1. 16 | JUNE 2015
ENTREPRENEUR
What’s the name of your
company, and what do
you do?
My company is called the
Vitality Coach, and we
specialize in working with highly driven
individuals and companies to bring business
and personal vitality to life, via elite private
coaching, bespoke retreats, business vitality
programs, workshops and the Vitality Road
Map program.
I divide my time between speaking,
writing, retreats, coaching & collaborating
on brand & lifestyle projects in Australia,
NZ and the US. In a nutshell I help people
get their mojo back and companies create
accountability and personal empowerment
for winning teams. In addition to corporate
and private coaching I am currently the
Head Trainer for Women’s Health and
Fitness Magazine and have a Vitality Coach
podcast on iTunes that goes out weekly to
80 countries.
How long have you been in business?
11 Years - founded in Europe as Life’s A Gym
and the last 5 years operating from Australia
What were you doing before you started
this business?
Working Internationally in Amsterdam in
Brand strategy and activation for Interbrand,
Strategic Director for Ogilvy and Bates
Worldwide in London (Advertising, PR and
Licensing). I also founded a brand strategy
agency dedicated to extreme sports athletes
- helping individuals grow their personal
brand.
How did the idea for your business come
about?
I’ve always been healthy and loved the idea
of using nature as my gym - growing up
in NZ, competing in triathlon at a young
age, this philosophy held me in good stead
with a demanding schedule working in
advertising, big accounts, always travelling
and fast paced deadlines. I’d often write
mini programs for my colleagues or clients
when we were overseas, on fitness and
nutrition they could combine with a busy
life to start to feel better and manage
performance. I studied nutrition and did a
personal training course years ago and just
never stopped educating myself. At 30 I
Time to get fit
For Queensland-based Nikki Fogden-Moore, an active lifestyle has
led to a very active career.
took a sabbatical, drove a ski boat in Egypt
and Greece and decided set up the ultimate
retreat for smart savvy people - based on
those who I worked with and for, to provide
a complete re-boot. So I designed what was
then known as the Bodibreak - a complete
break away in a stunning location, with top
class service, great tailored activities and
incredible coaching how to bring business
and personal vitality to life. This then
evolved into Boardroom Retreats, one-to-one
coaching and corporate programs targeting
accountability and empowerment for people
to step up and create the life they wanted. I
haven’t looked back since then. We all have
the ability to create the life we want - we just
need to know what that looks like and plan a
winning week, every week.
What has been the most difficult
challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Focus - I was running an athlete
management agency, consulting for an ad
agency and trying to build my business at
the same time. At one point I just had to
take a leap of faith and move forward with
purpose. The current challenge I face at
the moment is growing a dream team and
balancing the virtual world of business with
face to face. Making an effort to meet in and
work with my teams in person is crucial for
me, this is more and more of a challenge
as we grow, take on new virtual staff and
span time zones and countries with a huge
production schedule and big plans this year
it feels like a military operation.
What has been the most effective form
of advertising for your business?
Word of Mouth. Personal relationships
are the most important aspect in business,
regardless of social media
and marketing, nothing
beats a referral or genuine
positive experience. I’m
still in contact with clients
from 10 years ago that
have pretty much become
part of the family. It’s a
slower road to building
the business, yet I am
extremely grateful for the
old fashioned perspective of
service, integrity and being
authentic. This year will
be the first year I am sharing my products
and launching a book on an international
platform with more of a marketing push -
however I am always reminded that we need
to take care of the customers we have before
we worry about who else is out there.
How important is social media
to you business?
Vital - however it’s balanced with a rule
that everything needs to be authentic.
What people see should be what people
get. Building a connection with your
audience and partners via social media is
very powerful - it’s better to have quality
engagement than lots of followers who are
not truly interested in you or your brand.
Tone of voice, imagery and what you ‘share’
all contribute to reflecting your USP and
promise to your customers. Keep it real.
What are your plans to expand
the business?
This year I’m finally launching the Vitality
Road Map as an international online
platform for individuals and for corporates -
it’s an exciting time as the content included
ranges from podcasts, video, worksheets and
support info and guest influencers. I’ve been
testing it for the past 12 months and the
results and feedback have blown me away.
It’s wonderful to see this come to life.
Plus I’m launching my new book VITALITY
this year, with The Vitality Tour kicking off in
Australia then the East and West Coast of the
US, whilst recording new guest interviews
for The Influencer Series on my podcast. So
as usual a lot happening but with one goal in
mind: I’m totally dedicated to helping those
I work with create the life they want and
bring business and personal vitality to life.
W
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