| |
Lori was a personal
trainer before most of us knew what that meant. At 5’2” and 118 lbs, she
was also a nationally competing body builder. Lori can capture your
attention, make you do an ungodly number of sit-ups, and encourage you
with her charm, sincerity, and warmth all the while. By her devoted
clientele, she was lovingly known as “the General.”
In the 90s, while
completing a master’s degree in counseling psychology, Lori climbed the
ranks at some of the most prominent fitness clubs in Boston. Her
long-time dream was to open her own club, but without management
experience, the leap to ownership was too great. Flash forward to 2004,
Lori was now a wife and a mother, and the top-ranked general manager of
one of the most prestigious fitness clubs in Boston. She was in a place
of status, but miles from her dream – unless she made the jump.
That’s when Lori
called me and said, “I know I can run a club and make it successful, but I
don’t know if I can write a business plan and convince the BANK I can run
a club.” Getting so close to her dream all but paralyzed her with fear.
She and her husband were putting their life savings into this venture.
For the business plan,
Lori had a complete grasp of the numbers. She took to the finances like a
CPA. What was more difficult was the language – the written marketing
material the bankers expected to read. So, while Lori froze while trying
to write down what she knew to be true in her heart, she could
articulately answer any question I asked. So, I asked and she spoke.
This translated to a persuasive business plan ready for the scrutiny of
the banks.
After much due
diligence and several attorneys, bankers, and sleepless nights, Lori and
her husband became the proud and capable owners of a 26,000 sq ft
club in Beverly, MA. Already, only a few months later, the membership has
grown by over 100 new members and the word is getting out on the quality
and value of this new club. Now their dream is sprawled before them in
the shapes of treadmills, Stairmasters, and aerobics studios. And Lori,
the General, has found her rightful place. True to form, she will make
each person that walks through the door feel welcome, encouraged, and
inspired. |
|