BeTheBos.ca: What’s the story behind Simply For Life?
Bruce Sweeny: I grew up in an epidemic of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and had lost family members to these diseases, so I was in the right environment to make a choice – “do I want to want to be like the rest of my family or do I want to seek out the tools that I’ll need to maintain a good quality of life?”
I became obsessed with nutrition. I also traveled extensively and studied nutrition, researching 42 countries who have a low incidence of cardiovascular disease and good longevity. My focus is now on debunking nutritional myths and reintegrating traditional ways of eating with current science.
My wife and I started Simply For Life to re-educate and motivate people to better health while focusing on creating great relationships with them.
BeTheBos.ca: What made you decide to create a franchise?
Bruce Sweeny: From 2001 to 2004, we didn’t have any franchises, but we did have a waitlist of 1700 names! We were doing so well we were working 7 days a week and people came from Canada and the US simply by word of mouth because they’d heard about the progress of people who work with us. “You have to go and see this guy. Beyond nutrition he’s upbeat and he has all the tools to fit into your lifestyle.”
BeTheBos.ca: What was your background before your founded Simply For Life?
Bruce Sweeny: I originally studied as a nutritionist but wasn’t satisfied with the establishment, so I then studied integrative nutrition through the Centre of Integrative Medicine, I became a wholistic nutritionist and then a naturopath. I’m a nutrition geek!
BeTheBos.ca: What can you tell us about the industry?
Bruce Sweeny: The industry is growing. We have a full-fledged epidemic of obesity and a full-fledged epidemic of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes in Canada. Our program isn’t just about weight loss. We work with most conditions which is what sets us apart. We work with physicians, specialists and are recognized by the college of medicine and all insurers across Canada. This puts us at the top of the industry and makes it hard for anyone else to compete with us.
BeTheBos.ca: Describe the Corporate Culture
Bruce Sweeny: We love to have fun. Our team’s excitement is contagious, and each wants to make a significant footprint on their clients’ lifestyles. At the core of our brand is people who are highly enthusiastic, have a health story to tell and who feel compelled to help others transition into a better quality of life. High energy, outgoing, fun.
BeTheBos.ca: What is your greatest inspiration?
Bruce Sweeny: I once had a doctor that told me that I wouldn’t live to the age of 30 due to my heart condition and my general health. Now almost 20 years after this ‘deadline’, I’m healthy and happy and able to tell my story. My inspiration comes from being able to help others have a better quality of life – not just chasing the scales. We see clients have more energy, spend more time with loved ones, make more money and travel more, all because of our relationship with them. That inspires me.
BeTheBos.ca: What are the advantages of being a Simply For Life Franchisee?
Bruce Sweeny: We communicate with all our franchisees regularly and are available 24/7 for them. Beyond that, we are like a family that all blends together. The 3 big advantages are: you get to change peoples’ lives, you, the franchisee, gets to be healthy and you also get to be financially healthy with our brand.
BeTheBos.ca: What differentiates you from the competition?
Bruce Sweeny: Apart from the medical and insurance benefits that I’ve already mentioned, we’re also affiliated with 181 Universities globally. We’re validated by educational and medical professionals with no ties to government agencies or the food, supplement or pharmaceutical industries so our information is peer reviewed with no influential ties. What sets us apart even more is that we’re not just about weight loss. Apart from the consulting side, we have a retail section where we have expert professionals on the floor to answer questions and bring in new clients. We’re also the only Canadians who participate in all the world-class conferences globally. We see from these conferences that we’re cutting edge and always 2-5 years ahead of the competition.
Finally, we keep things simple and don’t overtax our clients with information. We take the time to listen to our clients and are then able to give personalized advice that is tailored to THEIR needs.
BeTheBos.ca: What do you need to be a Simply For Life franchisee?
Bruce Sweeny: The most important factors are a strong work-ethic and a desire to improve your clients’ quality of life. Our brand is beyond just a brand – it’s a quality of life. Once you step into the business you have a team to work with and will have to work hard for the first 1-2 years. After that, we have a strong business model so that you can step back to 5-10 hours per week in that location (with the right team in place) because we’d like you to be successful enough to want to replicate the model in additional locations. We offer a business that focuses on your health as well as your financial health.
BeTheBos.ca: Why would this be a great opportunity?
Bruce Sweeny: There’s an increasing desire to improve eating habits and develop a healthy lifestyle. Also, it sounds crazy but we’re also ‘bullet-proof’ because if the economy drops even a bit, our business goes up. People get stressed, start to eat more and develop bad patterns, and they come to us for help. There’s a big need for what we do as people move away from simple weight loss and more towards a quality of life. Also, our business naturally grows as our clients are walking ambassadors for what we do. We inspire and empower our clients who can’t wait to tell others, so word of mouth is our best marketing tool.
