Today we’d like to introduce you to Caprice O’Bryant-Gutierrez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Excuse Free Fitness was born out of the desire to offer clients a private and fun experience when they workout. I wanted to inspire people to not allow their circumstances to determine how fit they can be. At 14 And 17 years old I survived major car accidents. I had to relearn how to walk again and perform basic activities like writing and making a sandwich. My cognitive abilities were severely impaired. After the second accident I was diagnosed with Epilepsy and had grand mal seizures daily. In June of 2012 I had a seizure then hit my head and woke up to complete memory loss. (Retrograde Amnesia) I didn’t remember the first 19 years of my life. I had to learn for myself that it was possible to not allow my circumstance to stop me. After a long healing process I started going to the gym with my dad. Exercise helped me climb out of the darkest depression ever. I had to start off very slow but I built myself into feeling like a champion everyday. Changing my eating habits helped me control my Epilepsy. I thought Excuse Free Fitness was necessary because I wanted clients and members to feel free when they walked into a gym and not judged or like they had a peeping Tom. I opened my first facility in June of 2015 at 2500 sq. ft. It was small and intimate. The energy was mind blowing and so contagious, we grew quickly. In March of 2017 we expanded and moved into a 5500 sq. ft. space. More space brought more responsibilities and more challenges but also the greatest lessons. We’ve been featured on TV shows, radio, in magazine articles and won several awards. While those are nice and a chance to reflect on our growth, the greatest gift that Excuse Free Fitness has given me is people saying that joining has completely changed their life. When someone says it was exactly what they were looking for. It is a great reward and helps me keep going when it gets challenging.
Great, 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?
It has not always been smooth. Opening a brick and mortar business at just 22 years old I still had so much to learn about being an adult let alone running a successful fitness center. Because of having amnesia I had to grow up really fast but when the members were coming in faster than I could handle I had to grow up even faster. I made a lot of sacrifices and a lot of mistakes. In the beginning I did not have the staff to cover all that was coming in so I was working as if I were 5 different people. I did the operations and paid the bills, I was the receptionist, I cleaned, I trained the clients, I taught the classes, I did the marketing, etc. I slowly began asking for help and had to learn how to relinquish control.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Excuse Free Fitness – what should we know?
Excuse Free Fitness is a private fitness center for 1 on 1 personal training, small and large group fitness classes! We specialize in bootcamp, we have boxing, Pilates, Pound, Step, and Kettlebell classes. We are known for our Tank Top Tuesday bootcamp and our no-excuse mantra. We are proud that we can train anyone. Regardless of their abilities, past health history or current circumstance we welcome everyone. Being the owner of a gym and living with a chronic illness (Epilepsy & Traumatic Brain Injury) I make it known that excuses can’t live inside our facility. I truly believe that if I can do it, you can do it. All of our trainers and instructors are certified and know how to regress or progress a movement to be sure that everyone is benefiting from the workout! We have members that have had knee replacements, MS, cerebral palsy, hearing impairments, Down syndrome, and more. We don’t place anyone in a box based on their diagnosis. We don’t believe that anything should get in the way of wellness at all. You just have to start where you are and win on your level. You can keep rising and we want to be the team to help you!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Our desire to not just count how many people are in our classes but to pour into whoever shows up and give them the best experience possible!!! Our heart is in it and we know our “why”!
Contact Info:
- Address: 18725 Dixie Highway Homewood, IL 60430
- Website: www.excusefreefitness.com
- Phone: 7089576099
- Email: info@excusefreefitness.com
- Instagram: @excusefreefitness_
- Facebook: Excuse free fitness
Image Credit:
Photography by HDR visuals
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