BUILDING A FITNESS EMPIRE AND JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD

Amber: Yeah, so in my defense about the whole pregnancy I have- I'm like I have Colitis, so when you're pregnant your immune system kind of shuts down so that it doesn't like attack, so I like I that's what I'm but yes, I have amazing pregnancies because I'm usually like doubled over in pain, but I felt good. So I'm eatin' salad, living my best life. So anyways, I have been at this job for quite some time and had moved up the ladder and had always kind of wanted to get into like group fitness instruction. So I taught yoga there and it was super successful with that. But I was more in like, kind of the boot camp stuff. And I tried to kind of teach step and it was kind of like, a couple times when someone didn't show up, I'd get chucked in front of the class with zero skills. And then you kind of get labeled as like a bad instructor, and then you never get time slots. Do you know what I mean? So I really wasn't finding a place. And I was bummed about it. Like, I couldn't figure out how I could get into this group fitness I really want to teach like, I knew that was something that I really wanted to do. But I had been a bit beaten down over the years like, so here comes Emily fresh and fabulous. She picks up any format like this dancin' around that stuff like you've never seen. Doing the Elvis and this. This is a killer. Whatever those moves are, she had it dialed. Um, and anyway, she started teaching dance fitness. And you know, she's just she just wants everyone to be part of the party, you know? You should teach dance fitness with me! And I'm like, okay, I draw the line at trying to teach dance fitness. No, no, you're gonna take it, we're gonna have so much fun together, and you're just going to take my routines and do them and it's so you got this of like, okay, so I did and I actually started really loving it, like really loving it. But when I say dance fitness, like, I would choreograph ham curls and Jacks to a song because I have zero dance experience. Like I can't do the Cha Cha 123 back, step up and over, like that was not happening. So even before Emily left, we rented a church and did like a little like, it was like this Lutheran Church firehouse. And we did a little class and we charged per head, I think $3 and I think like, five of our relatives came. And it was a very short period of time that we were both kind of, she moved very quickly after. And then she's like, you're gonna take over for me, you've got this, off you go. And meanwhile, you know, I still wasn't great at it, but I loved it. So, um, as she said, when she moved away, it was actually- Oh, and I'll never forget this, I should have brought the sweatshirt. When I was down in the dumps and just learning this dance fitness. She had this sweatshirt on that said, Love yourself. And she like took it off her back and gave it to be left to Utah. And I was like, so touched, and I knew that I had to, like, get my confidence. And she said, rock you! don't try to be me. Don't try to be Helen Don't try to be anyone else. They're just rock you. We had both left Heavens at this time, we were kind of on our own. And like I really, you know, I teach in a basement to people with more passion than you've ever seen in your life and did hours and hours and hours of this. And finally built the confidence. So this is where Emily's saying where the story begins. Where -

Emily: Yeah, and I think it's like, I think we get asked so many times when we have you know, this fitness business and things like what about when I have two people I'm like, dude, we are like we taught to two people that we forced to be there like everybody has not everyone starts that way sometimes they jump into a big crowd and things like that. But it is like it- this was not overnight. I mean, like I just said we're talking about 13 years ago, that we really started building our skills and and progressing down the path that we wanted to as far as like what we felt like was our niche and

Amber: so even even our relationship wasn't overnight, right?

Emily: Like oh, yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah,

Amber: Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt but yeah,

Emily: no, we were friends but it's not like like people are like, Oh, your best friends. I'm like, well, yeah, now we are but like, we were friends you know, just like and but we would pass back and forth routine. So when I moved back to Utah, I started teaching-

Camille: Zumba, you started teaching Zumba, yeah!

Emily: Yeah, I taught Zumba, body attack, body jam, and TRX, you name it! We've done it all. And, and I was teaching and I would send her my routine. So like my Zumba routines I'd send and then she started dumbing them down. Like she would you know how, how it worked for her. And she was like, I really she was like, I really feel like this is like, a thing. Like, people are loving this. Like they love that it's like not as dance-y and things like that. And so, like I made this maybe fast forwarding too far into the story, Amber, but so I was pregnant with my second. Yeah, I was pregnant with my second and I'm teaching like all these different formats and just living my best life. You know, I was very comfortable and safe. I was teaching at a local gym called Skills. I had huge crowds. Everything was good. And Amber well actually I should back-up. Oh yeah. So then I went up to Calgary to visit because every summer we'd go up. And Amber and I did a class together and she's like, you're gonna do this with me? No, I, I'm, I'm mixing up the story. First of all, she came to me, I just had a baby two weeks. And she goes, I'm starting this thing. It's called High. And you're gonna do it with me. And that, and at that point, I was two weeks postpartum with a brand new baby, my husband had just lost his job. And I'm like, Yeah, I don't know about that. I said, but just, you know, let's just just give me a minute. Like, I got, I gotta, like, you know, not be postpartum for five seconds. So fast forward to that summer. A couple months later, that's when I went up. And we had our discussions. And kind of she was like, I, you know, she came up with the name. High, how did it- tell them?

Amber: It just came to me! Like, it really just came to me like, I was like, there needs there has to be like a name for this thing. But like, the thing is, is that we had evolved and created this thing together. Maybe it wasn't like a thing. But it was this, like, cloud brewing that started, you know, it started having movement. So as we were passing choreography back and forth, this is what happened. So we weren't teaching Zumba. And that was one thing that really bothered me is because I felt like I for sure was not doing that brand any justice cause I was basically doing High. Jacks and knees. Yeah, nice and solid, like literally, so I'd have big crowds, and people loved what I was doing. But I'd go on vacation. And I'd come back and the lady would be like, I went to Zumba. And they were Latin dancing. And I'm like, I know like, that's actually that's what it is, like, what I'm doing is kind of, I have like this in me. I'm like, this is wrong, in every way, because I'm not representing their brand properly. I'm not living up to our potential. This is something totally different. So I was like, what is this thing called that we've that we've slowly created? And so yeah, it's-

Emily: yeah, cause really, when we would pass back choreography, so I'd be like, I actually do a toner second, and she's like, Oh, that's interesting. I should add that in more like, we should do more toning tracks. So then she started doing that. And I was like, Oh, that's a good idea. And then that's kind of what she saying as it evolved over time. But because she was out on her own, she had the freedom to start exploring and kind of create her own brand where I was very fixed into a gym.

