1. What motivated you to start MoCo in Motion?
My son invited me to run a half marathon with him and I decided to teach myself how to run. I ran my first 5k January 2, 2010 with two of my boot camp recruits. We trained two weeks in advance and after I ran the 5k I knew I wanted to run.
I learned that all counties surrounding Montgomery County had a running team and that’s what motivated me start a running team for our county. I taught the first GetFit StayFit Learn to Run March 2010. This first Learn to Run are the ones who named the MoCo inMotion Running Team. Many submitted suggestions for a running team name, but MoCo inMotion is the one that won through an online program where everyone had the opportunity to vote.
I would like to say that teaching fitness was a calling. God placed me where I am today and this is one way, of many, how I serve Him. He has given me the gift to have a genuine concern for ones who want to have a healthy lifestyle. My greatest reward from teaching any fitness class and from teaching any nutrition class is seeing my clients change from the inside out.
I have the ability to show people and teach people and convince people and motivate people to become more than they thought they could ever become and do more than they ever thought they could do. All I ever ask from any of the people under my instruction is to give 100% and I will prove to you just how much you can accomplish.
2. I know that right now, you aren’t charging for any of your programs. Do you plan on charging in the future?
I may charge to teach my Learn to Run classes in the future just to cover the costs of materials to takes to teach. As with all the classes I teach, if I do charge, the costs will be very minimal.
I also may charge an annual fee to the running team and the walking team to cover costs for t-shirts and advertisement. I will not make a profit from the teams, but I feel we need to become an official running/walking team and a fee must be charged in order to do this. I plan to write bylaws for both teams and appointment officers for both teams in the very near future.
3. Outside of your day job, approximately how many hours per week do you usually work on the business?
The actual teaching; I spend approximately 4 – 5 hours per week. I write work out programs, nutrition plans; I spend much time answering e-mails from ones with fitness and/or nutrition questions. I do have to have my personal training time to keep my endurance up to where it needs to be so I can deliver quality classes.
I do personal training when time allows. I would say I spend 1 – 2 hours in the evenings dedicated to my GetFit StayFit MoCo inMotion business. Weekends are when I spend the bulk of my time at the computer preparing and researching how I can become a better leader in the fitness industry.
4. Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?
Most definitely. I started teaching fitness in 2000 and in 2002 GetFit StayFit was born. I wanted a name that would describe what I stand for. I have always said that getting fit is just half the battle, staying fit is key.
Being an entrepreneur, the financial responsibilities involved can be stressful at times because I do not charge enough for the time and money I spend to run my business. The passion I have for GetFit Stayfit, which is helping others live a healthy lifestyle, leads the way and I put the financial obligation on the back burner. I don’t want ever want to turn anyone away needs my help because they cannot afford to pay for my services. As long as I have a full time job and I am able to take this financial risk, I will continue to do so.
I realize the time I spend preparing for classes; you cannot put a dollar figure on that. I guess you can say I volunteer my time for the most part.
My husband is my biggest support. He has told me many times, I would teach for free if it ever comes to that, he knows how dedicated I am and he knows the passion I have to help others.
5. What are your future plans for MoCo in Motion?
I would like to teach more Learn to Run classes and Learn to Walk classes to encourage our county to get out and move. I would like to see the MoCo inMotion Mini Milers grow. I need to find a way to bring all the MoCo inMotion Teams together so each one can encourage the other. My biggest plans for MoCo inMotion are to have official 5k’s in our county as well as Fun Run/Walks. We can do great things in our county from all three teams with proper instruction. I am always looking/dreaming/researching ways to offer fun ways to GetFit and Stay Fit. My boot camps was and is what got me started big into fitness and what led me to branch out and create MoCo inMotion .
6. What have you learned about yourself during this start-up experience?
I have learned that it is okay to ask for help. I have always been the type, no matter what it took; I needed to do all the work and all the teaching. I knew if I wanted to continue to teach boot camp, ball class, kettle bell class, write work out programs for my clients, the time I spend at my computer preparing for boot camp graduations, and start MoCo inMotion Running Team, MoCo inMotion Mini Milers and MoCo inMotion Walking Team; I needed to find ones who would volunteer to help me.
Letting others help me has been the most difficult of all. I have a special way I teach and I am very big on safety and I know I am held accountable for any liabilities. To be honest, it scares me each and every time I stand before a group and teach so therefore; having others help me teach, scares me even more. That is why I am in the planning stages of teaching my coaches. I admit I did jump too soon by allowing others to help me because I have not properly trained them. That is my next step and that will happen very soon.
Learning how to oversee the teams without actually being there is a struggle for me. As long as I am in the know what is going on from the MoCo inMotion coaches and volunteers, I am more at ease. Having my time with the team once per month helps to relieve the stress of allowing others to coach for me. Members of the walking team do contact me regularly with how things are going. I did not ask they do this, but I am glad they do feel comfortable enough to talk to me. Surveys are a great tool to find out from others how you are doing and I use this tool often. I am always learning and I am always willing to change to help others achieve their goals.
7. What type of planning did you do before you started any of the walking/running teams?
First you have to see if there is an interest. I am big on sign ups and registrations. I must know how many I am working with and who I am working with. I need the face-to-face contact with ones who want to be under my instruction.
Before I even hold a registration or sign up time, I prepare the lay out of the walking or running program. Normally, no two walking or running programs are going to be the same. I always learn so much from the previous programs I write and put into action. I learn what works best and what needs to be changed. The two Learn to Run classes I taught were not the same and I am sure the next walking class wills not the same as the one that is being taught now. Change is key in my business because that is where motivation comes from. I think I changed the walking program five times before I was happy with it. Much planning goes into everything I do. I do not do anything in haste, much thought and research goes into anything I do with GetFit StayFit.
I write the programs, I design the logs, I am big into sending out weekly tid bits and all of those are created before I start up a walking or running class. Motivation is number one! If I cannot motivate you to get moving, I have lost you.
