"Don't let the cute chicks fool you. It's not girly," says
Fit Chicks founder and "Head Chick" Laura Jackson of her company's
G.I. Jane Bootcamp. "We take a lighthearted approach and have fun and foster a sense of community. But it's also a great workout."
Jackson and her "business partner and BFF" Amanda Quinn were looking for all those things in a workout -- and not finding them -- when they decided to launch Fit Chicks in September 2008. They hosted a G.I. Jane Bootcamp in a park in Forest Hill, and the response, she says, was overwhelming. Today they run classes in 14 GTA locations and one in Ottawa (a class in Vaughan just launched this week, while another Ottawa location will be added in April).
The company employs 15 "
Chick Seargants" and one "Admin Chick," and business has reached a level to allow Quinn to leave her job with the Toronto International Film Festival to join Jackson in running the company full-time. The duo plan to take their fitness army national this year, expanding to Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax, and anticipate hiring another 15 employees along the way. They are currently looking to move the business out of Jackson's home and into an office in the St. Lawrence Market area.
In addition, Jackson says she has plans in the works to expand their fitness empire into more of a full-service wellness company, offering a merchandise line and cookbooks in addition to other products.
Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Laura Jackson, Founder and Head Chick, Fit Chicks