Camille: Yes.

Amber: So yeah, I hate it when it's like, Yes, I came up with the name. Yes, I forced her to do it with me. But this was always kind of like it was always that's it was never like me just doing my thing. And then I'm like, oh, maybe I should No, it was always like this collaborative thing that was like alive. It kept adding the toner and adding that this. And that's what was interesting about it.

Emily: And the thing about us is we're very different. Like we're very, I mean, as you can tell, like, the way our minds work everything and but when we came together, like like, I'm always Oh, she came up with the name she made me. But what I mean is this couldn't have happened where we are today without the both of us. No, because I had to come on to make it into something that was more than just the brewing and then, and also like the back and forth. And I remember, and like being like, okay, we're doing this, like we're doing this, you know, my husband was in, her husband was in. And I'll tell you being a woman, mother business owner, if you do not have the support from your spouse, it is going to be an uphill battle. Because it's already an uphill battle. It's probably one of the hardest things you could ever tackle. But when you have supportive spouses, like Zach, and Hank, I mean, your battle just went downhill because they're cheering you on. When you doubt yourself, they're telling you it's worth it. They're sacrificing their careers, their things to support you. And so it was it was the whole family thing. All four of us were like,

Amber: Yeah, let's do this.

Emily: We're going in, and we're going in like immediately, and I told everybody at home, I'm no longer teaching these formats I'm doing High and they're like, what, what, what's going on what's going on? I'm like, this is what's happening like we are going all in and there was not one second of once we set it like hesitation. And people always said from the beginning 50/50 businesses never work 50/50- it's like, literally it gets better with time. But I will say one thing that's helped us with that is we have such from day one, we've had such a mutual respect for one another. And we've also had a one single vision. And it's the same. So as different as we were that our vision for the company and what it would be and what it was going to become was the same. We've never strayed and we've had people �do this. Don't do that. Like try to say that the name was too edgy that did that. And we were like Nope, nope, nope. And as long as we're on the same page, and we respect each other more than the business, like I'd rather walk away, literally walk away from the entire thing then ever hurt or offend her. It's worked really good. I know that not everybody can do it and money gets scary and things like that. But we truly have since day one, a mutual respect for one another that has really helped us succeed.

Camille: And I love that so much.

Amber: Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's so true. Like, we would way rather say, Oh, do what you think then like, upset each other. And what we do is we go with whoever's more passionate, like, if I'm liking them, I really feel strongly about this. Like I don't, I really could care less, or vice versa, then that's what we do in regard to building the business to just like mentioning Hank and Zach. I mean, Zach's been here for me, 100%, with the kids in this, but Hanks actually pushed us in ways the business that I don't think we would have ever done. without his help. He's been huge with, like, for example, when we started this he's like, you need a marketing branding team to clean up your brand and get a brand and get a style guide and the sun we're like, what? And he is like $10,000! So we're like, heck no, we don't have that kind of money, and he's like, Yes, you do. You can't afford not to. let's Like he always level this up to make us like a professional company, instead of like, a Joe Schmo from you know, yeah, amateur. And one thing, Camille, is that we have self-funded this from the ground up, we have not had one investor, not one loan, it was literally we taught classes in the beginning, we saved our money paid off monthly, literally from teaching High, like yeah, to pay off like websites, marketing, all those things. We haven't taken one loan or one investor and we almost we almost cave with some things we were doing this past year. And then we're like, nope, we did it! We don't have to. So it's been that's been really just like fulfilling for us. Because half the time we're like, we don't know what the crap we're doing. And then we're like, Okay, wait, we're okay.

Camille: Yeah, I love that so much. So I want to back to, because I am familiar with it, what I love about high fitness so much is that it's an awesome outlet for people who have had a dance history like myself, but it's not so choreographed, that others can't pick it up and do it and be able to be just as capable as someone who has danced in the past. So I'm curious, what has been one of the biggest benefits of merging those two so that it applies to everyone?

Emily: Yeah, I guess we didn't even say what High was? We,

we haven't said that yet. T

Camille: That's okay. That's okay.

Emily: Um, so basically, when we joined forces, and we're like, we're doing this, our goal was we had taught all these different formats, right? Like we've been down the really dancey route, we've done the boot camp, we've done this that we were like, We want to take the best of the things that like that we love and is the best workout. But it has to be fun. Like, we want this workout to be as fun as it is a good workout. We knew that we wanted it to be bodyweight because you don't want to deal with equipment and things like that. But at the end of the day, we were like what's the most effective thing, but what will bring people coming back for more. And that's what it is. Number one pushing yourself out of a comfort zone, right? Like you have to get uncomfortable in order to get those happy endorphins, which is what you were saying, it's such an outlet for women, men, people going through hard times, like talk about this quarantine, which I'm sure we'll get to, like people were literally living for it because they needed those endorphins, right? Like we live for those. So we needed to create a workout that created those, you know, high endorphins make you that high feeling. But at the same time, we wanted to scale it back. So we would go to all these fitness conventions and we're like, why is nobody simplifying the choreography? Like you had your extremes, right? You had your boot camps, your CrossFit things like that. And then you had your super your Bollywood, your Zumba, but you're Latin all these things. And we're like, why is nobody simplifying it like this is this is key because if we always had if we had a dime for everybody that said, I can't dance even coming to High:, which is what I mean, we're like, we'd be rich already. We wouldn't behave to be because people it is such a barrier. So while these big brand names are so much bigger than us and have this reach people felt a barrier because of the complexity of the movement. They're like they just want to have a good time but also get a good workout. And as mothers were like get in getting out one hour I don't have three hours for the gym. I don't want to deal with all this stuff. And so that's and you can elaborate on that. Amber but..

