Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrice Peters.
Patrice, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I loved PE (Physical Education), it was one my favorite activities of the school day. I remember that I’d quickly change into my white T-shirt, pants, sock and sneakers (looking back I ask, why did the school require all white) and would hurry outside into the brilliant Antigua Caribbean sunlight. My PE teacher was a former athlete, in tip-top shape, always neatly dressed and ready to go.
In my all girl’s school she was a friend to us young ladies and could identify with the changes in our maturing bodies. However, she was often bewildered as to why some young ladies seemed to be “sick” every week, so there she would be admonishing some students about their alleged weekly ailments. I’d stand silently awaiting our workout assignment, while snickering to myself thinking, “you girls need to change that excuse”. Smh!!!
Antigua is a British island which gained Independence on November 1, 1981. Each year the schools participate in the island’s Independence Day parades. It’s a brilliant show of schools demonstrating their marching skills with very confident and loud platoon leaders, calling out military sounding cadences. Every year without fail I was selected to be a leader (this now sheds light on my fun but military style of teaching).
There was just something about moving the body, feeling strong and challenging myself. My love for physical activity made it easy to join local soccer and volleyball teams. I was far from being a star player and fortunate not to have scored any goals in the opponent’s net, but I had a great time during my matches. My teammates loved my enthusiasm and I loved and respected the hard work that they did – somebody had to score the points. Other challenges included running half marathons, which is interesting because decades ago, not many young ladies did this.
As I got older I enjoyed workout shows, one of my favorites being Bodies in Motion with Gilad (love him). He was so encouraging, had simple but effective exercises and was quite easy on the eyes. The show’s music was upbeat and coming from a musical family, I always loved music and dance and appreciated the dynamics of music and movement.
In the late 90’s I was a college student at the City University of New York – Brooklyn campus, and in between classes, you guessed it, I was in the recreational center doing an aerobics class. I’d be the one on the front row, right side whooping, hollering becoming totally engrossed in the class and when the instructor said “make it your own”, “I owned it”. Little did I know how much I was being watched! Apparently, the instructor was a student herself, who was graduating in a few months and who, without my permission, recommended me to fill her shoes. I soon noticed Bruce, the Director of the Recreation Department, peeping in a few times and so my destiny began when I was asked to teach.
Now, I was flattered but not quite sure about the offer. I was perusing a Business degree, had never taught before and didn’t see myself as a typical instructor. I didn’t have any knowledge of the field and as a class participant, I was nuts. The thought of being an instructor was hilarious to me, far from what I ever thought of doing but the stipend they offered, made me go “Hmmmmmmm!” – I took the job.
My first class was a nervous one for me but for the participants – was a hit. The class loved me and the Director was pleased as punch about his new hire. So in conjunction with earning a Bachelor’s degree, I invested in getting fitness certifications. As I continued taking courses in fitness, I also became a training instructor for the American Red Cross, certifying others in First Aid, CPR, and AED.
My journey has led me to meet phenomenal instructors, however, the fascinating part of the journey comes from my interaction with clients. I have taught from age 3 (when they felt like paying attention) to 93 (who mainly came to socialize) and it’s been an honor. I’ve been able to work with great companies and organizations including the Atlanta Beltline, Fresh & Fit cuisine, 11 Alive’s Atlanta and Company, Metro Atlanta Cycling Club and Celebrity Sweat, to name a few.
It’s now obvious that Health and Wellness is my calling. My husband is an avid cyclist and president of a cycling club, we met when I invited him to a spin class. I am the daughter of an Episcopal minister, who sincerely loves and helps people, and I was born on a Saturday, the day after my mother was playing volleyball – that really explains a lot! Therefore I have accepted that Health and Wellness is not only my calling but my ministry. I have and will continue to enjoy helping people, yes it’s scary that I teach with the same passion and energy like I did 20 years ago but what can I say, I love to move.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been an easy road. Early on I encountered a particularly bumpy event, but that I can now say paved the way for me to be where I am now.
