At just 21 years old, UniSC exercise physiology graduate Brittany Hall took on the mammoth task of launching her own business.
Starting solo with just 15 clients in 2020, Brittany now has three locations across the Sunshine Coast and an entire team of passionate specialists working with her at Mind & Motion Exercise Physiology.
And the team she’s built…they’re all UniSC graduates too.
Brittany says that working as an exercise physiologist is her self-proclaimed destiny, but it wasn’t always her plan.
“I sort of just fell into it. Moving from England to Australia, my lifestyle became more active, and I knew I wanted to work in the exercise industry, but I didn’t know exactly what that could look like.”
She originally set her sights on physiotherapy but wanted to study close to family on the Sunshine Coast.
“After school one afternoon, my mum sat down with me and encouraged me to go through the UniSC sport and exercise science program pages. I hadn’t heard of exercise physiology, but it looked really interesting.”
Brittany planned to finish the degree and then do a dual degree in physiotherapy but that changed when she completed placements in her fourth year.
“I just knew this was what I was destined to do.”
From there, Brittany focused fully on exercise physiology and got a job in the industry straight after graduating.
“When I first left UniSC I was working for someone else, but my parents had always run their own business, and they really encouraged me to think about starting something for myself,” she said.
“The company I was working at got bought out so, I thought if I’m going to put all this work in and make a name for myself, I’d rather work for myself and create a team behind me with the same passion.”
Brittany went on to found Mind and Motion Exercise Physiology but it hasn’t been an easy journey. “We stumbled at the start because COVID hit just as I was launching the business.”
That didn’t deter Brittany though.
She started with telehealth appointments but was able to continue seeing clients in-person through the gym she was working out of because she was classified as an essential worker.
“They really gave me the freedom to get back into it, so as long as the clients were happy and comfortable, we kept going.”
From there, Brittany continued to build her reputation, reaching out to General Practitioners and encouraging word of mouth referrals.
She also became an ONERO® Provider for the Bone Clinic in Brisbane, an evidence-based exercise program designed to stimulate bone development and prevent falls in at-risk individuals.
Brittany says this partnership opened many doors and helped build momentum at the start.
Since then, Mind and Motion Exercise Physiology has continued to thrive. The team has grown from just Brittany to a team of three exercise physiologists, with plans to include a nutritionist soon too.
The team are exclusively UniSC graduates Brittany found through offering exercise physiology students work-integrated learning opportunities at Mind and Motion.
“I learnt so much during my own placements and wanted to give back. Not only do you help students, but they help us so much too.”
Mind and Motion Exercise Physiology was approved for its first placement in 2023 and continues to support work-integrated-learning.
“At the end of the day I just want to help people. Not only through the exercise but through personal connection. They’re not only bettering themselves physically but emotionally too.”
