MAD LOVE MONDAY Rebecca Perkins | Perky Athletics

Perky Athletics is an App created by hometown girl, Rebecca Perkins, designed to bring fitness class clients, instructors and motivators together on one platform. Female app creators can seem to be few and far between, so we got to know her vision, goals, and reality behind her startup.

1. What is your business?

Perky Athletics! Perky is a website and app that helps people find and sign up for a variety of affordable fitness classes.

For fitness instructors and motivators, this is a platform for them to become their own boss. We help them find participants for their classes.

We remove the middleman of a studio. Motivators can set the venue, such as a park, condo, gym or community hall and create their classes.

We are creating a fitness community by connecting people to people.. and are just about ready to launch!

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2. What inspired Perky?

Well two reasons.

Firstly, I wanted a platform where instructors, trainers, leaders and adventurers can be their own boss. They can stop being paid an hourly wage; they can earn based on the revenue they generate. They choose the class, time, location and cost per person. I want them to be able to be entrepreneurs.

The second reason is for the participants. This platform will create fitness classes that are affordable. Fitness can be expensive and I want to help create fitness and adventure classes that are accessible to all!

3.  What is with the name Perky?

It was actually so difficult coming up with a name! I played around with a lot of different fitness related names. Nothing was memorable. I wanted something random, high energy and catchy. One of my friends mentioned jokingly said it should be Perky and here we are! Yes, it also happens to be a play off of my name. ;)

4. What kinds of classes can we sign up for on Perky?

This is the fun part.. the options are endless! Literally any sport, activity or workout class you can think of, can be taught here. Both certified and non-certified motivators are welcome. If certified, credentials will be highlighted on their profile for participants to view. However, if you are just a great runner and want to set up a running group, go for it!

5. What are your Perky Goals?

The website and app are still a work in progress. My goal is to have everything complete in the first half of this year! I am going to open the site up to motivators to establish a solid base, then a few months later I all you lovely YEGBOSSBABES can start signing up for classes. :)

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6. What do you want to accomplish?Of course I fully am committed to promoting fitness as a way to achieve overall personal wellbeing and happiness! However, Perky is also about being brave. It isn’t easy to try a new activity or class that is unfamiliar. Just showing up for a fitness class is increasingly intimidating.I want to help YEGBOSSBABES be brave. If we can brave here, show up and try new adventures, you are going to take this bravery with you outside of the class and into your day-to-day life. There are so many things I could learn and try, but it’s scary. While signing up for a bootcamp or yoga class excites me, the idea of taking a swimming class or a hockey lesson makes me nervous. I want this platform to make it easy to push us all out of our comfort zone. Let’s be BRAVE together.

7. What do you do to de-stress?haha… I guess it may be obvious but I workout to de-stress! Nothing like a good sweat to get our of your head! If not through working out, I destress by being around my family and friends. I have a wonderful network of people who help me de-stress just with their presence!

8. Have you ever had a time where you wanted to give up?

Of course!

Then I remember Perky is about being brave. So I better be a good role model and follow my own advice! App/web development is something I was unfamiliar with, so I have been learning on the go. What I have realized is that you have to put your confidence aside. Admit what you don’t know and ask questions. You will figure it out. :)

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9. What is your favourite thing about YEGBOSSBABES?

I am a born and raised Edmontonian. I know how inspiring and motivating the women in this city can be. I am so excited for YEGBOSSBABES to continue to grow and create a powerful network where women can collaborate and support one another. I also want Perky to help YEGBOSSBABES become their own boss! All of you fitness motivators, use this to take control of your life.

10. What do you love most about Edmonton?

Edmonton is such a wonderful city. Growing up there I took for granted how amazing the river valley is.. YEGBOSSBABES when I come to visit this summer I will most definitely be attending Perky workouts with you all in the valley! P.S. motivators take advantage of that venue… also Hawrelak park is just perfect! Aw! I need to book a flight to Edmonton now.

11. Do you have a favourite quote:

I do because I can. One of past managers lives by this saying and I love it.

12. What have you learned creating an app that you did not expect?

When I first started working with the team, my primary concern was with the look and feel of the app. I collected countless apps and websites to analyze the “vibe” and what I wanted to mimic. Don’t get me wrong, this is important, but what I have learned is my number one priority is to make the website and app simple and as user friendly as possible. You can contemplate the placement of a logo all day, but what matters is the flow. If I had know this today I would have shifted look and feel to my second priority! I think we are at a good place with a nice balance of both. When it launches .. you can tell me ;)

13. What is your advice to a YEGBOSSBABE who is interested in developing an App?

I think generally people shy away from creating apps because if you don’t have a background on the subject matter it can seem daunting. My best advice is not to be afraid to admit what you don’t know. If you are hiring someone to develop the app for you, make sure you are comfortable with them and that they are a good fit, as you will be working very closely with them. Never be afraid to ask them for clarity or to explain a process. Honestly,  google can help you out with pretty much everything.

Talking openly about the problems I face with Perky has also pleasantly surprised me. The random pieces of knowledge, advice, or even contacts that your friends and family may help guide you in the right direction!

Can’t wait to see you all outthere you Perky YEGBOSSBABES <3

If you are in the fitness industry and are looking for a unique and effective way to gain more clients, get in touch with Perky!

http://www.perkyathletics.com/

Instagram - Perky Athletics

Interested in being featured? email us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com 

MAD LOVE MONDAY - Laura Poburan | L2 Fitness

Meet the beautiful boss babe Laura Poburan from L2 Fitness

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L2 Fitness was a teeny tiny idea what seems like ages ago now. Could we do it? Was it possible? It was really scary taking that first leap into the world of entrepreneurs. We were a little tadpole in a big ocean. It started out as a small studio, just the two of us – hubs and me. We had (and still have) an extremely loyal client base. We’re family - I would do anything for that original crew to this day. But we hit a point where we wanted to affect more people, to help as many as we could. And that meant growing the business past just the two of us and our small forever family. So we expanded – we set out to build our dream gym.

