MUSCLING UP IN COVID
TOOWOOMBA businesswoman and fitness instructor Nicole Steffens has struck out on her own.
After its opening was delayed by COVID-19, her new gym Freedom Lifestyle and Fitness began trading this week.
WHILE running a gym franchise in Toowoomba, Nicole Steffens decided she wanted to do things differently.
So she struck out on her own and started her own business.
Originally meant to open in March but delayed because of COVID-19, Freedom Lifestyle and Fitness officially opened this week at 324-326 Ruthven St.
Ms Steffens said she was offering a holistic service that was aimed at “helping the whole person”.
“We’re not just helping people with physical health, we’re also about helping people with their mindsets, nutrition, and other areas of their life,” she said.
She said 12 months of work had gone into making her dream gym a reality, which including talking to mentors and others to identify gaps in the market.
Ms Steffens said the idea of the gym was to occupy the middle ground between the 24/7, lower-cost model and the specialised, more expensive offerings.
“We want to be in the middle, offering awesome customer service and a wider variety of services and options at a more affordable price point, but still with that personalised coaching experience,” she said.
The new gym has also generated 13 jobs and is employing people who lost their work when COVID-19 hit.
“It’s a really welcoming and fun place,” she said.
“You feel a bit luxurious walking into it, it was created by a professional stylist and doesn’t feel like a normal gym as such.”
Freedom Lifestyle and Fitness is also fitted out with a coffee and smoothie bar out the front, and a lounge, which Ms Steffens said offered the option for people to catch up with a friend either before or after their workout.
She’s also got a dietitian who will do monthly sessions with clients.
“I’m definitely excited and grateful to be here because it’s been such a long journey and a lot of hard work behind the scenes.”