Meet Nicole Weaver

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole Weaver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole below.

Hi Nicole, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Back in 2005, my husband, Bryan and I (Nicole) were living in Southern California, running a group home for extreme troubled/delinquent boys ages 7-18 years old. We lived with these boys for two years, while also raising our toddler boys, at the time. It became incredibly more dangerous having our family living in this home 24/7. It became apparent that we could no longer stay – as we found out severe sexual abuse was happening between 3 of the 6 boys in the home during the night staff shift (the 7 hours we were allowed to be “off”). The morning we found out, we gave our 2-weeks notice. However, we had no idea what to do, or where to go. We just knew we had to leave this employment. Bryan had recently read a Forbes article on Boise, ID, and how it was one of the 5 best places to live in the country. We had never even been to Idaho, and honestly, I did not even know where it was on the map – (Ohio? Iowa? Where? Idaho?). However, it was the safety of our two toddler boys that made us agree to moving there, sight unseen. We packed up and were on the road in two weeks. We had no job, no home, knew no one in Boise, and found out on the drive that I was newly pregnant with #3. So, also no insurance for pre-existing conditions.
We arrived in Boise and lived with a mutual friend for 10 days. Bryan found a job that barely made ends meet working with young people with autism and other severe disabilities. I should mention Bryan has a 4-year Masters Degree, and this was the only job he could find. However, he was great at it, and it met the needs we needed at the time.
Within three months, we were able to purchase our first house. It was a wonderful two-story yellow house that we made into a home with our growing family. To say the move was smooth and easy is about as far from reality as one can get. However, our move allowed so many amazing things possible.
Two years later, in 2007, we were able to start our own business of health, fitness, and fun – at the time called Gym On The Run. It was never on our radar to start/own a business, it just kind of fell into place because we wanted to help others. I feel Idaho has been so good to us with that philosophy. We eventually added to our Gym On The Run, starting Kickin’ Kids Sports – youth sports leagues – because we were unable to afford youth sports on our own. We eventually changed to Brayge Sports and Fitness, as Brayge stands for our own kids’ names – Brock, Haydin and Sage. Early on with our youth sports, we thought if we just found 10 other families, we could make t-shirts and form two soccer teams.
It is now 2024, and we offer soccer, flag football, basketball, self defense, PE classes, and fitness training for over 2,000 kids/adults in the Treasure Valley. Though, there were many challenges, we grew in all ways, together as a family, and are so grateful for the life we have here in Boise, ID. We found our purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I (Nicole) grew up in Orange County, California.  Bryan grew up in the small town of Bishop, California. We both moved to central California the summer after our high school graduation – across the street from each other.  We have been in each other’s lives for 34 years, married for nearly 29 years. We have partnered and worked together since our college graduations, and have shaped our core values between the two of us – as iron sharpens iron. Since we were 18 years old, we have shared values, goals, and priorities.  I feel our success has come from each of our ideas, independently, through listening, risking, trusting, and challenging each other over these years.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Empathy, Integrity, and Generosity.

 

Because our intent was never to start our own business, we did not go into Brayge Sports and Fitness with a business mind-set; Meaning we did not start the organization with the intent of building customers and making money. We started Brayge Sports and Fitness with the intent of helping friends and family. We were personally not making much money for anything extra, so we understood others in the same position. We started the youth sports side of Brayge (at that time called Kickin’ Kids Soccer) because, back in 2007, we could not afford any local soccer league for our own kids. We just wanted to get a group of 10 other families and make our own league with fun t-shirts. I believe because we went into it all with the mindset of family first, we have resonated with like-minded others in our community. We still carry that family owned/run philosophy. Our business name switched to Brayge to stand for our kids – Brock, Haydin, and Sage – hence, Brayge.

We have run Brayge Sports and Fitness as a family with the 5 of us, since 2007. We have since added to our Brayge staff, but the mission remains the same.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
We can absolutely attest that these books and authors have significantly impacted our thinking and philosophy since Day One: The Bible
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Franklin Covey
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

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