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

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I moved from Seattle, Washington to Pittsburgh, PA to start SweatNET in early 2020. Shortly after arriving, the pandemic hit in full force as I was gearing up to launch an event based fitness platform that relied on people being able to come together in person. I also didn’t know a single person in the Pittsburgh fitness/wellness industry and had to create relationships and build trust in the industry from the ground up. At a time where anyone would have thrown in the towel I decided to be flexible and pivot every step of the way, refusing to get discouraged. Now post-pandemic, 4 years later, we have a thriving community, we’ve hosted hundred of events and we have a partner-based of well over 100 businesses.

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

With my love of fitness, I desperately wanted to find a way to make fitness my full time career. As anyone in the industry will tell you, it’s not easy! Living in my home”town” of Seattle, I discovered SweatNET and was inspired to open my own branch in Pittsburgh, PA. SweatNET is a pop-up community fitness event platform that partners with local gyms, studios, instructors and wellness businesses to give it’s members an inside look and experience all that the city has to offer. I plan 8-10 events per month, Almost all of which are free to our active members who only pay $9.95/mo to participate. Inclusivity in the industry is our focus which is why our price is so affordable – we aim to break down the barriers of fitness so everyone has a chance to move their bodies in fun and exciting ways while making friends while doing it. We simultaneously bring light to the businesses we partner with by bringing new people into their space through our event opportunities! Plus, they offer exclusive discounts to our members! It’s a win, win for everyone!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I always do my best to make sure people get the best experience possible. Whether it’s the workout itself, doing my best to keep things fresh and unique, the demeanor of the instructors I work with and making sure everyone feels welcome when they walk through the door. We’re a community so that first impression is KEY! And if someone has a less than great experience, I am always going to do my best to make it right for them – I was a former Nordstrom Sales person so ELITE customer service is ingrained in me.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Showing up and meeting people in person was key in the beginning, especially since I was new to the business format as well as the city. I worked out at different gyms so I could meet the instructors and gyms owners. Integrity is key so showing up in an authentic way, making friends and showing I was on the same team was the most important. I always show up with a “we are in this together” mentality.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sweatnet.com/pittsburgh/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweatnetpgh/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweatnetpgh
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-hoffman-8b8aa342/

Image Credits
Ashley Hoffman (me)