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Andrew and Alisha Griffin

Franchise: Step into Life® Bronte - Queens Park, New South Wales

Comments about Step into Life®:

Andrew Griffin & Alisha Jowett

Franchise: Step into Life® Queens Park - Bronte, New South Wales

Comments about Step into Life®:

January 2008
"Just a quick email to tell you what a success the Womens Health promotion is shaping up to be and thank you for making the decision to run it.
Queens Park has had 14 leads in the past 24 hours and the girls I have spoken to sound really excited about the opportunity to train ( and me excited the opportunity to sign them up!) Happy new years"

June 2007
"I purchased Step into Life Queens Park with around 45 members. One year later using the support and systems of Step into Life I hit 100 members and turn over of $8,000 - $10,000 per month. I am working less hours than before when I was a full time tennis coach and I enjoy my clients and the variety of training I do as well as the rewards of running my own business."

Angela McLaren-Connors

Franchise: Step into Life® Rowville, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

Let me ask you a question. Let's see if you can name three good things about your day in 30 seconds, and, no, lunch doesn't count!

That's what it came down to for me. I was getting to the end of each working day and battling to think of something good that had happened during those 8-12 hours of stress, jumping through hoops and hard slog, not to mention the narky office politics.

I kept thinking "there has to be a better way to live". And guess what? There is!

I can absolutely guarantee you that since I swapped my skirts and heels for sneakers and spandex I have not had a single day of looking back or missing my day job.

And even though I'm running my own business I don't feel like I'm alone or like I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel I have immense support from the Step into Life team and from fellow franchisees; I feel like help, support, motivation and inspiration is there if I need it; I feel like I have been well trained by Step into Life and have a proven system behind me so I know that what I am doing is going to succeed – and that fact alone equals a happier less-stressed Ange! In fact I have never felt so confident about my future or myself in my life.

So, three good things about my day? Today I had a member, who swears she is a walker, jog all the way up a big hill and stand at the top with a big dorky grin on her face; a member tell me today she has never felt better and I have just signed up two brand new members who are thrilled to be taking a positive healthy step in their life, plus it is gloriously sunny today and I'm outside. And that's four good things just off the top of my head.

This week test yourself each day and see if you can think of three good things about your work. If you can't then it might be time to take action and say balls to your boss!

Carolyn Birdsey

Franchise: Step into Life® Sale, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

Charlie Degabriele

Franchise: Step into Life® St Kilda, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

We are a relatively new franchise, which launched in September 2007. The success of the franchise so far has far exceeded our expectations. This has a lot to do with the incredible support and help we have received from the Victorian head office. Having no experience in running a business before, there is no way we would be where we are now if it wasn't for the amazing team at head office. We feel we can call them any time with any question and there will always be a friendly, helpful voice on the other end able to answer our queries.

They all do a fantastic job and are extremely competent with the software and have a real understanding of the business and the challenges we face which is so important when things are so new and sometimes stressful for us.

We honestly could not ask for a better team and are so lucky to have them - the support they have given us is invaluable and we are so grateful. They certainly deserve recognition!

Thanks again SILVIC office!!
Kind regards
Charlie and Sandra Degabriele
Step into Life St Kilda

David Corin

Franchise: Step into Life® Warners Bay, New South Wales

Comments about Step into Life®:

I spent years as a corporate guy working long hours but without a decent lifestyle to show for it, the company controlled my life. I had previously been a business owner, running a very successful restaurant, but it owned me rather me owning it! So when I looked at Step into Life, I was looking for a change. I wanted to run my own business, I wanted to be involved in health & fitness, but I didn’t want to be a slave to the business. I wanted to build a business that would allow me to work around my family needs yet deliver me a substantial income. I wanted to build an income stream quickly and needed to have the right systems and structures for that to happen fast.

Step into Life has given me what I needed. A great business model that provided the framework that helped me quickly build a substantial PT business over my first 6mths. I now have over 100 clients and my income is way higher than anything I previously earned in the corporate world. Best of all is that now I have grown to my target numbers, I can now take timeout more often and do the things I want to each day, not the things I have to!

One thing I didn’t expect is how much joy I would get from helping others help themselves with their health & fitness. Seeing the changes my clients have been able to experience in both mind & body through their training has just been an inspiration. I love going to work each day! I love seeing my clients and hearing their stories and yes, making them sweat that little bit harder in the park!

