Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Martinson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been a dancer since I was in diapers, so my love for movement and musicality started at a very young age and has always been a constant in my life. I took my first dance class at the age of two and it’s safe to say that I discovered as a toddler that prancing around to music, while wearing a big fluffy tutu was going to be my favorite thing ever — fast forward 20-something years later, and that is all still true!
Growing up, I was never not dancing. Whether it was following my sister as she choreographed dances to her Mariah Carey CD in our living room, or at family gatherings that I treated as personal dance recitals, I filled my days whenever I could with dancing. Where there was music, my body moved to the beat. I took every type of dance class that my studio offered including tap (my favorite), jazz, ballet, lyrical & hip hop. It was in those classes, where my love for dance developed. I would go to my dance studio every day after school for these classes, and not only did I learn technique, choreography and the ways in which my body could move, I also learned the importance of teamwork, along with perseverance and self-motivation. My dance teachers, who were always an inspiration to me, were able to create dances that made us feel like we were a part of the song, where every leap, jump, and turn went to the beat of the music. At this point, I was becoming aware that dance was an art form, one that felt like true magic to me. And that magical art became my creative outlet — where every dance class was a place to express myself freely through movement. No matter my mood, or what was going on in my day, I could step into that studio and escape into my own little world. That world was where I could be ME, where I was confident, and where I could truly feel all my feels with an open heart and settled mind. I would leave dance class feeling physically and mentally refreshed.
I continued dancing throughout high school, adding cheerleading into the mix, but it wasn’t until college that I found a love for working out and taking fitness classes. Once the Freshman 15 crept up on me, I knew I needed to add some variation of exercise into my routine. I wanted to ensure that I kept a balanced college lifestyle, since I was not getting the same physical activity that I had previously enjoyed by taking dance class every day. I decided to spice up my fitness routine of treadmill and stairmaster work by adding group fitness classes into the mix. I started with the Zumba and HIIT style classes that UMass Amherst offered. That was when I discovered there was a relationship between fitness, dance, and that feel-good energy that is generated when there is a room full of people sharing the same interest. Even though I wasn’t learning choreography that would be performed at an upcoming competition or recital, I was still getting lost in the music and making a mind/body connection that energized my soul!
Once I graduated, I decided to get my Zumba license and become an instructor myself. I thought it was the perfect way to continue my dance career and aspire to create dances the way my dance teachers did — the ones that felt like magic. I started out by teaching Zumba at my local YMCA. On my first night, I only had a few individuals who attended class, but week after week, the class started to grow, and before I knew it there were 40+ people coming out on a Tuesday night to dance with me! I was inspired each week by my clientele. I loved seeing people let loose and commit to that one hour for themselves. I really loved being a part of their wellness and fitness goals – it fueled my passion to teach even more being as invested as I was in all the wonderful people in my classes.
I vividly remember the first time I had someone tell me after class that this was their favorite hour of the week because they could step out of their comfort zone and just be themselves. That’s all I want out of any class I teach – for every single person to dance as if no one was watching and feel like they can escape into their own little world to find the uplifting magic that dance and music can make you feel. At that point, I knew the goal that I had set out to achieve in my own classes was starting to be mirrored. People were attending my classes not just for the workout but to feel good about themselves, to feel empowered, and to feel mentally invigorated.
I started to add more classes to my schedule which allowed me to meet a great deal of amazing new people. As my class following grew, I wanted to be able to connect with all of these people that I now saw on a regular basis. I took to Facebook to create a professional fitness page. This way, I could stay in touch with my clients, have a way to tell them how amazing they did in class and to announce special classes or post fitness/health related videos. That is when my Fabulously Fit with Katie page was created! I never thought back then that this social media communication platform would essentially be the creation of my brand where I can connect with thousands of people virtually! I developed my brand name, Fabulously Fit with Katie after multiple texts messages and conversations between my family and friends about a title that would be genuine to my personality and also encompass the nature of my classes and someone had asked me what I say to my clients when I am setting my intention for each class. And that was when it clicked! Every class, I start by saying “my goal here tonight is to have you walk out of this studio feeling FABULOUS!”
