We recently connected with Katie Cowan and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?

I began my company in 2017. . I am not a rower, but a competitive Dragon Boat Racer, and one of the testing time trials is testing on an Erg/Indoor Rower. What is a Dragon Boat? It is a long cigar shaped boat, that holds either 10 or 20 athletes and we paddle either on the left or right side simotaneously. I started Dragon Boat Racing in 2013, and did all the weight training and activity to be physicaly fit to do this sport. But, my endurance was not where it needed to be. I was introduced to the Erg, because my coach advised me the only way to increase my endurance was to do 500 meter time sprints. So, I went out and bought an Erg. This is where the journey began. If you go to the gym, you will see the ergs sitting in a corner, and only seeing people on them a few minutes. It is the most boring machine at the gym let alone have one in the comforts of your own home. Over the years, I visualized having a studio to make these machines fun! It is the best workout for anyone who has bad hips, knees or a bad back so long as one is taught correctly. I received my certification to teach, and thus began the start of Fit2Row. I am a small, woman owned, business that is not a franchise. I wanted to teach people who are not rowers or dragon boat athletes that they can learn through my studio. I wanted to create a fun, disco lights, and music studio. I wanted clients to come in and fee that they were apart of something even though everyone was at different physical levels of excercise. All different, but all the same goal! I have every walk of life, every age, and every athletic size that comes into the studio. I wanted to create an environment where people felt comfortable and welcomed when they came in. A place where they could workout and not feel like everyone was watching them. We all know that feeling! I know that feeling and never liked it! I also wanted to creat a place where there are no contracts. You come to Fit2Row because you enjoy a full-body workout, not feeling pressured to pay a monthly fee. Life is too busy! Over the years the clients becomes friends and family to each other. THe hardest part is when someone moves away because of a job relocation or life. But, regardless, they find a way to Zoom into class to see everyone they miss!

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

My name is Katie Cowan, and I am a 52 year old woman who decided to be an athlete later in life. Fit2Row is my passion, not my full-time job. I do have a full-time job as an Outside Sales Rep for an electronics’ company. I do my day job Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM on the road from Jacksonville, Florida to Melbourne, Florida. This is my territory. But, at 6::15pm I start my passion 6 days a week teaching the indoor rowing classes. Am I a workaholic? No, because I was always taught if you love getting up every morning and doing what you love, then it is not work. I love my day job, and I love my passion job! That’s me! At 40 I had lost my husband and needed to find an outlet. I fell in love with Dragon Boat Racing. What is it? It is an Asia Sport that began long time ago. They are long, cigar boats of 20 or 10 athletes paddling on either the left or righ tside, but paddling simotaneously to finish the race first. I will not lie, it is a hard sport but very rewarding because any where you go in the world you can always find a community of dragon boat athletes. If there is water, you can find a dragon boat! One of the time trials is doing an Indoor Rower. An Indoor Rower is also called an Erg. When I started, I was physically fit weight training wise, but my endurance was lacking. I was told to go to the gym and start doing 500 meter sprints. Ok, so I wasn’t a fan of big gyms. I always felt awkward going there. So instead I went out and bought one through Concept2. It is the most boring piece of equipement in the world, but oh what it can do for one’s endurance and body! It is great for those who have a bad back, knees and hips. It gives the control back to an individual who thought they could never excercise or be in shape again becuase of their bad knees, etc. Once I found I loved the machine, I got certified to teach indoor rowing. Once I got certified, I wanted to open a studio up for my area. I live in Orlando, Florida and it is a very big rowing and Dragon Boat community, but most rowing leagues have their own boat houses and have many ergs to warm-up on before they go on the water. My dream was to open a place for those that couldn”t find what they were looking for in a gym. My studio is a studio of disco lights and music. I do not offer beginning, intermediate or advanced classes. WHy? Because I wanted to have people feel welcomed and accepted when they came in, not identified as a beginnier, intermediate athlete. In my studio, we all start the warm-up together, but end class at different times. Some may only be able to do 20 minutes, while others will stay an hour. I love to teach the clients to “Listen to your body. You only get one, and you have to take care of it. You go at your own pace! ” We all begin together but we all end at different times. It creats an environment that allows the client to be competitive with only themselves. The hardest client I ever had ones a lady, in her 30s, that walked into my studio her first day only to tell me she hates to excercise. I thought Oh boy, this is going to be a challenge. I asked her what her goals were? She wanted to lose 45 Covid pounds. She couldn’t find an excercise or an exercise place she liked because she got bored very easily. Well, 7 months after she started with me, she lost 50 pounds and reach a million meter goal! She hit one million meters on her own through indoor rowing. She came 3 times a week, got to know other clients and even though she hates exercising, she loves rowing. It’s my favorite story., and I always ask if I can tell it. She rolls her eyes, laughs at me, and says….”go ahead.” I always love hearing the clients come in and tell me that 4 months after they start they usually end up at the doctor’s office for their yearly physical. The client usually comes running in and yells, the doctor told me whatever I am doing to keep it up! My sugar level that was once high is now normal! I lost weight too! This is one of the things as an instructor I am the most proud of!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is listen to your clients and treat them the way you want to be treated. Reember, my business could be considered “part-time” because I work full time during the day. My studio we call a “boutique like’ studio because I am not open 6AM to 11PM. I have set hours. I set the expectations of what the studio is, and the clients have come. Respect others for even though we are all different, we are all the same.

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

I am an A type personality, so I wanted everything to grow and start now. Well, that was a hard lesson to learn. It takes time to grow a business. I feel, if you go into business just for the money, the clients can feel that in the environment one creates. Respect others, learn from others will allow you to grow your business in a timely fashion. Patience was the lession I had to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fit2row.net
• Instagram: fit2roworlando
• Facebook: Fit2Row
• Other: Our second studio instagram is fit2row_nsb

Image Credits
Joe Petro – PSP Images Orlando, Florida