She has always had a passion for fitness and personal training, however Donna Douglas never thought she could make a full-time career out of it, until she found Step into Life (SiL).

Before she invested in the brand, Donna worked two jobs. “I was working full time in administration and doing about 15 hours a week one-on-one training. 

“While I loved the personal training work I couldn’t see how I could get enough hours and make enough money to support myself.”

Deciding on the brand: an easy decision

When she came across SiL, Donna realised she may just be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

“It seemed a good way to be able to do what I loved and earn an income. I have always been a person who follows systems and rules so owning a franchise is a really good option for me,” she says.

In addition, Donna recognises SiL is one of a kind. “It wasn’t a decision [choosing SiL] to make at the time, as there were no other franchises around doing what we do.”

Donna has been running her fitness franchise out of the Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham since September 2004, and it seems she couldn’t be happier.

SiL: a close knit organisation

Even after nine years, the sense of community at SiL and the camaraderie between the franchise’s members continues to surprise Donna

“The sense of community that we have at SiL Cheltenham and all the SiL franchises is amazing. There is a real sense of care between members and their families. 

“My members regularly surprise me by how considerate and thoughtful they are to one another. We say that we are group outdoor personal trainers but we are so much more than that. We create this environment we call Step into Life and members turn it into a beautiful community that I love being a part of,” adds Donna.

SiL: never an ‘average day’

Donna’s days vary according to the number of training sessions she has scheduled, and early starts are often the norm.

“Four days of the week it’s an early start – with three of them being a 5am start. Four nights of the week are busy with sessions, and every day I do two to three hours of administration, which covers all sorts of things,” she says.

“I exercise most days and spend time preparing nutritious and balanced meals. Every week I carry out three to four hours of self-promotion and usually there is a catch up coffee with current or returning members or other franchisees.”

Donna runs the business on her own, however in recent times she has enlisted a little extra help. “Two years ago I took on a permanent assistant trainer who covers most Saturday mornings. His full time job is pretty busy so I have a break some Saturdays and work the ones he can’t.

“I always love the sleep in but I do love Saturday training – it sets a great tone for the weekend!”

Ongoing training: the norm

She says SiL offers training long after franchisees complete their initial induction program. “There is always training on offer and franchisees can choose to make use of it or not. It’s one thing I really love about the industry and the franchise – I am constantly learning and never bored!”

Self-promotion: get out in the local community

Donna engages with a number of local community groups and organisations, a move that helps raise awareness of the SiL brand and her franchise.

“I love to be involved in global, national and local communities. I donate a lot of sessions to schools, kindergartens, charity organisations and clubs.

“It not only gets our brand recognised, but helps raise much needed funds for different community groups,” she says.

The future: what has Donna got planned?

Looking to the future, Donna has two primary goals for the business. “I want to continue to be the market leader in group outdoor personal training in the Cheltenham area and to inspire the community to be fitter and healthier.”

For better or worse: how has SiL changed her life?

Donna says franchising has changed her life for the better – she doesn’t event mind waking up at 5am!

“It’s changed my life in so many ways but mostly in that I love what I do. I used to hate my job and after nine years I still get up at 5am with a sense of excitement about the sessions and the day ahead. Nothing beats that feeling!”

Image: Starshots Brighton.