As my style of teaching came to fruition, I found that my classes were a bit different than other Zumba classes. I wanted to incorporate more jumping jacks and high intensity cardio moves with a more traditional jazz/hip hop platform of choreography. My clientele often commented that my high energy, my easy-to-follow choreography, and my selection of songs, motivated them during class and made them want to return each week. This made me the happiest. Then as my classes grew in number, I received more feedback about the uniqueness of my teaching style and how my classes impacted their life, both physically and also mentally. At that point, I started to realize that my teaching style was truly unique, and I was marching to the beat of my own drum. My one-person marching band expanded to two, when I found Julianna Curtis, who is the owner of The Energy Barre. In 2014, I decided to expand my fitness repertoire by adding in barre. During my barre training at The Energy Barre, Julianna asked me if I was interested in bringing my style of dance fitness, mixed in with her barre fitness methodology, to her studio and introduce a new class on to the schedule. That my friends, is when my life changed as a fitness instructor because EB Cardio Dance was born!
I knew that with this new opportunity provided to me by Julianna, I could spread my wings and develop a class that incorporated everything that fit my brand and my unique style of teaching and also included the Energy Barre methodology. A class that cranked up the cardio a bit more than the traditional Zumba class that I was teaching – where all the songs were high-energy, the dances had a bit more cheerleading and jazz inspired choreography, and the atmosphere of the class promoted girl-power and a sense of community. I wanted Cardio Dance to be a combination of a ‘crazy bananas sweat- fest,’ a dance party with friends, and an all-around ‘feel good about yourself’ hour of fitness. That is exactly what Cardio Dance became and as my story continues to evolve one thing will forever remain the same — my love for dance, my love for the people that I am able to connect with through dance, and of course my love for teaching fitness.
Great, 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?
I have been fortunate to have a wonderful support system within my family, my boyfriend Eric, and friends, which has allowed me to continue on my path of growing my brand. Julianna and her studio, The Energy Barre, helped me to build a strong foundation where I could grow as a fitness instructor. It is within those studio walls that I have had the pleasure to meet the most FABULOUS and caring clients who have supported me, and in turn inspired me to work harder and continue to be passionate about this career path. In these last six years, I have learned a great deal about the fitness industry, the importance of movement, the impact dance and fitness can have on an individual, and most importantly, I have learned so much about myself.
Please tell us about Fabulously Fit with Katie.
My brand represents ME! Fabulously Fit with Katie is one part fitness instructor and one part social media influencer. With what was once just a business Facebook Page, my Fabulously Fit with Katie brand has now grown into an Instagram page with over 5k followers, a YouTube channel, a website (www.fabulouslyfitwithkatie.com) and various pop-up events hosted around Massachusetts.
A class that I am most known for is the one we chatted about earlier — Cardio Dance, which is my pride and joy as a fitness instructor. Since its creation, hours and hours of choreographing and development went into this class and now it has grown into everything I wanted it to be and more. I have trained new instructors in Cardio Dance to expand the amount of classes on the schedule because of its popularity at The Energy Barre — the first addition to my Cardio Dance team, was my sister, Brienne. She is the person who I started this dance journey with over 20 years ago so the fact that we are still dancing together after all of these years, is a dream! Brienne joined the EB team as an instructor in 2016 and since then we have joined forces to bring our passion for dance to our classes each week by collaborating on all the choreography, researching songs that fit our style of dancing along with our message of girl-power and positive affirmations and now more recently, we have started to co-teach pop up classes once a month at one of the EB locations. Even though I created the class in the beginning, Cardio Dance could not have achieved its success without the help of my sister so I am so grateful that she brought her magic to this class and even more grateful that I have the opportunity to watch that magic as we work alongside of each other!
My goal in all of my Cardio Dance classes is to have my clients feeling strong, confident, fierce & beautiful. It is this belief that has led me to find that if you dance from your heart & you feel good while doing it – your feet follow which is what I tell new clients who may be nervous to take a Cardio Dance class if they do not have any previous dance experience. I have had wonderful chats with ladies from my class telling me stories about how Cardio Dance has made them feel more confident, not only while dancing in class, but also in their day-to-day life. Whether it be certain struggles they are dealing with or times of sadness, they have commented that Cardio Dance has lifted their spirits, boosted their confidence, and allowed them to focus on an hour of happiness for themselves during a time that they didn’t think they could come out of their funk. I love that they have found a happy place within my class!
