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Meet Rebecca and Michael Costa of Burn Total Body Conditioning in Old Town Scottsdale

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca and Michael Costa.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rebecca, Michael. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I had been instructing vinyasa yoga classes for a decade in the San Francisco area. Michael left a Wall Street career (2015). During his time off, he became a devoted fan of small class fitness formats- spin classes, yoga and TRX etc. We discovered the Lagree Method at this time. We were hooked and the seeds were sown. We were to become “fitnessprenuers”.

We spent 2015 formulating our Bay Area exit strategy and a business plan concurrently settling on the Phoenix metro area. We moved from Marin County to Scottsdale in June 2016. Burn, old town opened January 2017. Look for Burn Phoenix in early 2018.

Has it been a smooth road?
Relatively smooth but-at the end of the day opening a small business has many challenges. Issues that you may not even have considered in a different environment-say corporate world etc. matter. However, confronting these issues gives you the space to think about process management while constantly asking yourself-how can we do this better? That’s the fun part of the challenge.

Specifically, this is a very competitive area for fitness. A constant challenge is educating our demographic to what we actually do-The Lagree Method is still relatively unknown here and education is key. Making sure we have top level coaches is another challenge that cannot be taken lightly. Clients pay top money for the experience we offer and having coaches that can deliver the method with their own style is so important.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Burn Total Body Conditioning is a certified Lagree Studio. Lagree’s origins are in LA. The Lagree Method is a machine based, group fitness format. Our machines are the patented Megaformer designed by Sebastien Lagree. Our classes are 45 minutes of high intensity, low impact work that has elements of HITT. We offer clients a group based marriage of the technology and exercise programming combining the flexibility and toning of yoga and Pilates with the strengthening of cross-fit and other weight training.

Our 45 minute classes improve fitness by focusing on, but not limiting to, cardio, endurance, body composition, flexibility, and muscular strength all under the observant eye of top notch coaches.

I am so proud of our Burners (clients of Burn, not necessarily Burning Man). We are fortunate to have, in a relatively short time been able to draw a wide audience of engaging clients who appreciate the accountability of being part of our wider community.

We are always accessible and are present. We make it personal because fitness is personal. Clients know who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we are going to go together.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The Valley is very conducive to fitness in general. The demographic trends are moving in the right direction. I think greater Phoenix was top 5 in population growth in 2016. Certainly some submarkets are of course better than others. However, as stated earlier, it is competitive and one has to understand the basic tenets of starting any small business-location, a good lease, sufficient capital, and an understanding of the target market.

I would recommend anyone who has designs on starting a business here to ask a lot of questions and do your homework. It is unlike any other. As a desert community, there is a distinct rhythm-long, hot, quiet summers when many residents try to spend time away from the heat. A peak season which runs from late fall to early spring brings tourists and snowbirds. As a business owner you have to ask who will you cater to. Will my business sustain the slower summers?

Pricing:

  • New client special pricing- $129 first month unlimited
  • Monthly unlimited plans starting at $169

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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