Boot Camps With a Purpose, a brief history...

It all started in May of 2007. Elite Personal Training Studio had been in business for six months in Exton, PA and I had the idea to start having boot camps on the weekends. So we started doing the workouts with my personal training clients attending. The first boot camp was a for profit boot camp and we had one person come to do the workout. There were four trainers. I definitely over-estimated the turnout.

So week two we had three people and I was really doubting the profitability of these events. If I was going to get up early on a Saturday I needed to make it worth my while. Then, as I was running ideas thru my head, walking thru the grocery store I saw some salad dressings. They had Paul Newman’s face on them. It said they gave all the money they made from their sales to different charities. What a great idea!

So our third week was the first Boot Camp With a Purpose. The pressure of trying to make a buck was gone. It wasn’t so hard getting up early on Saturday to teach them anymore because it just felt good. What if only one person came? Well that was fifteen dollars that wouldn’t have gone to a good place if the boot camp wasn’t there.

We went from May up to the middle of September. In November I started putting posts on Craigslist looking to find trainers to do them in their towns and cities. I thought it would be really easy to find more people who’d be into it. Do a workout, choose a good cause and give all the money away. But it wasn’t as much of a slam dunk as I thought it would be, especially getting the first couple to jump in.

It’s gotten easier in some ways, but as new obstacles arise good people always seem to show themselves to help us overcome them. One of those people being Lisa.Working thru the kinks in website development has been tough for me as I’m not very good with computers. In the beginning of 2009 as I was doing a lot of personal training appointments, running the studio, and coming home at night working to recruit new locations. I was really starting to wear down. One day on Facebook I sent out a message asking if anyone could help me with some computer problems.

Call me overdramatic or corny if you like. I don’t care. An angel answered by prayers and Lisa Arena-Giordano helped me fix the problem that I think was on the verge of putting me over the edge. In the course of a week she continued to provide advise and go out of her way to make my life easier and help Boot Camps With a Purpose grow.

From the beginning Lisa has helped Boot Camps With a Purpose grow, helped new locations understand what we’re doing, and literally kept me sane. For this she hasn’t ever asked for anything in return. Sometimes I think our society is so based on “What’s in it for me”, it starts to get me down, then I meet someone like Lisa and my faith is restored.

Lisa is Vice President of Boot Camps With a Puhitsrpose and someone I’m very glad to know. I’ve met a lot of good people doing this and continue to do so. The future is incredibly bright for BCWAP and the possibilities endless. It started as something to help pay the rent and has evolved into a positive Saturday morning family activity that gives fitness professionals a great way to give back, all the while getting funds to where they can be used. There is absolutely nothing negative about BCWAP and it makes things better wherever it is.

One thing I’ve learned is that doing good things gets you good things. Once I stopped worrying about making money with these workouts and did them for different reasons, it actually became even more profitable. My company, Elite Personal Training has a steady flow of clients who’ve heard about us from the Boot Camps. The more you give, the more you get back.

It’s been tough and exhausting at times, but every bit worth it. There isn’t anything I’d rather be doing on a Saturday morning than teaching a Boot Camp With a Purpose.

Thanks to everyone who teaches, participates, promotes and helps the organization in all the many ways it needs to get out there and operate and grow. I can’t believe people actually thank me after these workouts for doing something I look forward to all week.

See ya at Boot Camp!

Matt Sgro