Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Reid.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Like so many FIT4MOM franchisees around the country my story starts when I walked into a class for the first time. I was pregnant with my son and wanted to stay active and get in shape for labor and delivery. I started taking FIT4BABY classes (our prenatal workout) and it ended up being the best thing I did while I was pregnant. It did help me stay active and feel strong and ready for labor but it also helped me learn about my body and what I was experiencing. Most importantly though, it helped me to start building my village of mom-friends.
If I didn’t miss the class so much after I had my son I don’t think I would have ever responded to FIT4MOM DC’s call for prenatal instructor applications, but I did. I auditioned, got the job, and started my studying for my certifications. My first week back to work after maternity leave was also the week I taught my first solo FIT4BABY (prenatal) class. About nine months later, in June 2020, the owner announced that she was selling the business. That was a Saturday and the following Monday, I told my boss of eight years that I was leaving my job and nearly 20-year career in the nonprofit sector to advance a different sort of mission. That was almost six years ago, and I still feel like it was one of the top five best decisions I’ve made in my life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m guessing you caught the part in my prior answer about buying a fitness business in June of 2020. No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. In those early months of the pandemic, I remember so many times when I felt like we could finally start planning for a new “normal” and then that framework for the world would shift; there would be a new variant or vaccines would become more available, and suddenly our clients’ expectations shifted as well, but not all together and not all in the same direction.
The only way we got through it was by coming back to our values.
We told our clients and team that their health was the most important thing to us. We believe that nothing should impede any person’s – or women’s, in particular – ability to make their own decisions about their health.
So, we committed to providing all relevant information about vaccination status, sanitation, practices, airflow systems, etc. to empower each person to make their own decision. Sometime clients were disappointed that a class didn’t meet their safety standards and we felt badly about that, but a client never went to a class to learn later that it wasn’t a safe environment for them and we felt very proud about that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
FIT4MOM is the nation’s leading pre and postnatal fitness community. We help moms find strength at every stage of motherhood through workouts and community designed for moms by mom.
We all keep hearing that “it takes a village” and women have been asking where this village is. Here we are! FIT4MOM is more than a workout. It’s where moms feel seen, supported and connected; where they recharge, fill their cup back up and put their own oxygen mask on.
Every FIT4MOM instructor is certified in pre and postnatal fitness; their training is rigorous and ongoing; they deliver formats designed by top fitness industry professionals; and still, no matter how amazing our classes are, the number one reason moms say they love FIT4MOM is … the other moms. This is no accident.
We intentionally set out to build a welcoming village and it all starts in class. Our instructors are expected to *host* the class as well as teach it, just like they would if they were hosting a party at their house – introducing moms to each other and pointing out connections. Those relationships grow beyond class through informal spaces we’ve created where moms can ask questions and share recommendations, etc., post-class coffees, playground playdates, a crybaby matinee showings of films like Barbie and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour; and so much more.
Most people know us for our stroller classes. They’re the most visible, and where FIT4MOM started 25 years ago. So, they are usually pretty surprised to learn that Stroller Strides only makes up about 20% of our class schedule at FIT4MOM DC. Below is an overview of all of the classes we offer at FIT4MOM DC. These include both in-person and live virtual options.
Come join us to see for yourself! Your first class is always free. https://dc.fit4mom.com/your-first-class-is-free.
MOM-AND-ME
Stroller Strides (cardio, strength and core)
Stroller Barre (barre-style)
Strides 360 (endurance and agility)
*Run Club – our runners run with or without strollers
MOM-ONLY
FIt4BABY (prenatal)
Body Boost (HIIT)
Body Ignite (strength)
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success by how well we’re living out our mission at FIT4MOM DC, which is to improve the experience of motherhood for every mom who crosses our path – whether she is ever a client or not. Success isn’t just about business indicators; it’s about whether moms are finding real support, connection, and confidence during a time that can often feel overwhelming and isolating.
If a mom comes to class feeling unsure, exhausted, or alone, and leaves feeling stronger, more connected, and more like herself, that’s success. It’s seeing friendships form, watching women discover a reverence for her postpartum (along with many other feelings), and knowing that our community is giving each mom a place to be connected to, tethered to, to fall back on if she ever needs to.
Ultimately, success is creating a space where moms don’t just get through this season, but are able to thrive.
Pricing:
- First Class Free
- $99 Unlimited Membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dc.fit4mom.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dc_fit4mom/