By 2006 I had two get married, had two little girls, a Master’s in Public Administration and multiple fitness formats under my belt. But with New York getting colder by the minute, we relocated to Atlanta where I was hired as a manager at Bally Total Fitness. The universe does have a way of putting people in our path, and no matter the outcome I see great value in these occurrences.
At Bally’s I met an older lady who was a trainer, she was retired, loved fitness and decided that it would be fun to start training. One day a simple conversation led to a realization of our identical dreams and when we awoke, we had a partnership and had opened a fitness studio renting space in a business complex in Tucker GA.
The first few months were tough; neither of us had owned a business before and issues of our complex going into foreclosure didn’t help. I was still new to the ‘for profit’ world and with teaching 3-5 classes a day, it left very little time for proper marketing and business development. As fate would have it, her husband was set to retire the next year and they decided to move to another state. I was partially relieved because it had been a crazy ride and there was a chance to shut down shop, or so I thought.
Within the year of that partnership, I had also developed a base of loyal exercisers who, upon hearing of my plans to close, insisted that I continued. There were even husbands offering suggestions, because their wives were healthy and more importantly, happy – they needed me to make it work and so InclusiF Fitness, which later created Cosmic Energy Fitness, was born.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cosmic Energy Fitness Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
I’d have to start with the definition behind the name.
Cosmic: Characterized by greatness especially in extent, intensity, or comprehensiveness.
Energy: Ability to be active; the physical or mental strength that allows you to do things; natural enthusiasm and effort
So at Cosmic Energy Fitness, through dynamic dance and intensified exercises, we help make fitness dreams a reality. Our tagline is to “Ignite the Power Within”, we are coaches and cheerleaders whose goal is to encourage each individual to be consistent, dig deep and to see their value and strength. We understand that the first step to transforming the body lies in motivation and although I say ‘intensified exercises’ we have something for everyone, modifying where needed.
The studio is known for it’s energy. We have a great variety of classes, offering traditional formats and also embracing new and unique exercises. A few months ago Missy Elliot had a video with a brilliant ball routine. Suddenly my clients were tagging me on Facebook, jokingly suggesting that we do it – and we did. We actually presented in it the 11 Alive show, Atlanta & Company and they did a swell job. Check it out on our website.
I am most proud of the team and instructors who are truly passionate and talented. The instructors are so very professional and enthusiastic about helping clients to try their best and to have a good time. Then I’m proud of our clients who are some of the best people that I’ve ever met. Everyone operates as a team, sincerely carding and looking out for each other.
Cosmic Energy Fitness is different because although we have such talented bodies who lead the classes the studio full of humility. There is no competition and no judgment. At any age, any size and any fitness level, people can enjoy the benefits of movement at Cosmic Energy Fitness. Whether they’re looking for transformation or maintenance we create an ‘out of this world’ experience through dance and fitness classes of cosmic proportions.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Since fitness is always in the top 3 of New Year’s resolutions, the industry is here to stay. I can see the demand for more in-home TV/web training which can be equally helpful as it could be dangerous.
The convenience is great but if participants don’t execute the exercises correctly, they may not see results and worse, could get hurt. It would be best for them to still interact with trainers and instructors. I also think we’ll see a huge decline in the demand for Zumba classes causing the rise of many other formats hoping to replace it. Zumba did a great job of getting people moving but the market soon became flooded with instructors. I don’t think that any other format will have such a huge impact.
Fitness franchisees will continue to grow and will be a close rival to the big gyms.By having multiple locations they’ll continue to gain popularity. Studios will continue to cater to niche markets where individuals will have access to their preferred fitness format.
Pricing:
- 3 classes $28
- 5 classes $40
- 10 classes $75
Contact Info:
- Address: 4800 Briarcliff Rd NE Atlanta GA 30345
- Website: www.cosmicenergyfitness.com
- Phone: 6789485524
- Email: info@cosmicenergyfitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmicenergyfitness/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cosmicenergyfitness
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cosmicenergyfit
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cosmic-energy-fitness-studio-atlanta
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeuuZ9j5FBGRm2vxedLkVCw
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