Building a Fitness Business From the Ground Up on Family Soil

Introduction

When Caitlyn Stoner returned to her family’s historic farmland in rural Ohio, she had a vision: build a performance facility that could serve both athletes and general population clients—without sacrificing time with her husband and young daughter. What began as a dream soon became reality, with Stone Athletics rising on the very land her family has farmed since the 1800s.

“We’ve been on this land since the 1800s. It’s pretty cool to say a Stoner lives here again—and now we’ve built something new on it,” she said.

To manage her rapidly growing hybrid model of virtual and in-person training, Caitlyn needed tools that offered seamless scheduling, personalized programming, and real-time data. That’s when she turned to TeamBuildr Strength and its integrated gym management platform, TeamBuildr OS.

“I want to be the motivator for kids to dream big… especially in small towns where not everyone hears that at home,” Stoner added.

Challenge

Launching a performance facility from home came with major logistical challenges. Caitlyn juggled motherhood, coaching, and running a business while trying to offer high-quality programming for a wide range of clients—from youth athletes to older adults recovering from surgery.

She had previously used a basic app for programming, but its clunky interface and lack of functionality—like poor exercise visuals and time-consuming workflows—left her frustrated. Managing class schedules, staff payroll, athlete tracking, and client communication across different systems quickly became overwhelming. With limited time and growing demand, she needed an all-in-one solution that could streamline operations, support her coaching philosophy, and scale with her business.

Solution

Having used TeamBuildr Strength at a previous employer, Caitlyn knew its strengths—but this time, she went all in. She relies on the platform for streamlined program creation, athlete monitoring, and communication. The ability to copy and paste multi-week templates, adjust metrics quickly, and assign custom programs to individuals or groups saves her hours each week. She now uses the software to support both in-person and virtual clients, including high school softball players, wrestlers, and general population adults.

One key feature Caitlyn uses is the Load Monitoring Dashboard within TeamBuildr AMS, which helps her modify programming based on athletes’ game schedules, soreness levels, and readiness. “The science behind it—that’s what I love. It’s not just exercises. It’s volume load, it’s recovery. It’s coaching done right,”

This is especially helpful for managing seasonal transitions, like summer training loads for soccer players or off-season programs for wrestlers. She also uses the Body Heat Map to track soreness, fatigue, and recovery—especially with virtual clients like her firefighter athlete.

To manage the growing demand, Caitlyn integrated TeamBuildr OS, allowing her to handle scheduling, payroll, and class management in one place. She and her physical therapist sister-in-law use the shared calendar to avoid conflicts, track class attendance, and schedule one-on-one sessions and recovery consults.

“My clients can see their classes and workouts all in the same app now thanks to the TeamBuildr Strength and OS integration. It’s seamless,” Stoner said. The reporting features also simplify payroll by tracking which coach taught which session—eliminating manual timesheets and freeing up even more time.

Results

Since implementing TeamBuildr Strength and TeamBuildr OS, Caitlyn has saved hours of admin time each week and grown her business significantly. Her high school strength classes have grown to 15+ athletes per session, and her off-season programs are now being purchased by outside softball programs. “We’re averaging 15 kids in high school sessions, and Saturdays are packed—18 athletes from ages 8 to 18,” she added.

The time she saves programming and managing operations allows her to focus on what matters most: coaching, family, and expanding her vision. Caitlyn’s hybrid setup—combining strength training with recovery services—has flourished thanks to the efficiency of her tech stack. “It takes me 30 minutes compared to two hours to get something done,” she says. “I don’t have to worry about the backend anymore.”

She has event been able to hire two staff members to continue to help her business grow. With TeamBuildr Strength and OS in place, she’s positioned to scale without sacrificing the personal, high-touch experience her clients count on.