Page 45 - Marilyn

word to moms, and when her grand opening came, the The Stroller Strides program is a bit trickier in locations that
media and moms came out in droves. By the end of the first don’t have the same beautiful weather year round as San
year Lisa had 12 locations and 1,000 moms enrolled in her Diego. Instructors work around the weather conditions by
program. holding their classes in malls, soccer arenas, or even a
Sam’s Club.
The Stroller Strides program is a structured exercise regi-
men which begins with a gathering of women and a certified The media quickly got wind of this new phenomenon
instructor who takes them through a short warm-up and then and stories started popping up on The Today show,
a 45 minute power walk. Every few moments during the Montel Williams, Access Hollywood, Inside Edition,
walk the group will stop for a body toning station. Lunges and CNN. Lisa also received mention in Entrepreneur
or squats are done using the stroller to accomplish this. Magazine, fitness magazines, and just about every
Coupled with the local environment, picnic tables and park
benches are utilized along the route. By the end of the 45 baby and parenting magazine in the country. This
minute walk participants have received a total body workout grew her program far faster than she ever thought it
including: cardio, strength and flexibility exercises. Not only would. The publicity was great, but Lisa admits that
are the moms obtaining their workout, but the children are the most important reason the business took off were
being entertained as well. Each week they have themes - the moms. “When women like it they talk.” And talk
anything from weather to the zoo and, they also teach letters they did: today Stroller Strides has 230 Franchises
and numbers, so instructors are experts at multitasking. across the country. They are the 17th fastest growing
franchise in the country according to Franchise Times
Not only were San Diego moms impressed with her pro- Magazine. Working Mother Magazine voted them one
gram, Lisa was also receiving emails and calls from all over of the top 25 companies for which to work.
the country inquiring where they could go to join one of her

San Diego Woman

45

classes. Again, a twist of fate would take Stroller Strides to
the next level. One of Lisa’s staff members was relocating to Certainly Lisa is thrilled with the growth of Stroller
Monterey and she approached Lisa to ask if she could bring Strides, but she admits that one of the greatest parts
the program along with her. Lisa basically provided the busi- of her business is that she knows she is providing a
ness in a box and off she went to start a branch of Stroller business opportunity that allows her franchisees and
Strides outside of San Diego. When Lisa realized that her instructors to remain at home with their children. “We
idea was not strictly a local phenomenon, she made the want other moms to go after their dreams. Our genera-
decision to offer her business as a franchise to other Moms tion is one of the first that was brought up to be edu-
across the country who also wanted a business that allowed
them to be stay at home moms and not miss those impor- cated and do everything you want to do, but then if you
tant moments in their babies lives. Lisa offered ten licenses want to become a mom it becomes an either or situa-
to franchisees across the country to see how the franchise tion. You work full time and have someone else raise
concept would be received. your kids, or you choose to be a stay at home mom.

May/June 2008