Personnel File:
Nicole Avery & ?Monica Swan
Company: Zone 3 Fitness, Scarborough; www.zone3fitness.biz
When they started their business: Oct. 1
Personal: Both single; ?second cousins.
It came together while on a hike on Mount Katahdin: Two cousins, both fitness enthusiasts who had faced various adversities in their late 30s and early 40s, decided they wanted a new adventure.
So they came up with the idea for Zone 3 Fitness, a workout center that was more than a gym, and that based its workouts and training routines on strength, balance, endurance and the science of body mechanics.
They opened their Scarborough enterprise Oct. 1, and they haven’t stopped moving.
Q) What were your key needs in getting started with your business?
A) Avery: For us, it’s really just getting people in the door, letting people know we’re here, helping them understand what makes us different from a traditional gym.
Q) What made you want to do this?
A) Avery: We’re both in our 40s, and just kind of at a natural point of making a career change. We both have business backgrounds. Monica made her change almost 10 years ago doing personal training and massage therapy. It’s having a passion for business, and a nice balance and complement in skills. And we like working together.
Q) What do you think are the key traits needed to become a successful female entrepreneur?
A) Avery: Courage, tenacity, creativity.
Swan: Just believing in what you’re trying to sell.
Q) What’s your overall outlook on life, summed up in a sentence or two?
A) Avery: Work hard, play hard. We’re both putting in a lot of hours, but this is something that we’re really proud of, so it doesn’t feel like work. And for both of us, there’s no excuse for not working out.
Swan: It’s just exciting, more so than in past jobs. This is so much more rewarding.
Nicole Avery & ?Monica Swan
Taryn Plumb is a ?Maine-based freelance writer who has written for a variety of publications, including daily and weekly newspapers, websites, trade and business journals, wedding, art and regional-themed magazines.
