Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Avalos.
Hi Jodi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I honestly never intended to own a gym until my early thirties. In my early twenties, I got certified to be a personal trainer with the sole purpose of training myself properly after going to a trainer for a few years. Additionally, I thought about competing in bodybuilding competitions to remain in some sort of competitive athletics in my adult life and knew that certification would make that goal a little more manageable. Fast forward about ten years and I had been working in education and teaching for a little over seven years, I knew that I was going to need to make a career change. I had also recently fulfilled my goals of competing and it just clicked. In the fall of 2013, I decided that I wouldn’t return to my teaching assignment the following school year and began picking up personal training clients before and after school. The summer of 2014 DTLA Fitness had become a fully operational 1-woman mobile personal training business. After several successful years of going to all my clients, I decided to take the leap and turn DTLA Fitness into a brick and mortar space offering personal training and group fitness classes. My first space was very much so Skid Row adjacent, it was small, and it did not have air conditioning. For a little over two years, we operated out of that space and went through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.
The beginning of 2020 seemed promising, but then the pandemic hit. At first, we tried some online classes, then we rented a parking lot and (3) 8’x20’ storage containers, moved to two more temporary locations, and finally ended up in our current location in Axis Apartments. During the pandemic, I reconnected with an old gym friend, Marcell Brown, and we began a partnership to really grow DTLA Fitness. The struggle over the years has been real, but we made it!
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?
To say that road has been a little bumpy along the way would probably be an understatement. Between an initial slumlord, a pandemic, new partnerships, etc. we are extremely grateful to be where we are now.
We’ve been impressed with D.T.L.A. Fitness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Marcell and Jodi both have been athletes all of their lives and have backgrounds in bodybuilding. The group fitness classes at DTLA Fitness are different from other places in the area offering similar classes in that the class size is never more than 10 people. Most other studios cram 20-30 clients in a class. Jodi used to be a high school art teacher and recognizes the value in a low client to instructor ratio. We also offer personal training. In fact, one of our executive team members and personal trainers, Shawnie Dockery, used to be a DTLA Fitness client training for a bikini division bodybuilding show.
One thing we all have plenty of is a passion for health and wellness. As we all get a little older we are also realizing the importance of recovery. We are actually launching a wellness room in the studio this coming weekend on September 24th, equipped with state of the art recovery tools from Hyperice and HigherDose. Additionally, we will be offering massage therapy and assisted stretching sessions.
Our name doesn’t just stand for Downtown Los Angeles, it’s also an acronym for our motto… We are Determined To Live Actively!
What matters most to you? Why?
Community. We have such a great fit-fam here at the gym! Let’s face it, most people do not like to work out. It’s often difficult and challenging and takes us out of our comfort zone. When you are working out with people who make you laugh while you do it, it just doesn’t seem so bad. We have so much fun during classes, but we definitely don’t scrimp on the challenge either!
Pricing:
- Personal Training ranges from $65-125/session
- Small Group Fitness/Open Gym Memberships are $250/month
- Wellness & Recovery sessions start at $30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DTLAfitness.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/dtlafitness
- Facebook: Facebook.com/dtlafitness
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dtla-fitness-los-angeles-3
