We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danika Chevalier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Danika, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I want my legacy to be one of empowerment and authenticity, a testament to what’s possible when you trust your inner guidance. If I’m remembered for anything, I hope it’s for creating from the heart—living authentically, chasing my dreams, and showing others that doing the same is the most powerful way to raise collective consciousness and create a life that truly feels like their own.

Danika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My journey into entrepreneurship was one I never saw coming—not in the way or timing that it did! Back in 2017, during the early years of my career as a Registered Nurse, I found myself living in a new, remote community, grappling with a persistent, nagging feeling deep in my gut telling me: “This isn’t it.”
I was quickly realizing just how drained and disillusioned I felt working within the confines of our healthcare system. With every shift I worked, I could feel my soul being chipped away, little by little. I’ve never been someone to settle or ignore that inner voice, so I began exploring every avenue within my profession that was available in my small community. But nothing clicked.
One lonely night shift, feeling desperate for answers, I turned to Google. I didn’t know it at the time, but that search would forever change the trajectory of my life. Somehow, I landed on a website for a Hot Yoga Teacher Training program. Without overthinking, I applied.
To give some context—I wasn’t exactly someone you’d label a fitness junkie. Sure, I’d dabbled in a few yoga classes during university, but I didn’t have a regular practice, nor would I have considered myself part of the “wellness lifestyle” crowd. And yet, deep down, I knew. My gut screamed, “You need to do this.”

Taking that training taught me more about myself than I ever expected, and it became the launching pad for my first business. I started sketching out a business plan, fuelled by an unwavering call to open my own studio. At the time, I was drowning in student loans and had little support from the people closest to me and kept hitting roadblocks with bringing my vision to life. As I wrapped up the final weeks of my Yoga Teacher Training (in a town two hours away from where I lived), another opportunity presented itself: Spin Instructor Training.
Now, let me preface this—before that moment, I had never been on a spin bike. Not once. I had never even taken a spin class! But something told me to give it a shot. After my very first spin training class (which, to be honest, left me fighting the urge to throw up), I knew this was the missing piece.
By March 2017, I had completed my training as both a yoga and spin instructor. By June of that same year, I had signed the lease for my very first studio, Wheel Fit Co. (Wheel represents a yoga pose and the main part of a spin bike!)
Social media back then was nothing like it is now. Most of my advertising was old-school: mail-outs, word of mouth, and, yes, standing outside the parking lot of my soon-to-be studio, striking up conversations with anyone who walked by, handing out flyers, and offering discounted presale punch passes. It was the most exciting time of my life. At the time, boutique group fitness studios were unheard of in rural communities like mine, and I was fearlessly paving the way—despite never having been to one myself!

Within my first year of operations, I faced some tough decisions. My original vision of sharing one space for both spin and hot yoga quickly became a logistical challenge. Neither modality was able to thrive to its full potential within our limited space under the same roof. Eventually, one of my instructors purchased the infrared panels and launched her own hot yoga studio, while I shifted my focus exclusively to spin classes.
What came next was truly special. Our two studios worked closely in collaboration, creating a beautiful synergy that enriched our community in ways I couldn’t have imagined. During this time, I took on a role as Master Trainer, teaching the spin program I had been certified in to new studios across communities in the prairies. My business was booming, I was in a new relationship, the opportunity to franchise two additional locations in neighbouring cities was underway: it was the peak of our operations and life as I knew it—until COVID hit.

I was pregnant with my first son when we were forced to shut down, and he was just 10 days old when we were allowed to reopen for the first time. The next two-plus years were filled with uncertainty, countless pivots, and a surprising plot twist: expansion.
My sublease tenants gave her notice just weeks before the shutdown in March 2020. We took that time to build out a second studio space, planning to offer Barre group classes. Little did we know, the pandemic would go on to hit the service industry the hardest for the next two years.
Despite the challenges, I continued to navigate and comply with the ever-changing rules. I even set up my own rapid testing room, leveraging my RN designation, to allow clients who hadn’t received the vaccine to attend classes and offer testing for anyone who needed proof.
To help bridge the financial gap, I started to offer coaching as a holistic functional medicine coach online and my husband took a job in Ontario, leaving me to manage our two boys under two. During this time, one of our regular studio members fell into a dark place, struggling with mental illness and eventually stalking me (a story for another time as this is still ongoing!).

