- Story by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

Stepping into SPAR91裸聊视频檚 downtown Victoria workout studio for the first time, I feel like I91裸聊视频檓 in a night club. And that91裸聊视频檚 exactly the point.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e doing a 91裸聊视频榝ight club meets night club91裸聊视频� atmosphere,91裸聊视频� explains SPAR co-founder Victoria Courtnall. 91裸聊视频淵ou box to the beat of the music.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e want to make it as fun an experience for our clients as possible while still giving them a challenging, badass workout that gets the heart rate up and incorporates core and lower body exercises for a full body workout,91裸聊视频� adds SPAR co-founder Hayley Gustavson. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 also therapy for some people because you can take your aggression out on the bag.91裸聊视频�

The boxing-inspired group fitness studio opened in May, after Hayley and Victoria pedalled their way to success with two SPINCO studios. The pair, both Oak Bay High School grads, launched SPINCO Victoria almost three years ago and opened a second studio in Langford in January.

91裸聊视频淲e both wanted to get into the fitness world and we both had our own ideas about how that would look but we thought we91裸聊视频檇 be stronger together than apart and that91裸聊视频檚 definitely been true,91裸聊视频� 29-year-old Hayley explains.

Both women played team sports growing up and are clearly passionate about fitness.

91裸聊视频淚 love going to the boutique fitness studios, which I think Victoria was definitely lacking. My husband (Bruce Courtnall) and I both do road cycling so I always was into cycling and spin as well,91裸聊视频� the 32-year-old Victorian says.

91裸聊视频淚 think fitness just brings well-being to everybody91裸聊视频檚 life and it91裸聊视频檚 so enriching and enhancing and such a journey for everybody 91裸聊视频� and it91裸聊视频檚 different for everybody,91裸聊视频� adds Hayley. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e seen it be such a positive thing in my life, it91裸聊视频檚 hard not to be passionate about it.91裸聊视频�

When they first started talking about going into business together, Hayley and Victoria punched out ideas on the boxing concept but say they settled on spin instead because it was the safer bet for their first foray into the fitness business.

91裸聊视频淏oxing was somewhat untouched at the time, even in the US, so we thought let91裸聊视频檚 get into the market in Victoria with something that91裸聊视频檚 a proven concept and learn from that,91裸聊视频� Hayley explains. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 great to be part of a franchise that has such great brand recognition across Canada right now and we got to figure out the nitty-gritty details of what it means to own a fitness studio.91裸聊视频�

But even as they built the SPINCO business, they always had a bigger plan in mind.

91裸聊视频淚t was really important for Hayley and me, from the beginning, to have our own brand,91裸聊视频� Victoria says. 91裸聊视频淲e looked at developing spin on our own but I think it worked out really well to have the experience of the franchise and then build on that to branch out on our own.91裸聊视频�

For Victoria, who was a mortgage broker, and Hayley, who had her own catering business in Kelowna, the biggest business challenge has been learning how to manage so many people.

91裸聊视频淚t was a part of the business we really didn91裸聊视频檛 expect to take up so much time,91裸聊视频� Hayley explains. 91裸聊视频淏ut it91裸聊视频檚 been so lovely working with all of our trainers and front desk staff and we91裸聊视频檝e brought friends onboard. Balancing those relationships has been a learning curve and you want to make sure everyone stays happy.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 think we91裸聊视频檝e been able to overcome that by building an incredible team, over time, that embodies our vision and executes it on a daily basis,91裸聊视频� Victoria adds, who says they learn something new every day. 91裸聊视频淭he biggest thing we91裸聊视频檝e learned through all of this is that there is always more to learn because the moment you stop learning, you stop improving and we constantly want to be improving.91裸聊视频�

But the entrepreneurs, both young mothers, say by far the greatest challenge is the work-life balance and trying to grow their families while growing their business.

91裸聊视频淚n this period of starting the businesses, Hayley91裸聊视频檚 had two kids and I91裸聊视频檝e had a baby and I91裸聊视频檓 pregnant again,91裸聊视频� says Victoria, who is due with her second child in October.

91裸聊视频淟iterally, one of us has always been pregnant since we started this,91裸聊视频� laughs Hayley. 91裸聊视频淪o trying to find the balance between having a really amazing opportunity and career in front of us 91裸聊视频� being able to do exactly what we love 91裸聊视频� and being able to spend time with our families and nurture those relationships as well is a big balancing act.91裸聊视频�

For Hayley, who91裸聊视频檚 married to business guru Peter Gustavson91裸聊视频檚 son, Matthew, having expert advice close at hand has definitely been a big help.

91裸聊视频淚 get really, really great business advice from my father-in-law,91裸聊视频� she laughs. 91裸聊视频淪ometimes I like to think I might know more than I do, and then I realize he91裸聊视频檚 always right.91裸聊视频�

So what91裸聊视频檚 the best advice he91裸聊视频檚 given her?

91裸聊视频淭o always think about working on the business and not getting tied up working in the business,91裸聊视频� Hayley says. 91裸聊视频淧eter constantly wants us to grow and the only way to do that is to be working on the business and not in the business.91裸聊视频�

For both women, marrying into famous families has been positive when it comes to name recognition, but it can also have its drawbacks.

91裸聊视频淭he Courtnall name brings a reputation of being athletic, so that91裸聊视频檚 certainly helped us, but people always just assume it91裸聊视频檚 our husbands91裸聊视频� business,91裸聊视频� Victoria says. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e very supportive husbands but they91裸聊视频檙e not involved in the business.91裸聊视频�

Giving back to the community is also important for Victoria and Hayley, who grew up here. Both businesses have a weekly charity class, with all the proceeds going to different causes. SPINCO91裸聊视频檚 is a 91裸聊视频楽pin it Forward91裸聊视频� ride and SPAR has 91裸聊视频楶unch for a Purpose.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 also a discounted class so people get a chance to try it for half price and they get to feel good about it because they91裸聊视频檙e helping a charity,91裸聊视频� Victoria explains.

As this dynamic duo muscles their way to even greater success, they plan to take SPAR across the country. But they know it won91裸聊视频檛 be easy.

91裸聊视频淎 good friend of mine always says: 91裸聊视频楪et comfortable with being uncomfortable. It91裸聊视频檚 the only way you learn and grow,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Victoria says.

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Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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