For me this is the perfect job, except that’s it’s not a job at all.

Dean Horner

Franchise: Step into Life® Buderim, Queensland

Comments about Step into Life®:

After spending some time training people in the gyms I realised I wasn’t getting the satisfaction of being able to truely help people to a standard I wanted.

After looking into Step into Life and seeing what it had to offer it’s members I was pritty much sold. The fact that the programming caterd for people of all fitness catergories was important to me, being able to provide a non intimidating enviroment which encouraged people, who would perhaps normally shy away from exercise, to come along and begin to improve their health and fitness and in turn, quality of life was another selling point for me.

The support the members get to stay motivated and reach their goals is heads and shoulders above what the gym fraternity offer.

As trainers we are also fully supported through Head and State office so that we are continually able to offer the best service to our members.

The outdoors aspect has been a big attraction for many of my members who enjoy training in an outdoor enviroment.

I have found the Step into Life experience to be very rewarding both to myself and my members.

Donna Douglas

Franchise: Step into Life® Cheltenham, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

I purchased a Step into Life franchise in 2004 and it is easily the best decision I have ever made!

Over the years the brand has grown considerably, along with the number of franchisees there are. This has made the Step into Life bigger and stronger.
There are a number of reasons why we have had such growth and they impact on my own franchise every day, the main one is that we have strong support from Head Office and State Office and between franchisees.
The support means that if you are ever not sure how to approach a situation, how best to run a session, how to deal with a particular member, how to use the system etc etc there is always someone there to help out and offer advise.

I pretty much run the Cheltenham franchise by myself and have managed to do this for over 6 years simply because of the tremendous amount of support I have received.

Donna Douglas

Duncan Terry

Franchise: Step into Life® Templestowe, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

Testimonials from our Templestowe Members:

I have been participating in Duncan Terry’s Step into Life Templestowe for a bit over one year now and just wanted to contact you and commend Duncan.

Until commencing SIL I had been really struggling to maintain enthusiasm, motivation and fitness despite years of effort with gym memberships and single and shared personal training.
Nothing was hitting the spot until a friend and I tried Duncan’s Step into Life.

The combination of a terrific trainer, constant variety of activity, training outdoors, a great group of participants – and of course fitness “results”, means I am hooked. I have even moved from 2 sessions to 3 per week.

The key is Duncan and his professional approach. He is very well organised, runs the sessions very well and supports/pushes everyone to achieve success.
If all of your trainers are as good as Dunc the Step Into Life empire will continue to go from strength to strength.

Congratulations on the Step Into Life program and for having people like Duncan on board.

Craig Watts.



Hi Duncan,
I think it might have been an ad for special K or cornflakes or some rubbish like that - (marketing genius although completely irrelevant to the product) that made an obviously simple point that really hit home to me not so long ago... something along the lines of... "why can we get up at the crack of dawn to go to work or make a meeting - but not to go for a jog?"
For me that really rained true, being unfit and a smoker, not to mention completely committed to work, here before the sun comes up and still here 12 hours later without too much of a complaint (ok.. so maybe just a few profanities here and there but it is frustrating!!) I thought to myself why the hell couldnt I wake up and do something good for myself? So I rang you (ok so I rang Jared first but then I rang you..!) and I tell you it is the best thing I have ever done.. I have never been able to run, never been able to lift weights or do more than 10 push ups - so to be able to run around that oval, up that hill, do 40 pushups / lunges all of it - gives me such a high and well, I feel healthy and proud of myself. I have made the decision that I will never EVER go back to the way I was. Every time I'm out and faced with cigarettes I think to myself - what do you want, that cigarette or to be able to run up that hill without my lungs bursting with agony..?? I choose the hill every time now.
So yes some mornings I think I'd rather eat my own arm than get up at 5.30am and see you (haha), but I am committed to getting fit, and trying to make an effort not to let the negative side of my brain win (especially at that time of the morning).
Ok, so thankyou for your motivation and making exercising fun..
See you in the AM!!
Leah-Anne

Garth Montgomery

Franchise: Step into Life® Surry Hills, New South Wales

Comments about Step into Life®:

