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

Marie, appreciate you joining us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

One of the best things about the past three years is seeing a newfound interest in movement and wellness. With activity away from home limited, many people turned to at-home workouts. Local studios like Move It, did their best to compete with national brands, creating a comparable online experience for their clients. We instantly went from connecting in person, to connecting on a screen, doing our best to keep clients engaged while navigating new technology. Although this change opened up a lot of possibilities, it also made in-person movement classes a distant memory. About a year into pandemic we noticed that even though we were able to reopen our studios, there was a LOT of caution around coming back. We noticed that the thought of putting on workout clothes, leaving the house, working out, then coming home seemed like way too much trouble and/or risk for the majority of our clientele. Meanwhile, spa services started booming. Looking at yourself on camera all day along with more social media consumption reminded everyone that those lines could be taken care of with a small injection.

What this meant for boutique fitness, an industry dependent on the in-person experience, was a dramatically shrinking market. Prior to COVID, the industry was expanding rapidly. Locally, national franchises were opening, local boutique studios were opening, and established studios were opening additional locations. Move It Studio had just built out a fully-equipped Pilates studio at the Manheim Township location and opened a new location in Downtown Lancaster mid-January 2020. With mandated closures, lack of eligibility for most forgivable loans, and stubborn landlords, we closed our main location in the fall of 2020. Although many other much larger companies were having to make the same difficult decisions, ours felt so personal. As the founder and studio owner, I had gone through two pregnancies and births while running the business. I had closed and opened locations. This felt much more difficult. The utter lack of control or even ability to make informed decisions was suffocating.

After downsizing to our newest location (purely on the basis of which landlord was willing to work with us), we found ourselves rebuilding our 6 year old business at the time. We got more clear about the qualitative and missional elements of the studio. We focused on what made us different from big chains and other online workouts. At one point we were offering outdoor, indoor, and online classes in addition to our professionally recorded library. We rebranded. We launched a values-based retail shop to diversify our income streams. We removed contracts for memberships and lowered our prices all while offering a greater variety in boutique fitness that still fit within the brand identity. Most recently, we added a private sauna to a smaller room we had previously used for storage. We built it out to be a ‘sanctuary’ for individuals to get the amazing benefits of infrared sauna and chromotherapy whether or not they take our classes.

So, the business model has shifted radically in multiple ways over the past three years. We continue to adjust to the shifting boutique fitness market and are successfully building a brand new client base. All metrics are trending upwards so we are cautiously optimistic. But what we’ve learned is to focus on the bigger picture of why we exist as a business, ‘to energize lives through movement and wellness.’ We often say we are a studio with a soul and clients describe feeling a palpable difference when walking in to Move It. The future is uncertain, but what we’ve been able to achieve as a very small business is a win for me.

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

Move It provides an alternative to mainstream boutique fitness, with the same focus on high-quality, personalized classes. Our mission is to energize people’s bodies, minds, and spirits. And we aim to create a space where everyone who walks in feels seen and knows that they are enough. We do not focus on weight loss. We focus on helping women especially to discover the strength and creative expression that already exists inside of them. We do this by providing amazing classes in barre fitness, dance-based fitness, and dance classes. We are expressly values-based; support Black Lives Matter, and welcome the LGBTQ+ community. We are the only Latine-owned fitness studio in the Central Pennsylvania Region!

As the founder and owner, I truly want people to know that movement in a boutique environment does not have to look like Real Housewives of New York. We all deserve a beautiful space to move safely, connect with others, and restore our minds and spirits. Move It provides inspiring dance-based movement classes along with a private-personalized sauna experience. I’m proud that whenever we have visitors from big urban areas like New York City, L.A,, or D.C., they understand the difference and the value immediately. Being able to offer a client experience that sets itself apart from big-city studios and franchises, feels like an accomplishment. After a lifetime training professionally as a ballet dancer, performing, then not knowing what direction to take, I’ve built and nurtured Move It over the past 8.5 years to offer the BEST of dance. In a smaller market, this has been challenging, but worthwhile.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Although I spent my whole life training professionally in ballet and had been developing my own brand of barre fitness over the years, the opportunity to lease a space came unexpectedly. I did not have the capital, credit or time to take out a business loan. I signed the lease July 1, ran a thirty day crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, and opened in September. At the time, signing a one-year lease was extremely scary to me. But we were profitable within 6 months. There have been a lot of ups and downs since then, and we actually just ran another campaign to help with COVID losses. It’s uncomfortable to be so vulnerable, but I’ve found crowdfunding to be an amazing marketing and communications tool. People feel invested in the business when they give, even if they don’t become clients. As we expanded, I’ve taken different avenues like borrowing from family and traditional loans. Crowdfunding has still been my favorite way to raise capital.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Opening a business was a pivot for me. At the time, I was working to build a career in the nonprofit sector after finishing my Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame. I was always teaching and performing on the side, but I was looking for something that was both mission-driven and could provide full-time employment. When I graduated in 2011, the hiring market was not good. I applied to at least 100 jobs and made it as a semifinal candidate to two different positions. I was told that even the part-time positions I was applying to had multiple applicants with graduate education. So I spent the three years leading up to opening Move It, teaching as an adjunct at a local university as well as at 3 other local studios while I figured out next steps. After getting a concussion during a dance performance, i realized that working at so many different places was spreading me too thin and also wasn’t building towards anything bigger. In June of 2014 I decided that I needed to be open to possibilities apart from the full-time day job gigs I had been applying to or the multiple part-time ones I was currently working. By end of August, Move It was formed and opened in September 2014.

More recently, after the toll the pandemic had on my whole being along with the business, I decided that I needed to be open to employment. I thought it would be something part-time and remote since I still wanted to keep Move It going. I started applying to jobs in December 2021 and had an offer by February 2022. I work as a full-time Donor Services Officer at the Lancaster County Community Foundation. I’m finally using my Master’s degree more directly and our offices are right across the street from the studio. Balancing the two has been a logistical challenge, but having some limits in place around how much I can work at either position has given me fresh perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moveitstudio.com/
• Instagram: @moveitlanc
• Facebook: @moveitlanc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariecr/

Image Credits
All photos by Melissa Engle Photography.