Inspiring Conversations with Audra Skaates of OG Fit Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Audra Skaates.

Hi Audra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins with dance, my first love. Movement has always been the language through which I understood myself and the world. That passion carried me into a professional dance career, but over time it evolved into something bigger: a desire to create spaces where people could feel stronger, more connected, and be their best selves through movement. At the core of everything I’ve built is my why: impact.

In 2011, after putting myself through college and earning my BA, I took a leap and self-funded The Main Barre—Downtown LA’s first barre studio. I opened the doors with a dream and a strong point of view, little knowing how transformative the next several years would be. The studio welcomed tens of thousands of clients and built a loyal community long before boutique fitness became a cultural force. Our work was highlighted organically by outlets including The LA Times, Vogue, Goop, E! Entertainment, and CBS, a surreal validation for a small, independent studio.
Running my own space meant doing everything—brand identity, marketing, training, partnerships, and creating unforgettable experiences for clients like Lincoln Automotive, Mercedes-Benz, Disney, and Squarespace. Those early years were my real-life MBA.

My entrepreneurial path later expanded globally when I co-founded a franchise-model fitness concept in Australia. As one of the Chief Creative Officers, I contributed to building the brand from the ground up, developed training programs, drove grassroots marketing, grew the membership base, and oversaw sales—blending creativity, strategy, and culture into a scalable experience.

After returning to the U.S., I continued growing The Main Barre. Fast forward ten years—just one week before COVID hit—I had a franchise deal in the works; however, due to the gravity of the pandemic, I had to close the studio and pivot quickly. From there, my career evolved in exciting ways: I led creative direction for live and themed entertainment and held senior leadership roles at recognized fitness brands including Yoga Six, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, Gold’s Gym, Sweat Yoga, and Hot 8 Yoga. Each role deepened my understanding of building brands, leading teams, refining operations, and guiding growth—all while keeping my focus on creating real, meaningful impact through movement.

Today, those chapters have led me to OG Fit Studios™️ and Fit Kape™️. OG Fit, opening in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District in Los Angeles, is a high-energy transformation studio where we empower people to evolve from the inside out. We offer a full range of classes, including Barre, Mat Pilates, and Yoga, so every person can find their way to move, strengthen, and feel their best. Movement at OG Fit isn’t just about fitness—it’s about building confidence, strength, and resilience that extends far beyond the studio. Classes combine purposeful programming, bold lighting, curated playlists, and a supportive environment designed to leave clients energized, elevated, and connected.

Alongside OG Fit, I’m the founder, CEO and Designer of Fit Kape™️, a fitness athleisure brand about to launch and available at OG Fit Studios™️. Pre-sale orders are live in-studio where purchases are available until the full launch. Fit Kape™️ was born years ago, before Zelle existed, when I had to walk to the bank in Downtown LA in my workout outfits—not always feeling fully covered or safe. I knew there had to be a better way to feel confident, protected, and powerful while moving through life. Later, I pitched the concept with my team on a lunch-break Zoom in a bathroom while I was GM for another brand—proof that inspiration can strike anywhere. Fit Kape is about wearing your power—from studio to street, blending performance, style, and confidence so people can feel strong, expressive, and unstoppable.

Looking back, my journey has been anything but linear. The common thread has always been the same: movement, creativity, community, and a commitment to creating impact. And truly, I feel like I’m just getting started.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close—and I wouldn’t change a thing. From putting myself through college to self-funding my first studio, every step required grit, unwavering faith, and the courage to bet on myself before anyone else would. Building The Main Barre from the ground up meant saying “yes” to the unknown, learning every aspect of business through trial and error, and pushing forward even when the path was anything but clear.

After my international venture in Australia, I returned to the U.S. and poured myself into expanding The Main Barre for four more years. Then, just one week before COVID hit, I had a franchise deal secured—only to have the world shut down and be forced to close my studio. The heartbreak was real, but so was the determination. Reinvention wasn’t a choice; it was the only way through.

My time in leadership roles within larger fitness brands gave me invaluable experience in scaling operations, leading teams, shaping brand identity, and building strong, strategic sales processes. And woven throughout all of it were the inevitable voices—those who said I couldn’t, who questioned my decisions, who didn’t believe in the vision. Those moments taught me something profound: you have to silence the noise, tune into your purpose, and trust the voice inside you that knows exactly who you are and what you’re capable of.

I learned early on to surround myself with the go-getters, the dreamers, the builders—the people who wake up every day determined to become somebody. Their energy, ambition, and belief fuel your own. They remind you to rise, to push, to evolve, and to stay rooted in your why.

All of these experiences reaffirmed my commitment to creating spaces where people can power through movement with no judgment or pressure—and why OG Fit Studios™️ and Fit Kape™️ exist today: to empower, to uplift, and to create transformation from the inside out.

The road has never been smooth—but every detour, setback, and challenge has strengthened my purpose and expanded my capacity to create meaningful impact. I’m stronger because of the struggle—and every chapter has prepared me for everything I’m building now.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about OG Fit Studios?
OG Fit Studios™️ is a transformative fitness destination located in the heart of North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District. We specialize in high-energy, boutique-style classes designed to empower clients from the inside out. Our offerings include Barre, Mat Pilates, and Yoga, each thoughtfully curated to help clients strengthen, move, and feel their best. At OG Fit, every class is an experience: bold lighting, powerful playlists, and purposeful programming combine to create an environment that energizes, elevates, and inspires.

And in next year, we’re excited to launch LA Beauty and Body™️, another venture I co-founded with my brilliant partner and dear friend, Luci Estrada. This 12-week transformation program is a full mind-body-beauty experience designed to elevate you from the inside out. It blends optimal training, expert technique, personalized coaching, and supportive nutrition guidance with curated beauty touchpoints woven throughout the process. It’s a fully immersive, results-driven transformation where we strengthen your body, elevate your confidence, and glam you up—capturing your best self along the way.

In addition to the studio, I’m proud to be founding and launching Fit Kape™️, a fitness athleisure brand born from years of experience building confidence and community in movement. Fit Kape is about “From Studio to Street—Wear Your Power™️”, designed for women to feel strong, empowered, and stylish in their workouts and before and after class. We’re currently offering presales in-studio, and Fit Kape will also be available at OG Fit Studios when we officially launch.

Both OG Fit and Fit Kape are built on one core belief: movement and self-expression are powerful tools for transformation, and everyone deserves a space to feel empowered, connected, and fully themselves.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My first love was dance. I remember telling my dad when I was four that I’d own a dance studio one day—mostly because he always made me turn the music down! I told him, “Well, someday I’ll have a studio where I can dance and move with the music as loud as I want.” I started saving my allowance from that age, and by seven, I bought my first $350 boom box.

I come from humble, entrepreneurial beginnings, growing up surrounded by amazing, driven parents who instilled in me the value of hard work, creativity, and independence. They raised me with a simple but powerful mindset: if you want something, earn it first—and then go get it. Those early experiences shaped my love of movement, my passion for building community, and ultimately set me on the path to creating my own spaces where people can feel alive, empowered, and connected through dance, movement, and fitness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ogfitstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ogfitstudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576785563187
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audraskaates/

Image Credits
Leighanna Kennett