Work Site

With the close attention that I paid to Google Maps, I stood in front of a beautiful brick building as the app told me I had arrived. With my entrance through the unlabeled door, I became emerged in a large room full of natural light and the feeling of love. The light brown hardwood floors accentuated by the strong essence of light brought great power to the room. The large window covering the wall introduces a sight of brown-shaded buildings while bringing the warmth and energy of the outside sunlight. The top of the large window consisted of colorful window art. With decor of flowers on the windowsill and pillows decorating the window nook, minimalist colors were represented and the environment portrayed a feeling of calmness.

[Image Description: A group of 8 women working out in the facility of the New Body Project. They lie on the floor on mats as they continue their workout, the room is bright from the large window spilling into the side walls. ]

The lack of decoration brought formality and professionally to the room while keeping the space clear and inviting for the workout. The lack of furniture left an empty floor, only consisting of the mats which the women placed themselves for their personal use. The open space took up the first ¾ of the room, with the back wall being filled with a bathroom and a cubby. The bathroom was clean and small, with toiletries such as pads, tampons, and deodorant being placed in clear sight. The cubby consisted of containers and shelves which held the ability to hide the mats and equipment held inside. The open space allowed for easy communication and relationships, with the knowledge of everything happening in the space as it occurred. The beautiful room created an environment full of peace and love for the women as they participated in the community of the New Body Project.  

Subject Profile

While interviewing Danielle, I was introduced to her past and current life. Danielle herself is a tall, strong, black woman who holds herself high and always has a smile on her face. With strategically formed questions to ensure the most information, I was able to gather who Danielle is as a person on the inside. Danielle is a hardworking mom who cares for her two kids and who has struggled with her occupation in the past.

[Image Description: Danielle stands smiling holding an orange dumbbell by her thighs. She wears a turquoise strapless dress with orange designs. Behind her is a blurred figure of a tree.]

As an American in the 2008 recession, Danielle lost her job on Wall Street and was forced to look for another way to make money. With this, she applied for a job working at a co-ed gym. As she mentioned this to me, she laughed as she remembered how she contemplated what to wear for an interview at a gym, and decided to go for a suit with bold red lipstick. With the job secured, she realized how much her environment affected the experience she and her clients had at the gym. As they were harassed constantly by the owner, she decided to leave and begin her own business in an environment that she could control. While struggling to find the correct space, she ended up finding a room with a beautiful interior and exterior which has a versatile use of her gym and a rented-out space. As she describes these hardships, she contains strength in her voice assuring that those bad times are now in the past. With the discussion of her new clientele, she talks fondly of them stating how she wants these women to become a family and support each other. Her vision of the gym is more than can be seen in the advertisements, it’s one of a deeper community full of love and support. Danielle is a hardworking and kind soul who has gone through a lot of hardships but remains on top and spreads positivity. 

Interview

Tell me about yourself, your business, and your background in working out. 

“…My name is Nadia Danielle Edwards. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and I own two businesses…I’m a first-generation American, my parents are Liberian and West African…I started my fitness studio by accident. It was not something that I planned on doing. I used to work on wall street, I was a global auction agent, and when the market tanked I needed to figure out something for myself to do… I had two kids so I needed to create a schedule and an environment that was going to allow me to be a present mom. …so, prior to owning the studio, I didn’t work out at all. I was very athletic in school, that was the most, that was the extent of it, and then I got depressed and I wanted to find a job at a gym because I thought it was going to help me lose weight, make money, and have a schedule for my kids. So that’s why I started working out more and then I lost the weight and I got my sexy back and all my confidence.” 

What is your history with New York City, have you lived here or are you newer to it? 

“…My history of New York City is that I was born here. I lived in New York until the third grade, my dads a Theologent so we traveled around the world a lot. It was not until I became an adult [and] I moved back to New York when I was around 21, and I’ve been here ever since.” 

What goals did you have as you created your business? What did you want it to represent? 

“…The goal that I had was just to be able to show women that [they] can have a career and motherhood. I wanted to make sure that women who wanted to lose weight had a healthy environment to do so, a supportive environment to do so. And I also wanted to make sure I was being an example for my children.” 

What paths did you pursue throughout your life that led you to your job here?

“… I had lost my job on Wall Street and I became very depressed I started to gain weight, and I wanted to find a career that allowed me to be a mom to my children, …make money, and help me lose weight. And so, as a joke, I actually applied for a job at a gym thinking they wouldn’t hire me and they did…I was overweight in my eyes and I [was] like who’s going to hire an overweight person at a gym? But, it was a women’s gym and they loved me and they loved my personality, they loved my style. I didn’t even know how to dress to go to a job at a gym, or a job interview at a gym, and I wore a suit, heels, a shall, and a red lipstick and I walked in there and I stole their attention and I got the job. I was hired immediately and was director of membership services and development, and I grew their company exponentially… One day they came into the office and said they are shutting down the company and that was my opportunity for me to start my own business. The ladies of the studio started a go-fund-me page… and that’s how I started my own company with no money of my own.” 

Is this job your primary source of income or a part-time job?

“The New Body Project is my main source of income. During the pandemic what happened was during the pandemic I had to shut down for two and a half years, …I had to shut down the studio, but throughout that time all my clients kept asking me “When are you going to re-open?”, “When are you going to re-open?”, “When are you going to re-open?”, and I lost faith in myself. I decided that I wasn’t going to re-open but they pushed me and I was like “I need to re-open”. But during that time I actually turned this space into an event space and when classes are not taking [place] and other renters are not in the space utilizing this space people get married in here and have bridal showers and birthday parties.” 

