What It's About
Embracing the value of self-reliance, this couple refuses to give up on their fitness studio dream.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Stacey and Jesse has some important advice for getting into competitive service industries, "Get in the door. Whatever the trade, or service you want to sell, get a job in the business. Learn as much as you can. Not just fun parts. Learn the really hard parts, the complicated parts, the “clean the toilets” parts."
Fun Fact
Stacey and Jesse lived in a zoo for five years! The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job. Every day, they’d walk through the zoo with their kids to visit the animals.
Notes from Chris
Episode 1007
Stacey and Jesse Coleman met in college, where they were both dedicated athletes: Stacey as a soccer player and Jesse as a wrestler. The list of sports and extreme adventures each of them has done reads like a call sheet for a movie starring The Rock. And while helping people improve their health would eventually become their business, they had to navigate an obstacle course to get there. After college, they jumped right into work and family life. Jesse took a job as a Fish Culturist for Maine’s Fish & Wildlife Department and Stacey was hired as the director of Parks and Recreation for a nearby town. They had two kids and an idyllic life. Those early jobs came with an interesting perk. The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job, so for five years they literally lived in a zoo. It was a good time for the young family, but Stacey and Jesse also knew they wanted to build a business together. Being secure and happy meant a lot, but there came a point when they decided they weren’t living up to their full potential. They wanted to help other people find the same level of joy in life that they had. That became the foundation of their mission, and eventually their business. Stacey left her job with the town and worked part-time as a personal trainer, while also raising the kids. Jesse continued his wildlife work, which provided the main income for the family, but he couldn’t wait to follow his true calling. When they started their boutique fitness business, it was mostly Stacey, their minivan, and a personal training service that went to clients’ homes. Jesse helped out when and where he could. They began with hand-me-down dumbbells and medicine balls that they already owned. Their first “big” investment was a Bosu balance device, which set them back $130 and seemed like a crazy amount of money. Speaking of money, at one point, they tried to get a bank loan to buy better gear. That’s what people do when they’re starting a business, right? But when they sat down at the bank with kids in tow, the conversation didn’t go well. Their response was to say “Screw it, we’ll do this on our own.” They decided that it was their personalities and individual attention that would bring in customers, not fancy equipment. As long as they were paying their bills, they kept going. But then one day, Stacey was sitting in traffic, hating that she had to drive so much for work. In a perfect bit of serendipity, she looked over and saw a For Lease sign. They called the number on the sign, and ended up converting an old office space into their first brick and mortar gym, again spending their own money to make it work. After four years, they gave up the smaller side hustles and went all-in. The following year, they expanded, taking over a second space in their building. Today, the business supports the family in full, providing a solid household income, which to Stacey and Jesse means they’ve met their important goals. They’re now getting ready to launch a new online health and wellness business. The goal is to take the Coleman Method global, while maintaining their gym and continuing to focus on the life they’ve built for themselves.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- My-FIT-24 Learn more about Stacey, Jesse, and their gym from their website.
- Danielle LaPorte “With Love” Podcast A one woman show about self-realization, Rock and Roll Spirituality // Live more deeply … but lighten up. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
- The 10-Minute Workout Gym: A Nashville insurance executive who hates exercising opens a gym modeled on working out for only 10 minutes at a time.
- Exercise App Encourages Fitness While Helping Sick Kids: A North Carolina man’s software app forces users to make donations when they slack off their fitness routines.
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Resources
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