Bootcamp Babes
About this Executive:
Name:
Ellen Minerd and Jane Vitou
Company:
Bootcamp Babes
Interview Topics:
Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Region:
Region 8 - Northeast Ohio
Bootcamp Babes was founded by sisters Ellen Minerd and Jane Vitou in 2004 to educate men and women of all ages on the need for daily exercise. They built their company on the belief that, in addition to eating and sleeping, exercise must become an everyday event in our lives. Just as people plan for their financial future, it’s important to plan for your physical future.
Teaming up with corporate fitness programs, Bootcamp Babes instruct employees of all ages and fitness levels on basic exercise routines that can be done as a group or individually. These routines do not require expensive equipment, gym memberships or tremendous amounts of time. Sessions are a minimum of six weeks, meeting two to three times a week either before, during or after work.
Q: Your business is has seen great success and recognition in just four years. What does Ohio uniquely offer that you feel have helped make your business successful?
A; The first thing that makes Ohio, specifically Cleveland, unique from our perspective is the ease with which we can move around the city. Our business revolves around getting to companies either before, during or after work, often crossing town several times a day. In many cities, traffic congestion would makes this an impossible task. But the highway system in Ohio is great and we are able to do what we do.
Secondly, we feel Ohio business owners are open to new ideas and willing to give us a try. As a small business, we have to rely on word of mouth for advertising. Our best advertisement comes from satisfied customers, which we have only because they were willing to open the door to us in the first place.
Finally, we feel Ohio has the right amount of business to keep our business growing for years. We will never run out of businesses looking to improve their wellness programs by joining up with the Bootcamp Babes to shake the fat!
Q: What alliances have you created with Ohio academic institutions that have served your business well?
A: We currently draw instructors from three Northeast Ohio colleges. Our ability to draw the best and brightest instructors right out of school ensures we will always be able to offer the best instructors to our corporate clients.
Q: The strategy behind your business reminds me of Ohio’s commitment to work:life balance. What business benefits do you realize from promoting work:life balance?
A: We feel that we benefit from a higher rate of employee retention because we offer them a great deal of freedom in creating their own style of teaching. We also match their schedules to ours, rather than the other way around. Because it is easy to get to and from the company, this practice allows them to work when it’s convenient for them and helps them achieve the Ohio promise of perfect balance. If we were in a city like Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta or New York, this practice would simply not be practical. Having our business in Ohio gives us a lot more flexibility to create the kind of work environment and culture that reflects our vision for our company.
Q: What one aspect of Ohio are you the most excited about to share with others?
A: To reiterate – there are not many places where we could grow our business as successfully as we have in Cleveland. For a big city, it still has a small town feel and our ability to navigate about town is what has helped us to grow as quickly has we have. Cleveland is a place that feels like home and allows people to succeed at work without having to sacrifice their family in the process.