balanced, metabolic response), reci- pes, nutrition information, and a sys- tem of measurement and accountabil- ity in a consumer-friendly program that could be tailored to individu- al goals, regardless of body shape, weight, age, gender or fitness level. “I’m trying to give people a sus-


tainable approach and teach them that you have to learn how to eat to support your body and achieve your goals,” she says. “Then you’ll forever know what to do.” As their reputation as nutrition ex-


perts grew, more clients signed on. When TV’s The Biggest Loser came


calling in 2008, Carolyn developed a six- week, recipe-based program called the TakeDown Challenge, which ran twice a year with 150 participants at a time. Building on that success, the cou-


ple developed a scalable program that other fitness clubs could use to at- tract and retain more clients and cre- ate new revenue streams by offering a 100 percent solution that combined fitness, nutrition and weight loss in one package. They knew that fitness clubs could fill a need in the market and provide the opportunity for peo- ple’s transformation—if given the right tools and know-how.


They tested the concept at a gym


in Windsor, Ontario, and three others across the U.S. to see if their program would translate to other communities. “It worked, so I decided this was


something I wanted to pursue,” says Fetters, branding the company as Balanced Habits five years ago. “I built a company where I could coach oth- er businesses to use our programs in their facilities so we were all speaking the same language.” To date, Balanced Habits has


partnered with more than 132 fit- ness business owners across the United States and Canada (current- ly 89, including six in Ontario and Saskatchewan), serving more than 100,000 individual clients and gen- erating more than $10 million for its licensees. She estimates that a moti- vated small boutique gym operator could generate an additional $20,000- $50,000 a year in net profits by part- nering with Balanced Habits, while a larger fitness facility could reap $100,000 annually. The company’s goal is to have 300


partners, and Fetters believes the mar- ket is ready for the kind of change they’re offering. “The diet industry is figuring out


“The professional athlete wants to decrease body fat and increase lean body mass, and the workout mom wants to do the same thing, but she says, ‘I want to lose weight and tone.’”


that they’re failing customers, so they’re morphing themselves into the fitness industry because they have no choice,” she says. “Their latest tactic is to include exercise and to try to get people to become more active because they don’t know what else to do. In my mind, that customer is already sit- ting right in front of us.” Balanced Habits offers several pro-


grams: Balanced Habits KICK START is offered three times a year, with dif- ferent recipes and menus that reflect the seasons. Balanced Habits LIFE is offered in three-month, six-month and 12-month terms. Each comes with brand identity, marketing materials, business coaching, the company’s pro- prietary software which creates and delivers customized plans, and training for Food Coaches, who become accred- ited through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. “They’re essentially buying a nu-


trition business, and we give them all the tools to be successful in devel- oping a nutrition department,” says Fetters, who has been inspired by a book written by Jeff Olson called The Slight Edge, whose theme is that in- cremental changes can add up to meaningful transformations. “The book is not nutrition related,


but I’ve used it with my fitness busi- ness and my nutrition business to ex- plain that neither has to be an all-or- nothing endeavor,” she says. “I want people to realize that they don’t have to wait until they’re broken to start tak- ing care of themselves, and that small changes can add up to bigger ones.” Fetters is driven not just by pas-


sion but by personal loss. Two of her three siblings died in their 50s, both from obesity-related diseases. She was unable to help them because, she says, they were unwilling to change. Now she is dedicated to educating and helping other people achieve their nu- tritional, fitness and lifestyle goals. FBC


For more information about Balanced Habits, visit Partners.BalancedHabits.com/FBC.


Kim Pastachak, director of nutrition services and Brady Johnson, owner, both of Encompass Fitness in Estevan, Saskatchewan, conduct a Balanced Habits KICK START orientation meeting.


Kathryn Korchok is a journalist whose work has appeared in major newspapers and magazines in Canada and the U.S. She specializes in health, fitness, lifestyle and business writing. Contact her at kathryn.korchok@gmail.com.


January/February 2018 Fitness Business Canada 23


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