Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliza Shirazi.
Eliza, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Kick It By Eliza is a 13-round fitness method that is music-driven and kickboxing-inspired. Our mission is to empower women, helping them break barriers during and after the class and it is better known as the Fempire. I started Kick It By Eliza as a Freshman at UMass Amherst. With a background in dance and a love for movement, I wanted to create a space where women could come together and work out. There is a lot of pressure on young females to fit the mold, especially when you are on a college campus. By the end of my four years, my goal turned into not just teaching classes but to also break barriers for young women through the power of fitness. After graduating, I began teaching my classes in Boston and two years later, began the Kick It Certification, where women can go through an extensive experience in becoming a Kick It instructor. More than anything, the Kick It Certification is about digging deeper within to become a leader for others and to continue to continue building this Kick It community. Currently, we have 150 instructors in Boston and New York.
Most recently, we launched our studio concept in VIA Seaport Residences here in Boston, where we run a full schedule of classes and different branches of Kick It. We are going to do more concepts like this in the future in Boston and beyond.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been an organic road. Kick It was created out of a need and now it is growing because of a want and need from so many other women and now men. The biggest struggle has been making the transition from a fitness instructor to a business owner. The demand is something I am eternally grateful for but I have had to quickly switch my mindset to help make, not just the class a success but the business a success.
One of my greatest accomplishments has been building this all on my own with an incredible amount of help from the instructors and community but my brother, who is also a business owner is now a partner and it has been one of the greatest steps on this road.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kick It By Eliza story. Tell us more about the business.
What do I do? That question calls for a sit-down conversation, ha! I do a lot of it, almost all of it until my brother, Josh, has come into the business. My true love and something I take a lot of pride in, is building community. Don’t get me wrong, the class is kick ass but the community is what makes it special. Your vibe attracts your tribe and I know and love how to bring my tribe together in a meaningful way. It’s an honor to do it.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck… I suppose I am lucky in many ways: I am lucky that I didn’t didn’t make the dance team at UMass and was pushed in another direction. I am lucky that I, very randomly, chose group fitness and named a class Kick It. I am lucky for the hardships and weird learning moments a long the way but now, I am taking more control of my luck. Being intentional, strategic, ambitious and laser focused are things I try to be every day because being that lucky in the beginning should never go to waste.
Contact Info:
- Website: kickitbyeliza.com
- Email: eliza@kicktibyeliza.com
- Instagram: @kickitbyeliza
- Facebook: facebook.com/kickitbyeliza
- Twitter: @kickitbyeliza
Image Credit:
Nick Cosky
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