Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Spangler.
Danielle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Originally from Dallas, Texas, I began my career in fitness in 1992 teaching group exercise classes in the small college town in which I attended school (University of North Texas in Denton). I instantly fell in love with fitness and as a result, changed my degree to Kinesiology. As my knowledge grew through my education, I decided to become a certified personal trainer.
Over the next five years, I worked at over 30 fitness centers including corporate chains, small private studios, hospitals, and even overseas at “all inclusive” resorts. I learned how to teach almost everything from hi-low, strengthening, step, interval/circuit, and indoor cycle classes. Eventually, I worked as the group exercise manager for a couple of corporate fitness centers. I moved to the South Bay in the late 90’s and began working as a private trainer and group exercise instructor at the prestigious Sports Club/LA in Westwood. I specialized in prenatal and postpartum fitness so I was lucky to become the “prenatal and postpartum” master trainer on staff.
After I had my first child, at the same time I wrote a continuing education course for fitness professionals on
Unexpectedly, after opening a vegan Italian Wine Bar with our friend in West Hollywood, I heard of an opportunity to buy a pilates studio/business in Redondo. The timing was perfect as Bionic Body was leaving Hermosa and merging with another studio. Though I did not anticipate owning my own fitness studio having three kids and a restaurant, it has always been a dream so I puled the trigger and my husband and I bought SWEAT RB and transformed it into Beach Life Fitness Boutique. The former owner of SWEAT RB did a great job offering really unique wellness services as well as group exercise classes. She created a great sense of community within her studio and we have tried to continue that mantra. The studio has a beachy vibe, sense the name, and offers clients a variety of great small group exercise classes like pilates reformer, TRX, Circuit, yoga, belly dancing stretch ball, and baby friendly prenatal and postpartum exercise classes. In addition, we offer private training, a stretch therapist, a reiki energy healer, massage therapy, cryotherapy an infrared jade hot stone massage bed and more! We have free parking, are a block off the beach and welcome anyone and everyone. Our goal is to create a happy, healthy and safe exercise environment which is unique and special, locally owned and locally grown 🙂 Please check us out!
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think owning your own business is ever easy. You are constantly trying to make the guests happy and also figure out how to grow the business in a manner that makes sense. Owning a fitness studio is particularly stressful I think because either is so much competition. The fitness industry and dramatically changed in the past 25 plus years since I started as a group exercise instructor and it truly is a buyers market. Companies like Class pass and Groupon drive down prices for the consumer that make it tough to meet overhead and you have to constantly think “outside the box” in fitness with creativity and new class formats to keep interest “alive”.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Beach Life Fitness Boutique story. Tell us more about the business.
So my company is called “Beach Life Fitness Boutique” and our core values are to give the members an “ideal” experience from the minute they walk through the doors with customer service, instruction, and accountability. Our goal is to provide a relaxing, yet fun environment and give you workouts that help you and enhance you’re well being. I do not believe in “no pain no gain”, rather in treating the “whole person” individually and getting back to their needs. Working on basic posture, form and corrective movements is something we integrate along with traditional types of exercises. We want people to thrive in their daily lives so we are advocates of functional fitness. I believe this studio is unique as we offer services specifically to certain special populations. We also offer localized cryotherapy and a jade infrared hot stone bed along with stretch therapy, reiki energy healing, massage therapy, and functional nutrition. ALL wellness modalities are covered!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Lately, more of my industry has gone “online”. I have mixed feelings about this. I know it is convenient at times but then you are lacking human interaction and professional advice with exercise. I believe a combination is more realistic for studios to survive and people to get the “community” they desire from whatever they like to participate in. Also, I see more of a medical fitness approach coming. More people than not have some chronic illness or injury, The baby boomers are the largest population in history and we need to be prepared as a fitness as an industry to help them. Finally, there is more awareness too on women health and fitness and I see this as becoming more of a popular niche.
Pricing:
- Intro Classes are $18
- Two week introduction trial for up to 8 classes (excluding intro class) $45
- Single Cryotherapy and Infrared Jade bed treatments $25
- 5 pack of Cryotherapy and Jade bed treatments are interchangeable and $100
- Cryotherapy facials $35 or two for $70
- Class packages range from $20/class to $27/class
- Private training ranges from $100-$150/hour
Contact Info:
- Address: 312 S Catalina Ave suite E Redondo Beach, CA 90277
- Website: www.beachlifefitnessboutique.com
- Phone: 310-779-8641
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: beach life fitness boutique
- Facebook: beach life fitness boutique
- Twitter: beach life fitness boutique
- Yelp: beach life fitness boutique
Image Credit:
Danette Mitchell
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