After spending the last four years teaching Zumba at several different venues around Santa Maria and searching for a more permanent location, Rosalie Fortner is now proud to now have a place of her own: Connect Fitness.
Fortner opened Connect Fitness Studio in early January on the corner of Skyway and Fairview. Just a few months before she settled into the fitness studio, she was blowing out candles on a cake that marked her fourth year of teaching the Latin music-based dance fitness program. Fortner said at that moment she made a wish to have her own gym.
The years that led up to that moment were not easy for Fortner. In 2007, she lost both her husband and her father within months of each other. To deal with her losses, Fortner took up baking. But then she noticed she was gaining weight and eventually found Zumba as a path out of her hardship.
“I started gaining weight, and I said ‘this is not going to work,’” Fortner said. “Because of what I’ve been through, I need an outlet to be happy.”
Fortner said she always liked dancing in high school, but was more keen to hip-hop music. After the deaths of her husband and father, Fortner discovered Zumba and began training with instructor Meize Cheng. Fortner herself went on to become a Zumba instructor, gaining a small following that she holds to this day. In fact, she credits some of her clientele for helping her get started. According to Fortner, one client—a business analyst—helped her draft a business plan. The process of opening the gym was a fairly quick one for Fortner. On Jan. 3, Fortner fulfilled her wish and opened Connect Fitness. She doesn’t know how it happened so fast, but said she feels blessed.
The inside of Connect is a bit empty, but keep in mind that it’s been open for less than a month. Plus, it doesn’t take much furniture to open a place where all one needs to do is dance. Fortner said she will soon begin decorating the interior. Despite opening so quickly, Fortner said she’s already filling up the classes. She said most of her customers are in the class-schedule loop because they keep up with social media. Facebook is how Fortner communicates with her Zumba students.
She still instructs at least one 90-minute class per month at the YMCA, albeit not on a set schedule. But again, the best way to know when Fortner is leading her next Zumba class is by keeping up with her via Facebook.
Having overcome adverse circumstances herself, Fortner said she just wants to provide a happy place for her customers. In the actual studio, it’s nothing but energy and saturating Latin beats. There’s no shortage of enthusiasm when she’s around.
“There’s something about dancing that takes away everything else in that moment,” Fortner said.
Black belt karate instructor James Reilly also holds adult and children’s classes at Connect Fitness.
Fortner’s business hours—which will probably change in September—are from 10 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. She charges $7 for a one-hour session and offers “punch card” deals of $35 for six classes, which include a free session. Connect Fitness is located at 2601 Skyway Drive, Unit C. For more information, call the studio at 345-7448, or check out the Zumba schedule via Connect Fitness Studio on Facebook.
Highlights
• Teri White, a financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments in Santa Maria, recently accepted an invitation to become a limited partner with the parent company, The Jones Financial Company. The St. Louis-based Fortune 500 company made the announcement on Jan. 15. Edward Jones, which provides financial advice to investors, is employee owned and operates with more than 20,000 partners across the U.S. and Canada.
• The Manufacturers Association is hosting a tour featuring the screen-printing industry on Jan. 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Images Screen Printing at 520 Farnel Road, Suite H, in Santa Maria. There’s no cost to the attend tour, but RSVP Dave Cross for a spot at 925-2403, Ext. 817, or edc@santamaria.com.
• On Jan. 27, McDonald’s is celebrating the Egg McMuffin and its inventor, the late franchisee Herb Peterson, by offering the breakfast sandwich for only $1. The offer is available at participating restaurants in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Peterson opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Santa Barbara in 1968. Peterson introduced the Egg McMuffin recipe to McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, who later put it on the menu.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Jan 22-29, 2015.