805 Boot Camp

Owners: Randy and Sarita Shoemaker.

Product or service: Exercise and nutrition program to help people lose weight and get into shape.

Location: Simi Valley.

Date established: June 10, 2006.

Hours open: There are one-hour sessions Monday through Friday that occur four times every day: 5:30 to 6:30 a.m., 7 to 8 a.m., 9 to 10 a.m., 6 to 7 p.m. People can join any session to complete the whole program with perfect attendance.

Telephone: 823-3409 or 796-9973.

E-mail: Info@805BootCamp.com.

Web site: http://www.805BootCamp.com.

Employees: 2.

Startup capital: $25,000.

Estimated annual gross revenues: $60,000 to 70,000.

Questions to Sarita Shoemaker: What prompted you to start your own business? Our business was prompted from the desire to work together, and two years ago, both of our mothers became very ill with cancer and passed away within the past year. It was a huge wake-up call for us.

Our mothers were in their 50s. They were way too young to die without having seen the signs in their health to possibly make different decisions. We both realized how important paying attention to health is, and we both love the outdoors. The camp fitness program and nutrition was a perfect match. We also have four kids and want to be able to spend more time with them.

What is your educational and career background? We are both certified instructors through the American Council on Exercise, trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, certified lifestyle and weight management consultants, and enrolled in a nutritional sciences class at Moorpark College to advance our knowledge in nutrition (which is where we find most of our clients have questions).

Randy has a bachelor's in marketing and communications from the University of Southern California.

How much research did you do before starting your business? We started as boot campers in February 2005, and within that year, we observed the gaping holes in that program that we knew we could fill.

What were the most helpful sources, including Web sites? The most helpful Web sites were http://www.acefitness.org, http://www.godaddy.com and http://www.mypyramid.gov.

When were you the most discouraged? Our first camp had 12 people in it. We were second-guessing our ability to make this go and support our four children. We thought seriously that we must be nuts for leaving our secure jobs in the business world.

What company or individual do you admire?Mary May, my mother, who recently passed away from breast cancer. She was a phenomenal public relations expert and despite her cancer forcing her to the hospital every few weeks, she showed me how to survive being attacked in the business world through flourishing and prospering. She has always known and believed we could have our own business like she did, and we would do great. I never believed it until after she was gone.

What will make your business stand out from competitors? The biggest thing that sets us apart from competitors is that this is all we do to earn a living and we care about each camper. One can see in our actions and the results and testimonials from the campers themselves.

Our phones are on 24/7, and we help every type of individual that seeks help. You can call us, and we actually answer the phone. Also, because we live in the city of Simi Valley, we can do more to support it. We have free Saturday camps for anyone that wants to come and get a good workout. We volunteer in the community and support pretty much every individual and group that has asked us to.

Our most recent activity is the Rancho Simi Trailblazers clearing of the Chumash Trail in the Simi Valley hills. Other big differences is that we offer four sessions every day, and our camps are in more than 30 places in Simi Valley. Every one of them is outdoors, and we produce a weekly newsletter called "The Challenge" filled with helpful hints in exercise and nutrition and, of course, many pictures of actual campers in our camp.

Who is your target client/customer base? Adults who wish to improve their current physical fitness.

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