Through it all, we weathered the storm. Slowly but surely, class attendance grew, people became less isolated, and we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We expanded our offerings, adding Pilates and strength classes, and by the winter of 2023, Hot Yoga made its return to my business after my friend was forced to close her studio due to the pandemic.
This moment was bittersweet for our community but this was a rebirth of sorts, an opportunity to evolve and open the door to something new—offering both heated yoga and Pilates classes! It was a dream realized—becoming a true hub for movement, self-connection, and community. Today we offer simultaneous classes across both the spin/strength and barre/yoga sides, and our child-minding services serve our community 6 days a week. It feels like we have “made it” after such an intense journey over the past few years.

Having undergone a formal rebrand to transition from “Wheel Fit Co” to ” The Fit Co” as a more updated representation of our services, my business feels complete and in a place where I can fully process the journey that it has been. This new found mental space has allowed me to follow the breadcrumbs of my next creative venture, in which I created a solution to an issue that was near and dear to my heart. My third son struggled with painful eczema when he was just a few months old, and in my search to soothe his skin, I started making naturally infused Beef Tallow Skincare.
Tippy Tallow emerged from this need and it has since blossomed into a beautiful second business that’s growing steadily. My husband and I have taken on a partnership in this new venture, and it’s been an exciting learning curve as we are seeking transition from a service-based business to a product-based one. We are preparing to sell the studio business in the near future and welcoming a fresh and safe start in the year to come. This shift comes with its challenges, but it’s also opening up new opportunities for growth and creativity.

My passion for living a holistic lifestyle has always been a core part of who I am, and it truly shines through in this business. Tippy Tallow is a natural extension of the values I have carried with me since nursing and have instilled in my studio space, focusing on the importance of self-care, natural wellness, and nourishing the body from the inside out. What started as a small solution for my son’s eczema has now become a thriving brand that aligns with my mission to empower others to take care of their bodies in a way that feels authentic and grounded. The beauty of Tippy Tallow is that it’s not just a business—it’s a reminder to slow down, tune in, and care for ourselves on a deeper level. As we continue to grow, I’m excited to see how this new chapter in our entrepreneurial journey unfolds, creating a space where wellness and self-love intersect in meaningful ways.

The entrepreneurial journey is never a straight line, and it rarely looks the way we think it will. But when you follow that path of alignment, the intention behind each step stays the same. I’m proud of my resilience and that tenacious spirit that keeps me going. I’m here, sharing my story because I listened to that inner voice guiding me. At the heart of everything I do is my commitment to showing up as my true self, being of service, and making a positive impact for the greater good.

Have you ever had to pivot?

COVID! I created new policies and procedure’s every few weeks to maintain compliancy, I shared some of this in my journey on the previous page but I have listed a few of the stand out pivots of this ‘era’.
When we got notice of our first shut down, I set up renting our bikes (21 units) within 3 days of being shut down so that our members could continue to engage in their fitness regimen while staying connected to their community.. We launched live facebook classes and offered a drop box bank of recorded classes put on by our instructors. This bridged the gap and is how we managed to pay our rent for 2 months until government supports were offered to help offset the gap between revenue and expenses.
Another moment that comes to mind where a big pivot came to play is when at one point, it was required to have a physical barrier or 6 ft distance in order to offer services. We installed clear shower curtains from our drop ceiling between bikes to maximize the number of seats per class. (I cringe thinking back on this one and still have the hangers on the ceiling as a reminder of how far we’ve come.)

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

The roadblocks I encountered with my initial business plan were really a redirection in the best way. I had over 80k in student debt when I wanted to open my business, I had just broken up with my ex (whom I was living with) and somehow I managed to swing a mortgage and 20k business Mastercard (as it is all I was approved for) for my start up within a few weeks of each other.
I was able to start my studio on VERY limited funds by financing my equipment (leasing) and keeping the extras VERY low. We still run the same sound system and light strips as when we first opened. My focus was always on refining and perfecting the EXPERIENCE we provided our members with. We didn’t need granite counter tops to leave clients feeling on top of the world after a class! Another way I hustled was by offering founding rate punch passes for pre sale before our doors opened to help pay for other items like furnishings and towels. The sublet I had in my space was married to a carpenter and he graciously did the build out with very accommodating terms on repayment!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tippy-tallow.square.site/ , www.coldlakefitco.com
• Instagram: @tippytallow @coldlakefitco
• Other: @theinspiredllama

Image Credits

@nova.creative.co Alyssa McKibbon
@fullhardtphotography