We recently connected with Amy Ortmann and Kelli Barrett and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Amy and Kelli, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
During the COVID Pandemic (March – May 2020), we were faced with the terrifying reality that our business was in jeopardy (as were many small businesses). We knew that in order for us to survive this shutdown, we had to focus on our customers. They too were upset about the gym being closed with the possibility of it not reopening. We first, went live in our Members Only social media group page to address our people; to tell them how much we loved each of them and how we were hoping that everyone would remain committed to their healthy lifestyle. We talked to them about the family dynamic we have created and perpetuated in our gym and how that sense of community would carry us through. We immediately devised a plan to loan out equipment to anyone who needed it, create and upload numerous workouts, recipes and daily motivating tips/quotes to keep our members engaged. We had BMF Zoom Happy Hour where we all got to see each other, chat and laugh. Over the course of the 6 weeks that we were closed, we personally visited as many Members each week as we could – bringing balloon bouquets and homemade treats. We had personalized cards made for each Member that we attached to their gift. Our “You Got BLASTED” campaign was so much fun and we were go grateful to be able to put a smile on everyone’s face! We received an outpouring of “Thank You” notes, personal text messages, and video calls saying how special it made them feel that we took the time to make sure they knew how much we loved and missed them; three years later, we are still reminiscing about our Covid shenanigans!
Amy Ortmann, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Our business began as a mobile “Bootcamp in the Park” back in 2010 – really, just doing Bootcamp classes for our friends. We gradually picked up more friends – those friends brought friends – and before long, our business was the real deal. We officially created our LLC in 2011 and off we went. In 2012, we purchased used spin bikes and some mobile DJ equipment and became the first fitness company to do mobile spin classes. The word was out and our classes were a big hit!! We practically “sold out” every class. Our mission was to make fitness fun and classes a social experience! Our vision to do more became a reality when we secured our very first, very small, studio space off of Louetta and Champions Forest. That was short-lived. However, just 4 months after, we upgraded to a more spacious studio in 2015. Our membership base quickly grew – our class schedule tripled and we offered more formats – spin, weight lifting, barre Pilates, Bootcamp, etc. and we solidified our spot as a legitimate fitness business in Spring. Fast forward to today, where are approaching 12 years in business and in Jan 2022 opened our beautiful 5200sq ft studio space that serves over 120 members where we offer classes, personal training, nutrition services and more. We are looking forward to the future with plans for more space, additional programming and an expanded service menu for our community. We are a one-stop-shop fitness and transformation center!!
We are by far most proud of our BMF Team – Members and Coaches. We have created a true family where we all know each other, get along and spend time together inside and outside the gym. Our people truly support one another! We “grow” our coaches from members into leaders – we feel that trajectory from member to coach creates trust and a real understanding of the struggle that many face when trying to create a healthy lifestyle. Our Coaches don’t just coach, they invest in each and every member in our gym.
We would love everyone to know that we approach health and wellness from a realistic perspective: no trendy crash diets or crazy workout plans. Our programming and nutrition strategy is safe and sound – and definitely effective. We look at each client uniquely and work with them to create a wellness experience that suits their needs – whether that be the need for personal training, help with meal prepping, strength training, fat loss, etc. Our VIP programs offer clients an all-inclusive membership that allows their personal coach to zero in and focus to get them to their goals.
The experience we offer for our members is unique and unlike big “box gyms”. We have themed, specialty workouts, kids’ bootcamps, pumpkin carving contests, movie nights, Holiday parties and much more. We offer complimentary memberships for all kids in Kindergarten through 8th grade as well as substantial family discounts. We are the only gym in our area to offer a “No-Strings” Two-Week Free pass – we want potential members to experience a no pressure trial where they can come to unlimited classes to experience BMF before we ever talk about memberships, contracts or money. We are a unicorn in the boutique fitness industry – we have been in business for 12 years, we are female owned, and we offer niche services.
Our desire and hope is that through excellent client experiences and referrals that our family will continue to grow for many years to come.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Our intention was not to need funding – to essentially fund as we go – building slowly – buying equipment only as we had the available cash for, etc. However, that changed when we were forced out of our first small studio space ($500 per month rent) into leasing a much larger studio space ($3800 per month rent) in order to keep our doors open. It’s a long story – but this actually forced us to “put up or shut up”. Once we decided to move forward with the lease, we knew we needed capital in the bank for the cushion needed to pay our overhead while we grew the member base.
We applied for a $50,000 business loan through our local bank with a banker who we had worked with in the past (on a purchase for a truck for our bootcamp business). We had a great relationship with this bank/banker and they believed in us, our business plan, and our determination!! After receiving the initial loan, it provided us the money needed for some build out improvements, equipment and a few months rent. Along the way, as we hit a few rough patches financially, we could count on our bank and banker to provide financial assistance.
I am happy to report that we are a profitable, debt free business.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Building a social media presence is hard!! The best advice we can give anyone trying to do the same is to post often and on multiple platforms. ENGAGE your social media audience with questions, quotes and pictures – ASK everyone to share what you post (and be sure the post is worth sharing). If your social media game is struggling, find a professional to help direct and guide you – but don’t ever lose who YOU are in the meantime. At BMF, we do all our own posting, we use copy that WE write with words that WE would say. We take a LOT of photos and share as many as possible – showcasing and highlighting great moments of each day/workout. We run social media challenges where we ask our members to tag BMF Fitness – the last time we did this we increased our visibility and engagement by 2800%!! Another piece of advice for social media – is BE REAL!! For us, what they all see is what they get – we represent exactly who we are and what we do. We hope that if someone takes the time to look at our social media pages, it will prompt them to come in for a visit – and feel like they are right at home in the familiar space! 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bmf-fitness.com
- Instagram: @bmffitnesstx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmffitnesstx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bmffitness7198
- Other: https://bmf-fitness.zenplanner.com (activate two-week pass here)
Image Credits
BMF Fitness Amy Ortmann Kelli Barrett