When it comes to achieving success – whether it’s in the gym, on the sports field or in business – having the right team beside you makes all the difference. Just ask Body Fit Training’s (BFT) Matt Thomas and Daniel Stewart.
Former AFL teammates turned business partners, Matt and Dan know better than most the power of teamwork. After hanging up their boots, they weren’t ready to leave the high-performance lifestyle behind. Instead, they teamed up once again – this time off the field – becoming the very first BFT franchisees. Fast-forward nearly a decade and they now operate five top-performing BFT studios across Melbourne and are integral players in shaping the future of the brand.
Here's why they believe having a strong team mentality sets you up for success in fitness – and in business.
Accountability keeps you on track
For Matt and Dan, having someone to show up with has always been non-negotiable. Back in their AFL days, training wasn’t optional – your teammates relied on you, and you relied on them.
That same principle carried through into their fitness and business partnership. It’s much harder to hit snooze on a 6am gym session when you know someone else is waiting. And in business, it means shared responsibility. From strategy to studio maintenance, having two sets of eyes and a division of roles meant they could play to each other’s strengths – and have honest conversations when things weren’t quite going to plan.
But it’s not just about logistics. It’s the emotional accountability too – someone who understands the pressure, the setbacks and the long hours. That kind of support helps keep momentum up even when motivation dips. As Matt puts it, “When we trained together, it wasn’t just about you – it was about not letting the team down.”
Healthy competition that pushes your limits
There’s something uniquely motivating about training – and working – alongside someone who wants to win as much as you do. For Matt and Dan, that shared drive has always fuelled their friendship. Whether it was sprint drills or chasing new personal bests in the gym, there was always an edge of healthy competition that kept them both striving for more.
That same energy translated into their business too. As the first-ever BFT franchisees, there was no model to follow – but there was always a goal to chase.
From filling the studio with members to fine-tuning operations and planning for growth, their shared drive and healthy sense of competition kept them both locked in. It was never about outdoing one another – it was about lifting the standard together.
Shared goals, stronger bond
When two people are aligned on what they want to achieve, everything becomes simpler – and stronger. From day one, Matt and Dan were clear on their mission: build something that made a real impact, not just for themselves but for their community and for the BFT brand. That shared vision has been the foundation of their partnership.
It’s what helped them through the toughest moments – the early mornings, the long days, the financial risks. When things got hard, they knew they were in it together. And when the wins came, they were shared too.
For Dan, “The reason we’ve been able to grow is because we’ve always shared the same vision and backed each other 100%.” That kind of alignment not only strengthens the business, it also deepens the trust and friendship that underpins it.
Trusting the process (and each other)
There’s no blueprint for building something new. Back in 2016, when BFT was still emerging as an idea, there were no guarantees. But what Matt and Dan did have was trust. Trust in BFT’s founder Cameron Falloon’s vision, trust in each other and trust in their own ability to figure it out along the way.
Starting out with three studios, they threw themselves into the business – from coaching classes to cleaning toilets. There were steep learning curves and sacrifices had to be made, but they stuck with it. That trust – in the process and the partnership – helped them navigate the unknown. And even as their business has evolved, that foundational belief hasn’t changed.
As Matt recalls: “We trusted in Cam’s vision, and we trusted our ability to work out what we needed to do to be a success. That belief got us through and enabled us to start building something that would go a long way to us achieving our goals.”
For Matt and Dan, teamwork is essential – it’s the foundation of everything they’ve built. From the footy pitch to fitness studios, their success has always been rooted in trust, commitment and shared ambition.
Having a strong team beside you creates a sense of accountability that keeps you going when it’s tough. It fuels the kind of competition that brings out your best, aligns your energy around a shared purpose and gives you the confidence to take bold leaps – even when there’s no roadmap.
Their journey is proof that the biggest wins don’t come from going it alone. They come when you back your team, trust the process and show up – every day – with a shared goal in mind. Whether in sport, business or life, the strongest foundations are always built as a team.