Amber: well I was basically like the bottom of the barrel so if I can't do it, we are not doing it because I have no

Camille: Which, it's good to have that yin and yang so that you could. Yeah, that's great.

Amber: It is I'd be like heck no, I can't. I can't like my brain. So that was the thing is she had the flare. And I'd take it down To the, you know, the worst-case scenario participant, basically, like if I can do it, pretty much any I mean, of course, I've gotten more and more read them as we've done this for 10 years, but I didn't that I was more of like an athlete. So, you know, it's great. It is great. It is so fun and even music choices and having art, we are the Yin and Yang, like we really, really are like, it's so different, but it works together so well that that's how we blended the two together plus our aerobics background. So we taught at this gym with this, like 80s aerobic icon. We did Zumba, forever, which we saw the calmer like, there's so many great things about Zumba. Like, we think it's awesome, you know, but we're different, completely different format. But they're, the most amazing Latin dance format, there is like we did learn a lot about the community and like different things from them. So we're just like different pockets of these different elements. Like it really was the perfect storm. I don't think like I believe and I believe in like the universe or whatever things coming together. I do believe that it was something that was meant to happen just based on all these little things coming together like Emily moving to Calgary, my dad being from Utah, us too, like, it is some crazy things that brought it together a bit of luck as well as skill I'd say we can't take all the credit like at the timing was impeccable. Yeah, it really was.

Emily: And so and also along with just being a different workout and bringing like a new workout to the fitness thing. We wanted to create it as a community. So from day one, we have stuck we call this the anti-fitness fitness format. We're like, yeah, just come as you are. You don't need to lose weight. Like it doesn't matter what you look like, like, honestly since day one six years ago. And that was like when Instagram was very much like look this way be this way six-pack, we're like no one's allowed to post ABS shots. If you're a part of our brand, you don't post ab shots. Our before and afters are about your mental health. Like we really wanted to just create a community where everybody felt like they belonged felt like they could have a part in it. And yes, you know, you scare away people a little bit along the line because the name High and it can be very high intensity, and we've evolved and things like that. But we truly want to create that brand. That and also we came up with some really fun new things like we were the first format to do a song of the week, which lots of people have done that since, But we were the Yeah, we're the first one. So usually in fitness-

Amber: no one was doing that no one was doing no, u

Emily: Usually it came out in chunks. So like either a month or a three-month chunk of choreography. Yeah. And stuff to learn from and we were like, I don't know how we're going to pull this off. Because that's a lot of work. Like how do you film for every week and things like that? But since day one, we had our chunk of songs. And then every week we do at least one new high song of the week. And so that was one of our things that we kind of paved the way for in the fitness industry. And it's Yeah, it's been so like, we tried to add more, it's more than just the fitness. It's just like a whole new culture. And even though the charity work that's been done, like things like because we always joke, you gotta stop doing charities. You know, because it's like,

Emily: My dad's Like, I'm gonna cut you off. And charity is like joking, obviously, of course. But that was not a thing like big fitness classes for charity was not a thing. And the thousands I would I swear. Well, we'd have

Camille: I wanted to ask you that question is do you know how much money you've raised from your charitable events? Because there have been many-

Amber: Because there has been so many facets and instructors. It's hard. I don't know how I would. And we joke about it because it's a huge part of our brand. We love it. But sometimes we were doing like five huge charity classes and we could set it out yourself like it would be thought of it nuts but we will always do the charity and we love the charity work and when our crowd's passionate when we get together, huge things can happen a will close to a million I would say a million dollars.

Emily: I would too.

Camille: I just think it might be more than that. I will tell you I took one of my closest friends to a charity event for a friend of ours Emily that was going through cancer and it was her first high event that she'd ever been to and after that first class she immediately fell in love with it and she's lost over 150 pounds and like it's totally transformed her life like it's

Amber: That's amazing

Camille: but I think it's really fascinating to see how your business has been so much about the community I've never seen a fitness empire work like that. Not even close with it knowing that shows up and rallies around each other. Just for the goodness of it. Like it's incredible.

Amber: And that means everything to us like we could care less about the 100 pounds or anything. It's all about that.

Emily: Yeah is it and I don't I think we ever expected that I would say that's been like we knew we wanted to create a culture and a community because we're a subscription business. And what keeps people around is that community feeling right? And but I don't think we ever could have imagined, like, the stories like that, and the community and the, I mean, just this past summer, I think it was over 100 grand was raised for OUR Rescue just on High Fitness instructors in like two weeks in two weeks, which was just incredible. So, and I think it's like 170, actually,

Camille: and for those who don't know that's a sex trafficking organization that fights against child sex trafficking. So that is that amazing program that I believe in? So let me rewind a little bit. What was one of the biggest hurdles that you overcame? In the beginning that you thought, How are we going to get over this?

Amber: I think our kids like we missed. Emily missed her two daughters' lives and I miss my two daughters' life her son, she's, she's getting old because of COVID, she probably wouldn't have otherwise. But we that was a hurdle like, I would bawl like it was hard. We'd, I would have to leave for days, we're two different countries. So this was an hour, this was days and days, often, often. And days, that was the biggest hurdle.

