Fit Pregnancy Club Founder Carolina Gunnarsson On Staying Centered Through Bold Decisions
Proving there’s more to pre-natal fitness than yoga taught this fitness junkie that building a business requires a mindful approach.
Fit Pregnancy Club founder, Carolina Gunnarsson at her farm. Photo curtesy of Carolina Gunnarsson.
When Carolina Gunnarsson was pregnant with her second child, she had a craving for vigorous cardio. “My doctors kept suggesting prenatal yoga, but I don’t do yoga,” said the Manhattan-based mom. “It’s good for mindfulness, but I don’t think it should be the only workout for pregnancy. I like lifting weights and feeling strong, and I like to sweat, so I started working on a business plan.”
By 2017, while pregnant with her third child, she celebrated the launch of Fit Pregnancy Club (FPC) in New York City. She teamed up with a prenatal fitness coach to design safe yet dynamic group classes for moms-to-be and new mothers. The following year, FPC hit 1,000 members. FPC was quickly evolving into not just a boutique gym, but a thriving community of metro moms. Gunnarsson was finding her groove while navigating the medical and sensitive intricacies of marketing to the maternity market.
Fit Pregnancy Club (FPC) Studio. Photo curtesy of FPC.
Although her 2,000-square-foot studio in the heart of trendy Soho had no heavy fitness equipment, Gunnarsson soon began to feel the emotional weight that can come with running a business. In 2019, her cofounder decided to step away from startup life. And more affectingly, her son was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Both life-changing occurrences forced her to transform how she runs her business, and how she leads her family.
Of course, fitness, wellness and mindfulness played a huge role in navigating those decisions.
The Q & A
What is the one key thing essential to starting, funding, and building a business? Passion and a total belief in yourself! A lot of people will try to knock you down along the way and if you let those people get to you, you might as well go back to working for someone else.
What would you say was the most successful thing about your launch? The fact that no one had done what we were doing, and we had a lot of interest from the get-go from both the community and press.
What was the most stressful thing about the launch? Doing it all while also being pregnant and being the primary caregiver for my two other children.
How did the startup journey affect your personal life? Any tips for balancing both worlds? Early on I came to realize that there is no such thing as balance when you are running a startup and have a family at home. I’m still terrible at it, but I’ve finally come to a point where I’ve been able to hire a few more key employees to help me with the day-to-day stuff.
That brings me to the next question. What do you laugh about now looking back? All the customer service calls I used to get to my personal cell phone all hours of the day. I literally started answering my phone with “Fit Pregnancy Club, how can I help you?”. Anyone who called FPC between 2017–2019 and thought it sounded like someone was being strangled in the background? It was just me trying to keep one of my kids quiet.
Pre-natal fitness specialists. Photo curtesy of FPC.
Any behind-the-scenes story of how you overcame a stressful moment or connected with a team, advisor or customer? I mean, there’s been a lot, but the most stressful moment was probably when my co-founder told me she wanted to get out and the months following that. Nothing can prepare you for a business breakup and being the person that is left behind to deal with everything. Luckily, I was surrounded by the most incredible people who helped me get through it and it also allowed me to make some serious changes in the company to get it to where it is today.
They say the journey as a founder/CEO. is lonely — agree or disagree? What are your coping mechanisms? I’m not sure I agree with this 100%. I surround myself with people who are in the same boat and we encourage each other to grow.
Besides deciding to launch a business, what is the most impactful decision you’ve made as a working mother? Last summer I decided to move my family to our farmhouse full-time after my middle son was diagnosed with epilepsy. I literally hit a wall with trying to manage kids’ schedules, my work, our social life, and now also having a child with seizures added to it. Life outside the city goes at a slower pace naturally. I love that I can get in the car and drive everywhere (have you ever tried to get in an Uber or get on the subway with three kids?).
Photo courtesy of Carolina Gunnarsson
How has this changed you and your family’s life? Prior to quarantine, I would go into the city Wednesday mornings, spend the night there and drive back upstate Thursday night. That gave me two full days in the city to spend time at the FPC SoHo studio, take in-person meetings, see friends, and do date night with my husband. Most of my work is done online or on phone calls so working remotely has actually enabled me to work even harder because I don’t have as many distractions in the country as I would in the city.
Any regrets or doubts about this bold decision? I haven’t looked back at all and now I can hardly imagine what it would be like living in the city full time again. The privilege of having a home outside the city was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
How else do you stay productive without getting burnout? I think something happens when you become a mother and you have a passion that drives you. It’s almost as if my body won’t allow for burnout because when the fuck would I have time to burnout, you know?
If all else fails, what is one thing you do that keeps you focused, productive, calmer, or more mindful? I drive to my barn and ride my horse for 45 minutes. It’s an instant mood changer!
Photo courtesy of Carolina Gunnarsson
What’s the most important part of your morning routine and why? I need to get at least 30 minutes of exercise before I truly start my day. It is either a 24 minute Forward Space fire class, which is a new futuristic nonstop dance and music workout that makes you sweat. Or I look to an FPC postpartum express class or a ride on my horse. Although, more important than all of that is my strong coffee!
What are the other little things that help you stay centered through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship?
During quarantine, I started using the Theragun in lieu of my massages and it’s been a game-changer for my tight muscles. I use it 10 minutes before I go to bed to wind down while sipping a cup of Sakara detox or sleep tea.
Are you a fan of any essential oils/ scents?
I am obsessed with scents. I have a Saje diffuser and I use the aroma fairy at night to get the kids tired, in the morning I’ll use “energy” which includes citrus and bergamot, and during the day I’ll have the “stress release” going. I’m also, in love with the Otherland candles and my bedroom (oops office) currently smells of “daybed”.
What’s next for Fit Pregnancy Club?
Editors Note: Since our initial interview, Gunnarsson has taken another bold step. Like so many businesses, the return to normal for the fitness industry has been slow, resulting in business model changes and necessitating new strategies. We caught up on the impact of the pandemic.
How did COVID-19 affect the business?
15 months of struggling to stay alive finally hit the whole team and we needed a break. We made the decision to scale down to a subscriber-only video library. Our FPC Anywhere studio will be accessible for subscribers at a discounted rate where they still get access to 100s of prenatal and postpartum videos. We are choosing to do this now to figure out what is next for Fit Pregnancy Club. Sometimes you need to slow down to move forward.
Lark Files
Morning first: Stong coffee.
Get up and go move: Either a 24 minute Forward Space fire class, which is a new futuristic nonstop dance and music workout that makes you sweat. Or I look to an FPC postpartum express class.
Productivity boost: 45 minutes of horseback riding.
Get up and go move: I have found that I am a lot more relaxed and productive when I start my days with a run or a little bit of jump rope.
Wind-down ritual: A ten-minute Theragun massage and either Sakara detox or sleep tea.
Essential oil love: I have a Saje diffuser. In the morning I’ll use “energy” which includes citrus and bergamot, and during the day I’ll have the “stress release” going.
Candle that sticks: love the Otherland candles.
