Diana Williams: The Unplanned Empire and the Power of Relentless Improvement

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Diana Williams, Founder and Chair of the Board at Fernwood Fitness, Australia's pioneering women-only health and fitness franchise. Diana shares profound insights on building businesses without business plans, franchising with purpose, and why 98% of what we worry about never happens. Discover how a stay-at-home mum with no industry experience created an entirely new category and became the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame.

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Episode Breakdown

00:00 Introduction and how an abandoned classroom became a national franchise

05:18 The conviction that drove category creation in women's fitness

12:42 Why having no business plan sometimes works better than having one

18:52 From critical mess to critical mass - the early franchising chaos

25:36 The ownership solution - why franchisees brought what employees couldn't

33:44 Getting legal exemptions after creating the category, not before

40:08 Choosing succession from within - why Belinda was the right choice

41:00 The 98% rule - why most worries never materialise

52:57 Baby steps philosophy - putting brush strokes on the canvas

About Diana Williams

Diana Williams is the Founder and Chair of the Board of Fernwood Fitness, Australia's leading women-only health and fitness franchise. Over 36 years, she transformed a single makeshift gym in an abandoned school classroom in Bendigo into a national powerhouse with 73 clubs, 90,000 members, 2,200 employees, and $75M+ annual turnover.

Recognised as a category creator who changed the landscape of health and fitness for Australian women forever, Williams is the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame. She has received numerous honors including the 2005 Telstra Australian Businesswoman of the Year and multiple Hall of Fame inductions.

In 2025, Diana transitioned from CEO to Chair, remaining actively involved in guiding the company's strategic direction.

Connect with Diana Williams

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/diana-williams-b39b456

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianawilliamsofficial/?hl=en

Fernwood Fitness: https://www.fernwoodfitness.com.au/

About Simon Bowen

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.