Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Harari.
Mark has been involved with athletics and fitness nearly all of his life, beginning at a young age with team sports including soccer, baseball, football, basketball, tennis and track and field. In high school and college, he narrowed his field of vision and concentrated on baseball, boxing and weight training. After graduating with a degree in Creative Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin, Mark moved to Los Angeles in order to combine his passions for fitness and business into one.
After several years gaining knowledge and experience in the fitness industry in Los Angeles, Mark knew there was something missing: a challenging workout that also encourages and empowers its students. And so in 2007, Mark launched Pulse Fitness Studio in Sherman Oaks, CA. During its first year of business, Pulse was voted the “Best Fitness Studio in Los Angeles” by Fox LA., and the studio has only grown bigger and better since! Mark’s unique concepts for fitness training, along with a passion for teaching, and an incredible group of staff and trainers are the driving forces behind his proven success as an instructor and business owner.
Mark has been featured with many of his clients on television shows such as E! Entertainment Television’s “15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks”, Access Hollywood, EXTRA, Entertainment Tonight, KTLA Morning News in Los Angeles, FOX LA News, and even and a role on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters”. Mark has been featured in PEOPLE Magazine, SHAPE, FITNESS magazine, OK! Magazine, and several other media outlets.
In 2011, Mark launched the PulseTread App for iPhone allowing users around the globe to download a brand new, personally designed and instructed, 30-minute treadmill workout each day. Mark’s philosophy on training is centered on challenges. His positivity encourages his clients to never shy away from a challenge because every challenge is an opportunity for growth and change!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building a business has been a wild ride from the beginning! There are a myriad of highs and lows (sometimes both in the same day!), but my goal has always been to, “keep moving forward”. In my second year of business (2008) the economy took a dive, and that was a tough hit to take so early in the game. Fortunately and thankfully, Pulse was able to weather the storm and continue in a direction of growth. One of my favorite aspects of Pulse Fitness Studio has always been our community and relationship with our clients.
However, the progress of technology has allowed customers to purchase products and services for continuously lower and lower prices. Groupon and Living Social were the first two brick walls that stood in our way, and now services like ClassPass and Zenrez that offer more services to the consumer for a lower price are really breaking down that community. Clients, understandably, are enticed by the lower prices through these social marketing outlets, and they are more open to jumping from one studio to another. So, we have to grow and modify our structure to meet these challenges.
Please tell us about Pulse Fitness Studio.
Pulse Fitness Studio has long been recognized for our trademark Tread&Tone class which incorporates 30 minutes of creative and challenging cardio on the treadmill with 30 minutes of strength and resistance training using weights and bands. In addition, Pulse also has phenomenal Boxing and circuit-training programs with some of the BEST trainers in Los Angeles.
I’m most proud of our trainers, staff, and clients. Each trainer is a certified professional with a strong fitness background and a true passion to help every client achieve their fitness goals. I want EVERY person to walk out feeling better, stronger, and more accomplished than when they walked in… and excited to return for their next workout!
I spoke earlier about the challenges of maintaining a sense of loyalty and community due to the emergence of social marketing platforms. While that’s true, my goal is still to maintain that family-like atmosphere with each and every client who walks in the door. While you may be able to get a better price for another studio through Groupon, you will never get a better value and experience than here at Pulse!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Ugh. I had a really great childhood with a wonderful family and some of the most amazing friends a guy could wish for. Can I just be thankful for all of it??
Pricing:
- First Class $10
- Classes range from $16-23 each, or $195/monthly membership
- PulseTread App for iPhone, free download, $4.99/month
- Personal Training at Pulse starting at $85/session
Contact Info:
- Address: 14396 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 - Website: www.PulseLA.com
- Phone: 818-461-9090
- Email: [email protected]
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
