Interview

interview: Amanda Bracks

Owner of Soulful Fitness

 Soulful Fitness is a mainstay in Lane Cove having been a part of the community for seven years. You’re not just an ordinary gym are you? We wanted to provide a space for those that don’t want to attend a gym to have an alternate option to exercise. Our aim is to provide a safe and comfortable studio to exercise in, encouraging members to move a little and do what they can manage in a low impact way in a non-intimidating environment. Wellness as well as physical and mental health is so crucial in today’s world, we provide a safe space for members to listen to their daily needs, perhaps it’s a way to detox and de-stress, or to play a little, or we help them harness those days when they’re brimming with energy. There are beautiful gentle restorative classes from sound healing, yin yoga, tai chi and meditation to the more strengthening Pilates reformer and ashtanga yoga classes. We even have a scenic ride studio that operates all day long which most people don’t know about.

 How did it come to pass that you ended up in LC? I actually worked in Lane Cove 15 years ago creating Bluefit with the owners of the company and stayed there for a couple of years as General Manager. After that I ran my consulting business meetings from local cafes and came across the space while looking with a friend for a restaurant and thought that it would be perfect for a yoga and Pilates studio. My father grew up on Burns Bay road and my nan also lived in Hunters Hill in her later years so with myself living in East Ryde, it was such a perfect location.  Even though you are a Lane Cove-based business, you’re often jetting to different locations – in Australia and overseas – to assist other fitness companies and individuals with the development of their business models. What led you down that path? It all started almost 30 years ago, when I joined the fitness and leisure industry and at a very young age won NSW Manager of the year and got to travel to conferences all over the world and from that experience, I wrote my first book, ‘Changing Lives’. The book gave other business owners an insight into how I had successfully built mine and other fitness and leisure businesses. It showed them how to sell health club memberships and personal training and I packed it with training techniques, prospecting ideas and marketing tools. I love inspiring people to start an exercise routine and also love teaching the fitness industry how to improve their operations. In 2019 I was one of four people, the only female, to be inducted into the Fitness Industry Roll of Honour.  And since then, you have had two more published? Yes, ‘Inspiration: The Secrets of 50 People and How They Achieved Their Health and Fitness Dreams’ and ‘Customer Acquisition: 465 Ways to Gain and Retain Customers’. I have also had many articles published and have written fitness courses.

 How did you put the ‘Secrets of 50 People…’ book together? At that stage, I had been working in the business for almost 20 years and I saw the many ways that people found success and happiness. I interviewed 50 people who I thought would inspire others to believe in themselves, and start their own health and fitness journey. With growing health problems and obesity epidemics all over the world, it was obvious to me that people needed motivation, inspiration, support and advice on how to lose weight, tone up, get fit, eat well, and look and feel the way they want.

 The book ‘Customer Acquisition: 465 Ways to Gain and Retain Customers’ goes beyond fitness and is designed for anyone who is seeking to grow their customer base. Looking at Soulful Fitness seven years down the line, what has driven its success and growth? The community and our focus on it has been the success to Soulful Fitness. The moment anyone walks in the door they are instantly a family member, a community member and a friend. Yoga is such a beautiful practice and doing it collectively brings a real authentic connection amongst those in the room and beings universally. Having good consistent business practices, manuals, team evaluations and lots of staff training really ensures we are doing our best at every given moment.

 You have given lectures and keynote speeches all over the world, including the US, Thailand, Philippines, NZ, Germany, China and India plus many more based on your business success in Australia. Was there knowledge gained overseas that you have brought back to these shores? The fact that it doesn’t matter what culture you come from or what language you speak, humans thrive from being in a community, and maintain a regular exercise routine more easily exercising as part of a tribe opposed to individually. Visiting many yoga studios while in India really formed an understanding of what services and workshops we wanted to provide at the studio. We have taken some of the best yoga practices around the world to ensure we have a very diverse range of practices for people to enjoy. In business the most important thing from all countries is that systems are so important to the ongoing success of any business.  You mentioned that you had family in this area when you were young. Are there any specific memories that stand out for you? Definitely lunch with my nana when I was young was an absolute highlight, eating on the grass near some of the beautiful water views in the area.

 When you’re not working and out and about in Lane Cove, what do you and your family get up to? We love eating our supporting local restaurants such as Via Napoli, Lillah, and the Sushi Train. My daughter always had to get sushi after her swimming lessons at the aquatic centre. My kids love having breakfast at Nibu and we all love taking a walk through the national park areas, playing with our dogs and heading to the beach to go surfing.