Today we’d like to introduce you to Maica Peterson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born and raised in Texas, I moved to California with my family after high school to attend college. After graduating from Cal Lutheran University with my teaching credential, I went to work in Education as a Special Ed teacher in a local school district here in San Diego County. After 7 years of teaching, I stepped away from teaching to help my husband, brother, and father, start a family business in 2008 called Chuze Fitness. We started with one location in Carlsbad, CA and today we sit with over 60 locations in 5 states! In the early years of the company, I was one of two women on the leadership team and could see the need for more input and involvement from a female perspective. Throughout those early years, I helped groom and mentor many female leaders within the company as this was clearly becoming a passion of mine.
In 2020, my husband and I decided to take a step back from the day to day responsibilities at Chuze Fitness and decided to open our own fitness studio in Carlsbad, CA. As we were building the business and doing local outreach, I began to network with many local business owners and influencers with the intention to help spread the word for our fitness studio. These connections continued to grow as we worked on the studio, however we were unfortunately faced with the difficult decision to close our fitness studio in 2023. Even though this was a very difficult decision and time for our family, the silver lining was I had inadvertently connected and created a group of female local business owners and influencers that were amazing and I wanted to keep pouring into. I named the group the “Salty Goddess Network” which describes the strong, successful women in the group and how their leadership and efforts can bring salt and light to the world.
Today, there are over 30 women in the group that span from various industries such as retail, food service, media, and much more! We hold monthly meetings, networking events, as well as offer continuing education and support for other local women business leaders who are like-minded!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road! There were a couple of big challenges along the way. I had started this group while we were still operating our fitness studio, but once faced with the reality that our business would have to close, it made me question whether I was still qualified to run this network given we had faced a failure in business. I quickly realized that the lessons I was learning were going to be invaluable down the road. Having been a part of a wildly successful business, but also seeing the other side of a failing business, was definitely hard to take, but has given me such a wider perspective on business and life as I sit here today. Another challenge was my daughter was diagnosed with juvenile scoliosis during the same time as I was starting this group and had to face a corrective spinal surgery. Obviously this was very difficult for our whole family to process, as we were dealing with a closing business, our daughter facing spinal surgery, and me trying to stay focused on building the network. Needless to say there were some bumps in the road getting this started! I give credit to God and the women in this group for getting me through this time.
We’ve been impressed with Salty Goddess Network, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are ladies who lead. Together we make up a diverse group of leaders. Most of us are business owners, but having representation from authors, actors/coachers, influencers and athletes in our community season us with even more “salty goodness,” hence the tag line, “adding salt” to your leadership life. We are a women focused business networking organization based in North County San Diego, we are actively recruiting like-minded female leaders who are looking to grow and help other women leaders! We hold monthly networking events, retreats, educational seminars, and can help connect you with what you need for your business.
I am most proud of the amazing women that have come together in this group. There are so many impressive, strong women in business and I love highlighting their successes!
If you are interested in learning more about the network or joining please reach out to Maica at info@saltygoddessnetwork.com
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in Texas, I was very active and involved in gymnastics and cheerleading. I was also diagnosed with dyslexia and an auditory processing difference at age 7. Growing up with neurodiversity comes with challenges that have made me more resilient today. It takes a lot of self awareness and self acceptance to rise above the mental challenges that come with being outside the norm. I have a passion for helping and promoting neurodiverse people and feel strongly that the world needs more dyslexic thinking.
Pricing:
- Contact for pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.Saltygoddessnetwork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salty_goddess_network?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Salty-Goddess-Network/61555927726851/
