Today we’d like to introduce you to Bia Varela
Hi Bia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got into lifting weights out as a New Years’ Resolutioner, and I fell in love with strength training. I was never really introduced to it before and usually it seemed like it was a thing that only men were allowed to do, but once I discovered it, I absolutely loved the way it made me feel so powerful – aside from all of the physical benefits that comes with it. My life started to surround around lifting, and I loved it. At that time, I was also studying psychology and eating disorders and that became my niche. I graduated college and started to work in a lab that studied behavioral weight loss treatments and loved how I could connect that to my work with eating disorders – and my life that surrounded fitness as well.
I always wanted to give personal training a try but it never really fit into my career plans until I decided I wanted a change. It would be drastic, because I was on a more academic route, but I went for it anyways. As soon as I got my first few clients, I quickly realized that this is where I belong. Not only was I using my health psychology background while helping people get stronger, but I was building meaningful connections everyday with my clients.
Always being an ambitious person, I wanted to combine my passion with something that would be a new challenge for me. I didn’t have any experience with opening a business, but I wanted to learn! Along with my business partner/great friend Lucas Monsalve, we decided to open the first Motivity in his storage unit. My dream was always to have a space and community to call my own, and that was the entryway to achieving that.
Once we had a consistent stream of clients, we were able to rent out our current location and really begin expanding our operations! We finally had a proper facility with new exercise equipment and legitimate branding. That was a huge milestone and dream come true for me. It has been over a year since we’ve been in Serra Mesa and we have been loving serving the community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In a way, looking back it seems smooth but I think that’s because of how incredibly blessed we have been in our journey with amazing clients supporting us throughout the way. Everything seemed aligned in how it happened, because it probably was supposed to!
But, of course there have been struggles. It’s fun to look back now and reminisce with our original clients about the storage unit days and how much of a struggle that was – no AC, no windows, small, and not a convenient location at all. The fact that so many people stuck with us through that because they believed in our vision is really empowering.
Nowadays with our current location and small business budget, struggles are a bit different. We receive most of our business through word of mouth referral and it continues to be our main way of growing. However, we are working on branching out throughout the community via social media and through working with other small business to grow together.
Personally, I have always struggled with anxiety, so getting to where I am at now has been no easy feat. As I had no experience with business or marketing, I felt quite alone and lost through the process. I still struggle with this, but I believe that my ambition keeps me fighting, along with the support of family and friends. I encourage anyone who wants to start their own business to have a solid support system and just take one small step everyday closer to where you want to be.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Motivity?
Motivity is a gym offering personal training sessions, small group exercise classes, cold plunges, and other wellness services such as nutrition coaching, boxing classes, yoga, breathwork, etc.
The name “Motivity” literally means the power of movement, and that perfectly summarizes our mission – helping people feel empowered through the benefits of exercise! We are a heart-centered small business working to benefit the people first through ethical business practices.
Personal training is our speciality! We believe that everyone deserves a trainer on their side, so we wanted to ensure that our pricing is affordable and provides the highest quality service. I highly recommend this service for those who want a clear path to reach their goals by having a trainer tailored to their needs. As one of our trainers, I am known for my balanced approach to exercise and nutrition along with my heavy attention to detail with exercise form to get the most of each movement! We have other trainers that have other specialties, so finding the perfect fit is always achievable. Finally, with the purchase of personal training services, clients also receive free access to our small group classes and free unlimited cold plunges in our Edge Theory Labs ice bath.
One of our biggest assets to the community is our small group exercise classes, featuring maximum 6 people per class. These are a great way to get an incredible workout with the attention of a trainer while not breaking the bank. Our classes are a ton of fun, and the small group atmosphere allows you to get the most out of each workout without getting lost in a big crowd like at other gyms. This makes it great for all levels because each exercise can be tailored individually.
We are currently running an offer that allows for two months of free unlimited small group exercise classes, and $75 per month thereafter. They say it takes 2 months to build a habit, so we created this offer to genuinely allow people to start a routine of exercising consistently so they can experience the benefits of working out first hand!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I am hoping that the industry continues to shift to a more holistic approach to fitness. Long gone are the days where fad diets and over-exercising are the norm for weight loss and “health.” I believe most people are beginning to learn that strength training is preventative medicine and the most reliable way to keep weight off by increasing metabolism.
When I came into the industry, there was a boom of people learning how to improve their body tone and define muscles through strength training and macro counting, and almost in an obsessive way, opposite to that of the starvation diets we saw in the early 2000s. Now I have noticed that the trend is shifting more to a “balanced approach” that focuses less on over-exercising (yes, even with lifting weights) and calorie counting, and more on learning how to eat intuitively and implementing a workout schedule that is sustainable for the long term. Less about numbers on the scale, and more about feeling good in your body.
Many of our clients are beginners who have never done resistance training in their life, and have started to come to us once they begin to have aches and pains associated with aging. As they begin to get stronger and restore functionality for daily tasks, they realize that strength training is a non-negotiable in their life. But, we also teach them that they can reap the benefits with just 1-2 sessions a week so they can sustain it within their lifestyle.
Pricing:
- $75/session for Personal Training
- 2 FREE Months of Unlimited Small Group Classes, then $75/month thereafter
- $140/month Unlimited Cold Plunges
Contact Info:
- Website: https://motivityfit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motivityfit/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/motivity-san-diego
- Other: https://classpass.com/studios/motivity-san-diego
Image Credits
Luke Andersen