I really cherish the messages I receive from clients when they open up to me about how class changed their mood, their week or sometimes even stories about how Cardio Dance has literally changed their life. It gives me goosebumps anytime I talk about this! A client and now a very good friend of mine wrote a testimony about taking Cardio Dance and it is one worth sharing: “My life changed entirely when I took my first cardio dance class with Katie in January 2016. I was at my highest weight, the most out of shape I’d ever been, and was hoping that something that sounded fun could be something I’d stick with. I am SO glad I took a chance! “Katie is a ball of inspirational energy and from the moment I stepped in the door, she had me believing I could do anything I set my mind to. I lost over 100 lbs. since starting her classes. I always feel at-home in cardio dance, and it’s that sense of belonging that makes it so easy to keep working. I now KNOW that I can do hard things, and Katie just helped make those things much more fun. She gave me the confidence to branch out into other classes at EB and more confidence in my everyday life. I’ve come full circle and am now an instructor at EB myself! None of these changes would have been possible if I didn’t walk into Katie’s class and receive her endless support and encouragement over the past 2 and a half years. Its cliché, but she has truly changed my life!” It is stories like these that make my heart want to explode and what makes me want to teach as much as possible, to invest in every single person that comes to my classes, and to make sure I deliver the best possible class I can every single day. To have that type of impact of any individual’s life is so moving and I am so grateful to have a job where I can make someone happy, or be that voice that that tells them that they are unstoppable and can do anything they set their mind to.
Aside from my classes at the Energy Barre, I have held various pop-up classes which have allowed me to bring Cardio Dance into Boston, Cape Cod, Florida, Bahamas & Mexico! Last year, I started up a fitness series at Faneuil Hall called Fabulously Fit at Faneuil which was awesome because I was able to bring my brand and my favorite style of class to my favorite part of the city! I was also asked to teach Cardio Dance at various schools, athletic clothing stores such as Athleta, lululemon & New Balance and also at Boston’s Social Fitness Festival that happened at City Hall Plaza. It feels like a dream any time I am asked to bring Cardio Dance to a new audience or a new place. To see their smiling faces and hear their kind words about the class means the world to me.
In addition to these classes, I started to further develop my social media presence through Instagram and more recently, my own website which has become a platform for all my dances videos on my YouTube channel, my class schedule, Instagram, and upcoming events all listed in one place. In 2016, I was honored to be named “Top 16 Boston Fitness Instructors to Follow on Instagram” in one of Narcity’s publications. From there, I used that social media platform to communicate not only with the people who I see on the regular basis in my classes but also people from all around the world! I share what I love, what makes me happy, my love for traveling, and of course any dance/fitness related workouts or upcoming events. I also work with companies to help promote their brand or new products by posting on Instagram and sharing what I love about them to my following. I only work with brands that I stand behind and only promote products or clothing that I genuinely love to make sure I stay authentic and true to the people who follow me. I feel fortunate to have all these methods for reaching people both locally and globally and continue to be inspired by my followers and my clients.
You asked what sets me apart from other fitness instructors and to answer honestly, I am just so honored to be known amongst the other amazingly inspiration instructors around Boston. I believe that every fitness instructor brings something special to the table – be it their knowledge of muscles, the way they cue, their playlists, or their level of difficulty of their classes. For me, I think my overall mission to motivate and guide people with a genuine passion for what I am delivering along with a whole lot of positive energy is what sets me a part as a fitness instructor and I hope to continue having that impact on people for many years to come!
How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
Success is defined by the ability to affect others in a positive and meaningful way. As much as I love choreographing dances and seeing rooms filled with people dancing along to my lead, I truly feel success is to know and believe that the experience I am providing is genuine and positive and that people return to these classes because they feel good, feel good about themselves, feel empowered and feel like they have reached their goals, both mentally and physically! I believe that in order to be successful as a fitness instructor, relationship building is the most important piece – I may be redundant when I say this but my favorite part about being an instructor is the meaningful relationships I have formed throughout the years with my clients. When they are able to reach their goals, even if that goal was to be in a better mood than when they walked into the studio, and they see their potential – it is the definition of success for me. It makes me feel like I have done something good and that just feels SO good.
Pricing:
- Pop-Up Classes outside of the studio range between FREE!! to $10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fabulouslyfitwithkatie.com
- Email: fabfitwithkatie@gmail.com
- Instagram: @fabulouslyfitwithkatie
Image Credit:
Merissa Connelly
Nick Cosky
The Energy Barre
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