Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlotte Colby.
Hi Charlotte, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I went to Texas tech university and landed a job at Sewell Lexus post college. As much as I loved Sewell, I knew I couldn’t stay in that industry as I built my family with my husband, Mark. I’ve always been an athlete growing up, but found my love for boutique fitness when I was getting “wedding ready.” Pilates changed my body in ways I’d never seen before. I decided to make a career change in 2014. I quit my corporate job to work at Lululemon while I got my Pilates certification. I started teaching at a few different places around Dallas. After being in the industry for a short period of time I knew my dream would quickly turn into owning my own studio. I was also passionate about yoga so I knew I wanted a combo studio of reformer Pilates and yoga. My husband’s job moved us to Southlake in 2018 after our second baby. I put my dream of opening a studio on hold to grow our family and immerse myself in the Southlake community. I learned that in order for a business to succeed in Southlake, you need to be locally owned and eat, drink, breathe, Dragon, which is the town mascot that you’re assigned in pre-k. Luckily I waited because COVID hit. Once the time was right, we found the perfect space at Kimball Place District 114 and decided to hit the play button on my dream, which is now known as FORM YPS. I added the hot sculpt format as the strength portion to round out the trifecta. I wanted a one stop shop for my clients. We rented a space that had the ability to expand. I had a second piece of the puzzle I eventually wanted to expand into. As we speak, we are adding more to our studio to complete the package. We are now adding a protein shake/juice/smoothie bar, 2 cold plunges, 3 red light infrared saunas, and a traditional non heated strength room (think racks, benches, barbells, kettlebells, etc.) With the new strength room, I want all of our clients—especially women—to feel comfortable walking into a weight room and working out with confidence.
The expansion will be open early to mid December!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any road to opening a business is smooth. There will always be bumps in the road and obstacles to overcome. I am grateful to have built an amazing team around me that helps smooth things out when things get tough. The hardest part for me was shifting from a full-time stay at home mom to a full-time small business owner while still being a full-time mom and wife. I don’t think there’s a way to do it all yourself and no such thing as a work life balance in today’s world. I am always on call, answering emails, and trying to be a good mom and wife. The saying, “it takes a village” is so true in every aspect of my life. I have the best husband, family, friends, and employees that I constantly depend on.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am most proud of the team I’ve built at FORM. My goal was to build a tight knit community internally so we could support a strong community externally. I still personally answer every email that comes in. I don’t ever want my clients to feel like we’re a big box gym that doesn’t understand life’s conflicts like sick kids in the middle of the night or last minute work meetings. I address each client as if it were myself on the other end. I want my clients to feel like they can celebrate the bigs with us, but also confide in us during those low times. Fitness fits in both of those parts of life and we’re here to customize it for them.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in San Antonio. Go Spurs Go! With two older brothers, I had no choice but to be tough and resilient. If I wanted something, I was going to find a way to get it and that still stands today. I don’t think I ever really dreamed about having babies and being a mom. I told my mom my dream was to own a business and be a CEO. Little did I know that I would do all of those things, become a mom and a business owner, and love them equally. I have always been competitive and felt the need to prove myself. I cheered competitively since 3rd grade, ran track, played soccer in high school, and worked in a restaurant since the day I turned 16. I figured out a way to get out of school at noon my junior and senior year so I had enough time to work, cheer, play soccer, get good grades, and party. I feel like that paved the way for my future, finding time to make it all work. Life is never perfect and I’m always evolving as a person personally and professionally, but things are pretty great right now!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.formyps.com
- Instagram: Form_southlake
Image Credits
Amber Tice Photography
