Christina Hegna Wanted to Make More Time for Fitness, So Naturally She’s Opening a Burn Boot Camp Franchise

Christina Hegna realized she needed to make more time for herself.

As a Certified Public Accountant who works as an Assistant Controller for a private financial services firm, Hegna realized about two years ago that she needed to prioritize her physical fitness again.

A married mother of three-year-old twin boys, Hegna sought to find time for exercise in her busy life. She “slowly chiseled away at getting into a routine,” but it wasn’t until a few months later, when she decided to give her local Burn Boot Camp a try, that she found a workout that worked for her lifestyle.

“What started, at the outset, to be an opportunity to get in some good workouts to balance my outdoor running routine quickly became so much more than that,” Hegna said. “The environment was nothing like what I had experienced before, and the community of support from other empowered women opened my eyes. I began to realize this was more than just a gym.”

Founded in the parking lot of a Charlotte, North Carolina gymnastics studio by husband-and-wife team Devan and Morgan Kline, Burn Boot Camp is a rapidly-expanding fitness franchise whose primary goal is to give women an empowering place in which to reach their fitness goals. With 200 locations open and more than 110 locations expected to open in 2019, Burn Boot Camp is well on its way to becoming one of the largest fitness franchises.

It wasn’t long until Hegna, who refers to her fellow workout buddies as her “Burn Sisters,” started seeing the physical results she wanted. Not only did Burn Boot Camp help Hegna get into “the best shape of [her] life,” but it also helped her feel physically, mentally and emotionally stronger. Indeed, empowering women to maximize the quality of their lives is part of Burn Boot Camp’s mission.

“It was after digesting more about what Burn Boot Camp's mission and values are, how they aligned with our own, and how many lives were changing before my eyes, that my husband and I knew Burn Boot Camp needed to be an even bigger part of our lives,” she said. “There was a sense of social responsibility to bring this to another community so that more lives could be impacted in the way mine and my Burn Sisters lives had.”

Hegna started looking into franchising in September 2017. She had her first phone call with the brand around December 2017 and signed the franchise agreement at the end of February 2018. Her Maple Grove, Minnesota Burn Boot Camp location has an anticipated opening date of April 28.

She has loved working with the Burn Boot Camp team throughout the process.

“The Burn Boot Camp headquarters team is incredibly positive, encouraging and supportive,” Hegna said. “Not once have I felt pressured in any way. They are quick to respond and have the patience of saints.”

Hegna sites that her financial background has more than prepared her for this new venture.

“I’m excited to leverage my business and finance skills with my entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do this and am ecstatic that now is the time.”

Hegna and her husband are open to expanding with the Burn Boot Camp brand, but they first want to make sure they set up their Maple Grove location for maximum success.

“We are incredibly passionate about this and are very motivated to thrive,” she said. “We would love to open more gyms in the future.”

While only just beginning their franchise, Hegna and her husband are excited to be part of the brand’s expansion.

“There was a sense of social responsibility to bring this to another community so that more lives could be impacted in the way mine and my Burn Sisters lives had,” Hegna said. “Our lives haven't slowed down in the slightest. On top of working on opening our Burn Boot Camp in Maple Grove soon, we are expecting a third child, and we each still have our full-time jobs. We believe in our mission, and Burn Boot Camp's mission. Even with full and sometimes crazy schedules, we are excited to open our doors.”

The startup costs for a Burn Boot Camp franchise range from $142,330 to $349,150. The franchise fee is $40,000 for one location and $100,000 for a triple-unit deal. To learn more about franchising with Burn Boot Camp, visit https://franchise.burnbootcamp.com/.