Frequently Asked Questions:
Who am I? Meghan Nelson
Background: In 2014, I graduated college in Iowa with a degree in Business Management. After college, I got two years of experience at a marketing firm in sales and management in Utah. In 2016, I opened my own sales firm in Colorado and grew the company to cover a territory from Wyoming to Texas with offices in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas totalling at 216 employees and 35 major accounts. I sold the company in December 2019. I then got my certification in personal training through NASM, and began personal training 1x1 and in groups in 2020. After building that clientele and networking within the industry, I realized there was a huge gap in the market for women and non binary people. I became very motivated to fill that gap, and I started working on this business concept and plan.
Passion: My passion in the fitness and wellness field has been long standing. I have personally struggled with an eating disorder since I was 8 years old. My last major relapse was in 2018, and I got a personal trainer to help me. She changed my life. So in January, when it was time to consider my next career move, I knew I wanted to help people with their journey too. This journey goes deeper than just calories and lifting programs. It stems into mental health, financial stability, access to resources, a caring community, and more. I wanted to create a space where I could help support people in all of these aspects. As well as create a space where other professionals in this industry would feel supported and encouraged to use their practice to better the community too.
What is my competition?
Most “women’s gyms” are based around classes, not a full open gym with a variety of fitness styles (example: Delta Life Fitness located in LA) or have an outdated/non inclusive culture (example: Curves). There are a hand full of women only private studio gyms, but these locations are operated by private personal trainers only. There are no public gyms in Colorado exclusive to women and non binary members.
Traditional gyms allowing open membership are not bad places, but they are not geared toward the specific needs of women/non binary members. Mainly driven by male management and ownership causing a disconnect with female employees and female members. As well as the discomfort found for many women when working out alongside men for fear of harassment and judgement.
There are some existing “collectives” in Colorado, but there are none that specifically cater to women and non binary people exclusively. Also, they are mainly focused around cosmetic care and the beauty industry - not health, wellness and fitness.
How will COVID 19 impact this?
-I plan to launch in the fall of 2021.
-This provides ample time for a vaccine to be available to the general public.
-There is data showing people will be comfortable returning to gyms by that time.
-There is data showing people will be more conscious of their health and weight due to the climate of 2020.
-Due to many gyms and businesses closing during 2020, there will be space in the market with less competition.
-There are no existing companies like this in Denver providing more opportunity as well.
