At a basement gym in Rockville, Maryland, tucked among strip malls, an instructor calls encouragement into a microphone as about 30 women rotate through workout stations. Dumbbells rise, resistance bands stretch, and she offers quick praise.

“There you go, Kara—nice and controlled. Thirty seconds to go!”

Participants high-five before moving to the next station.

Welcome to Burn Boot Camp. In a crowded fitness market, few brands have expanded as deliberately—or as fast. Behind much of that growth is Chief Operating Officer Amber Burke, whose career path—from Division I athlete to trainer, operator, and now executive—mirrors the evolution of modern fitness.

Founded by husband-and-wife team Devan and Morgan Kline in 2012, Burn Boot Camp now has more than 400 locations nationwide and over $250 million in systemwide revenue, with mostly female members. Its formula of strength-focused workouts, built-in childcare, and community-driven coaching has proven powerful in an era when many gyms are still navigating post-pandemic habits.

At Rockville, a sign outside the childcare room reads “Twin Day,” encouraging kids to dress alike while their parents work out for 45 minutes. Member Ayesha Ahmad, a middle-school teacher and mother of three, says the classes keep her consistent and strong.

“A lot of us here are teachers,” she says after finishing an upper-body session. “We come right after school. We all became friends.”

Burke says that camaraderie is central to the brand’s appeal. But her path to Burn began long before she stepped inside a gym.

An Athlete Raised in Entrepreneurship

Burke grew up in East Tennessee, where athletics and entrepreneurship went hand in hand. She competed in gymnastics, dance, and soccer, eventually earning a Division I scholarship as a goalkeeper at East Tennessee State University.

Her parents ran multiple businesses alongside their careers. Her father worked as a golf professional while operating a catering company, and her mother owned three dancewear stores.

“I grew up in a very entrepreneurial environment,” Burke says. “You ate what you killed. Watching my parents work like that shaped how I approached my career.”

After receiving degrees in exercise science and sports management, Burke joined Velocity Sports Performance, where she coached elite athletes, including Washington Commanders players, while absorbing the operational side of the business.

“I was hired as a coach,” she says. “But I started learning the sales systems, the operations, the way a franchise works. That exposure changed everything for me.”