has now generated over £1 million in turnover and enables over 450 creatives to sell on the site.
Susan said: “Sir Tom said that if you have an idea and have the passion and determination and you’re willing to put in the work to bring it to life then you have to go for it. The next day I went for a long training run for the London Marathon, came home and said to my husband ‘I’m starting a new business’ and the rest is history.”
Susan also launched an additional craft-selling site, BuyIndie, in 2022.
Thirteen years on from winning her first Theo Paphis’ Small Business Sunday shoutout, Susan was invited to the annual event as a guest speaker.
She told the audience the story of the run that sparked The British Craft House and has since received hundreds of messages from fellow entrepreneurs saying they have given her method a go.
She said: “I’ve had lots of messages from people saying that they’ve been inspired by my story, but what I didn’t expect so many people to tell me is that they’ve also been getting out running, with the hope it will foster their very own next business solutions and ideas. For me, that training run was more life-changing than the marathon itself and I hope that people will see the benefits of hitting the pavement every once in a while.
‘It’s all about putting one foot in front of the other and keeping going even when it’s hard – both in running and in business.’
Natalie Mackenzie, a cognitive rehabilitation therapist and brain injury specialist said: “Running or any similar type of exercise is a great boost for cognition. Studies on rats have actually evidenced that such activities increases levels of intelligence compared to those who are sedentary.
“A change of environment, moving away from the chains of the desk to get outside in nature, expands our exposure to more ‘feel good’ brain chemicals too. When those cells get firing, that’s where the magic happens and thoughts win through the cloudiness of a less stimulated brain.
“Neurotransmitter secretions and the increased serotonin brings in the feel good factor, boosting mood and allowing us to feel that things might actually be possible! During a focused run, we find ourselves in a focused state, which is similar to where we go during more clarity seeking times when engaging in mindfulness. Running brings us into the present, allowing for space to focus, reflect, evaluate and plan. Here we can tap into those higher level meta cognitive skills and creative spaces, that the more busier and chaotic times of day have less room for.”
