Check out this great article from Voyage Chicago interviewing our very own Annie Padrid.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2005, I moved home (Chicago) and was nannying while I decided if I was ready to go back into the classroom to teach (my bachelor’s degree is in Elementary Education). I had been a goalkeeper for the U of M Varsity Women’s Soccer Team during my time at Michigan, and was dying to stay in the sports field, at least for a bit. I decided to take some courses and become certified in personal training, and was hired at the local sports club in Hyde Park. After falling in love with the concept, as well as the practice I had developed, and continuing my education (certifications, classes, etc) and work at the same location for the next six years, I decided that, frankly, “I did this better than most people” and needed to be in charge of my own show. In November of 2011, my brother helped me put together an Excel spreadsheet to figure out HOW I could open my own studio. I had virtually no savings at the time, and quite literally
Read the Full Article Here.