Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Collins and Cassie Haynes.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Cassie and I came from separate careers and had only known each other for a few months before forming a partnership and purchasing a business together. Cassie is a hairdresser, and moved; while pregnant, to Highland Village, TX with her husband in 2015. I am a Chiropractor and moved to Argyle, TX in 2013, while pregnant, with my husband and a 1-year-old. We came from different backgrounds, but our new careers as stay-at-home moms and FIT4MOM brought us together.
Being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) is fun, rewarding, filled with joy on a daily basis, but it is also the hardest, most stressful job with a never-ending workday. We were used to being active, but now had an extra 10, 20, 30 pounds of baby weight, and felt stuck at home with babies whose nap schedules were ever changing. We felt uncomfortable putting newborn babies in a gym play area with lots of other kids, so it was hard to work out. When we each started Stroller Strides classes, it was to meet other moms with infants, get in a good workout, and to develop some sort of routine.
Both of us having fitness backgrounds led us to become instructors. It was a job that allowed us to bring our children to work, provided “free” fitness classes, and connected us with moms that were struggling with the same things we were. When the previous owner approached us about purchasing the franchise, we both had our reservations… would we have time? How do you run a business? Would it be worth it? In spite of our reservations, both of us kept coming back to the same answer… we couldn’t let this village of moms, that was just starting to develop, disappear. So we took a leap of faith and dove straight in!
In the beginning, we were just taking it one day at a time. We purchased the franchise, FIT4MOM Flower Mound/Highland Village/Argyle, in February of 2016. We had a small group of loyal moms that helped us with everything they possibly could: planning play dates, planning mom’s nights out, marketing to other moms, you name it, they would do it. In the beginning, Cassie and I were the only instructors, and we were alternating teaching classes five days a week. Month by month, our village started to grow, so we added one instructor, and then another.
Today, we have seven instructors (including ourselves), plus a manager/play-date captain, and we teach 11 classes six days a week in Highland Village and Argyle. We are currently working on expanding to Flower Mound with an additional two classes per week.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Unfortunately, no, it has not been a smooth road. I feel like we have some of the same struggles as any small business. Some months we get a paycheck, and some months we don’t. When a loyal mom decides that it’s easier to work out at the gym or she feels that her kids have “aged out” of the stroller, it’s hard not to take that personally. We have each had another baby since purchasing the franchise, leaving one to take on extra hours while the other is on maternity leave.
However, one of the biggest struggles is that we are running a business while also being SAHMs, so even as I type this, my 7-month-old is crying in my lap because her teeth hurt and she won’t nap. Our time is always divided between raising children, managing our homes, and running a business. On the days that we are struggling, or even asking, is this worth it? That’s the day that a mom will come up to you in class and say “thank you. I was having a really rough week, but I made myself come to class, and this is just what I needed”.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about FIT4MOM Flower Mound – what should we know?
FIT4MOM is a pre/post-natal fitness company with franchises all over the country. The driving force behind each and every franchise, ours included, is reaching #AllTheMoms. We want every mom, in every stage of motherhood, to realize that she has a village of moms behind her. A village that is ready to support her through motherhood, ready to help her reach fitness goals, ready to meet at the playground when she needs out of the house, ready to meet for a drink when she needs adult conversation.
FIT4MOM Flower Mound offers five different programs: Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre, Body Back, Fit4Baby, and Run Club. Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre are offered six mornings a week and incorporate themed classes/songs/bubbles/fun for baby during the workout.
Once a week, we also offer playdates following these classes that can include crafts, snacks, songs, and activities. Body Back is an 8-week program, without children, that offers more intense HIIT workouts, combined with goal setting, before/after photos and assessments, nutrition education, and accountability.
Fit4Baby is our class designed specifically for the pregnant mom. It’s a workout class that focuses on lower intensity exercises and connecting the mom with the growing baby. Our final program is Run Club, which allows moms that are training for a race to meet and run their long runs together, while also providing information about how to take care of your body while training for distance.
What sets us apart from other fitness companies is connections. Our business is about connecting moms to other moms and connecting moms to their children. It’s about creating a healthy community, a safe place for moms to come to make friends, get outside, and interact with their children.
We want a mom to leave our classes feeling like she can go back home and conquer whatever the day throws at her. Even if the day takes a rough turn, she knows she has a village to fall back on. This isn’t a workout class that you skip, and no one notices, this is the class where you’re missed every time you don’t show up.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Our instructors and team members are the reason this business is successful. They are our biggest cheerleaders and the hardest workers. They show up to every class prepared with a great workout and ready to welcome each new mom.
We are so appreciative of the time and effort they put into reaching #AllTheMoms, and know they are the reason our participants love coming to class each day.
Contact Info:
- Website: flowermound.fit4mom.com
- Phone: 512-468-4311
- Email: flowermound@fit4mom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit4mom.fm.hv.a.texas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fit4MomFlowerMound
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