Hi my name is Garth and my original vocational training was in Communications. I've been a journalist and editor for the largest newspaper, magazine and online publishers in Australia, before moving into media management at the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

It was a decent career. I had numerous awards in Journalism and was well positioned to continue a high level government or corporate position in public affairs. But it wasn't enough. I was in my late thirties and wanted to keep fitness as a priority in my life, and I wanted to help others discover the power of keeping fit and healthy.
There are several things in life that will provide long lasting happiness. I’ve come to understand fitness as the foundation of that happiness. Sustained training builds character through discipline, commitment and overcoming the physical and mental barriers that provide progress in your fitness. Without good health, you have a much poorer quality of life. Spend some time in hospital, and you're quickly reminded about the value of health.

But general health is one thing. Add a dose regular high quality fitness, and you have optimised your living conditions. Taking charge of the condition of your body is the first step towards taking control of your life. And I’ve found that better life decisions are made as a result.

So I started looking at how to make fitness pay for my life. I didn't want pocket money. I wanted an income stream that would rival my corporate income. I wanted a business.

But I had no business experience. I knew all the stats like 90% of small businesses go bust in the first five years. And that the latest Fitness Australia Salary Survey showed the average annual income of a personal trainer was around $45,000. None of this filled me with confidence about starting my own business or working in the industry as a salaried employee.

Then I saw a link to Step into Life during my online research of the industry. 'Franchises Available' stood out. I quickly realised they had already done the hard work. They had the systems in place for franchisee success. A brand, a business model, a marketing model, sales training, client retention programs, unlimited business advice and mentoring, session plans. 'Wow', I thought. 'Why bother reinventing the wheel?'

Then I wondered 'But would it be worth the franchise fee and ongoing royalties?' So I started talking to Linda at the NSW Head Office, and she was as straight a shooter as I ever come across - and I've interviewed thousands of people as a journalist and was trained in the art of scepticism and BS detection.

Linda gave me the phone number of every franchisee I asked for, and I called them all. I was looking for chinks in the Step into Life armour. My main concern as a parent and mortgagee was providing for my family. Chucking in a lucrative career, re-skilling and starting over is a big, big decision. Were the Step into Life franchisees making money?

They were. All of them. Real money. Most franchisees I spoke to came from outside the Fitness industry like me, and not one of them had any regrets. No regrets about the lifestyle, and no regrets about the revenue turnover.

Every personal trainer says they want to help clients achieve their best versions of themselves for health and fitness. If that is true, why are so many PTs training a dozen or so clients instead of 60, 80, 100 clients like many Step into Life Franchisees are?

I think Step into Life has the programs for progress built in to make sure clients enjoy themselves while keeping fit. It's reassuring to me as a franchisee that I can rely on Head Office to keep these systems going so that my business stays profitable - and I can focus on client needs.

My other major concern was whether franchisees got the support promised from Step into Life? I found Step into Life almost unique in its treatment of franchisees. Many franchises just sell a license and let you sink or swim. Step into Life has a vested interest in your success. If you want to grow, they will help. But they also weren't pushy and pressuring owners to achieve results that don't suit their life.

Basically, if you want to be big, they will help you get the numbers you want. If you want a more relaxed lifestyle, that's okay too. I liked that. It's a flexibility that all small business owners want.

Finally, I looked at what the Step into Life brand represents. I looked at many fitness brands, both indoor and outdoor. I hung around Step into Life franchisees, watched sessions, participated in sessions, talked to their clients.

I fell in love with the brand. It attracts the perfect client. A loyal, committed person with true grit who will train outdoors rain, hail or shine. I love that. During the worst weather, there is a real sense of achievement from the clients in getting a bit dirty and wet when everyone else has piked out. And when the weather is good, as it mostly is in Australia, well you just can’t beat training in a beautiful park, beach or rugged terrain.

The clients who get this mentality are great to be around. I’m sure the person on the treadmill or in a spin class can be a barrel of fun, but the outdoor client is another breed. They're inspiring to train, and your training inspires their life.

The training atmosphere is fun and social and it's gratifying to know that when people start up, they will find like-minded people and develop deep friendships. It makes staying fit easier and more fun. As a personal trainer and business owner, I just feel a sense of renewal in my own life by the decision to go with Step into Life.

 

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