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

Hi Desiree, what do you attribute your success to?
I use fitness and movement to make people feel better! Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. I believe fitness should compliment and enhance a person’s life, not add anxiety and stress to it. The fitness industry has taken a turn towards using shame and guilt to try to motivate people to move, and while that might work for some people in the short term, it is not going to help anyone achieve healthy results that are sustainable.

Aside from using fitness to make people feel better, I encourage people to focus on goals that are going to benefit their lives, not just change aesthetics. While aesthetic goals are incredibly popular in the world of fitness, they can be toxic and encourage unhealthy behaviors that will prevent people from leading happy and healthy lives.

Despite the pressure to lie to clients in the fitness space, using tag lines like “come get your summer body” or “take this class for a six pack,” I stay true to my convictions and encourage my clients and students to use fitness as a means to attain goals like becoming stronger, more confident, and healthier.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, Interfusion Fitness, is a virtual fitness studio specializing in sports/fitness training, dance fitness, and yoga. We are known for and are most proud of our friendly atmosphere! Before the pandemic, we had a brick and mortar studio, but we closed our doors to ensure the health and safety of our clients and switched to a virtual platform. We have a variety of classes, and each class offers options for all fitness levels. Whether you’re looking for a high-intensity circuit training class, a chilled-out restorative stretch class, or a heart-pumping cardio dance class, Interfusion Fitness has it all!

What truly sets us apart is that whether you’re a professional athlete or someone that has never exercised before, you’ll feel right at home, literals and figuratively since our classes are virtual, while getting the workout that meets your fitness needs and goals.

Growing any business takes time and comes with bumps along the way, but watching my students and clients grow stronger and happier day after day makes all of those bumps worth it. This past year has been extremely difficult as it was for any business owner, and delivering my first baby at the beginning of the pandemic added another layer of challenges, but taking every challenge one day at a time and remembering that our fitness classes were getting a lot of people through the pandemic, helped us to push forward.

The biggest lesson I learned along the way was to take time for yourself. When we first opened the doors to our brick and mortar studio, I was told I would need to be working 24/7 as a business owner. That was such damaging advice and I’m grateful that I didn’t listen and kept my boundaries for personal time.

What do I want the world to know about my brand? That I use fitness and movement to enhance your life. Exercise should be something fun that you enjoy doing and should be accessible to all. Whether you’ve never done a push up in your life or you just ran marathon yesterday, I want you to feel comfortable and have fun in my classes!

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.
Considering that even before the pandemic I didn’t do much, this is a tough question, but I’ll try! I’d have to say a Hawks game since I was a dancer for them from 2002-2008. Hawks games are always entertaining and the concession food is delish! My favorite night on the town meal would have to be Rumi’s for some yummy Persian food. The Kashke bademjan is a must-order appetizer. Of course the Georgia Aquarium is always a fun, touristy thing to do.
I guess the takeaway from this question is, don’t ask me for fun things to do in Atlanta!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to shoutout my college dance team coach, Atlanta Hawks Dance Team coach, and friend, Donni Frazier. Under her guidance, mentorship, and coaching, I acquired the skills I needed to become the teacher I am today. She gave me so many opportunities to grow and refine my skills, not even knowing that I would end up teaching as my career! Thank you, Donni!

Website: www.interfusionfitness.com

Instagram: fitdesiree

Linkedin: Desiree Nathanson

Twitter: fitdesiree

Facebook: InterfusionFitness

Youtube: DesireeNathansonFit

Image Credits
John Kirk Cindy Harter Sims Beth Rabinowitz Intro Rachel Wasserman

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