Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Franks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kelly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

To set the scene – It’s 2001 & I am rehearsing my routine for cheerleading tryouts. I take a break to run around the house with my younger brother. I slip & dislocate my knee – no tryouts for me. Instead, I am 13, mortified, walking around school with crutches. Fast forward a month later and I get a random phone call from my best friend. She tells me that her sister asked if she wanted to take Karate lessons with her. She said no & jokingly responded that Kelly would.
And I did.
It seemed as though there was a push for me to find fitness in very odd ways but always just when I needed it most!
It was through Martial Arts training that I pushed myself, discovered my passion for instructing, and learned that I loved working out.
After a devastating college breakup, I found the gym. I fell in love with running after a “Devil Wears Prada” level experience as a recent grad. Fitness found me again, most recently, when I struggled to find my way in a new state.
Whatever the reason may be, fitness and wellness always seem to find their way back to me. By accepting that truth, I realized that I want to share it with others through instruction & motivation!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself & how you got started with StudioKey to our readers.

My name is Kelly Franks & I am the Owner and Lead Instructor of the South Jersey based fit biz, StudioKey Fitness. I am lucky to be blessed with supportive friends and family members who encouraged me to open my own studio. But, I knew that if I were to start a business, it had to be unique. It wasn’t until a few hours of silence on a road trip during the pandemic that it hit me – A studio dedicated to motivating people – to meeting clients where they are – and to supporting small, local businesses in the process.
StudioKey Fitness brings the studio to you through virtual classes, pop-up events in your home town and at your vacation spots, and by collaborating with your favorite neighborhood businesses. We curate classes & modify moves in an effort to welcome everyone to invite fitness into their lives so that working out is sustainable & fun.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than training and general knowledge of the fitness and wellness industry, I think one of the most impactful things that can lead to success is reading the room & creating connections with clients. Getting to know your clients & truly noticing the nonverbal feedback they are giving is huge. It allows me, in a spin class, to change from the intense speed work I had planned to instead, offering a few extra moments of recovery.
It’s the connection that you can gain from supporting someone through the most physically, and potentially mentally, challenging moments of their day that really can impact a client for a long time. That’s an insanely powerful feeling & a huge responsibility if you ask me!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

“Who Moved My Cheese?” By Spencer Johnson is a book that might seem cliche to some at this point but it is a super impactful book for me. I am not so great at dealing with change and when I stumbled upon this quick read about 2 mice in a maze who have to find their way after the location of their cheese had moved. Sounds silly but I now embrace the concept of going back to the drawing board and attempting to relearn or see things in a new light so that I can improve my approach and not feel so stale in a world that is changing soooo fast!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studiokeyfitness.com/
• Instagram: @studiokeyfitness
• Facebook: StudioKey Fitness
• Linkedin: Kelly Franks
• Other: StudioKey Fitness can be found on Mindbody for bookings as well StudioKey Fitness & Founding Trainer, Kelly Franks are also on the Upspace app

Image Credits
Rachel Rudy, my brilliant photographer. Find her on instagram @rachrudy