Kayla Itsines created Bikini Body Training Company with her partner, Tobi Pearce, in 2014 to coach more women than she could as a personal trainer in Australia. Now Itsines has an engaged and dedicated community of more than 20 million women who use her 28-minute Bikini Body Guide (BBG) workouts, top-grossing iTunes app Sweat, best-selling books, and fitness accessories. They congregate at her sold-out stadium tours, organize meet-ups with other members and support each other on social media, with more than 9 million of them following Itsines on Instagram alone. In 2017 Forbes named her the top fitness influencer on the Top Influencers list and, according to Forbes reporting, the Sweat With Kayla app earned $17 million in revenue in 2016. I attended a private BBG Bootcamp and talked to Itsines about her career path, advice, and what it’s like to motivate millions of women around the world.
You were a fitness instructor before launching the Bikini Body Training Company. What inspired you to start it?
When I was running my one-on-one personal training sessions, I quickly found I was booked out for weeks in advance. I also didn’t have any capacity to help other women around the world who would reach out to me online. This really frustrated me, so to be able to provide women with the exercise methods to use, my partner Tobi [Pearce] and I co-created the Bikini Body Training Guides (BBG) together in 2014. The primary aim when developing the BBG program was, and still is, to educate and support women throughout their health and fitness journey and help them to feel stronger and more confident in themselves.
Since then, Tobi Pearce, my partner and Sweat CEO, launched the Sweat app in 2017. My BBG and BBG Stronger programs are both now available to use within the Sweat app. The training and education provided in the BBG and BBG Stronger program, together with the amazing support of the BBG Community, has helped millions of women from all over the world. It still gives me butterflies when I think how lucky I am to be able to help so many women around the world!
The Sweat app, launched last year, features workouts from other women in the fitness community. You were the only trainer on the original version of your app Sweat With Kayla and in your PDF guides. Some entrepreneurs might fear losing the “spotlight” but you seem to value community and what’s in the best interest of users over the fame. Have you always believed in the importance of collaboration and community over competition?
Tobi and I have always put the needs of our community before anything else. It’s important to listen to your audience and make sure what you are delivering is what your audience wants and is relevant. This is reflected in the Sweat mission, to help women use health and fitness to shape their best lives.
We identified an opportunity for a wider fitness community for users to connect to and an innovative experience bringing together all facets of health and wellness to women’s fingertips. The introduction of the Sweat app in May 2017 gave users the opportunity to workout alongside myself and trainers Kelsey Wells and Sjana Earp, and have access to five programs: BBG, BBG Stronger, Post-Pregnancy, PWR (Power), and Body and Mind. We are so proud to say that the Sweat app is now the largest and most supportive online community in women’s fitness across the globe.
What has been the biggest reward of starting the Bikini Body Training Guide, and on the flipside, the biggest challenge?
I have always been driven to helping others, and being able to reach women all around the world and help them with their health and fitness journeys is the biggest reward. Nothing makes me feel prouder than when one of my community members shares with me a progress photo or their transformation story. I also love the opportunity to meet my community members face-to-face at my BBG Bootcamps. I never thought that when I started as a personal trainer, with one-on-one sessions, I would be able to get to train thousands of people at once.
One of the biggest challenges I have faced is maintaining a healthy work/life balance. I am so lucky that I get to travel so much and meet my BBG Community, but it often means I am away from my family and friends for long periods at a time. Now when I travel, I make sure to diarise time with my loved ones every two weeks.
You’ve said that you regret naming your original workout Bikini Body Guide because there isn’t one type of bikini body. Your mission statement for Sweat is to help women become “bikini body confident.” What does “bikini body confident” mean to you?
When I would train my clients, a common goal they often shared was that they wanted to achieve a ‘Bikini Body.’ A ‘Bikini Body’ isn’t something that is a particular size or weight, it’s unique to each person. It’s a feeling of inner confidence.
People often jump to conclusions when they hear me talk about a ‘Bikini Body,’ but once they understand what it means, they can see how it resonates with everyone. We all want to feel our most confident so that we can be our best selves.
You have such a loyal community on social media, particularly on Instagram where people share their transformations, motivate one another, and share their workouts and meals. What is the role that social media has played in Bikini Body Training Company’s success?
Social media, in particular, Instagram, has been key to allowing me to be able to reach so many women around the world and build the BBG Community to what is it today. Social media has been an incredible tool for me to use to be able to reach and spread my fitness method with women globally.
You’ve also done a world tour, written two books and you host other workouts like this one at Westfield’s Beauty & Balance launch. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs who hope to create a supportive and engaged community?
I am so lucky to have such a supportive BBG Community. I believe the reason they have been so supportive and engaged with me is that I have always been 100% open and honest with them. I have shared with them my own struggles and spoken about times when I’ve been feeling unmotivated. I’ve also really listened to the community as well, you’ll notice on social media that I often ask my followers to share their own ideas, stories, or advice. My advice for someone who wants to build a supportive and engaged community is to be real and welcome people’s voices and ideas. Make it a supportive environment where each individual can be themselves and shine.
You’ve said that your community inspires you! What are some of the stories that have inspired you throughout your journey?
There isn’t one story that I could say is my favorite, each is so unique, and they all continue to amaze and inspire me!
A client recently told me how she suffered from an eating disorder when she was younger, but that by following my BBG program in the Sweat app, she had learned to love her body and the curves and shapes it made as she got stronger and stronger. Hearing how the program has helped her refocus and feel confident in her own skin makes me so incredibly proud.
What is a workday like for you? Walk me through a day.
I’m an early bird, so I get up around 5:30 am every day. I get some brekky for my two dogs, Ace and Junior, and grab my phone to check out what the BBG Community has been up to.
I’ll then head out to visit my family for breakfast. It’s really important that I get to spend time with my family every day, plus, my Yiayia and Papou make the best Greek coffee!
My next stop is the gym, where I will create and film content for my social media channels for the week. Afterward, I will often have one-on-one or small group training sessions with my clients. I have been working with some of my clients for over five years, so I really love this part of my day!
In the afternoons I will complete one of my 28-minute BBG Stronger workouts, using the Sweat app on my Apple Watch or iPhone. Then it’s a cooldown, and back home to get dinner ready. Every night I always have dinner with my Tobi. Even if I am away traveling, I will always call him at that time to see how his day has been.
To make sure I get enough sleep, I also go to bed pretty early, at around 9 pm.
You’ve said that sticking to your morals has contributed to your business success. What are some of your core values?
I don’t sexualize myself and always aim to be authentic and genuine in everything I do. I also won’t promote a product I don’t believe in.
What are some of your goals for the future?
Tobi and I are focused on continuing to grow our online fitness community and making it an even better experience for our users with some exciting program updates and engaging and informative content. Watch this space!
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
When I was younger and having trouble choosing what I wanted to study after high school, my parents told me to do what I love. That is exactly what I did, and now I have my dream job!
What is your best advice for other young professional women?
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. We are all on our own journey and timeline, and what someone else’s strengths and aspirations are may be different from yours, and that’s okay. When you start competing with other people both professionally and personally, you lose sight of the big picture and what you need to achieve.
