My Biz… F.E.M. Camp

I am excited to share what I fondly call “my business,” something I feel is very special, with AFM. Imagine flying to a variety of locations on any given Wednesday and taking two days to organize, plan, and adjust all details of a special fitness event, playing host to 20-30 ladies while providing educational seminars and intense boot camp-style workouts.
Topics such as healthy wellness and nutrition, modeling for beginners, poise and presentation, and the scoop on Figure, Bikini, and Fitness competitions (or just learning to walk gracefully in heels!) are all covered (among many others) over three days. Does this really sound like work? Some of you might not think so, but I promise you IT IS! The good news is that I LOVE what I GET to do and always feel completely blessed to have spent the weekend giving the attending ladies Fun, Education and Motivation (or, as I lovingly call it, F.E.M.).

I started F.E.M. Camp in Calgary, Canada, in August 2004 and then opened the first US location in California in September of 2005. At the present time, I am working on finalizing details for the eighth annual California camp.

My business partner, Lynda Thoresen, and I share camp responsibilities. We work well together and things always seem to flow, which I understand is not always the case with partners in a business. In 2004, Lynda was living in Canada and owned a training studio; she and I met by phone (another fun story, which I won’t reveal in this feature!) and found we shared mutual ideas on topics based on our experience and skill that we wanted to bring to the fitness community. With our instant connection, we put together a camp designed to give back to those new fitness generations.

Keeping the business going takes a lot of effort. I don’t have a marketing team nor do I have a business manager; I handle these things as best I can. Social media and email marketing are crucial tools for me to raise awareness about the camp and its locations and dates. As with any business, we strive to keep content and sessions up-to-date and informative with what is current in the industry. Each camp has top staff trainers, a nutritionist (at some locations; otherwise, I host this session), photographers, and makeup artists to assist in presentations.

Along with running the camp, it is crucial to keep myself well fed, hydrated, and, when possible, exercised! This is hard to do, as I spend many hours speaking and sharing in each session. Lynda, and I both bring cooked food to the camp locations and request refrigerators for our rooms, sometimes two if they are small! We make sure to have plenty of protein, healthy fats (primarily nuts, as they are easiest to manage), protein powder, and protein bars on hand at all times for quick meals with healthy options.

I’ll often jump in the boot camp session or on the track with the ladies, depending on what times I’ve found for my own workouts. My favorite workout is doing sprints and plyometrics, where I can incorporate all kinds of functional movements to make a really great session. If I can’t find a track, I can make any gym work—even a little hotel gym can be useful. I can make a workout short and sweet by targeting one muscle group at a time and lifting heavy, which is very effective for quick sessions on the road.

I’m hoping to bring my F.E.M. Camp back to Texas! Watch for that announcement or look for another location if you’re interested in the attending by keeping an eye on the official website (www.femcamp.net) for upcoming 2013 dates and locations. Please feel free to email me personally with any questions at Monica@fempcamp.net. I love to share what I do!