Five Years Later… Attacks and Testimonies

It was 5 years ago at a family Christmas party that my soon-to-be business partner, Christopher Behnke, asked me the same question that is showing up on my calendar today: What would you try if you knew you would be successful? What would you attempt if you could be guaranteed NOT to fail? I told him I would launch an online fitness site for women like me where they can feel inspired not intimidated, supported not shredded, understood not undermined, encouraged not just entertained, healed not hurt.

The rest is ongoing history in the making: Just 3 months later in March, 2010 we began filming workouts in front of Alice Miller Behnke’s gorgeously decorated fireplace. We went public with FIT2B.US/FIT2B.COM in October, 2010 with just 7 workouts…. It has not been easy, and we did fail along the way as we tried things that didn’t work. But we also succeeded! Today, we have ~100 routines and loyal members in 30+ countries!

Just this past weekend, we suffered a targeted DOS attack that temporarily crashed us for 6 hours. Think Sony on a smaller scale, or think of how you would feel as a business owner if you drove to your office but it wasn’t there anymore. Gone. Poof. And I did indeed feel criminally vandalized (like many referred to the NK attack of Sony) as I watched our hard work virtually vaporized by heinous hackers.

NOTE: Every bit of every member’s info is still secure because we keep our site up to date, and we don’t store billing info on Fit2B but rather in the secure merchant gateway that we utilize to process payments. So the hackers got nada, and our programmers simply rebuilt our firewalls to stop the attack and make us even stronger.

You see, having an online biz in this day and age is like trying to run a mercantile between two saloons in the Wild Wild West! Thank GOD for backups and tech support, because 6 hours later {mind you, all this went down at 10 p.m. on the Sunday before Christmas #badtiming ) we were up and running again. And our members were awesome about it, knowing how hard we work to keep Fit2B operating as the most respectable, honest, effective fit biz around! We posted in our forums about what was going on and asked for feedback as things went back online, and everyone was so gracious and kind! #fit2bmembersRthebest

Looking back on those crazy desperate hours of wondering what was happening and how it would be fixed, I have to simultaneously confess that I cried but also boast in Christ – it sounds cheesy and I don’t ever preach in the workouts so bear with me for just a moment while I go all Christian on you for a second – yes, boast about the sense of peace I was given by my faith in my Creator’s divine plan for my life and the lives that my life touches.

“Though the Earth may tremble, though the oceans roar, though the mountains crumble and fall in the sea, I will never tremble, I will never fear, I know the Lord is able to rescue me!” -words of a song from my youth that keep running through my head in the wake of our crash.

It’s scary to have responsibility for something that thousands depend on, that 3 families make a living from, that paying members expect to work with the click of a mouse. But if Fit2B had never come back online {and I take a deep breath and whisper “God Forbid” to that thought} and we’d had to temporarily close our doors and refund all this month’s money, I would start again. Because I know what God has done with the talents and abilities bestowed on me, and I know my purpose which is to reach women around the world with the TRUTH that you are designed to be strong, healthy contributors in their families, communities and world! 

Oh, but what if we couldn’t rebuild? What if everything unraveled tomorrow even though we just officially registered our trademark, and Fit2B should need to close its doors, or I end up a quadriplegic after a tragic accident? Even then, I believe God would provide a way for me to keep doing what I am meant to do: help women put their bodies back together and be able to see their bellies as beautiful again. Because all my life I’ve always been passionate about pregnant bellies and mommies and helping women. Now, I could be wrong, and my lift could shift radically at any second, but I don’t see that passion dying until I die.

After I die, I hope my legacy of education and resources and collaboration with other professionals lives on! I pray that my work here has made a lasting difference in the lives of my members around the world. And I believe I have succeeded because of testimonies like these:

“So tonight I was getting a migraine (again) I did the neck routine. What started out as a terrible head ache became a very manageable one. Fit2B is the best!” -Tina Y.

“I love fit2b because it’s helped me heal my core and has given me strength! And Bethany is sooo sweet in all the videos… Many times when I was feeling down about myself or my body she would say something in the videos that made me re-analyze everything my body does which then made me thankful.” -Heather F.

“I love the gentle workouts for this non-exercising mama to be able to start learning how to work my core. And the sweet spirit and encouragement!” -Mandy F.

“I say WOW again about the PMS workout. Normally I have 1.5-2 days of super heavy bleeding and it was only a half day after the workout. Score cuz it got heavier since I gave birth this time and really I wasn’t happy about it. I slept most of yesterday away with my one year old, but upon waking my 4 year old requested we go out. So we walked 1.5 miles around town running errands and stopping into shops and the library. Today I plan on doing the Neck Routine, Mula Bandha and Ultimate Upper Body.” -Chris C.

“I love that you are always learning and sharing all of your knowledge with us. I love the calm feeling I get when doing your workouts when everything else seems to be going crazy!” -Rosemary K.

“Kickboxing today! Did the whole thing (last time I fizzled at the end)! And did a little yoga on my own! I am loving being consisted with workouts! I am finally seeing changes in my body too!” -Nicole L.

But I don’t plan on quitting or retiring anytime soon, and those hackers FAILED to take us down, so onward!!! Why don’t you join us here?