We were lucky to catch up with Traci Byrne recently and have shared our conversation below.
Traci , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Too many boutique fitness studios only have “an ideal body” teaching their classes. Sure – a person should be fit, if they’re an “expert” in the field, but people need to be able to “relate” to someone they’re asking for advice or help from. It can be very intimidating walking into a fitness studio and trying to do some things that you have maybe never done before. Also, you may be in a very vulnerable state of mind to begin with if you’ve been told by a doctor or someone else that you need to lose weight or get healthier. It can make everything a bit easier if the people working or instructing you look more like you, whether that means genetically or body type. We’ve tried very hard to encourage an environment where everyone is supportive and feels more on an even-playing field.
Traci , 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?
I feel like my entire life experiences have led me to get into fitness and open this studio. I was always a kid who was interested in music, dance & movement. There was never enough money for me to really pursue those interests as a child, so it stayed just that – an interest. I helped out with choreography at my university Musical theater organization and it was very fullfilling for me. Eventually, i finished college, got into the paralegal field & not too long after that decided to stay home & raise kids. It was the joy of my life to be able to do that – I love kids & feel as though I have a knack with them.
After my kids got older & I was considering what to do for my own career, I had started to attend fitness classes & loved them & felt like it was something to try. I am very outgoing & have an easy time relating to people, so I looked into getting a certificate in personal training. It wasn’t easy, but I did it! I started out teaching Pilates classes, but when I saw the StarCycle business model, I felt that I’d found the perfect combo – a cycling studio where you can share your love for movement & music & a place that also offers childcare – something I could help with as well. I believe in helping people break down any & all barriers to getting their workouts done & I really wanted to offer opportunity to people with kids.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It is very hard to start a business in the city of Denver. The certification process is long & difficult to navigate. There is a lot of politics & hierarchy involved & if you don’t know the ropes, it can take forever & be very expensive. My poor contractor & I had to figure out how to navigate this system & it still was a long & arduous process. We had to be sure that the inspectors signed off when we were approved & sometimes they’d either forget or they wouldn’t sign, saying that they would enter the approval in the city records, but then they wouldn’t because they disagreed with their superiors about being in the union or not in the union. It was so frustrating. We had hoped to open in May of 2023, but weren’t able to open until August. That was a lot of money out the door & we hadn’t even started – so discouraging.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Honestly, the only way to keep connecting with clients & foster loyalty is by being there – most (all) of the time. They recognize & appreciate & share events in their lives with us & the only way that can happen consistently, is to be there for all of it – good & bad. We see members & celebrate with them through engagements, pregnancy & the things they go through medically, we also help members through times of high-stress & loss. So many people know that they need to continue to take care of themselves through all of the big changes in life & we help them to remember that & to be the comfortable place they come to for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starcycleride.com/denver
- Instagram: @starcycledenver
Image Credits
Emily Brittin – photographer