From High School to Sunberry: The Story
Sunberry Fitness was started by two high school friends, Julia and Nancy, while trying to answer a simple question:
“Why don’t we take out everything we don’t like about fitness and create a comfortable environment that other girls would like?”
It all began as a dieting business idea that soon evolved into a fitness concept. Sunberry was founded on the belief that working out can actually be fun (it can!). Their goal was to create a beautiful and safe environment for women of all ages and fitness levels to exercise, and be happy and healthy.
So, it was out with the treadmills and intimidating instructors- and in with the lively dance fitness classes and friendly staffs!
At the Very Beginning
They started out in early 2012, with one instructor, no store and zero customers. With lots of effort and the hard work, Sunberry has now grown into a company of 10 instructors, a 1500 square feet facility, with hundreds of customers who arrive every day, ready to have a great time, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle .
The Never Ending Journey to Improve Sunberry
Although they are not professional health experts, they are dedicated to make Sunberry the best fitness experience in town, by bringing to Richmond the best instructors team along with fun and vigorous workouts.
They have both witnessed first-hand how living in a healthy, wholesome way can reflect positively on their quality of life. This is why they are both very actively committed to this project, being in charge of day-to-day operations, planning, as well as working alongside a terrific group of friendly instructors, developing new and exciting classes for all customers.
Nancy and Julia are always looking for new ways to develop Sunberry and give customers the best experience possible. They are actively involved with many of the business development programs in Vancouver that help people improve their business.
Meet Julia and Nancy
Julia
Julia studied Finance and Economics in the University of Toronto, graduating with distinction in 2009. Up until 2012, she had worked in insurance as an Account Manager and as an Operations Officer at TD Securities in Toronto where she settled billions dollar fixed income trade every month.
Was it going well for her? Yes. Was she stressed, getting sick, and worried about what the tension would do to her in the long term? Also yes.
She needed a place to be able to relax and unwind at the end of the day, but wasn’t able to find one at the time that was convenient for her work schedule and had a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Until the idea of founding Sunberry came along.
Nancy
Nancy graduated in 2009 from McGill University where she studied engineering. She moved back to Vancouver on to pursue her Master of Finance degree in the University of British Columbia in 2012. After her time in university, and having dropped over six dress sizes, she was looking for a fun way to keep the weight off. She had changed her lifestyle to accomplish this goal, eating healthier and exercising regularly, but she had trouble finding the right fitness place that offered entertaining and enjoyable routines, and also provided her with a flexible schedule and passes. Which is why she and Julia joined forces to create Sunberry.