We recently connected with Molly Canu and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Molly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I had successfully been running my own personal training business in NYC for about four years when my husband and I decided to partner and open a brick-and-mortar location. Up until then, my training business took place in my client’s apartments, their building gyms, or rented studios. I was commuting all over NYC from 5AM until 8:30-9:30pm most weekdays.

When I found out I was pregnant in the spring of 2016, we realized that my current work schedule was unsustainable with a baby. I am a worker by nature, and I couldn’t imagine stepping away from that- and honestly, we couldn’t afford to. So, we started to look at mixed use buildings in Brooklyn and Westchester. We wanted to open a location where we could offer group training, hire staff, and still be present for our son. When we found the building that currently houses our business, Fit Inn, we took a leap and bought it. It had no certificate of occupancy and needed a ton of work, but it fit our needs.

One of the best pieces of advice we got was to hold on to our NYC training clients until the business was up and running. It was really tempting to scrap it all and dive in headfirst, but you need to make sure you have money coming in. The Tarrytown location gave us easy access to New York City and more space for our growing family. We chose mixed use so we could live in the upstairs apartment and build out the studio on the 1st floor. The location of the space came down partly to the availability of that kind of space, but we also knew there was a real need for a well-programmed, friendly, boutique fitness studio in Tarrytown and the surrounding villages. At the time, options were limited- and boutique studio classes like the ones common in Manhattan were almost nonexistent here.

We set out to create a space that is welcoming and judgement-free, a place that feels like a second home. We offer small classes that provide the personal attention of a training session at a more accessible price point, along with evidence-based programming that is modifiable to all fitness levels.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains. When I wasn’t being an athlete or a student, it was expected that I’d be working. I spent years in the service industry—babysitting, waitressing, bartending, renting out boats at a local marina, and cleaning hotel rooms and summer homes.

Eventually, I left to study theatre arts in college and then moved to NYC to become an actress. I quickly filled my time with restaurant jobs and slowly stopped auditioning. In my early twenties, I gained about forty pounds and really missed the athlete I used to be.

When I landed a steady job as a production assistant at a theatre production company, I finally had the time to start taking care of myself again. I began running, then joined a local gym and started strength training—and I fell in love with it. I lost the weight, ran my first half marathon, and realized it was time for a career change.

In 2010, I made the switch from production assistant to personal trainer. I loved it. It combined my customer service background with my passion for fitness and gave me the opportunity to spend my days helping people feel better in their bodies. I quickly became one of the top trainers at the Upper East Side Crunch where I was hired. After four years, I took a leap and started my own private business.

I love meeting new people and learning their stories. I’m a firm believer that we should all be lifelong learners, and continuing education has become a core part of my life—it’s how I run my studio and how I parent. I told my son recently, “If someone says they know everything, they’re full of s%$t.” I expect my staff to have that same mindset—you won’t last long in my studio if you think you already know it all. One of the things I love most about science, and especially exercise science, is that we’re always discovering something new about how the body works or reaffirming the things we have been doing.

I’ve been super selective about the staff I hire at Fit Inn. You have to have a passion for fitness, a passion for teaching people, and the emotional intelligence to meet folks where they’re at.

My greatest success as a business owner has been the community I’ve built. We have a lot of exercise converts in the studio—folks who used to hate working out and now love it. Our members want to move well and feel good. Many came in feeling apprehensive—maybe they’d had an injury or a bad training experience—but we’ve created a space that feels safe, welcoming, and collaborative.

We’re exceptional at building rapport, and it isn’t an act. We think about that knee that’s been bugging you when we climb into bed at night. We worry about your back when we know you have a stressful weekend or a long drive ahead. We brag to our spouses and families when you hit a deadlift PR.

Fit Inn is truly a family, and we are rich in connection, friendship, and success because of it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

At 25, I married a guy I went to high school with who I’d been dating for five years. We weren’t particularly financially responsible, and our goals weren’t aligned, but it seemed like what we were supposed to do. Around that time, we lost three friends in tragic accidents, and our marriage fell apart. By the time I turned 26, I was living on a friend’s couch, $10,000 in credit card debt, and newly divorced.

I’ve always known I was meant to do better with my life—and that it wouldn’t look like that forever. I remember vividly walking down Astoria Boulevard, tears streaming down my face, repeating out loud, “I am a strong, independent woman,” as I searched for apartments I could afford. I scraped up 2 months rent and put down a deposit on a crappy apartment in Astoria, signed up for a peer loan site, and consolidated my credit card debt. I threw myself into work and chipped away at the debt as I built my personal training career. It took two years of being really frugal and working seven days a week, but I cleared the debt and started saving. I stayed in that crappy apartment for a few more years. I am a firm believer that your 20s are for crappy apartments and working your butt off, at least that’s what worked for me.

One of my best qualities is my ability to handle a crisis. I don’t often wallow in failure—I can quickly pivot and find a solution. That skill has paid off in big ways over the years and as a business owner. It proved especially valuable when the pandemic hit, just a year after we opened the Fit Inn. Being able to say, “Okay, this sucks, everything’s a mess,” and then shift gears to, “Here’s what we’re going to do about it—and it’s going to be okay,” made all the difference.

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

People-pleasing is not a superpower. For a long time, I thought it was. I could make someone laugh, change the mood of a room, or calm a temper. I was a “yes” girl for years—definitely to the detriment of my mental health. I was overly accommodating, apologized too much for things that didn’t deserve apologies, and said yes to commitments I didn’t have the time or energy for. If someone wronged me or was cruel, I’d let it slide.

When I became a business owner and a boss, I had to learn—quickly—how to say no and set boundaries. I hated hiring because I’d spend most of the interview worrying about whether the candidate liked me. As a result, I ended up with a few staff members who took advantage of their salaried positions, didn’t own up to their mistakes, and walked all over me.

I found that having solid, clear policies helped a lot—but even more importantly, I had to learn to say no and speak up for what I wanted for my business. A few years ago, someone gave me a piece of advice that stuck: “Clear is kind.” It’s kind of the motto I live by now. If you have to have a hard conversation, being upfront and clear makes everything less painful in the long run.

I’m far less emotionally exhausted and resentful now that I’ve learned to be direct with my clients, staff, family, and friends. Boundaries are good for everyone. Clear policies are good for your team and your management. And direct—but kind—communication goes a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nyfitinn.com
• Instagram: @thefitinn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-canu-61b260b