Fit Social Poughkeepsie
Fit Social is a group fitness studio that offers a variety of classes. “Our motto is about serving and giving hope,” said owner, Steve Farris. “The first line of my business plan is to believe in people before profit.”
Health and wellness play a crucial role in our overall quality of life.
The company’s biggest success was how it perfected and engineered its business. “We opened in October of 2019, and five months later, the pandemic struck,” said Farris. “We were shut down for five months, longer than we were even open. Once we re-opened, we lost half of our membership because no one wanted to wear masks.”
Farris said that the goal of the studio is to foster relationships. He tries to implement relationship building first, with the fitness aspect following. “Once you build a relationship with someone who is going for the same purpose, the social and physical aspect of everything will be simple to follow,” said Farris.
Good health is a foundation for happiness and success. Without good health, it can be difficult to perform everyday tasks or engage in activities we enjoy. “Having a goal to open up a gym and [designing] and programming the purpose behind it was so important to me because what I know from personal experience in my life is the yo-yo effect,” said Farris.
Farris emphasized how physical and mental health are closely intertwined, both being essential for overall well-being. By taking care of our health and wellness, we can avoid illnesses, reduce the risk of injury, and manage stress.
Fit social has a cycling room, a smoothie bar, and private training rooms. It also has apparel people can purchase such as sweatshirts, backpacks, t-shirts, and water bottles. In the evening, the studio offers beer and wine. In the mornings, smoothies, smoothie bowls, and coffee are offered.
In addition to the individual benefits, maintaining good health has a positive impact on society as a whole. Fit Social offers different types of fitness programming. “We offer high-intensity training, functional strength training classes, circuit training, indoor cycling, and personal training,” said Farris.
Farris is pleased by the work his staff has put in throughout this process. “I’m most proud of what my staff is doing and what my staff has done,” said Farris.
The business has also been through a lot, but the more the team endures, the harder they work. “The way they show up with so much energy and passion for what they do to serve people is incredible,” said Farris.
It took two years of branding and building before the studio was able to open. “The focus was always on building a brand and not just building a gym or a studio,” said Farris. In the next five years, he has plans to expand the company. “The goal is not only to have multiple locations that we own corporately but also be in the franchise process to open up our brand around the country,” said Farris.
