Inspiring Conversations with Sara Gaddy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Gaddy.

Hi Sara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I knew I wanted to have my own business and always dreamt about owning my own dance studio and living in a loft above the business (really – I just wanted to be one of the characters in Center Stage).

During my undergrad at Arizona State, I fell in love with pilates and barre classes. As a dance major, it was such a seamless transition and it was much better on my body. As soon as I put on the mic, I knew that this is what I was meant to do – teach fitness classes and help build + empower communities to be and stay healthy.

My business partner, Alex Loda, and I met about 5 years ago and were colleagues that quickly turned into fast friends! We connected on so many levels about life, music, and of course fitness. What started out as wine nights and chicken sammies (thanks to Ingo’s) daydreaming about all of the cool + innovative approaches we wanted to bring to the fitness industry (and how we were going to become a DJ duo group and DJ our own classes) quickly turned into actual brainstorming sessions where our big ideas were put on to paper.

Over the last 18 months, we dedicated all of our extra time to developing all things desert mvmt. We knew that we wanted to curate an environment where ALL feel welcomed, empowered, and most importantly, heard. In being in the fitness industry for several years, we also knew what we wanted to lean into and what we wanted to avoid – community being the most important aspect to lean into.

We also wanted to create something fun and innovative – whether that be the mvmt market that we host in the studio each month where we bring in a handful of local vendors or just the act of always asking for feedback. We want to focus on continuous growth and learning – on and off the mat.

So then it came down to actually locking in funding, space, and everywhere in between. We’re so thankful for the unconditional support from our families, loved ones, and mentors – because, without that, we’d probably still be sitting at Encanto Park daydreaming about what we’re living out today. The past 6 months of being the new “neighborhood hype gals” have been a wild ride.

We’ve hosted several in-studio events, collaborated with dozens of local businesses, developed new class styles, curated countless playlists, and are now launching our outdoor mvmt series. We are SO excited for what is to come and continue to grow and empower our community.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a first-time business owner and new business in a rapidly growing industry has not been easy!

I have to constantly remind myself to be uber present – enjoy the good and learn from the not-so-good (ride the wave, right?!) But in all seriousness, we have definitely experienced struggles along the way – whether that be construction delays, creative roadblocks and just installing audio for the studio (leave that to the experts btw).

But all in all, we wanted to immerse ourselves into ALL aspects of opening and operating a new business which means making mistakes and most importantly, learning from them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about desert mvmt?
Desert mvmt is a women-owned and operated boutique fitness space that specializes in a unique blend of movement and mindfulness. Our classes are an intentional hybrid of mat pilates, yoga, and functional strength training. We utilize various hand weights, resistance bands, and sliders throughout our class offerings.

We believe that the impact of the movement is just as much mental as it is physical so we incorporate classes geared around mediation, and mindset training and have started to weave in sound healing class offerings too. We believe that this is what sets us apart from others – the focus on the mind-body connection on and off the mat.

We are so proud of the sense of community and authenticity we have created at desert mvmt – you can feel it when you step into the space. It just feels like home.

The biggest takeaway that we want readers to absorb about desert mvmt is that there is not a specific box or mold that you have to fit in to be in a fitness space – it is truly what you make of it and building genuine relationships with others and establishing human connection keeps us going! we got you.

What do you think about happiness?
Puppies.

But on a serious note – building connections and helping others is the root of my happiness. As the oldest of three, I have always wanted to help guide my sisters through life (and sometimes showed them what not to do haha) and that has bled into all of my friendships and professional connections.

I love to teach, help and most importantly connect. Acts of service are definitely my giving love language and throughout my entire life, I have always wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of.

But seriously…. puppies are a close second.

Pricing:

• DM newbie unlimited $99 (month of unlimited classes).
• single class $25

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@desertmvmt.com
• Website: desertmvmt.com
• Instagram: @desert_mvmt
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/spb6awch0qdjrn8l5kee2rc4m?si=76e14f9a066444b8

Image Credits
Eunice Beck, ENC Agency, and Sistr Studios