Holly Bond

Here's lesson number one, make sure you have enough money to open your business. And then my husband said, I'll give you $10,000. And we met a gentleman who helped us source and create the equipment that would like exercise bikes that were fed through Sony PlayStation and so much other equipment that were, and this is going back to 2004. So it has come a long way, but

Here's lesson number one, make sure you have enough money to open your business. And then my husband said, I'll give you $10,000. And we met a gentleman who helped us source and create the equipment that would like exercise bikes that were fed through Sony PlayStation and so much other equipment that were, and this is going back to 2004. So it has come a long way, but

The three of us started this company. We opened it in Halifax. It had never been done before. There was no other gym in North America. Or I had calls from Dubai, Singapore, all over the world. People wanted these franchises. So this was just one gym. That's all I was going to do. And I didn't have enough money. I was running it. I was there night and day. There I was at the club in the day.

The three of us started this company. We opened it in Halifax. It had never been done before. There was no other gym in North America. Or I had calls from Dubai, Singapore, all over the world. People wanted these franchises. So this was just one gym. That's all I was going to do. And I didn't have enough money. I was running it. I was there night and day. There I was at the club in the day.

And in the evenings, I was working on programming. And then I also didn't have a marketing or PR position. person. So I started calling all the radio and the local TV stations. They came to the club and I said, you have to come here. It's really amazing. They'll come if you have something interesting for them. So I called the national news and they interviewed me on CTV national news.

And in the evenings, I was working on programming. And then I also didn't have a marketing or PR position. person. So I started calling all the radio and the local TV stations. They came to the club and I said, you have to come here. It's really amazing. They'll come if you have something interesting for them. So I called the national news and they interviewed me on CTV national news.

And I said during the interview that I was creating a franchise. Now I didn't even have an application for I'm not kidding. I had nothing. I don't even know if that's lesson number two. You just don't do that. So I said, we're franchising. Now, that was a Saturday. On Sunday, you know, on Canadian news, it loops every half hour. So it's looping. So the story is playing over and over all day.

And I said during the interview that I was creating a franchise. Now I didn't even have an application for I'm not kidding. I had nothing. I don't even know if that's lesson number two. You just don't do that. So I said, we're franchising. Now, that was a Saturday. On Sunday, you know, on Canadian news, it loops every half hour. So it's looping. So the story is playing over and over all day.

When I got home at the end of the evening, I opened up my laptop and I'll never forget. I looked down and said, you have 103 emails. And my first instinct was spam. Oh, my goodness. And I opened it up and it was 101 people wanting a franchise. and a lawyer and a marketing company. So the lawyer said, I can help you franchise. The marketing company said, we can help do your marketing.

When I got home at the end of the evening, I opened up my laptop and I'll never forget. I looked down and said, you have 103 emails. And my first instinct was spam. Oh, my goodness. And I opened it up and it was 101 people wanting a franchise. and a lawyer and a marketing company. So the lawyer said, I can help you franchise. The marketing company said, we can help do your marketing.

I hired both of those companies. They flew down and met with me. I reached out to every one of those 101 people. And I said, I will get an application form to you. And then I had to create an application form. And I went on to a international franchise company that already exists. And I look at their franchise form and I tweaked that and I sent it out to 101 people. And that's how we started.

I hired both of those companies. They flew down and met with me. I reached out to every one of those 101 people. And I said, I will get an application form to you. And then I had to create an application form. And I went on to a international franchise company that already exists. And I look at their franchise form and I tweaked that and I sent it out to 101 people. And that's how we started.

We sold 11 franchises. in a matter of two years. We won awards. It was fantastic. It was Canada and Nova Scotia. There was so many funding opportunities because they were trying to small businesses grow. And then a company, it's called Wild Brain now. Listeners would know them as the people who own animated shows.

We sold 11 franchises. in a matter of two years. We won awards. It was fantastic. It was Canada and Nova Scotia. There was so many funding opportunities because they were trying to small businesses grow. And then a company, it's called Wild Brain now. Listeners would know them as the people who own animated shows.

They have a very large library of animated shows like Animal Mechanicals and Dora the Explorer. And they own Charlie Brown Peanuts, those cartoons. So they saw a real connection with making exercise fun for children.

They have a very large library of animated shows like Animal Mechanicals and Dora the Explorer. And they own Charlie Brown Peanuts, those cartoons. So they saw a real connection with making exercise fun for children.

And one of their shows that they had for kids where this animated character had a bracelet and every time, you know, the animated character would tell kids, jump up and down, jump up and down. And her bracelet would flash on and off. And they thought, what if we sold those bracelets? What if we created this in the Bulldog Interactive Fitness Clubs?

And one of their shows that they had for kids where this animated character had a bracelet and every time, you know, the animated character would tell kids, jump up and down, jump up and down. And her bracelet would flash on and off. And they thought, what if we sold those bracelets? What if we created this in the Bulldog Interactive Fitness Clubs?

And so this is the collaboration that we were going to do. So we sold it. And then we hit a really bad economic turndown of 2009. The recession hit. And they pulled back from any more investment in any new opportunities. So they just shuttered it. But it was absolutely... I've learned so much from that. It was the most difficult thing ever. And now I help companies.

And so this is the collaboration that we were going to do. So we sold it. And then we hit a really bad economic turndown of 2009. The recession hit. And they pulled back from any more investment in any new opportunities. So they just shuttered it. But it was absolutely... I've learned so much from that. It was the most difficult thing ever. And now I help companies.