I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing (I was on the pec-deck working my chest because I’m a bro like that) when this idea to expand started to flourish.  We planned every square inch of the space – we ordered specialty equipment from Germany, the UK and all over the states (I wasn’t going to build my dream gym without the best glute building equipment money could buy) played with the layout over and over and over again until it was perfect, and most importantly we strategized on how we were going to scale the community we had so passionately built for the last 3 years.

“They” say that we all have three places we identify with the most – your home, your work, and one other place. I want to be that one other place for everyone who comes to L2...my goal is to create a community and an environment that is centred on changing lives, and on giving people a community who will lift them up and push them forward towards becoming their most confident selves.  

I absolutely love being an entrepreneur – it’s scary as hell most of the time. And it challenges me daily – like how many more 15 hour days do I have in me? I ask myself this all the time – but somehow I wake up the next day and the one after that and the one after that and I just do it. I’m lucky because I love it – the 15 hour days feel rewarding. I’m investing in my business and my people and I never feel like quitting. I’m tired a lot – sure. I have bad days where I ask myself “Why the hell am I doing this?”, but quitting? That thought has never even crossed my mind until you asked me that question just now. If I quit, I give up on all the amazing people I’m affecting and helping, and I could never do that.

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I recently did a workshop with Lululemon where we asked people to choose a word of the year – a word that will shape their direction, their goals, and their focus for the year. My word was balance – something every entrepreneur dreams of achieving one day I think. Balance to me doesn’t mean working less – it means working smarter so that I can make time to be social, see my friends, and still be more productive than I was before.  Balance feels like a fleeting feeling, and I know you bossbabes can relate. It’s there one day and gone the next, into the abyss somewhere. Landon said something to me recently that has stuck with me…”you need to be ruthless with your time” he said.

Ruthless with my time. Huh! He was on to something. By being ruthlessly productive in the time I give myself to be, I have been able to say “yes” to more things with family and friends in the last 6 months than I have in the last 3 years. I think my biggest factor in restoring balance is actually being productive in the time you tell yourself you’re going to be productive in. And then setting boundaries for yourself so that you have no choice but to be.  Balance, I’m coming for you!

Something that people always ask me about is “OH, what’s it like working with your husband?”

It’s something that not everyone could do, that’s for sure – but for us? It works splendidly. We actually don’t spend all that much time together to be honest, which is why we plan date night every Thursday (see? Balance! I told you I was trying!) out of the gym, connecting. I’m very lucky that I can be around him all day every day and then on a day off it feels like a treat to spend time together. Plus I get a free ride to work every morning!

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Interested in being featured? Contact us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com

MAD LOVE MONDAY - Nicole Taylor | TR Event Management

My name is Nicole Taylor and I am the Owner of TR Event Management. We are a Wedding & Event Planning Company in Edmonton. Way back when I started TR Event Management I never dreamed it would be what it is today, nor I would have gotten big enough to have a team behind me, but here we are, a team of two coordinators, and eight in total handling major event set ups and I am still in love with this company as ever! I knew I didn’t want to go back to a full time job after my son, so I put it all into TR Event Management and over the past couple years it has only gotten better! We have been apart of small events of 10, and our biggest wedding guest count was 550! If you had told me when I started I would be working with an event that size I wouldn’t have believed you. My absolute favorite thing about this job is meeting the amazing people I have met, clients, and industry partners have turned into incredible friends and for that I could myself lucky! In my career to date I have been apart of over 25 weddings, and so many other special days and events!

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We decided this feature would be the perfect place to share some tips and tricks for Event Planning. Whether you are planning a kids birthday party, a wedding or anything in between there are some little tricks I have picked up along the way.

1. Lists – They are your friend, Guest Lists, Items to buy lists, Checklists – trust me I have them everywhere and probably drive my poor husband crazy with my OCD and lists!

2. Timelines! – Make yourself a realistic timeline and try your best to stick to it! For larger events like weddings, include things like the vendors you need to book, deposit due dates, and everything in between! For smaller events you can do a condensed version of this paired with those lists knowing you may not need to have as lengthy of timeline but trust me they help! Timelines are also very important for the day of your event. They keep you on track and keep your day flowing.

3. Take time away from planning for fun. It can take a lot of hours to plan a wedding or event, so be sure to have some me time in between, Go on dates with your soon to be partner! Have a girls night with your friends, or take an afternoon at the spa by yourself! Don’t let what is to be such a special day overwhelm you, it can happen easily. Paired with that take the help offered. If you have DIY projects, take up bridesmaids, and family on the offers to help! You will thank yourself.

4. Choose your vision and let yourself stick to it! In Wedding Planning you and your partner may get varying opinions on details, but remember the day is about the two of you. Don’t let the thoughts of others sway your vision!

5. CONTRACTS! This I cannot stress enough. In my industry I have heard horror stories of vendors not fulfilling promised duties! Meet with vendors, do your research, read reviews and make sure you click. You want to work with a photographer that makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera. You want a DJ that will keep your dance floor full. You want food that will have people talking for weeks to come! From all that you want all details outlined in a contract!

Events like weddings are once in a lifetime. Above all enjoy the process of planning because I promise you will blink and it will all be over. You will have those photos and memories to look back on always, but if you are stressed the whole way through it will be what you remember! I always tell my couples 99% of things that go wrong on the day will go un noticed even by you if you are focused on and enjoying your surroundings! Happy Planning!

Interested in being featured? email us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com