We recently connected with Monica Flores and have shared our conversation below.

Monica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

I love vacations! Being a mom of three girls, I love vacations with my girls and getaways with my husband of 13 years. I think both are equally important! I also take my vacation time to rest physically and mentally. I do not make workouts a priority because I think it is good for my mental health to take a break.

Monica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My career started as a professional dancer. I fell in love with dance as a kid and always knew that I wanted to be on stage! My career took me to Philadelphia, Orlando, Chicago and Los Angeles. It was in these big entertainment markets that I was fortunate to work and learn from top choreographers. Their influence was stronger than I realized at the time! When I entered my 30’s, I decided to re-locate to Dallas after my wedding. I was a classically trained pilates instructor at this point, but I still craved the elation I got from dance. I wanted a workout that combined the endorphin releasing cardio with mindful movement..

At this time, barre and pilates were gaining traction in gyms, but traditional barre was much less exciting than a fun dance class. I took a risk and started to create my own method. I combine cardio, pilates and barre in a format similar to a dance class. Being in Dallas and teaching non-dancers, I had a lot of work to do to convince gym goers to get to my class! The success of my business started in these first years. I believed so whole heartedly that the benefits of dance conditioning were crucial to the gym enthusiast. Flexibility and mobility are the key to remaining injury free and learning short combos to music is good for your brain. The benefits of dance are proven for brain health, so I curated a class to hit everything I felt was missing for my gym clients. My class was the longest running studio class and I am pretty proud of that! My following became loyal and they saw so much change in their bodies, that made them re-think their exercise routine. I also started a studio out of my home which also gained loyal clients who still train with me to this day!

When covid hit, my belief in this workout method, fueled by tenacity kept my business strong. I had luckily started an online workout platform 2 years before, so having that already in place was great! I decided to make a daily connection with clients via zoom and Instagram. I always preach that the most important piece of equipment is your OWN body. Without access to a gym and little equipment available, clients enjoyed our daily online workouts. I took this large audience and raised over $1000 for the Dallas Genesis Women’s’ Shelter. I wanted to use my new platform for something good.

To have a successful business in fitness you must have a clear focus on what you teach, but also the ability to read your clients so your classes fit their needs. I have a limit on how much “dance” I infuse in my classes because I want my method to be accessible to everyone. I want everyone who steps into my room to “work” like a dancer without feeling intimidated. My clients stay with me for many years because I adapt to what they need and also the changes in the industry. I expanded my online categories because many people realized that working out at home helps them stay on track. Zoom has changed the accessibility of my live classes too! Every morning I have in-person and zooms in class!

I never expected for my business explode like it has, and I learned that I had be confident in my method and flexible to change. I did not always get it right and I had a LOT of late nights researching, but I was all worth it. Private training has really taken off and I think clients want more of an individualized experience. I now teach out of my studio, in private residences and reach people all over the world online!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My best advice for a strong social media presence is to find your niche and stick to it. Early on, my social channels were too mixed with my business and lifestyle. I needed to be more clear as to what my business was about and what I was selling. I hired social media pros but the best connection I made was when I did the posts myself.

I am so passionate about my workout and I think my audience responds better when they feel it comes from me. My page is very clear as to the type of movement I believe in and what my products are. I keep my lifestyle mainly in my stories. This clarity also has me focus on “what do I want from my social media audience”. Is it to teach them a mini workout? is it to have them try my online workouts? This has helped me increase revenue and my loyal followers can count on me to post content they are interested in.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The biggest pivot in my business was when covid hit! I never expected my last day at they gym was when I walked out after class on March 12th 2020. Within one week I had downloaded zoom and bought a mic! I spent hours on YouTube figuring out how to reach people in their homes! I was programmed to doing my business one way and had to completely shift my mindset. I got up and taught on zoom EVERYDAY! I took barre and pilates OUTSIDE, something I never thought I would never do!

Thankfully this experience made me go to work for myself full time. I realized how much less money I made working for others and how making my own hours worked better for my family life. I am so much happier with my work hours and with my kids getting older, this shift came at the perfect time!

Contact Info:

• Website: monicaflores.com
• Instagram: @monicafloresfitness
• Facebook: Monica Flores fitness
• Youtube: Monica Flores Fitness

Image Credits
Brian Guilliaux Lauren Whittaker