We’re looking forward to introducing you to Christa Gurka. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Christa, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity.
Because without integrity, intelligence and energy can actually become dangerous. You can be the smartest and most driven person in the room, but if you don’t have integrity…if people can’t trust you, depend on your word, or believe your intentions none of that matters.
Integrity creates the foundation for everything else. It’s what builds lasting relationships, strong teams, and sustainable success. With integrity, intelligence is used for good and energy is directed toward meaningful work. Without it, both lose their value.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Christa Gurka: a wife, mother of two, a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, an accidental entrepreneur turned business mentor for women in the boutique health and wellness industry. I started my first Pilates and PT studio in 2008 with just $2,400 in 300 square feet above a bakery, and over the next 18 years grew it into a multi-location, seven-figure business that I successfully exited earlier in 2025.
Today, through my company FitBiz Strategies, I help other women build profitable, sustainable businesses that don’t rely on them being in the room every hour of the day. My approach combines data-driven business strategy with real-world experience as a founder who’s been through the messy middle of growth, leadership, and even acquisition.
What makes my work unique is that I blend heart and numbers. I care deeply about helping women build wealth, freedom, and confidence through business ownership, while still staying true to their purpose and community. Right now, I’m focused on showing women that success doesn’t have to look like hustle 24/7.Instead it can be smart, strategic, and deeply fulfilling.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that certain kinds of success iin the form of high salaries, financial freedom, or running a thriving business were reserved for a select few. I thought people were either born into opportunity or somehow “just had it.” Over time, I learned that success isn’t predetermined but rather it’s a skill set that can be developed and a mindset that can be strengthened.
Through my own journey of building a seven-figure business from just $2,400 and 300 square feet above a bakery, I discovered that entrepreneurial success can absolutely be learned. We all start from different places, with different circumstances and resources, so the road fro some is certainly paved differently or not paved at all but when you intentionally put yourself in the room with people who think bigger, take risks, and operate with integrity, your perspective shifts. You begin to see what’s possible. Not just for others, but for yourself.
That realization completely changed how I see potential. I no longer believe success is something that happens to people. It’s something we build, choice by choice, conversation by conversation, with the right people around us.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that’s held me back the most has been the fear of being judged. For a long time, my sense of worth and value was tied to external validation. On how others perceived me, what I achieved, or how “perfect” something looked from the outside. I chased approval instead of alignment, and it kept me playing smaller than I was capable of. Over time, I’ve learned that no amount of money, recognition, or success will fill the void that comes from seeking validation outside yourself. Real confidence comes from within, from recognizing that I am a good mother, a good friend, and a good boss AND that sometimes I have to make hard decisions that may make other people unhappy. That doesn’t make me a bad person. It makes me a grounded one. Letting go of that fear and trusting my own voice has been one of the most freeing and transformative lessons of my life.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I protect at all costs is respect for every person’s autonomy and equality. I believe all humans are created equal and deserve the right to make choices about their own lives and bodies. Not everyone grows up with the same circumstances or supportive environments, Most of the time through no fault of their own and we have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable. To me, that means defending those rights and reaching down with helping hands to lift up those who need protection and opportunity the most.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes … when my business first hit seven figures, I thought I’d finally feel like I’d “made it.” I had set that milestone in my mind as the definition of success. But when I got there, I didn’t feel any different. If anything, I felt more pressure. NOw there was pressure not to lose it, to keep growing, to live up to what I thought others expected of me. That experience taught me a powerful lesson: external success doesn’t fix internal doubts. No number, achievement, or recognition can create lasting fulfillment if your sense of worth depends on outside validation. True satisfaction comes from alignment . From knowing who you are, what matters most, and building a life that reflects that from the inside out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.christagurka.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christagurka/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@christagurkabusinessmentor1187
Image Credits
Mary McHenry
