Business: Motiv8n’U

Address: 1707 Quincy Ave., Naperville

Phone/website: 773-351-4646; www.motivn8nu.com

Owner: Staci Boyer, 51, of Naperville

Years in business? 14

What does your business do? “I’d call it a health and wellness fitness business. What I like to do is meet people where they are in life, help them get to the next place they’re trying to go. It’s not just about a workout. It’s about getting a connection with their mind so they can get themselves motivated to achieve whatever it is that they want,” Boyer said.

What’s the business history? “Motiv8n’U opened in 2008. I (started out traveling) to houses. Then I got a house with a basement so I started working with clients there. Then I moved more online, developed an app, expanded my online business. Then in October 2019, just before COVID-19, I opened this studio.”

Why did you start this business? “I had been a general manager, fitness director, instructor, personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness for about eight years. I got to the point where I was doing so much and the base pay was so little, I said to myself I could do this on my own.”

How did you know this would succeed? “I’m a person who hustles. I know when I set a goal, I achieve it and I keep working on it until I do.”

How did the pandemic affect your business? “As a wellness studio, I was allowed to stay open. I was very structured, according to rules and regulations about who came in and how many people. I was able to make it through COVID-19 without having to get any loans because I was able to run my business, and a lot of it was online. … When clients needed to shift from training in the gym or training in person, I seamlessly was able to transition to that.”

What have you learned? “A lot of times, people forget that they can do so much more. A lot of that is what I do. It’s funny, because we talk in here. We sort through their problems. A lot of therapy sessions are disguised as a workout. That’s what I love what I do. I have this connection with people who come here. … They’ve watched me grow and are true supporters of me and Motiv8n’U. I love that. I’m so blessed by the support and the community.”

And when a client walks in? “I gather a ton of information before I develop any program. Everyone is different.”

Why got you into body building? “When I was 14 or 15, I met Rachel McLish, who was the first Miss Olympia body builder. I met her in Texas at an event. I started to lift weights at home on the deck in Galveston. I played basketball, ran track, did cheerleading, dance, like a lot of girls do. I started to work out more in the military. I was always active, but I started to lift weights more, got my first personal training certification. I kept going with it. I was in the Navy for 12 years as a hospital corpsman. We were responsible for physical fitness wherever we were at. … I made sure people passed their fitness tests so they could stay in the military. When I got out of the military, I was a health educator at Blue Cross Blue Shield. That led to Bally’s. … Now I coach people for fitness and people who compete (in body building).”

What did the Navy do for you? “It molded and shaped me. Everything about me as a person, how I process things, troubleshoot, how I run a business, how I believe in myself, how I self-motivate. … People get out (of the military) and don’t think they can survive and thrive unless they have someone telling them what to do. For me, it was the opposite. It instilled in me the faith in myself.”

Do you compete? “I’m about to do my 42nd (body building) competition in the Daytona Pro on Oct. 1. That’s 42 in 16 years.”

Any negatives? “I can turn any negative into a positive.”

What misconceptions may people have? “A lot of my lifestyle clients may initially think I train everybody to compete. I don’t.”

Do you face challenges? “No. I have my niche.”

Any future plans? “I’d love to have a Motiv8n’U studio and a coffee shop.”

What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Don’t wait for the right time. The minute you think you want to do it, start doing it.”

If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.

Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.