We were lucky to catch up with Julie Ferrer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for making an impact. An impact on my kids, my husband, my family, my friends, and for anyone and everyone I interact with and work with through my business. This idea started way back when I was a Freshman in college at St. Lawrence University. My first year of college I signed up for a program called, “Making an Impact,” and til this day I remember it vividly. The ultimate point of it was to set up first-year students as they entered a new chapter in their life to create an impact as they go through college for the next four years and beyond.

Fast forward after school, I knew I didn’t want to settle with just any career. I initially got a job in digital sales and marketing which was a great launch into the “corporate world,” but it wasn’t fulfilling me in a way that I felt I knew I wanted to make a difference in this world. It wasn’t until I stepped foot in a boutique fitness studio in NYC, SoulCycle, that I realized I had to make this combination of performance, athletics, movement, sweat, music, and being surrounded by like minded people my everyday life. It filled me up in a way that I knew I wanted to learn all about it, be coached, and ultimately teach others on how to be comfortable with the idea of getting uncomfortable and make an impact on their lives. So with a lot of hard work I did just that.

Currently being seven years in the fitness industry, I can confidently say I’ve made an impact, but I also know I’m just getting started. When my family and I moved to Raleigh two years ago and had to say goodbye to a job that I loved and allowed me to do what filled me up, I realized that this move to somewhere new was just an opportunity. It was an opportunity to grow, create, elevate and bring my expertise and passion to a whole new market. I want my kids and my family and those who have been on this journey with me for a while now know that when you love what you do and you do what you love you can make it happen anywhere, you can create impact anywhere because impact is everlasting.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

First of all…Hi Everyone! My name is Julie and I am so excited to introduce myself to you, so thanks for reading! First and foremost, I am a mom. I have three kids, 4.5, 2.5, and 7 months and a 12-year-old Peagle (Pekingese/Beagle mix!) I know, I’m in the thick of it, but they are great kids and I feel lucky to be their mama. My husband Matt and I have been married for almost 9 years and he is the greatest teammate. I come from a big family and grew up in the Northeast in a small town called New Canaan, CT, but very happy to be n the South now for two years raising my family here in Raleigh!

So let’s get talking about HomeTurf. How did it come about? How did I get here? Etc etc…

I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a little background as to how I got into the fitness industry first. In 2010 I graduated college and moved to NYC shortly after to work in digital advertising. I bounced around to a few different companies while trying to live my best (very frugal) life in NYC. What was becoming popular at the time were boutique fitness studios and my friend who knew how much I loved music, dance and working out, invited to me a class called SoulCycle. And yes…as you can imagine…after my first class I was hooked. I didn’t know how to do 90% of class, but I knew I wanted to because of how it made me feel. Dark room, loud music, people pushing themselves, sweaty high fives to complete strangers. I was completely in awe that there was a place that I could go to, not knowing anyone at all, but also feeling like I knew everyone and completely at home at the same time. That was different. That was special. That was cup filling. I knew it was something big and I wanted to be apart of it.

What made me realize was that I wanted to make the career switch from advertising to fitness was how badly I wanted to coach and make an impact. I am someone who invests a lot into my relationships with others. If I have to look back one day and think to myself what is one thing I did right, I would want to think it would be the way I made others feel. So with that and seeing an opportunity to make this cup-filling modality my job, I wanted nothing more than to not be a rider anymore and to be on the podium. After two rounds of auditions, a ton of training that consisted of early morning train rides to NYC to ride being training started, to hours of training and riding after and then late night trips back to CT, I made it and taught at SoulCycle for almost six years in the suburbs of NYC.

The back story is important because granted I don’t work for SoulCycle anymore and I’ve now created my own brand and opening my own studio, but it was because of that opportunity I found what fuels me and now I am taking it to the next level; opening Raleigh’s newest indoor cycling studio called, HomeTurf!

So where did HomeTurf come from? In 2020 when the pandemic hit, SoulCycle had to shut down its studios for some time and all of us instructors had to find ways to pivot. As someone who has a lot of energy and uses movement as a form of therapy I knew being stuck at home with no where to go was going to be quite challenging for me, so I threw out an idea to some of my riders…anyone want to work out on zoom together?!

