Liezyl Ribeiro didn't set out to build a fitness festival. She set out to change her city. What started as a fight to make a difference on Chicago's South Side has grown into Strength in the City, a nationwide fitness and wellness movement now thriving in 14 cities, with Denver playing a major role from the very beginning.

In this episode of the Sweat Community Podcast, Liezyl, the Creator of Opportunities behind Strength in the City, shares how one grassroots idea became one of the country's most recognized fitness festivals. We talk about why Denver's fitness community is unlike anywhere else, why collaboration beats competition, and how local fitness studios, instructors, and wellness businesses are building stronger communities together.

We also dive into Strength at the Rocks, Denver's newest fitness experience at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and what to expect at this year's festival.

In this episode:

• How Strength in the City grew from a Chicago passion project into a nationwide movement
• Why Denver became the second city, and what makes its wellness community so special,
• How competing fitness studios come together to build community
• What it takes to produce one of Denver's biggest fitness festivals
• Why creating opportunities, not competition is the focus

🎟️ Save 50% on your Strength in the City Denver ticket with code SWEAT at checkout.

link to tickets: https://sweatpals.com/event/strength-in-the-city-festival-denver/2026-07-25?aff=sweat-community-podcast

Learn more at strengthinthecity.com.

For more Denver fitness studios, wellness events, and exclusive local deals, subscribe to the free newsletter at sweatcommunity.com.

Follow along:

• Strength in the City: @strengthinthecity

• Strength in the City Denver: @strengthinthecity.den
• Sweat Community: @sweat__community

What makes a boutique fitness studio truly successful? Is it more members, lower prices, or something else entirely?

In this episode of Sweat Community, I sit down with Wendy Hennig, founder of Aligned Studio Consulting, to explore what really helps fitness studios thrive. Wendy has been a fitness instructor, general manager, studio owner, and now consultant, helping boutique fitness businesses increase revenue, improve member retention, build stronger teams, and create communities that keep people coming back.

We dive into why more members isn't always the answer, the biggest mistakes studio owners make, what causes members to cancel their memberships, and why instructors play such a critical role in creating loyal communities. Wendy also shares her perspective on pricing, marketing, Google Reviews, ClassPass, burnout, and the systems every studio owner should have in place.

Whether you're a studio owner, fitness instructor, or someone who simply loves your local fitness community, this conversation offers valuable insight into what happens behind the scenes of the studios we all love.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why more members doesn't always mean more profit
• The biggest mistakes studio owners make
• How to improve member retention and create loyal communities
• Why instructors are one of a studio's greatest assets
• When to raise prices—and how to do it successfully
• The truth about ClassPass
• Marketing strategies that actually work
• What makes boutique fitness studios thrive

🎁 Special offer for Sweat Community listeners:

• An extra 30 minutes added to a Studio Alignment Session (a $150 value)
• $75 off a Studio Experience Audit for local Denver studios

Connect with Wendy Hennig:
🌐 Website: alignedstudioconsulting.com
📱 Instagram: @alignedstudioconsulting

Resources Mentioned:
📚 Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
📚 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

If you're enjoying Sweat Community, head over to sweatcommunity.com and subscribe to stay in the know with new podcast episodes, local fitness and wellness events, exclusive offers, and the people building community through movement.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend, instructor, or studio owner who would find it valuable. Every share helps grow our local fitness community.

What made you sweat this week?

Chelsea Stewart didn't have investors, a playbook, or a guarantee it would work. What she had was 12 years of teaching experience, a method she believed in, and enough drive to open HAVN Hot Pilates in just three months, while working a full-time job.

Two and a half years later she has 21 employees, two waitlisted studios in the Denver metro area, and a community that keeps coming back not just for the workout but for how it makes them feel.

In this episode of Sweat Community, Chelsea gets real about what it actually takes to build a boutique fitness studio from scratch, the 80-hour weeks, the contractor battles, the self-doubt, and the moment she knew it was time to open a second location.

We also get into everything you've wanted to know about hot Pilates and why Chelsea believes the era of exclusive, aesthetic-obsessed fitness studios is over.

We cover:

• Launching HAVN Hot Pilates in three months with no outside investors
• Teaching 22 heated classes a week while running a business solo
• Mat Pilates versus reformer and why mat is harder than you think
• Whether Pilates actually builds muscle and how it compares to strength training
• The real benefits of working out in a heated room
• Opening a second waitlisted studio and the pressure that came with it
• Why exclusivity in fitness is over and what HAVN is doing differently
• Chelsea's personal wellness routine: nutrition, sleep and avoiding burnout

Chelsea's philosophy is simple: work hard, be nice, and go where it feels good.

Whether you're hot Pilates curious, an aspiring studio owner, or someone who has ever felt like the fitness industry wasn't built for you, this one is for you.

Find HAVN Hot Pilates: Instagram: @havnhotpilates Website: havenhotpilates.com Studios in Greenwood Village + Littleton, CO

First three classes: $45 | First drop-in: $22

Never miss an episode, subscribe at sweatcommunity.com for new episodes, Denver area fitness and wellness events, studio spotlights and exclusive local offers.