So this is the second of Australian-born Cathy Albanese is a fitness instructor and the lady behind Ireland’s FITT Ladies Bootcamp. Bootcamp is for women who are sick and tired of the same old routines, same old classes and lack of energy day after day. Workouts are outside during the summer and weekends & indoors during the winter.
‘FITT Bootcamp is great craic! Rain, hail or shine – we are out there! Forget the gym.‘Aisling Mc, Maynooth
The F.I.T.T. Principle is a set of rules that help you get the most out of your workouts. Frequency: how often you exercise, Intensity: how hard you work during Exercise, Time: how long you exercise & Type: what type of activity you’re doing.
Cathy, Tell me about you and FITT Ladies Bootcamp?
Cathy: I am originally from Melbourne, Australia and moved to Dublin 6 years ago. I previously worked for some major Irish construction companies as plant manager and as purchasing manager. I have always had an interest in the fitness industry and after becoming redundant in 2008, decided to use my experience & qualifications to set up FITT Ladies Bootcamp, which is Ireland’s first women’s only bootcamp. Bootcamp is part of the sunny landscape in Australia and I saw no reason why the concept wouldn’t work for Irish women. Bootcamp has no fancy equipment to learn and our female trainers know what women like and don’t like doing for exercise. After only 9 months, we were delighted to be nominated for the 2010 Pigsback.com Irish Enterprise Award.
Start ups usually struggle at least initially, why would say you have been successful in a relatively short amount of time?
Cathy: I never thought it would not work, which is why I believe the business has become successful fast. I believe I am where I am now as an entrepreneur, because I have planned and researched every choice I have made for my business. My experience as a purchasing manager has helped immeasurably!
What business lessons have you’ve learnt along the way & how have they impacted on your decision making?
Cathy: The biggest lesson I have learnt is to be aware of what your competitors are doing or more importantly; not doing and go one better if you can. We ask our clients what they like/dislike about your service and act on what they say. What you might think is a great idea or concept, might not be for someone else! You need to know to not take things personally when taking on board others’ opinions. I have learnt that spending loads of money on advertising and marketing does not 
always work – if you listen to what your clients are looking for and deliver it, they will come back. It is sometimes better to focus on the clients you already have, than to go looking for new customers.
Where do you see the new opportunities in the fitness sector over the coming years & how do you plan to take advantage?
Cathy: I see the outdoor fitness concept really starting to challenge gyms. People are realising you don’t need to be in the gym for hours slogging away on the treadmill. I plan to take advantage by spreading the bootcamp concept throughout Ireland and eventually into other European countries. We also intend to start organising residential bootcamps and plan to move into the teen market to help encourage teenage girls to stay fit.
Do you currently use any social media & is it effective for your business?
Cathy: We currently blog, have a Facebook page and use Twitter. I think social media is a great low-cost way to get your business noticed by an audience you would not otherwise reach -however for my business, word of mouth is and remains king. You need to be careful with how much information you put out, if you bombard people with email, newsletters, tweets, FB messages, text messages etc., they will be discouraged from using your service or buying your products. Decide which social media option works best for you and then learn how to use it well.
Thanks a lot to Cathy for doing the interview & sharing her insights, If you would like to know more about FITT Ladies Bootcamp, she can be contacted @ e: Info[at]fittpt.com or p: (00353)85 102 7399
If you would like to be interviewed & have an opportnity to showcase your business, please e-mail us here @ webmaster[at]tweakyourbiz.com using the title “Bloggertone Interviews”.
Thank you for reading
Niall