From there HomeTurf came about. Weeks turned into months and little did I know that months would turn into years and teaching what started as only strength/HIIT classes online to then adding online cycling classes, this team and brand would form! It probably wasn’t until 2021 that I gave my zoom classes a name and the way I came about HomeTurf was pretty simple. I tried to come up with a name that represented me and my experience as an athlete and a performer into one. It was always when I was playing sports from high school through college that I had that extra pep in my step on the field when I played on my own home turf, and same when I performed! From musical theater to (fun fact: I started co-ed a cappella groups in high school and college) and performing for my friends and family, my “Home turf,” were always the biggest heart pumping moments. HomeTurf is a place where we will always feel we can give 100% because we want to, because it means something to us, it’s our safest most vulnerable place literally and figuratively.

So…fast forward to 2022 my husband gets word that we need to make a decision to move to Raleigh, NC. As challenging as that was for me, my gut said it was right. It meant picking up and leaving my job at SoulCycle, leaving my hometown where we started to grow our family, moving away from family and my dearest friends and moving away from everything that I knew was comfortable. As scary as that was, something about it got me excited for a new opportunity and adventure.

Soon after we moved to Raleigh I quickly realized there was a need for a place that felt similarly to what I had experience for the last six years. While still teaching HomeTurf online to my zoom team I marinated on this idea of opening my own studio and after a year and change into the making, I finally signed my lease. This was both beyond exciting and absolutely terrifying, but I’m a big believer on letting fear fuel the fire.

I know I am going to deliver something different. I am really focused on what I am looking for when it comes to talent, staff, the studio, and especially the experience. I want everyone who comes into HomeTurf to know that yes, we will push your physical and mental boundaries, but to also know it’s a place where you can feel at home. A place where you can feel comfortable to come to when you’ve had a day. To let go, to celebrate, to release, but to also activate a part of you that will surprise you every time. A place to practice how you approach the things that will be presented to you in every day life.

It’s gonna be good. There will be no screens or numbers telling you how you are doing, it will be a dark, low-lit room and all of us riding to the beat of the music as one. I can definitely promise you more than a sweat and a butt-kicking workout and if you wanna come to just roll your legs, listen to good music, and meet some awesome people, thats perfect too. All I ask is that everyone comes with an open mind and the willingness to be coached. Ego’s are left at the door. We are teammates as soon as you walk through the door.

I am grateful for this opportunity and all the steps I’ve taken along the way to get me here. It’s resulted in a lot of sacrifices, a lot of pivots, a lot of change, ups and downs you name it, and I know it will continue to, but one thing that is a constant though it all are the people. Continuing to surround myself with those who support and lift up, those are the people, those are my people and I am so excited to grow this team at HomeTurf with you all, Raleigh!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There’s no real backstory to this lesson that I had to unlearn, but I think this is something that can be easily mistaken and it’s that; everyone is going to like you. Something that I have realized over my years in the fitness industry is that just because you have a platform to make an impact on others in a positive way, doesn’t mean the way you do it is going to be for everyone. What DOES matter is you staying true to yourself because the way you do things, create, coach, elevate, WILL be the way for someone and it just takes one person. I think it’s easy to think and fall into a trap, especially with social media these days, that certain people within the industry you are passionate about and you admire means that is the way you should go about things. I think that must means it’s a great place to get some inspiration, but to never lose sight of waht makes YOU different and trust your ability to create an impact, because you can and you will, it just wont be for everyone and that is OK!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I truly feel HomeTurf came to life truly because of a pivot. As I mentioned in my introduction, HomeTurf was formed during 2020 when the world shut down and it was the way I kept my community together. I went into it with very low expectations, definitely with no plan, just a trust that those who thrive off good energy, movement, and music would show up. Little did I know it would grow into what it is today and become a physical place soon. It’s a total risk but one I am obviously very passionate about and a great reminder that sometimes the greatest things in your life can happen when you least expect it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hometurfnc.com
• Instagram: @hometurfnc

Image Credits
A few of the photos are by Jeb from BurtMedia