Sarah Kreiner started The Mix Studios in 2016 in downtown Ann Arbor. However, after the pandemic began, she moved the location of her business to downtown Ypsilanti, and the change paid off.
Not only did the move make Kreiner’s commute shorter, but she was able to open a second location in Depot Town as well.
“I love this area and I love the walkability of it. I want people to find things you can walk to, you know, build your life so that it’s active,” Kreiner said.
However, health and fitness were not always a priority in Kreiner’s life. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was hanging out with the wrong crowd and smoking every day. After trying to quit smoking, she felt she needed something else to motivate her and started running. The more she ran, the more interested she became in health and fitness, so she set a goal to run a marathon.
“When I started running, I couldn’t do it at all. I couldn’t even make it 30 seconds because I was smoking two packs a freaking day. That whole year I was just like I couldn’t get enough,” Kreiner said.
It was then that Kreiner realized that she wanted to be a personal trainer. Outside of getting her Personal Trainer Certification from the American College of Sports Medicine, she also worked at a fitness studio near San Jose, California, where her mentor really had an impact on her training.
As she got older, hauling equipment around wasn’t as appealing, and she began looking for other staff members. Additionally, she wanted her business to have a sense of community.
“My thought really was sort of building a little fitness community where people who did classes could find a fair place to pay for rent and do their classes,” Kreiner said. “Having someone who is your advocate for your health every day versus, you know, you just go to the doctor once a month.”
Opening your own business takes a lot of work though, but Kreiner persisted.
“You do everything. You know what I mean, you do everything from the bookkeeping and the financial planning to the people skills to talking to people and getting people to believe in your business,” Kreiner said.
Although Kreiner’s first location for The Mix Studios was downtown Ann Arbor, she still managed to rent it at a great deal.
“The roof leaked the whole time I was there, but without that low overhead, I never could have built what I built,” Kreiner said.
One of the aspects of The Mix Studios that draws people is the individuality of the training. The studio works with individuals on a personal basis, knowing not everything will work for everybody and offering variations.
“I feel like a lot of other places have one kind of goal. Mix Total Body is about anybody working the whole body,” Kreiner said.
Kreiner offers both online and in-person classes, so if you are not sure yet about being there in person, you can participate in a class from the comfort of your own home.
Additionally, Kreiner offers a free half-hour phone call to those interested in training, which she calls a “discovery call," to truly meet that person and get to know their individual needs and wants out of training. Kreiner also calls members up every few months for a “wellness call” to see how they are doing.
This Friday, June 3, during First Fridays in Ypsilanti, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Mix Studios is having their open house, offering unlimited classes for one month for $49.
For more information about The Mix and where to sign up for a membership, visit their website.
