Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Salata. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
My dear friend and business partner Melissa Monoki and our families were spending NYE together. Our families are close and we also have sons the same age. The boys and husbands were watching the Football bowl game and Melissa and I were outside on the lanai enjoying a beautiful Florida evening. Our conversation eventually shifted to our jobs and complaining about our current bosses/jobs, as we had been of late. As it neared midnight, I said we should make a NYE resolution and Melissa immediately agreed. When midnight came, we toasted to “Be The Change”. We decided we were going to take control of our future (Jobs/career) and do something about it vs complaing about it, At that point we were committed but had no idea how we would initiate change or what it would be. Two days later, families togther again and on our way to tampa for the Reliquest Bowl game, were we talking about BODYBAR Pilates. We were both members and were very passionate about it. What happened next, I feel is was a sign from God. Melissa wondered out loud if Bodybar was a franchise. A few clicks on her phone and we found out that it was…she texted the contact for more information and before we arrived in Tampa for the football game, we had a call scheduled for the following week to learn more about BODYBAR. Two month later, Melissa and I flew out to Ft Worth /HQ to “meet the team” and less then a month after that, we signed our FDD agreement for two studios! What a whirlwind that was. Everything felt right, we did have to do a little convincing to get both of our husbands on board, but eventually they saw the opportunity that we did. We each had very different career backgrounds, that would each be a critical asset to the business adventure.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are a Reformer Pilates studio located in Heritage Harbour off of Hwy 64. BODYBAR Pilates is a new and growing Franchise in the Boutique Fitness Industry. We have 14 reformers in our studio and offer 8 types of classes to our members. We are open everyday , with our first class normally at 5:30 am and our last class starting at 7:30 pm. We meet you where you are in your fitness journey. Our workout starts with the core and builds strength and balance.
Melissa and I started out as members, we found a workout that we looked forward to and didn’t dread the thought of going. I had recently lost over 100 pounds, I had weight loss surgery and it was imperative that I find a way to workout for life. Melissa made me come to class with her, and that was all it took.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
From our NYE resolution to “Be the Change”, our journey to opening our first studio lasted 2 years and a month. Our path to opening our first studio was bumpy and full of roadblocks and detours. Some of the challenges we faced were: determining a location for our studio and all the negotiation that entailed around the LOI and Lease, the entire SBA loan process from finding the right bank match to gathering all the needed documents and finalizing the loan, we vetted several construction companies and we are so happy with who we chose, but we did have some problems along the way, for instance our Certificate of Occupany and our Sign for the studio. In the end, it all worked out and our opening was a huge success. We were humbled by the community support during our grand opening celebration.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
All four of the owners are hands on and involved to different degrees on a daily basis. We think of our studio and members as our community. We feel it is important to be present at the studio, to be a part of the community we have built. This way we see first hand when there is something we need to course correct or on the flip, side celebrate a win! We have a great team we have developed and can trust to take care of the day to day when we are not there as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bodybarpilates.com/studios/heritage-harbour/
- Instagram: @bodybarheritageharbour
- Facebook: bodybar pilates – heritage harbour