Emily: Because we did everything in the beginning, right from the back end of the website, to the emails to the training, every training. So we traveled to training, we traveled to each other every news thing every so it was just the two of us. And since then we've grown to an amazing team that levels us up by millions, things we couldn't do. But um, so I would say the biggest thing is yes, I think being-learning to be a mother and a business owner when in my mind, I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. I'm always like it just happenstance, whereas my husband always wanted to be an entrepreneur. So I was like, how did this happen? Um, so that's really, really hard. I also think it was hard to prove yourself in the industry, you were always getting shot down by people and just being like, because nobody what, when we started this, nobody just started a fitness brand. Like that was not a thing. There were only the big players, the Les Mills, the Zumba the TRX, the Tae Bo, the Beachbody there, They didn't like there weren't out now with Instagram and social media. There's a lot of different brands that have popped up. But almost seven years ago, that was not a thing. And so people were just like, Who do you think you are like, and mostly, it was mostly the people that were the closest to me and like my work camaraderie. That was like, okay, and they didn't take off. And it's like spreading, though. And it's in these different areas. And they're still like, I don't know. And I'm like, there's gyms in you know, Arizona loving this. Why can't you accept? So I think, yeah, like, the hardest hurdles for me were getting over just like, yeah, the mom business like finding that and the leaving them and then also just, you know, trying to prove yourself and in the industry.

Amber: And being in two different countries.

Camille: Yes, lets talk about that because I've been a part of partnerships where we've been in different states, and even being in different cities is difficult. So how in the world have you managed to have such an incredible partnership? Being in two different countries, which starting out, I mean, starting a fitness company and being able to start in two in two countries at the same time, like, How cool is that? But how do you manage that? Like, that seems like such a big hurdle.

Amber: I think it was actually a blessing for many reasons. A- because we had different influences. So like, you bring forward different exciting ideas. Of course, we started two pockets at the same time, instead of just one, right, that adds. But I don't it, it's hard, but it's always seemed pretty natural. Because we don't Yeah,

Emily: because we don't know anything different. I think, you know, it's like, it's all we know, and but I do think there's been more blessings than negatives. The hardest part is when I'm like, I just need you here. I know or we're like, get launching a song and she's like, you film that like that. I don't do it that way. And I'm like, how do you do it that way. We've been doing it for six months different like, just like not being in the same place. And sometimes you're just like, I just want to explain to you, technology has evolved so much like Marco Polo FaceTime, Zoom, like six years ago that weren't even really those things. But the way that we have been able to create our own identity, you know, in High Fitness on our own, not like on top of each other, we truly like can celebrate each other's successes, failures, like be there to cry on when she's crying about something that's affected her that I'm like, usually if she's having a bad day, I I'm having a good day literally this week that yes, he was on the bottom. I was here the next day. I'm like, I hate my life, you know? Like,

Amber: yeah, no, it is we are like, it's so opposite that even like, literally it's and I start GarageBand and she's putting on pom poms and like, we really do have different identities, which is a beautiful thing. So

Emily and, but as we got, you know, grew and had a little more monetary, we were able to fly to see each other at least, it was like at least three every three months then was every other month, up until COVID, which we have not seen each other now. I think we're going on nine months. That is the longest time we haven't touched or given a hug. And like, been together since we started High. Unfortunately, I think we've just gotten used to it now. I'm like, Yeah, I miss you. But like, it's it's weird, like, but we've still been able to grow our business exponentially during COVID without even having to be together. But I'm yeah, I mean, you just you just make it work.

Camille: Yeah, yeah. Is there a certain program or system that works for you like check ins with your team? Like, how do you navigate the moving parts?

Amber: I'm the worst at Marco. I hate it because I refuse to pay the $69. So they all of a sudden added. . So I can't, I can't fast forward and I'm sitting there listening. And I open it up to like 300 messages like so I just like, I'm like, No, text me. So I'm stubborn that way. I need to get better. But I like it's a it's like a bunch of mini moving systems that work like so we have someone named Janae Wilson, who has literally saved our lives

Emily our angel from heaven.

Amber: Yeah. And she's like, the CEO of this mothership. Like she is incredible. She knows each of us very well. So she knows that we're creative types. And like, she is incredible. So she has a mini team, like an administrative team. And then we have a social team. And then we have like, there are many teams that all kind of check in. So they all have their kind of systems. And we're pretty lenient bosses like we're not having them check in like, if the job gets done. We don't care when you're working. We don't care how many hours your work like. Yeah, got it. Me. And they do.

Emily: Yeah, we have a management meeting with our top management team every Monday. And we've been doing that for a couple years. And it's been a game-changer for us to just always check in. And then beyond that, we do have a problem that we're all over. We all work too much. I'll give you that much like Yes, because that's how we've gotten used to for so many years that like putting out fires 24/7, when you're the only ones on the staff. That's what you do, right? Yeah. And so, but it's been so fun for us to be able to hire all these stay-at-home moms or girls that you know what, whatever they're not everyone's a mom. Yeah, employees stay at home moms, and they can work for as much or as little as they want, as long as they get the job done when they want it when they can get it done. And that is that's super rewarding.

Amber: Yeah. Who isn't a mom? I'm trying to think who isn't a mom on our team?

Emily: Well I guess now everybody is at one point, not everybody was we really are persuasive in the baby making. And we also want to make that like in the fitness industry, we've known people who were like representatives of a fitness brand that felt like they couldn't have children. And we're like, No, you have that baby, you rock what you can while you're pregnant, postpartum, like, you will still be the face of our brand as much as you want. Like, we really encourage that because who are our participants if I think I was more relatable when I was postpartum, 50 pounds heavier than ever before. Because people are like, that is real. I wasn't I mean, I there's some fitness people that have a baby and it's like a little ball and then they pop it out. And everybody's like, I mean, you look really good, but I secretly hate you. I'm like, you're here for it all. And, and I went back, I went back to teaching classes when I was still 50 pounds overweight, and I was just like, well, how else am I gonna lose it? This is what I'm gonna do. And of course, I was uncomfortable, but nobody cares. Nobody cares. But you and it's been so fun.

