Dean Bodle – on maintaining momentum…

Written by Kristine Beissner

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January 2, 2020

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News

What started as a career as a Personal Trainer, has evolved into a fulltime business owner/management role for Dean Bodle, who has in less than a decade, established no less than six significant businesses and move from 50 to 4000sqm of fitness space over 4 sites.

These days, business management and development is a full-time job but Dean still takes the occasional PT session, Bootcamp or Crossfit session as he feels it’s important to know your product and stay in touch with what you offer as a service.

Advice to Trainers…

A self-confessed risk-taker, Dean believes that to be successful, Trainers need to know as much about running a business as they do about running a class or Bootcamp – they are their primary and most important product or brand.

Dean believes that staying up with the times has been key to his business success and ongoing education and development are essential to fast-track a career, stay motivated and raise a Trainer’s level of skill, credibility and employability.

The future is functional….

Dean believes we’ve hit the functional training era and this is the future. Eventually, gyms will be all rigs and free weights…

Dean’s story…

After a holiday in North Queensland in 2005, Dean returned to his hometown of Melbourne, quit his job, packed up his belongings and drove back to Townsville the very next month.

Four years later, Dean opened a 50sqm personal training studio at the Tobruk Memorial Pool on the Strand in 2009.

At this stage there was only the upstairs space with 2 treadmills, 1 crosstrainer, 2 bikes, a smith machine, power rack and cable crossover – the downstairs and additional concrete slab came later…

Recognising the need for a full service health club, Dean opened Strand Fitness where the old Townsville Hospital complex in North Ward used to be, in 2010.

Let’s not stop there…..

Dean also founded Registered Training Organisation, Fitness Institute in 2009 to provide an opportunity for Trainers to become qualified in Certificate III and IV in Fitness. Soon-after, Philip Sherriff came into the business as co-owner, and now the organisation has grown to deliver online courses nationally as well as continuing to deliver face to face courses locally.

Having pioneered outdoor Bootcamps in Townsville and established a strong community in Strand Fitness, Dean was determined to keep up with the times, converting the Tobruk studio to a Crossfit Gym in 2011 and bringing Hot Yoga to his Yoga Studios.

Then, it was on to researching large, commercial, big-city clubs and working with an Architect to design the building and fit-out for Strand Fitness North Shore in the Northern suburbs of Townsville, which opened its doors in 2014.

But, wait… there’s more!

In 2017, the Health Hub was born and the North Ward club, Yoga Hub and Fitness Institute moved into a 4 storey, iconic, heritage-listed 2500sqm building on Flinders Street in Townsville’s CBD, making it one of the most unique health clubs established today.

Then, in 2018, Dean was involved in the design and opening of Crossfit Tropics, all whilst continuing to manage his businesses and on a personal note, become a first-time dad!

Not surprisingly, Dean is not content to rest.

There’s plans in the pipeline to develop the products and services delivered in his clubs and it’s clear to see moving forward on an upward trajectory is the best way maintain momentum!