“You start out your day accomplishing something before breakfast that most people don’t accomplish during the day,” says Earl, who in January opened the Gig Harbor Adventure Boot Camp (www.gigharborbootcamp.com). “Research shows people who exercise in the morning stick with it — that’s why I chose the early session.”

The boot camp consists of Monday through Friday sessions, held outdoors except during extreme weather, over the course of four weeks. Earl conducts a pre-evaluation and post-evaluation of each “camper” that includes one-on-one sessions to set goals. The camp sessions include a wide range of activities such as weights, short-distance running, yoga, calisthenics and so on. Keenly aware what impact the word “workout” has on some people’s psyche, Earl avoids using not only the word but also the structure it implies.

“I try hard not to structure it as a workout,” she says. “I strive to set the camps up so they are for all ability levels. As you get more proficient, I can add more to make it more challenging… I make a point of not making anyone feel left behind — it’s structured around each personality.”

So far, Earl has noted two major groups of customers: professional women who want to exercise before work, and stay-at-home moms who aren’t able to get out during the day. And while she keeps the atmosphere fun, don’t expect any “royal treatment.” Campers who are late get to do 20 pushups. So do those who make negative comments about themselves or others, or engage in discussions about bad foods and other negative habits.

Earl holds a NSCA-CPT certification (National Strength and Conditioning Association — Certified Personal Trainer). Before learning about personal trainers and becoming intrigued by the idea when she experienced positive results, Earl worked as a senior systems analyst. Although she enjoyed the work of programming computers and helping people, eventually she felt burnt out. A former U.S. Marine Corps member, SCUBA dive master and martial arts instructor, she found a much better fit for herself as a personal trainer — and she still gets to help people.

When she heard about the boot camp concept, she traveled to California to visit the founders of the program, John Spencer Ellis and Christina Lucy, who have been developing the boot camp idea for over 20 years. “It’s a great concept,” she says. “It has all the benefits of getting guided instruction, at an affordable price... What I like about it is I still get my one-on-one with clients but I also get to offer my personal expertise at an investment level people can afford.”

She finds that those who exercise alone could run the risk of overtraining — or on the other extreme, not working out to their full capacity. “In fitness today, personal trainers are the new wave,” she says. “That’s because they can give you personal, professional expertise in fitness, and they can get you results fast.”

As a solo business owner, Earl had to learn some business aspects the hard way, but finds that working with experts like Ellis and Lucy helped her avoid big mistakes. She also took to heart their advice to invest into an accountant and other expert help. As a business owner, “you have to be the salesman, the customer service person, the researcher, the financial manager — if you are not good in an area, your business suffers for it,” she says.

In addition to networking and finding expert advice, Earl also learned business discipline. She thinks some new entrepreneurs treat their business accounts like their household budgets, and they don’t have any financial history to rely on. “It’s hard to balance, especially as a single business person,” she says. “I suffer from gadgetitis, like everyone else, but I’ve established a couple of ground rules for myself.”

As she grows her business and focuses on marketing, Earl already envisions opening more camps in the future. But as she works on growing her customer base, she keeps her focus on the individual.

“My hope is that all women reach their goals and have fun doing it,” she says. “If I’ve achieved that, I’ve met one of my personal goals.”.