How do you feel that the community of a women-only gym impacts the women who attend your class?

“I feel that it created a community for them, and it impacts them on all levels, financially, emotionally, spiritually, [and] physically, most importantly. It lets them know that they are welcome and that they can achieve or do anything because they have the support of so many different people. For example, Jessie she quit her job and she wants to start her own thing, and now she has a place to do that. So for my members, I leave the door open for them to network and bring their dreams to [life].”

What drove you to create a women-only gym compared to a co-ed gym?

“… [Since] the company that I was working for before was a women-only gym, I heard stories of how co-ed gyms were not supportive, and how women would go there and feel like they were being watched. …Men were trying to talk to them and all they wanted to do was work out, I wanted to continue to… continue to create that space and environment because it’s a big demand, and believe it or not I’m the only all women’s only boot came in Brooklyn NY, especially in this vicinity, I don’t think anyone else is. The trainers are women, and everyone who works in the facility is [a] woman.”

Was there anything specific from a co-ed gym that you knew you wanted to change for your gym environment? 

“Cleanliness was one of the main things, so like I want my people to walk in here and think “Oh wow! This is so nice and so pretty!” I want them to see the complete esthetic. The environment, I offer lavender-infused towels, I give them water, like everything is included in their membership. They have pads, tampons, and hair scrunchies, hair ties, deodorant, spray deodorant, everything is in the bathroom so I wanted to create an environment where they would feel welcomed and supported and I don’t think at co-ed gyms that you have this type of camaraderie.” 

How did you decide what to add to your gym (relating to equipment and decoration)?

“For equipment… I felt that I needed something that people can do at home without having a bunch of technical devices. You don’t need a treadmill to do inclines, you don’t need a bike to do certain things. So, I wanted equipment that would travel well and that they would be able to find on their own if they would be doing workouts at home. For example, the TRX [Total Body Resistance Exercise]…, you can take that anywhere with you. You can tie it on a tree, you can close it on your door and lock the door, you can do pull-ups, you can do push up’s, you can do tricep presses, so many different things. So, I wanted equipment that was not intimidating and equipment that is easily found.” 

Do you foresee women’s only gyms thriving in the future? If so, why do you think that?

“I do foresee women’s only gyms thriving in the future because it’s a niche that no one really taps into it. The fact that I was shut down for all of [that] time and my clients [still] wanted to come back. Adriana has been with me for the past 7 years so, she’s been with me the entire time. My dream for my business is to franchise it because I know it’s such a beautiful model and it’s an amazing environment that I create for my ladies.”

If you’re comfortable, have you ever experienced harassment in a gym or an uncomfortable situation?

“Yes, I have. That was part of the reason why co-ed gyms [are] not something for me, prior to landing my own space I was sharing space within another gym. The owner of that gym where I was sharing space used to harass me and my members. It was just uncomfortable, it didn’t make us feel good, and if you want to work out your mindset is the first thing you need to change and if someone harassing you they’re screwing that up. It’s not creating a healthy environment, for me as the trainer, and my clients, to see or feel that as well.” 

How would you describe the community in your gym? Do you see the same people or is a new group each week? 

“…I describe the community in my gym as wholesome, I describe it as beautiful. They have integrity, they have commitment, and they understand the notion of transformation. It’s not just a transformation of your body, it’s also the transformation of your mind and its transformation of your heart. …I have the same people that who come to class but I also have new clients that come on a regular basis. So today Kimberly, Jessie, Adriana, and Alisha, they are in class but tomorrow it’s going to be, maybe Alisha and Cj, so we have the same members but everyone gets to know each other. That’s why I make it a point for everyone to know everyone’s names and to know something about each other because then you can become friends and family after you leave. That’s why we have ‘family time’, I named it ‘family time’ so that way everyone knows that you have a sister in sweat that you can hold onto.” 

What are your personal feelings relating to the way the business has positively affected women?

“…When I read reviews and read things people say, …I broke into tears the other day [reading a comment] because I didn’t know I was impacting them in that way. My feelings that I’m proud, I knew I was going to be a business owner but I never thought I was going to own a gym, let alone an event space that lives in a gym. So, one word I can say is proud. I am very proud and I want women to see that they can accomplish anything and that there’s no obstacle that is too hard or too high that you can’t jump over.”

What are your goals for your business in the future? 

“My goal for my business in the future is to franchise the New Body Project, it’s a very franchisable project, and I plan on being hands-on with every single opening. First, is to buy this building and make sure that I can support my ideas, and simply continue to grow. I think one of the things that set me apart, is that in order for a member to join my studio they need to go through a consultation. This is a one-on-one conversation that the potential client will have and where we determine if we are a good fit for each other. After that conversation, they try the class and then they are on a 21-day jump start. So for 21 days they have access to all the classes, unlimited, so they decide “Is this a fit for me” and if it’s not ‘Do I like coming to the classes?’ ‘Do I like the feeling?’ ‘Do I like the rules that I have set?’ because timeliness is important. Making sure that you are being safe when you’re working out, making sure that you sign in and out of classes so that you can give your spot in the class to someone else if you can’t make it, all those things hold them accountable, but it’s holding them accountable with love. I just want my members to see that, I think they do see that, I think they do feel that. Those are some of the things I want for my business. I want people to see and understand that I’m doing this, not just for me, not just for my children, but to help transform women and allow them to see that they can do anything.”