Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Yarn.
Dana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always enjoyed fitness and sports. Growing up, I was a competitive swimmer and cross-country runner, and in college, I fell in love with triathlons. In college at University of North Florida, I ran cross country and track my freshman and sophomore year. In addition to the endurance training, I enjoyed lifting weights at the gym, and for extra money as a college student, I started teaching group fitness classes. I loved the energy of the classes, and I found I would push myself out of my comfort zone when training with other people. At one point, I was teaching 15 classes per week. My major was nutritional science, which was a great complement to the fitness classes I was teaching. After college, I completed my dietetic internship at Emory University in Atlanta and have lived in the Atlanta area ever since with my husband and now 3 kids. I have worked in the country club setting, and corporate fitness setting, after starting a family I knew I could not keep up with the long hours of a commission-based position. I took a leap of faith with a co-worker and friend, and we opened up Lifemoves Studio. We opened as a Pilates, Yoga, and Barre studio with classical Pilates equipment, including reformers, towers, chairs, etc. I like to think of our space as a neighborhood fitness boutique, offering intimate classes with more personalized attention. I was pregnant with my 3rd baby at the time. Our first location was a little over 1000 square feet, and since then, I have been the sole owner of a 4400 square foot space offering 300+ hours of classes, private sessions, and coaching each month.
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?
I often look back and wonder how we pulled this off. It was definitely not smooth, but we had a clear vision and stuck to it! I think that the timing of our opening was perfect; the neighborhood did not have a Pilates/Yoga/Barre/training/nutrition studio like ours, so we were unknowingly able to corner the market since we did not have much competition. Now, we are established with the most loyal community of executives, moms, empty nesters, senior citizens, pre-pro ballet dancers, and professional NFL athletes. We have several members who have been with us for over 10 years! That only confirms that our community is friendly, the workouts have enough variety for people not to get bored, and we are results-driven. Our team of instructors are all masters of their craft and always learning how to be better. We are all nerds of the human body and movement and love it!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lifemoves Studio is a small business owned and operated by Dana Yarn with a team of 14+, including instructors, trainers, acupuncturists, and massage therapists. Our offerings include Pilates, Yoga, Barre, Functional strength training, myofascial release, mobility, nutrition/health coaching, massage therapy, and acupuncture. Everything that we offer compliments one another and we strive for our community to feel their best on the inside and out. The workouts are both intense and restorative, which promotes results without causing too much inflammation. We can teach to the individual in front of us and also accommodate diverse groups. I smile when we have a class of high school students, a 70+-year-old with a hip replacement, executives, young moms, NFL players, and everyone is getting the most out of their time and workout while having fun and supporting each other.
What matters most to you? Why?
My family and community. I started the business to earn the freedom to be there for my family. I am able to get them on and off the school bus most days, and I also volunteer as a team mom for most of their sports. I always knew that I did not want to work a traditional 40-hour work week because I did not want to miss out on their activities, but I knew that I needed to also fulfill my passion for inspiring my community to live a vibrant life of exercise and nutrition.
Pricing:
- 1st large group class is FREE
- Intro to Pilates special, 3 classes- $60
- Monthly unlimited everything membership- $209 includes all classes!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lifemovesstudio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifemoves_lady
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifemovesstudio
Image Credits
Crystal Barbee Photography
