Posted by Sammie on April 17th, 2012 |
7 comments
It’s the 5th Birthday this month of my baby Booty Camp Fitness and it’s amazing to me to recognize how much the company, and myself, have grown over the last 5 years. I rarely write long blog posts, but I figure an occasion like this gives me permission to ramble a bit.
This post is about gratitude, reflection and motivation. About 5 1/2 years ago, at the age of 24, I quit two stable and secure jobs to pursue my passion for fitness and ventured into a world of possibilities, the world of an entrepreneur. Little did I know at the time how effective I would be at reaching my goals over the next half decade.
When I initially ventured into the scary and unknown territory of “being my own boss” I knew that I had to set some clear goals and directives to keep me moving forward and putting food on the table. I’d like to share a few of those goals, their results, and my goals for the next 5 years in a effort to demonstrate how effectively you CAN take control of your life and go to bed feeling fulfilled every night.
Goal 1: Obtain a full time personal training roster within 2 months
I knew I had to make money and I had to make it fast if I wanted to maintain a career in fitness and be able to continue to spread my knowledge. I had left both of my jobs with no safety net and spontaneously/foolishly done it in the month of November! Kinda silly considering the season lol. I started posting my simple website and personal success story on every online classified board, postering my neighbourhood, placing postcards in door jams and just basically worked my booty off to try to get those clients! I set up a “thermometer” on my wall with the number of clients I would need to enlist weekly to make enough money to eat and just stared at it every night, visualizing my emotional bank account filled with these new fulfilling relationships, and my financial bank account having a steady flow of income.
Within 2 months I not only had a full roster of clients, but I had a waiting list! My focus on connecting with my ladies, and my passion for spreading fitness enthusiasm, was propelling my business forward in the most fantastical way all because of that thermometer goal and the actions that I took to reach it.
Goal 2: Influencing more women, at one time!
This is the goal that gave birth to what is now Booty Camp Fitness aka. my baby. About 6 months after starting my training business I had realized how little time there actually was in a day to spend with clients, and how few people that meant I could spread my fitness knowledge to. I decided that I needed to start doing something bigger, something fun, something more dynamic and something OUTDOORS. It was spring and gorgeous and I knew I just had to put a little work into creating something that discarded all the boring gym equipment and was a constantly changing and challenging workout that all women could participate in.
I drafted a workout plan, hit the concrete and started spreading the word about Booty Camp. 24 hours led to the first camp being sold out and I set my sights for a summer full of evening camps. My goal was to have 80 women participate that summer so I put my heart and soul into those workout sessions. When I hit nearly 200 ladies I realized I couldn’t do it alone and that’s when the story get’s crazy!
Goal 3: Expand to 100 locations across Canada!
With the initial success of the Booty Camp program I knew I had managed to create something big. Since it was my goal to continually empower more and more women I realized that I had no choice but to expand and provide camps throughout the city….then the province…. and then the country. Over the next 3 years I barely slept. Initially working 80+ hours a week just to stay on top of everything so that my baby could grow.
I traveled across Canada, interviewing, hiring and training new licensees. At the end of the 3rd year I had reached my goal, 100 locations across the nation equaling over 2,000 women in Booty Camp programs on a monthly basis! Again it was that personal drive and determination and clear destination that fueled the late nights and crazy jet lag to make everything possible. Clear goals, hard work, and fantastic results!
Over the past 5 years I’ve had the chance to chase my dreams and achieve them. Booty Camp is now the largest boot camp program in Canada and the #1 followed boot camp in the world via twitter! Huge accomplishments that my entire team has helped achieve!
The key to my successes?
1) Setting a clearly defined goal that kinda scared the crap out of me.
2) Working my booty off to achieve it, immediately! When I decided to do something, I got moving on it the next day. Whether it was planning how, calling in the troops, researching demographics, calling my accountant, whatever it took I had to start immediately in order to set the plan in motion, otherwise the dream gets lost in your day to day life.
3) Celebrating every step of the way and practicing gratitude for all of my blessings. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing female trainers in the country, my headquarters staff is talented, loyal and dedicated, it is truly an honor to be able to do what I do and an absolute pleasure. Practicing that gratitude, taking the time to recognize those moments, helps propel you forward and gives you the momentum and positive energy to reach your next goal.
Speaking of next goals…..
So what is next on my set of goals for the next 1-5 years? Well I’ll give you a sneak peak 
Goal 1: Empowering another 2000+ Canadian women monthly through a new workout
I’ve launched a new concept called Femme Fitale. A women’s only kickboxing and mixed martial arts conditioning workout. Over the next 3 years my goal is to expand it to 100+ locations across Canada to broaden my reach, providing a fun but sassy workout for women everywhere in a non-intimidating setting!
Goal 2: Reach 1,000,000 women across the world
It’s my ultimate goal to educate 1 million women about health, fitness, lifestyle and happiness around the world. My plan is to access these women through the outstanding (if I do say so myself) DVD programs that myself and my team have produced. That includes current and future Booty Camp Ultimate Home Edition programs and future Femme Fitale DVD systems. It would be the most outstanding moment of my life to realize that I have provided a physical and mental outlet for 1 million women that brings them joy, heals their bodies, and ultimately changes their lives!
Now that I’ve shared some goals of my own, it’s your turn to scribble down your intentions for the next eight weeks, six month and year.
Start small and go big. Concrete goals such as being able to belt out 20 push-ups in 8 weeks are a perfect starting point. Then set your sights a bit grander and set forth to work on your office-home balance, making more time for yourself or finally overhauling your family’s eating habits.
A goal without a plan is just a dream! Once you’ve put your goals on paper (or smart phone!) for the universe to see, then it’s time to decide how you’re putting your plans in motion. As Tony Robins (master motivator) said himself, “The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” Grab a calendar and get started with writing out what you can do in the next 24 hours to start working towards that goal! If it means signing up for a nutrition class, workout program, or booking an appointment with a valued mentor do NOT delay. Get started NOW or your fabulous goal will lose it’s motivating effect.
Celebrate! In order to train your body and mind to enjoy working hard at reaching your goals you have to enjoy your accomplishments. Reward yourself, big or small, for each goal you reach. Even better, establish your reward at the same time you establish your goal so that it can further motivate you along the way. Perhaps it’s some new lululemon gear, a trip somewhere tropical, a fancy pair of shoes (my weakness), whatever will get yo moving. NO SKIPPING CELEBRATIONS!
You’ve read about me for the last 5 minutes, I’d love to read about your goals and successes. Please leave a comment below!
Always living with passion,
Sammie
and that’s not the type of food I put into my healthy body.
