We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Jardine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

My initial plan was to take the traditional route of going to college, graduating, and starting a career in public relations. As a college student, I started teaching Pilates and barre at local Miami fitness studios. During this time I decided to turn my passion for fitness, stemming from my previous experience as a competitive figure skater, into a blog called “I’m Sweaty and I Know It” that I initially started to share helpful health and wellness tips with other students trying to balance staying healthy with navigating college.

During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the fitness studios I taught at shut down their in-person classes and shifted to a virtual model. I spent the remainder of my junior year of college juggling classes, learning how to teach virtual barre and Pilates classes, and publishing blog content. My friends encouraged me to start posting workouts on TikTok, which I was reluctant to do at first but as soon as I did my social media accounts took off. I started experimenting with long-form content on YouTube and teaching Instagram live classes from my blog’s Instagram page, I’m Sweaty and I Know it. Eventually, that led to me creating an app and on-demand platform Sweaty Studio which has now become my full time business. In addition to the studio, I also post relatable and realistic wellness advice on my podcast, Healthy but Human, which currently has over 1 million downloads.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a former competitive figure skater, I struggled with chronic tendonitis in my knees which led me to search for alternative ways to train off the ice. It was during this time that I discovered barre. After my first class, I was in love with how the exercise blended ballet, Pilates, and stretching to the beat of the music. This sparked my initial interest in low impact workouts.

As I grew older and my body continued to change, low impact exercise like barre and Pilates really helped me become intuitive with what my body needed, particularly during different seasons of my life and different parts of my menstrual and hormonal cycle. My personal wellness and fitness journey was just as much mental as it was physical. Having struggled with body image issues, disordered eating, and anxiety, I wanted to help other women not only learn to work with their bodies and heal physically, but build their self worth and heal mentally and emotionally. I ultimately wanted to help other women and girls who might have struggled like I did.

A big differentiator for my business now is that I couple my workouts with affirmative and body positive messaging. I’ll also sometimes incorporate journal prompts and my personal testimonies to uplift the women and girls in my community. Sweaty Studio has become so much more than just a fitness business, it’s a community of people who are healing, growing, and becoming the most confident version of themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would give my best friend the South Florida wellness experience. We would take our little boat down to the Keys and go free diving and soak in the sun or drive to Palm Beach and carve some waves. For food, we would be sure to hit up Pura Vida, Planta, Zak the Baker, Paperfish and Mister 01. For drinks, we would grab coffee at 3 Baristas or hit up Joe and the Juice for some refreshing smoothies. My favorite places to check out are Key Biscayne National Park, the Keys, Cato’s Bridge, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, and Design District. I feel like South Florida is known for its party and food culture, but the natural side of South Florida is slept on. Take a quick trip south or north of Miami and there is an abundance of untouched Florida to explore and be seen.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to God and my supportive husband, John Gualy, friends and family. After college, I was in a really dark place, struggling with my mental health and around this time I started my relationship with God and found so much peace and guidance throughout the entire journey. Also, shoutout to my supportive husband, John Gualy, for encouraging me to take a leap of faith, take the less traveled path and go after my entrepreneur passions and dreams at such a young age!

Website: https://sweatystudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsweatyandiknowit/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CallieJardine

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@imsweatyandiknowit

Image Credits
Image courtesy of Dasha Brook

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