We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara Gaddy and Alex Loda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara Gaddy and below.

Sara and Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

The fitness industry is inundated with trendy techniques and “get fit fast” methods – at desert mvmt we focus on establishing and nourishing the relationship with your mind AND your body. Each time you step on the mat we push you to build on this relationship with intention setting, mindfulness and of course, gratitude.

The foundation of our technique is built off of low impact movements that focus on three major movers – shoulders, core, and glutes – all while incorporating various weights and resistance bands. We built out sequences to elevate your heart-rate and build endurance while connecting with your mind and understanding the WHY behind the mvmt.

Aside from the actual mvmt, we place a massive emphasis on community. We have created a monthly in-studio event called our “mvmt mrkt” where we collaborate with local vendors and bring them into our space. This event has created such a positive experience for all people and creates an opportunity for us to connect with other small businesses. We recently just held a “female owned business” mvmt mrkt with other local female entrepreneurs and it was SO inspiring! Being able to collaborate and support one another is so impactful and empowering.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

SO great to meet all of you! We’re Sara and Alex, the founders of desert mvmt. A little bit about us — Sara is from a small town in Northern California and moved to Phoenix in 2008 to attend Arizona State University. She grew up dancing and discovered her passion for pilates and barre fitness during her time ASU. Upon graduation she was already leading classes and working her way up the management chain learning the ins and outs of owning and operating a business! Alex is a Phoenix native and also grew up dancing! She graduated from University of Arizona and made her way back up to Phoenix and started working in the non-profit industry. Alex’s extensive knowledge of collaborating with other businesses for activations has been crucial for the development of desert mvmt. Together we are your neighborhood hype gals!

We met about five years ago and we were colleagues that became fast friends sharing a common interest in all things fitness, music and of course… puppies! We would always daydream about creating a space where all feel welcome, empowered and challenged on AND off the mat. Over the last 18 or so months we really focused on narrowing down what exactly we wanted to create – a space where you feel secure, supported and safe. The daydreams turned into an actual mission statement and our business plan fell into place. And boom… desert mvmt was born!

Desert mvmt is a fitness space that specializes in a blend of mvmt and mindfulness. The foundation of our mvmt is a blend of pilates, yoga and functional training. Along with our mvmt, we place a large emphasis on the connection between your mind and body with the help of intention setting, mindfulness and gratitude.

Aside from the mvmt, we knew that we wanted to create a strong, impactful community! We host in-studio events, called our “mvmt mrkt” each month where we collaborate with other local small businesses and bring them into our space. These events have grown massively over the last 9 months and we have been able to bring awareness to the importance of building community and how it impacts us all on and off the mat. Bringing it all full circle! We’ve been able to bring awareness to various charities and we are just getting started!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

One of the most impactful parts of our marketing strategy is social media. We knew that we wanted to put out content that was aligned with our goals in creating our business – being intentional and grateful in a fitness space and all aspects of life! Social media in a nutshell can be very overwhelming and intimidating but we approached it with the intent to put out content that was authentic to who we are and what we enjoy!

Our advice to those just starting out is to identify what you gravitate towards and what aligns with you at your core. People love to find camaraderie in all facets of life especially on social media where your audience is exponential. Just be authentic to yourself and send the vibes out!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

There are many avenues that we use to keep in touch with clients such as face to face in class and in the studio, on social media, and over email/phone! We genuinely are invested in our clients and their success on and off of the mat. We absolutely love hearing about their daughters college graduation and the important interview that they landed etc each and every day! It makes this that much more real and instills the foundation of desert mvmt – being mindful and intentional.

The fitness industry experiences new waves of trends so frequently, so we strive to remain our consistency with building community. It not only aligns with our mission, but creating a space where you want to visit daily creates that much more of a connection to the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: desertmvmt.com
• Instagram: @desert_mvmt

Image Credits
Eunice Beck