Amber: Emily is the best pregnant person is hilarious. I mean or do. I made her do it? Was it fitness? I know.

Emily: She made me go on stage at a huge fitness convention. 25 Weeks Pregnant? Yes. And we won. Like we won. We won that one. It was awesome.

Camille: It's like representing us that like we go through that it helped me lose weight from two of my babies. And what I love about it is that High Fitness is so fun, like you get from a done with one song and you're like, Oh, I'm exhausted. And then the next song pops up and you're like, oh, but this song is awesome. Like, yeah, talk to me about music selection and introducing product into your brand because I feel like those are such unique things that you've done that it really has helped create your entire brand.

Amber: yeah, yeah well song selection just began with us and what we loved, and what we put forth and of course we are so different that we would come up with different songs and different tracks Now we get submissions and that has totally changed. But we always wanted to be all genres, all decades, we never wanted to be like you know, I've been to lots of bar classes were its only been current hits only and it's like no add some rock add this add that. We want everyone to be in a class and get excited for at least one song.

Emily: But the one thing we were passionate about, and this made us different also, I'm thinking of things we brought in, is like we refused to use digitized aerobics music. Which made us have to jump and continue to jump major hurdles because anyone who is in business knows that music licensing laws are no joke. It�s huge hurdles, it hurts our business every day. You know what I mean, like, we have to jump through hoops. But we were dead set on the fact that we would only use music straight off like iTunes or whatever, that it was the original music. We speed it up most of the time to fit, like we have apps and we actually just launched a new instructor app that does it for them, it's really cool.

Camille: I know! We will get to that.

Emily: Over the time we were like very, that's what I think you're saying like this is so fun. There is something about that music that is so nostalgic and like it just you just gotta, and this week we just released a Missy Elliott song which is very current. Next week we are releasing two Dolly Parton songs. Cause people love them but that's like

Amber: No it's like it's like night and day. And as for the merch when I was rocking my classes, the little High when I came up with the name and I was convincing Emily I literally would like would by shirts at the Garage which is like this ya know, young girl's store, and take them to a guy that screened and I sent one to Emily, I was always like ya know trying to get her in. So from the beginning I think we always sold t-shirts and stuff. But it was actually Hank that really pushed us.

Emily: But we literally would go to, we went to Palm Springs one time to meet up cause her family has a house there. And we went to the Outlet stores and we would go in each store and buy ten shirts at American Eagle, ten shirts here. On this sale rack and then would sell them, like some of my friends have the originals. That's what we were in at the beginning. Now we have a whole warehouse that says like okay we want these shirts for the holiday season, order 600 fave tees in Hunter Green.

Amber: Yeah

Emily: Like you know what I mean like it's a whole situation, but we would literally go store to store, buy them and then get them screen printed. But now we have, you know we have protein, we have sweats, we have jewelry, water bottles, we have a fragrance that like ignites when you sweat-

Camille: Oh I didn't know about the fragrance!

Emily: Oh I got to get you some!

Amber: it's the best!

Emily: People will stop you and they'll be like why do you smell so good? It's so good. So we have all these things but the thing that's really cool about it is that we just have such a community. Like we talked about, we have a captive audience and a community. We always say if we had to just sell merch, like that would be so stressful, but we have this audience that like just loves High Fitness so much that it's like you put something out, it goes.

Amber: And we've tried to do like cool things with like the logo, like we�ve done a bag that we both love, and they didn't sell as well. People want it to say High which is huge. Which is huge for us.

Camille: Yeah, it's a big deal. I think it's so much because it's not what the product is. It's the community and what they feel when they think about being a part of that. And that's what they are buying. It's that feeling of knowing that they have, I love that all of your music is so empowering for women. And that if feels so- it's funny cause every time I hear the song Started From the Bottom Now We are Here I think of you two!

Amber: One of my faves

Camille: Yeah I know it's one of my faves too. And like I love that you really have taken this idea and this community and just exploded it into something that people want to buy, they want to wear it. Is that something that transformed the profitability of your business, do you feel like introducing product really helped you in that area?

Amber: It definitely solidified the brand.

Camille: Okay

Amber: But it is expensive. Like I feel sorry for people that just do a product cause it is so expensive to manufacture and it comes back not right and your like ready to cry, like it adds a lot of problems.

Camille: interesting

Amber: I mean, it adds profit, small profit, but it adds a lot of work.

Emily: Yeah it does, and we've gotten better at what works and what doesn't to kind of up those profits and add additional revenue. Um, but yeah it is definitely like an even flow like where I was like should we do that should we not. And I think we've gotten in a good rhythm of what works now so that our profitability has gone up but when people think we are just like makin' money off the apparel believe me it's taken a long time and we try to do it for the best prices we can while still making it worth it.

Amber: It all seems great 'til the bill comes in and your like oh crap.

Camille: Oh trust me. Yeah I, my sister and I started a merchandise company and we actually were shipping coats from China. And it was such a nightmare, because it got held up in customs and it was just.. yeah like it was-

Amber: Oh and we have the Canadian like uh it is a lot of work

Camille: Yeah so I get it! Like I've been there and your facility is stateside, right? You're pretty much here?

Emily: Yeah, I mean we've manufactured some things over seas but what we found for that is a lot of times the headache is not worth the extra profit. Because we will be like we're gonna launch theses sweats, apparently a year from now. Like that's and, say whatever you're doing, and we are such a song of the week it's now we're doing this we're doing this, like were not good at the year timeline. So we've found that just like ya know going local and that has proven to be more successful for us.

