She’s the fitness queen who built a global empire from her parents’ backyard, but Kayla Itsines has now revealed she’s just as savvy when it comes to business as she is with burpees.
The 34-year-old entrepreneur, who first shot to fame with her Bikini Body Guide e-book more than a decade ago, spoke to Get Ahead App in a candid street interview near her Gold Coast home.
And while many expected the mother-of-two to chat solely about her famous Sweat app, Kayla instead lifted the lid on a series of surprising side hustles that prove her empire is far more diverse than most fans realise.
‘I’m most known for the Sweat app which is a women’s training app,’ she said when asked what she does for a living.
‘I also have a dog app called Dogit, which is a dog training app. I have commercial real estate – things like petrol stations, medical centres, residential stuff, and I’m also getting into supplements as well.’
The multimillionaire admitted her journey has been anything but conventional, starting from humble beginnings in her parents’ backyard in Adelaide.
‘I charged $1 a minute and I only did 30-minute sessions – so $30 for 30 minutes,’ she recalled.
‘I was in my parents’ backyard and I released an e-book online, which I thought no one was going to buy, but it went absolutely viral.’
Fitness queen Kayla Itsines (pictured) proves she’s as sharp in business as she is in the gym
The 34-year-old entrepreneur, who first shot to fame with her Bikini Body Guide e-book more than a decade ago, spoke to Get Ahead App to reveal her diverse, and surprising, business investments
But despite her success, Kayla admitted her family didn’t immediately support her decision to pursue fitness full-time.
‘I come from a Greek family and the best thing you can be in a Greek family is a doctor,’ she said.
‘Coming to my family as a personal trainer, that didn’t fly well with my parents. They supported me but my grandparents hated it. It took them about 10 years to come around, but now they’re very proud.’
Her perseverance paid off, with Kayla landing on the Australian Financial Review Young Rich List in 2024 at number 34, just a few spots behind Hollywood superstar Margot Robbie.
Kayla made headlines late last year when she bought back her Sweat empire from US fitness giant iFIT, a bold move that cemented her reputation as not just a trainer, but a shrewd businesswoman.
At the time, many assumed she’d double down on the app that made her famous. But instead, Kayla is branching out into new industries – some of which may shock her loyal followers.
Her latest venture, Dogit, is a dog training app she co-created with her husband Jae Woodroffe and his best friend Leedor Borlant, a world renowned dog trainer.
‘Jae’s best friend [Borlant] is one of the world’s best dog trainers,’ Kayla previously told Forbes Australia. ‘We both love our dogs, so we’ve developed an app to help train them.’
Kayla’s latest venture, Dogit, is a dog training app she co-created with her husband Jae Woodroffe (pictured) and his best friend Leedor Borlant, a world renowned dog trainer
The app, which launched in 2024, offers a library of training videos covering obedience, commands and behavioural issues. Pictured: Kayla with her two husky dogs, Junior and Ace in 2021
She also divulged that she owns commercial real estate including petrol stations, medical centres and other residential investments, and teased the upcoming launch of a health supplement brand
The app, which launched in 2024, offers a library of training videos covering obedience, commands and behavioural issues, while gamifying progress so owners can track how their pup is improving.
It even features a shop with accessories personally endorsed by Jae and Leedor.
Next in her entrepreneurial horizon, Kayla only teased the upcoming launch of a supplement brand. ‘Being able to back that and have some really good professionals behind the business is going to be incredible,’ she added.
From backyard bootcamps charging just $30 a session to building an empire valued in the hundreds of millions, Kayla has proven she’s one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs.
She may not be ready to reveal her annual income just yet, but one thing is clear: everything Kayla touches seems to turn to gold.
