Speaker 1: This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses and neighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of an exciting fitness studio?
One might be closer than you think.
Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor,
wendy DiMario, and her two other business owners, kelsey and
Kelsey, with Fit5 Studio.
Wendy, kelsey and Kelsey, how's it going?
Speaker 3: Good.
How are you today?
Speaker 2: Good, excellent.
We're excited to learn all about you and your business.
Tell us about your fitness studio.
Speaker 3: Well, thanks for having us.
I'll get started and I'll let Kelsey and Kelsey jump in.
We are the owners of Fit5 Studio.
We are based in Fort Collins and we also have a studio in
Windsor and we teach the Legree method.
The Legree method is done on a megaformer machine.
Some people like to compare it to Pilates.
It's similar, but it definitely has its differences.
It's a high intensity, low impact workout for all ages, any
type of fitness level.
We work with all different types of people coming into our
studio that are interested in taking care of themselves and
evolving their fitness regime.
I'll let maybe Kelsey Bantz or Kelsey jump in with any ads.
Speaker 4: Yeah, so Legree is a strength training based method,
so that's a major difference from Pilates.
So what we teach is all based on strength training.
Speaker 2: How did you get into the business?
Speaker 3: Good question.
So Kelsey Miles and I were both clients at the studio prior to
owning it and Kelsey Vance was an instructor at that studio.
And during COVID, the previous owner, who was the sole
proprietor, decided that she wanted to sell the business.
And Kelsey Miles and I said we did not want the studio to go
out of business, have any chance of it closing, did not want the
studio to go out of business, have any chance of it closing,
and so we knew that Kelsey Vance was interested in potentially
owning a studio herself.
So the three of us got together and, in a very serendipitous
type of way, decided to buy the studio from the previous owner.
So we bought the studio in the midst of COVID, so it was in
November of 2020, which I think we all like to say.
It was a little bit of a risk for us to do so, but it has
worked out really well.
Obviously, being able to grow the studio now to a second
location speaks to the fact that the three of us, I think, had a
passion for Legree and the Fit5 business itself and have done
really, really well in growing it and expanding it in the
Northern Colorado community.
Speaker 2: What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?
Speaker 4: I would say that you have to know what you're doing.
To take your first class, that's really good.
Yeah, some people always you know they always get phone calls
Like I've never done this before, is that okay?
Do I have to take a special class or anything like that
before?
And absolutely not.
You can come in as a beginner and take any class you want on
our schedule.
Um, so it's very beginner friendly and you can be doing
this for years and years and years and still get that
challenging workout.
So I think people when they think of you know trying
something new, they're very hesitant because they've never
done it before.
So I think a misconception is that a beginner can't do
something new.
Speaker 2: Who are your target customers and how do you attract
them now?
Speaker 3: That's a great question, kelsey Miles, you go.
Speaker 5: I would say our ideal client is well, typically it's
women.
Women are just known to do fitness group fitness classes
more than men, but we do have men that take our classes, but
ideally it's a woman, usually in her would say over 35 to 50 is
kind of our demographic Right.
It's low impact, so we're looking for longevity of our
bodies.
Typically it's it's somebody that just really wants to push
themselves physically, mentally, physically, mentally.
It's a tough workout and even though you're in a group setting
, it's really like focused on yourself and where you want to
be and how hard you want to make it.
So, yeah, do you guys have something to add?
No, I think that's good.
Speaker 2: Oh, go ahead, Keep going.
Speaker 3: No, no, that was good .
That was a great answer, I concur.
Speaker 2: Outside of work.
What do each of you do for fun?
Speaker 5: I'll go, first Things , outdoors hiking, skiing,
reading, spending time with my family, my kids.
Speaker 4: Yeah, same thing outside.
I mean, we live in Colorado so it's always something to do.
A lot of pickleball in my family, always at the park
playing pickleball, especially in the summertime.
Speaker 3: And I would say for me again outdoors, colorado
fitness, riding my bike.
Speaker 2: I'm just being outside and spending time with
my family as well okay, unless somebody else wants to answer
this, I'm going to direct the question towards Wendy.
Please describe a hardship or life challenge you overcame and
how it made you stronger.
What comes to mind?
Speaker 3: Oh, that's a good question.
I think anytime that there's loss in your personal life and
that can be through death or relationships I think it teaches
you to dig deep and find strength.
And I know that for myself and I'm going to tie this back to
the business my a way for me to have gotten through those types
of situations has been to I escaped by going to fit five and
even though it's my business and I own it, I obviously work
out there and it's a community-based business and my
community at Fit5, inclusive of my business owners, really
helped me get through some challenging times.
And I think there's a lot of our clients who have found that
community within the walls of our studio to where they're
faced with whether they're challenges of loss it could even
be a loss of a job, anything like that.
There's an aspect of the people that are at and go to our
studio that really care about each other and that helps them
get through it.
And I'm going to flip it to say, on the opposite side, it's also
a place where we celebrate wonderful things together.
So you know, this past weekend was the Colorado State
University graduation.
There's a lot of clients that came in to say that their kids
graduated and we're all there to help celebrate and help.
You know to support one another in good times and bad times.
So for me it was.
You know Fit5 was a grounding space for me through some really
difficult times.
Speaker 2: Wendy or one of the Kelseys, please tell our
listeners one thing they should remember about Fit5 Studio.
Speaker 4: The workout is challenging and the most
rewarding thing you do and you come back for the community.
Speaker 2: the workout is challenging and the most
rewarding thing you do and you come back for the community.
Yeah, how can our listeners learn more about Fit5 Studio?
Speaker 5: You can visit our website.
It has all the information about what Liguri is our
schedule.
Same with social media.
You can follow us on Instagram at Fit5Studio.
That's where we post a lot of what's going on for the week,
for the month.
You can also join our email list through our website.
That's where you get a ton of information of all of our
special events, special sales, everything like that goes out.
Email first.
Speaker 2: Well, ladies, I really appreciate you being on
the show and we wish you and your business the best moving
forward.
Speaker 3: Thank you for inviting us.
We appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
podcast.
To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNP Fort Collins dot com.
That's GNP Fort Collins dot com , or call 970-438-0825.