Amber: We're like Squirrel! Squirrel! like, no one but Janae could keep up with us, we can't even keep up with ourselves it's so nuts and the ideas are flyin'.

Camille: Okay, yeah I love it! So when, can you think of a moment, and this is probably different for each of you but when was a moment when you thought we've made it. Like we've uh, we're doing this, like this is happening. Like what was a moment like that for you where it really felt transformative from like this major crawl up a hill to like a okay we are on a little bit of a peak where we can see that this is happening.

Amber: Em? I think we are just to the point where we feel like okay this is hap- like- Em?

Emily: Yeah people would have said, okay so I have two moments and it depends. Like in the beginning for me I remember one Thanksgiving cause I always travel for Thanksgiving, right? like I am never home. People are always like you wanna do a thanksgiving class and I'm like no. so I I am trying to think, like this was probably four years ago, so we were 2-3 years in. And I went to visit my brother for Thanksgiving, and I was in this small cabin in the woods not rockin' thanksgiving morning, not rockin' a high class. And I pulled up my social media, and it was 300-person High class here, 100-person High class here. This city this city, this city and here I am sitting in this cabin.

Camille: Oh I have chills!

Emily: I remember thinking holy cow like all of this is running? And like I have nothing to do- I mean you know what I mean but like I'm not there making the class happen bringing the people. Like it was these huge events that like we literally weren't doing. These, our instructors and all of that. Um, so that's one moment for me like more in the beginning. And then I think, during Covid, when we literally, the first 6 days when everyone- the world got shut down were probably some of the hardest. Because people were like what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? And we had no music licensing to do anything online, nothing. And I ended up buying music off, ya know this girl who did it. And literally throwing together like my thought that we threw up that YouTube so fast, like literally these people I called and said meet me at the studio in 5 minutes, like that's how- they didn't get practice-nothing. And we loaded that up and like the response and the da da da da da and just like people flocking because now-it was the biggest realization to us that people need this in their lives not for the weight loss, not for that, but and that is what we've been preaching forever is the mental the mental gain people needed this so bad when your just like locked down and and you can do it from home! Ya know? It's not ideal, in class is much better, but like you don't need equipment you don't need- ya know what I mean so those are like two moments that I can think of.

Amber: No I love those Em, those are awesome.

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Amber: That's the thing about High. Is that it's not about weight, it's the emotional weight. You need to lose that emotional weight that is weighing heavy on you. And that's what High is about, and so when you go to a workout where you're hating every minute of it, the emotional weight actually get heavier. It doesn't get lighter cause you're sitting there hating life thinking uh I suck at this da da da and then ya know that's what's so beautiful about High is that it's actually the emotional weight you lose.

Okay back to the real-sorry I just thought of that- but, ahh we've made it. Our convention was pretty spectacular. Like, it was electric. Like it was- and the reason why I hesitate to say we've made it is because it has never been about Emily and I. Ya know? Like it's way bigger than us and we know that. We know that this is all because of all the instructors, and all our staff and because of like a higher power that has made this- truly um, it's not us just making it. It's like a real big like Emily said with all those classes running. It's like an entity on its own that has a life of itself at this point. So I think we've I think mean if you were to stop today I'd be pretty proud that we've made so many women feel like they're enough. That's always been our goal.

Camille: I love that. So tell me what was it about this convention that really like give me a moment in your eyes. What was it about that convention that was like whoa this is really cool. Tell me more.

Amber: It just like literally we opened the doors and the energy was just so light and just love in the air and fun and excitement, they're all coming in and they're taking pictures with each other and just like they don't even know each other but they've just like all connected in ways. Like you've never- they were holding on to every moment of just like being in person with each other. Um, and just like our classes, us being together, them being with us, learning with us, and-

Emily: Yeah, I actually watched, so we did this opening number, our theme last year 90s like 90s and we did this like music mash up and I was watching it last night and I almost like started crying thinking about how like magical it was. It was just this room of screaming women- there were some men- um like just like that were there like whole heartedly to support each other and us and everyone. And I think that's what shes saying too is it's like people were like I don't even know you but I love you. Because it is this community. It's this community and they could like be with people they'd never met that understood them on a level and I know it sounds so dumb like it's a group fitness like you're a group fitness teacher or participate whatever, but its lifechanging for so many people who have lost themselves. And now have found themselves through fitness.

Camille: Yeah, I don't think that sounds crazy at all. Like I live it and breath it and I was so excited when I found out that we got to do High at home during this pandemic. I was like YES! Like and even last night I pulled up Amber's class and what was really funny was I pulled it open and I was the one that shared that I burned so many calories I think it was like, that was me! So it was almost 600 calories, but what is really fun is I opened up my computer, plopped it in the hallway and I was hanging out with my teenage son that was playing on his Nintendo switch while my daughter was playing barbies and I was right in there between them and getting my workout in and it was funny because they'd pop up and do some squats with me and oh this really is hard mom. And like go back and do their thing and like, I just love that it can be something our kids can see us do, and they can see that fitness is about mental health and that it is about appreciating our bodies and what they are capable of and giving them a thank you by working them out and making it fun and just enjoying that. So let's talk about that, that twist and turn into the epidemic, like how did, and your app coming up. These are some big changes!

Amber: Well, I grew up, I grew up watching my mom do the 20 minute workout, your story reminded me. And I knew even when I was 5 or 6 or however old I was that it was never about the workout. Like she felt cool. She got dressed up and she ended. and the girl on the screen had the hair and the sweatband. Like I think it gave my mom an identity a purpose, a moment of fun. Ya know I always so that, so kids seeing that I think it's so cool for them to be like it's fun to work out.

