Lauren Nelson’s Ten Year Journey with Burn Boot Camp
With Burn celebrating our 10th anniversary this week, it is only fitting that we sit down with one of our original Franchise Partners, Lauren Nelson. Lauren’s Burn journey starts like any other; she was a loyal member who was in love with her community, obsessed with the workouts, and couldn’t get enough of the bleed blue culture. Her biggest goal was to start a family but she never saw herself as a business owner. When the opportunity presented itself just a few months after she and her husband Tony welcomed their first child, she knew it was in God’s plan to have a career as well. Owning a Burn Boot Camp allowed her to be at home with her growing family (she now has three children!) and still pour into a job she loves.
Becoming a Franchise Partner with Burn Boot Camp gave Lauren the work/life balance she once only dreamed of.
In 2015 she found out they were expecting their first child, and by 2016 they had signed on to own the Burn Bethel Park location. “I just started asking questions. I had no idea how to own a business. Nothing I asked was ever met with resistance – I was never made to feel silly or inexperienced. Burn made it so easy to feel like this was the right move to make.” -Lauren
Lauren fought the mental battle of feeling torn between her dream of being a stay-at-home mom and becoming a Franchise Partner with Burn. She’s an innate lover of people, a goal-setter, and a team player, which comes from her collegiate athletic background (she’s also a beast on the floating floor!) Throughout the onboarding process, she kept waiting for a sign not to move forward with the business, that it would take time away from her family, but that sign never came!
Burn Bethel Park is coming up on its 5th anniversary, and Lauren just signed on for another five years with Burn, making her journey with us over a decade. Hear from her below on ownership and how it’s impacted all areas of her life:
Congratulations on five years open! What made you sign on for another five years with Burn?
“It was a no-brainer for us. Five more years means more changed lives, more impact in the Bethel Park community, and more doing life with our amazing team. We are so invested in the future of this community and our training team. Burn, in and of itself, is an investment in people, and that’s something we are so proud to be a part of.”-Lauren
How would you describe your last five years with Burn?
“Constant fulfillment in ALL areas of life. Physical, mental, emotional. It covers all the bases. We struggled through the pandemic just like everyone else, but coming out on the other side together has been so rewarding. The gym was one of the only constants in such a time of uncertainty, and it’s one that we all needed.” -Lauren
“Think of Burn Boot Camp like the most loyal friend you’ve ever had.”
What are you looking forward to accomplishing with your team and the Bethel Park community in the next five years?
“The freaking 500 club!!!! We can’t wait to grow the PA market, take over the city, continue to plant roots for the brand” -Lauren
What have you learned about your leadership, and what are you taking with you in the next five?
“We are so much stronger together. We’re better leaders when we’re transparent with our teams. It allows us to grow together. I really love doing life with my team, and professional goal setting is just as important to us as the personal. We find that the more we share, the more we grow. My team holds me accountable, and I couldn’t do this without them.” -Lauren
In the past five years, how has your Burn journey impacted your family?
“I never thought I would be able to have a work/life balance until I became an owner with Burn. My kids grew up in the gym, and they see me live by example. They know that Mom works, and she loves what she gets to do. They know I live to serve, and I am fulfilling God’s plan for me. Being able to put my family first, above all else, is the reason I bought into Burn in the first place, and that still holds true years later. Burn only promotes positive things in the mind, body, and spirit. That’s the way my husband and I live, so it’s so important that our core values are represented in what we get to do for a living.” -Lauren
For more with Lauren, listen to her podcast episode with Morgan. They break down their commonalities and some of the most frequently asked questions they receive as moms, entrepreneurs, Franchise Partners, career-driven women, and more!