In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we meet Fern Boughton-Smith, the resilient founder behind Ferns Fitness. Fern opens up with incredible vulnerability about the personal struggles that became the catalyst for her business. She shares her difficult journey with body image and a dangerous encounter with a fad weight-loss product as a teenager, which ultimately led her to discover a profound passion for health and proper fitness. This passion was solidified during the lockdown when, after losing her gym job, she launched an online challenge that exploded with over 400 participants, proving to her that she could build a community and make a real impact.

Fern details the current multi-faceted structure of Ferns Fitness, which includes intensive one-to-one personal training, group classes (including a dedicated 5 AM group), one-on-one online coaching, and her newly launched app. She discusses the challenges of being a "one-woman show," handling all sales and marketing herself, and the internal battle with confidence that often holds entrepreneurs back. Fern's vision for the future is to scale her online presence and app, build a trusted team, and create a sustainable business that provides stability and freedom, all while maintaining the personal touch that makes her client relationships so special.