Emily: Yeah I see so many people tagging us during this epidemic with their kids around them and things. And I think one thing that we've really tried to do even with our children- like I don't even know if my kids know that I do higher fitness to have a better- like to them it's like it's what you do and it makes me happy and it's a job and it's not like we have to exercise or go to High cause this this. It because to makes you happy. They know mom is in a much better mood when she gets her High on, you know things like that but okay so the pandemic has been a blessing and a curse and all the things. But we have done so much during it. We say November 30th is our D-Day for our second app launch and were like, can we all take a breath, like were just not gonna do anything until the new year because during this we've gone digital which we can talk about. We've launched a new format called High Low, which is an addition to our current format original High and also put out an app for our instructors which is an incredible learning tool and has changed their game. And on November 30th we are launching our High fitness live subscription and app. So all of this has happened since that and it's been a lot and those first weeks like I said felt-the first 6 days and people where crawling down our thoughts instructors were saying are you gonna charge me are you gonna cancel and that's all you said like revenue wise, like did you r apparel- our entire business ins instructors monthly payments. So if were to say we won't charge you then we literally we still have a full staff running. They're still producing content, still making routines were still doing this. Were still paying a full staff, were still everything. So for us, we literally would fail. And so we said ya know if you need to go on hold like go on hold but like we don't even know what's going to happen this could be two weeks, ya know we didn't know what was going to happen. And so it was just so many things and then people were saying can I stream to my friends, can I go life on Instagram and we were just like no no no because for 5 years we had followed every music licensing law to a T. And how I explained it is its like okay say you're a big dog, you're like Peloton, and you break music licensing laws and you get sued, you can crawl yourself out of that. You got money you got cloud. On the flip side, say you're a personal trainer that's training people on Instagram and doing those live, nobody cares.

But when you are a middleman, and our community is so loud. Meaning like when we said they could stream on Zoom or whatever when we got the proper- it was like everybody knew. One lawsuit, we�d be gone. One music lawsuit we're gone. We can't. And we can�t recover from that and so we were trying to explain it but people just were so, people are so used to that endorphins and that�s what they were- you know my sisters was like I mean I wasn�t sleeping I sent my kids-

Amber: I was doing 32 count aerobics, like I was doing techno and her whole family was following my cheesy aerobics class that I posted because we were all just so like-

Emily: Yeah people just like wanted something and so I remember like I was crying, we weren�t sleeping because people were just so like upset like we wanna do High we wanna do High. And so through all the help with people like I said earlier, we bought music to do the YouTube, we did two YouTube classes and then after like I swear it was only less than 2 weeks, we were helping some friends obtain music licensing um stuff by paying and we created a separate website to stream live only. So we can't do on demand because that's a whole different thing. But we were able to start streaming live, we've had all the tech issues in the world but what we've gained at it in exposure as a brand and participants and people who I like- kinda came to high like sometimes even in my neighborhood are suddenly on like every single live living for it. Um we always thought, no High has to be in person, like it has to be in person and then this happened, and we saw so many people that were like I was just too scared. I would have never done it, now ill go in person. Or I just there's no way I just don�t have the childcare but I love it or there's no high teachers anywhere I've been dying to do this it's been so eye opening to us that you know what people can do it from home and it's still pretty dang good, it's not the best, but it's pretty dang good.

Camille: I think it's awesome. Yeah.

Amber: We're so ADHD though were like squirrel! any excuse to get out of being like at home and working out but people do it. Um there is nothing like a live class like energy and stuff, but it is amazing like if you can. like you obviously do it and love it and yeah! So, you get through the whole class and you love every minute of it? And-

Camille: Yeah, oh yeah! I do, I love it. I get through the whole thing. I was like- uh huh yeah! For sure!

Amber: I love it I love it I do bits and pieces and stuff, but I am very ADHD so I'm like take my hat off to people that don't like to go 'oh I have to vacuum or oh you know what I mean' like people that can stay in it.

Camille: I love that you can set it up anywhere like I can do it in my bedroom I could do it in the basement I could do it in the living room and just bring my laptop and do it anywhere. Like I just love that so much so-

Amber: Well like Emily said we were just so stuck in our heads that oh people will only want live and its only fun live and like you and like so many people their obsessed with it and we are so glad. It like-it means so much-like people in Utah can do my class and people here that would kill for Emily's class can take it all the time now has totally changed the game, it's really cool.

Camille: Yes!

Emily: Yeah so our plan to do free classes for like just you know a little while expanded into like eight months of free classes which I know it seems like it's simple but behind every class takes planning and work and setting up and tech issues like when we film some of those with a group like I spend ours going over stuff before we go live, ya know coming up with a playlist and so it's a lot of time and energy but what we've found is people are like well ill pay for more like people want more um and so we were getting ready like I said um oh well you know by the time this airs

Camille: Yeah it will be up and running.

Emily: It will be up and running but its High Fitness live subscription and it can be accessed on a computer on a phone it's an actual app you can screen share to your screen you can put it on a computer and we have 30 plus live classes a week um and so that's five to six classes from about 15 different instructors so it's like a gym schedule like so you know on Mondays at 9:15 you're gonna get me and then 6 am on Fridays Meta, noon on Tuesdays, Amber and you just either what time works for you, if you really love an instructor, and basically starting at about 4:30 a.m. MST give or take on a day to 8 or 9 p.m. there will be about 5 or 6 classes running. So there's a lot of different times.

Camille: That's incredible so I'll make sure to link that in the show notes. So that everyone can have access to that, they'll be able to find it easily and one question I want to ask each of the guests we have on our show is do you believe balancing family and business is a myth? Or how do you believe that can best be accomplished? What have you learned along the way?

