Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacie Robles.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jacie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is a journey. I wanted to become healthy, I was overweight, nearly 200 lbs and wanted to change my life. In 2015, I did, I became a bodybuilder and competed losing over 50 lbs in five months. I became a natural competitor and worked out and ate right every day until the competition. It was liberating, I was finally healthy. This caused a lot of attention. People began asking me to train them and help them become healthy too. I loved the gym but I had never trained someone. Unfortunately, a few months after my competition, my younger brother passed away. For anyone who knows me, knows my brothers are everything. I tell you this because my younger brother opened his own personal business at age 22. His business cards arrived in the mail the week he passed away. I was so timid and scared to start my business but here was my younger brother, about to do the same. I said, if he can do it, I can too! So, I became certified and my business idea was to do online training only. I came across a potential client, who is now my right hand. She wanted me to train her personally and would not take no for an answer. She was overweight and pre-diabetic, so she wanted me to create a meal plan and train her at a gym. Although i was hesitant to start something other than online training, I took the chance and the adventure began!
Her transformation was drastic! In just three weeks, you can see a noticeable difference in her and because of it, people began to hire me. Online and in person. I felt nothing but blessed. I began hosting boot camps in a park & that’s where My Fit Spotter began in 2016, an online format, with potential one on one training. Later that year, my now partner, Luis Robledo, opened a studio in Miami Springs, SAY fitness studio. He had been doing spinning but wanted to start boot camp. What was supposed to be me hired as a trainer, ended up in a partnership. I’ve not only trained clients but have become in charge of our marketing, branding, networking, hiring, management and many more business ventures. We took a studio with consistent 15-20 clients and turned it into over 70 clients. With clients having the advantage of taking any of 28 classes a week! This process has continued to grow and has been my little baby since the day I started. I have been hosting fitness fairs and events within the studio to promote local health businesses, bringing in 100s of people to the studio for free demo classes and samples. We recently remodeled and expanded the entire studio to allow for more clientele! Like I mentioned, this has been a journey.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The struggles were many. Some days, I wasn’t making a profit. I had to learn which pricing was the most effective and most responsive to my target market. You should know your worth but you also need to learn your market, don’t overcharge unless you know you can get enough profit. For example, if you can charge $100 but get five clients or do you think your market can only afford $50 but you can reach 10. You have to figure this out. If It doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to change it! We changed our monthly prices four times, now we think we found the right monthly to charge.
Find a mentor or don’t be afraid to find a partner. your skills are different, you’ll both add value to the company and can bounce ideas off each other. My partner knows about spinning and I know about Bootcamp, we don’t overstep boundaries and ask each other questions.
Lastly, don’t limit yourself. Set core values, if you’re passionate about something, start there. Passion will drive your business, your mind, and your income. Without passion, you’ll lose it all. People want someone who is as passionate about things as they are.
Please tell us about SAY fit studio.
We own a gym/studio. We don’t have a walk-in gym with machines. We have classes with an instructor or trainer. While many gyms can offer a group class, we specialize in yoga, boot camp, floor Pilates and spinning. Hopefully soon, adding two more styles of classes. The advantage of being able to jump from one class to other allows clients the chance to do cardio, weight training and stretching, in one place. A trainer fixes your form and helps you meet your personal goals! I am also a nutritionist so a lot of our clients have their own transformation journey here with us! I’ve helped over 100 people get the results they wanted.
Best part, we’re a family. You get to know people in your class and socialize and start to motivate each other. We’re also open 7-days a week because we know everyone’s schedule is completely different! We really pay attention to our clients and their needs to get them the best results possible
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I have to thank my male role models and my mother for my strong character. I personally have been able to help both men and women get to their goals. While men might be afraid to train with me because I am a woman, I’ve been able to break the mold by helping those men around me. This allowed me the chance to advertise more to males and it opened up the doors for that opportunity.
The advantage is being well rounded in both nutrition and exercises.
Pricing:
- $65 monthly UNLIMITED classes
- $10 drop in class
- $60 monthly nutrition
Contact Info:
- Address: 260 westward drive 2nd floor, Miami Springs, FL 33166
- Website: Sayfitstudio.com
- Phone: 786-973-1918
- Instagram: Sayfitstudio
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/sayfitnessstudio
Image Credit:
Vanessa Lopez
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