Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Cochran.
Hi Danielle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Exercise has always been the constant of my life. I grew up playing sports, with them always feeling like an emotional and creative outlet for me. I was lucky to grow up in West Virginia, immersed in nature, so an active, outdoor lifestyle was also the norm growing up.
When I was in high school, one of my parents did a 3- Month Transformation Diet and Workout Plan- “Body for Life,” if you remember those days. He had a huge transformation, lost a lot of fat, and gained muscle and energy. I was already interested in weight training and was curious about nutrition at that point, so one night, I sat down and read the “Body For Life” book in one sitting. From that point on, I spent my last couple years of high school experimenting with different meal plans and weight-lifting plans to see how each impacted my body and how each impacted the sports I was still competing in.
I went on to study Pre-Physical Therapy & Nutrition at Clemson University in South Carolina. Throughout my years at college, I continued to experiment with different workout and food plans on myself, and by that time, I had friends reaching out to me to create food and workout plans for them. I also started working as a Personal Trainer during my summers off in college and already knew I liked how much potential there was for helping another person through exercise.
During college, I always dreamed of moving to California and opening up my own gym. After school, I moved to San Diego to pursue training, as I knew this was a place where a lot of people value their health and an outdoor, active lifestyle. I trained out of a couple gyms for a few years, all while still hoping to open my own business one day.
I opened XX Fitness in October 2017 and pursued the business of mixing a gym’s community atmosphere with our unique opportunity to work out outside year-round in San Diego. The XX Fitness van stocked full of equipment, so our gym-on-wheels trains clients out of the parks in North Park and University Heights. It has been a great experience to share my love for exercise and all its benefits with this community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been both a rough and smooth road. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of great clients who have been with me for years and years. Most of my business comes from word-of-mouth and people who spot us (or the van) out in the parks. I’ve been happy that I have been able to grow and retain my client base without any advertising.
The pandemic hit right at the start of my third year of business, so that was tough for a while. However, I had already established myself as an outdoor fitness business, so when things reopened, I was already ready to accommodate all the people wanting outdoor workouts.
As you know, we’re big fans of XX Fitness. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
XX Fitness is a mobile and outdoor training business. We have outdoor classes in the parks in San Diego and also offer personal training at the parks (or the XX van can travel to the client!). We have the privilege of being able to work out almost every day of the year in San Diego, and we love to work out outside! We offer Boot Camp and Core Strength classes, as well as often go on class runs, hikes, swims, anything outside!
In years of working in gyms, the thing I probably heard the most from people, usually women, was that they felt intimidated by the moment they stepped foot into the gym. This is a shame because a gym can be such an awesome community for people, so I wanted to make sure my business was welcoming and never intimidating to someone walking up. I work hard not only to give people an effective and safe workout but to make sure that they actually have fun doing so. I think it’s safe to say that my class members look forward to seeing everyone else at classes!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was shy but always adventurous and curious. I was always the happiest when active and competitive, playing sports or games.
Contact Info:
- Website: xx-fitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xx_fitness_/
