We had the good fortune of connecting with Randi Gerson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Randi, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Hands down, the most important factor behind HIPfit’s success is the incredible, supportive and kind community we’ve created. I am immensely proud of this, The community is the heart and soul of the business which includes our instructors and our clients. I’ve moved around quite a bit in my adulthood and everywhere I’ve landed I’ve taken particular care in finding my people. It was and is extremely important for me to create a comfortable and welcoming space for every client that walks through our doors.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are a lot of impressive classic pilates and modern/power pilates studios in the Atlanta area and it was very intimidating for me to open somewhere with so many existing options. I landed in the Virginia Highland area near the beltline in 2019 and realized that there was a space for the type of high intensity pilates I wanted to provide. I connected with the owner of a local gym who had a perfect sized space in their facility that wasn’t in use. Fortunately she was keen on incorporating my method into her existing program offerings and HIPfit was built. I rented a space in The Training Room right on the beltline and I opened in August of 2021. I got it off the ground during the pandemic with lots of initial obstacles to overcome as one can imagine and here we are thriving 3.5 years later. Patience, positive self talk and significant support from friends and loved ones carried me through the intial obstacles of opening a business.

The most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way are to ask for help, trust your gut and to see what works, you gotta throw all the spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

There’s a lot of beautiful fitness spaces arounnd town. We are not one of them. We are scrappy. And I love that about HIPfit. Our clients are there to work hard and get stronger. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive space with zero pretense. We’re more about delivering a quality product with excellent instructors than how your instagram story or posts look. And our clients are strong AF! They impress me every single day!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights is wildly important and impressive.
A long walk on the beltline with a visit to Breaker Breaker
A class or three at HIPfit of course!
A mano, Sotto sotto, Bocca Lupo, Delbar
Stroll through Piedmont Park
Bikeride through Cabbage town/Inman Park/Grant Park
A visit to Oakland Cemetary
A movie at the Plaza Theater
Ice Cream at Big Softie
Pastries and bread at Colette Bakery

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hipfit is my first business, It’s my baby. I grew up in Atlanta and while I lived elsewhere for 2 decades, I knew I wanted to start something special in my hometown. I also knew that I would need to lean on friends and family while getting the business off the ground. I have to shout out my fantastic instructors as well. I could not ask for a better group of women to be on this journey with. I am so grateful for them and willingness to be such wonderful team players.

As far as developing a passion for this particular method, I have to shout out the woman who owned the business where I first starting taking classes in Brooklyn, NY in 2011. She was a healthy blend of pure evil and encouragement. I credit my passion for the method and my teaching style to her. My style is supportive and encouraging with a dose of drill sergeant. My goal for every class is to safely push people past their self imposed limits so that they achieve a great feeling of pride for themselves after class. Watching folks improve and get stronger is a true joy. I’d also like to shout out the studio where I first began teaching the Bay Area. I developed and grew my teaching wings there and the experience was priceless!

Website: https://hipfitatl.com

Instagram: @hipfitatl

Other: email info@hipfitatl.com

Image Credits
Hadyn Hilton

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