Community Highlights: Meet Elisha Rhodes of Viva Fit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisha Rhodes.

Hi Elisha, 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?
My journey to where I am today began when I left a very difficult situation in North Carolina and came to California with only $5,000 to my name. I had three children depending on me, no car, and no place to live. I was starting over completely, but I knew I had to find a way forward.

After arriving, I reconnected with brothers from my father’s side of the family whom I had been separated from for many years. My father died by suicide when I was four years old, so rebuilding those family connections was an important part of that chapter of my life. My brothers were working in the cannabis industry, and I helped them transform a small garage grow into an established cannabis company with dispensary operations.

I eventually began working at one of the dispensaries. When new ownership took over, they immediately recognized my leadership abilities and placed me in charge. I later owned the management company responsible for running the dispensary. That experience taught me how to manage people, solve problems, build systems, and keep a business moving forward under pressure.

About six months before the dispensary ultimately closed, I made a promise to myself that I was going to open a gym. My vision for Viva Fit was much bigger than simply creating a place where people could exercise. I wanted to help people become the best versions of themselves through the power of physical fitness. I believe that our issues are held in our tissues and that movement can help us become stronger both physically and mentally. I wanted people to understand that, with the power of the mind, we can overcome obstacles, change our lives, and create our own reality.

I began searching for the right location and eventually signed the lease for Viva Fit—before I had the financing completely figured out. When the dispensary closed, I had no job and only $11,000 left in my bank account. The exact amount required to secure the Viva Fit location happened to be the exact amount I had. I took the risk and invested every penny into the gym, even though I still had children at home and bills that had to be paid.

Because I needed to generate income immediately, I started working for Instacart. I worked more than 60 hours a week delivering groceries, using the money to support my family, pay my bills, and purchase equipment for Viva Fit. There was nothing glamorous about that season. It required sacrifice, exhaustion, faith, and an absolute refusal to give up.

That is how Viva Fit was born. I did not begin with investors, financial security, or a safety net. I began with a vision, the last of my savings, and the belief that I could build something meaningful. Every part of Viva Fit represents resilience, hard work, and the decision to keep moving forward—even when I had no guarantee that it would work.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The financial side has been my greatest challenge. When I signed the lease for Viva Fit, I did not have great credit, a traditional job, investors, or money set aside for equipment and operating expenses. I had to build the gym piece by piece while simultaneously figuring out how to keep my household and the business financially afloat.

I had also never owned or operated a gym before. I understood fitness and knew how to help people transform their lives, but I had to teach myself every other part of the business—from membership systems and billing to equipment purchasing, maintenance, staffing, marketing, and daily operations. There was no manual and no financial cushion, so every problem had to be solved in real time.

Another challenge has been establishing a new business and earning visibility and support within a small community. It takes time to build trust, help people understand your vision, and show them what makes your business different. There have been moments when I wished more resources and support were available to local small-business owners, but that has only made me more resourceful and determined.

The constant pressure of finding the money for each next step has probably been my biggest obstacle and stressor. At the same time, it has taught me that I am capable of figuring things out even when I cannot see the entire path ahead. I did not wait until everything was perfect or fully funded—I built Viva Fit as I went, one challenge and one solution at a time

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Viva Fit is much more than a 24-hour fitness facility—we are a metaphysical gym built around the belief that lasting transformation begins from within. We combine physical fitness with the mind-body connection, teaching our members how conscious thinking, movement, neuroscience, presence, and personal energy can influence the way they feel, respond, and experience their lives.

Our philosophy is that “our issues are in our tissues.” The body can hold stress, trauma, fear, and limiting beliefs, and physical movement can be a powerful tool for processing those experiences and creating meaningful change. We encourage people to become present, recognize their habitual thought patterns, regulate their nervous systems, and understand that they have more power over their lives than they may have been taught to believe.

What sets Viva Fit apart is that we are not only helping people change their bodies—we are helping them become the strongest, healthiest, and most empowered versions of themselves. Through high-quality equipment, personal training, group fitness, and a supportive yet elevated environment, we teach members to use both their minds and bodies to overcome obstacles and consciously create a life that feels aligned with who they truly want to become.

I am most proud that Viva Fit challenges the traditional idea of what a gym can be. It is a place where physical strength, mental resilience, self-awareness, and personal growth all come together. We want every person who walks through our doors to leave feeling stronger—not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The most important quality behind my success is resilience. I refuse to give up, even when I am afraid, exhausted, or uncertain about how everything will work out. I do not need to see the entire path before taking the next step because I trust myself to find a solution along the way.

My life has taught me that difficult circumstances do not have to determine your future. When I do not know how to do something, I learn. When a plan does not work, I adjust. When an obstacle appears, I find a way around it. I have become comfortable with being uncomfortable because I know that growth often happens when we are pushed beyond what we thought we could handle.

I believe that success begins in the mind. Through conscious thinking, disciplined action, and an unwavering belief in what is possible, we can overcome obstacles and create a different reality for ourselves. That belief—and my refusal to quit—is what allowed me to build Viva Fit, and it continues to guide everything I do

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Vivafityv.com

Image Credits
Ashley Loth
Elisha Rhodes
Russell Estes