Emily: Do you want me to go?

Amber: Sure go ahead, no you go Em.

Emily: Um I don't think balance exists. I don't think true balance exist I think there's times when I am more balanced or less balanced and I've learned to accept that which has been a very hard thing for me I was raised in you know an LDS community where the mom stayed home she cooked and she did the things and she didn't work and I am now the bread winner of my family and I work all the time and I have for most of my children's life. So I think there's been times where I'm more balanced and less balanced however the blessings that have come to my family from seeing this kind of unconventional like currently both me and my husband work from home. We get so much time with our children that he's like it is a blessing every day in my life that I get to spend this much time with my children and be there and I think that what they've gained from seeing us struggle and work and and be entrepreneurs and be business women is an asset to our daughters lives and my son eventually but I do think- and ya know I think sometimes it gets out of whack and we have to be like slap ourselves like I mentioned earlier we are workaholics and be like dude we've got-freakin 5pm- put your phone down, like only if it's an em- like um were trying to be better as we've gotten more people on staff its allowed us to do that. But um I don't know some people, I've heard people who are excellent at balance and have more rules the way we work is not as good but I also think that we do the best we can and I actually get a ton of time being from home ya know I'd kill to go to an office everyday but at the same time it's all I know. It's all I know is doing simultaneously doing both.

Amber: Well and that's what I was gonna say is the good news is that our kids don't know any different. That like that's the good news, it wasn't all of the sudden this came into their lives like some drastic big event. It's like that's all they've ever known is us juggling high and juggling them and my girls especially like its almost sad that they know what I'm doing they know to just quietly go by and sometimes they look like can I come in the like being a part of it, but it�s definitely like all they know so balance no um but I do think it adds a positive element for our lives because they see us working they see us hustling, they see the male in the family cooking lots and supporting the boss like nobody's business. Like I'm like hun what�s for dinner, ya know what I mean like that's the norm in our house. And so for me, my girls seeing a male role not necessarily being what it has to be it can be anything. Like he can cook or I can work or he he also works, both our husbands also work full time and raise the kids full time basically we have angel husbands um but I think that's a blessing for them and I think that they will in the long run look back and say I had an amazing role model. Both our husbands and us running this company, so, it's hard I think for us the guilt kills us a lot of time guilt is a nasty nasty thing. Um but the not traveling has been really good for my family. Um that was the hardest part for me especially like it would tear up my soul and my kids like they hated it but without the traveling I feel like it's getting better for sure. But like I said either family we don't know any difference so-

Camille: Yeah. What would you say is something you would tell to another women or mother that was interested in starting their own business, what advice would you give yourself if you were starting over or?

Emily: Don't do it. I'm kidding.

Camille: Or what would you tell her? Yeah, Emily we'll start with you.

Emily: Oh I'm totally kidding I wouldn't. I would say you've got to make sure that you line yourself with people that support you and believe in you and the passion has to be there like if it is just something where you're like I think this is a good idea but I don't really like you have to believe it with your whole heart but I say go after it. I mean what's the worst that can happen, it doesn't work? Like oh well, ya know, move on so I say yeah I just say if it's something you're passionate about, surround yourself with people who believe in you more than you believe in yourself.

Camille: I love that.

Amber: Um I'd say easier said than done but set set hours to work, I mean we don't do that, we're the worst at that but that would've been a really good thing to do is kind of have like set hours where were off our phone-we've actually become better at that were like between 3 and 6, nothing good is happening at work, we need to focus on these kids. And really just savor them and drink them in like I am so guilty of so many times brushing them off, they're trying to show me something they've made or whatever but I'm in the middle of something and I'm like I wish I would've just-

Emily: It can wait, it can wait.

Amber: It can wait, yeah. It can wait, that is a good yeah. As I'm tearing up. My baby!

Camille: It goes so fast!

Amber: It's so hard, it's so hard! And it, I know, Emily got another go.

Emily: We we share my baby boy we share him, it's fine.

Camille: That works.

Amber: Yeah She can she can savor him, so and I was until Covid but oh well.

Camille: Well I know from experience from personal experience that you have changed so many lives and so many families and not to mention the mental health that has made our world a better place by bringing High into our lives so I just want to thank you publicly for that because it truly has transformed so many lives and that is, I mean that is a stamp of life that you can say I did that and I think that's pretty incredible so thank you so much for spending this time with me.

Amber: Oh you're so sweet.

Camille: And if you wanna check out or get deeper into High Fitness, please tell everyone where they can find you.

Emily: Yeah so we are on HighFitness.com is our website and @high.fitness is our Instagram. And Facebook its just Facebook I think it says I love High Fitness, we're the worst. Website or Instagram high.fitness is where you're gonna get all the info.

Camille: Perfect.

Amber: Yeah find an instructor near you like like we said there's nothing like in person classes. Um ya know the online stream is great when you're at home and stuff but if you can find an instructor great, but if not or if your intimidated hop on, and we didn't mention our High Low so if you're someone that does not want impact. Um don't think low means less fun or less intense because its you're gonna get a great work out and you're gonna have a blast but it just doesn't have the impact. So I don't wanna say that's a great place to start because I love High Low and I love High as well like it's just a different format but if there's an intimation factor, High Low is an amazing format without the impact so it's a great starting place if you're just getting started and we'd love to have you.

Camille: Awesome. Well thank you so much for being here today and well make sure to link-

Amber: Thank you so much!

Camille: Oh you're so welcome! It's been such a joy

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Camille: Hey CEO's thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you found this episode inspiring or helpful, please let me know in a comment and 5-star review. You could have the chance of being a featured review on an upcoming episode. Continue the conversation on Instagram at Callmeceopodcast. And remember, you are the boss!