Liber8Fit Underground

Liber8Fit Underground in San Diego, California, combines the strengths of its two owners: yoga and functional training. While the studio offers a variety of classes, its signature Hybrid8 classes combine 45 minutes of HIIT-style exercises with 30 minutes of restorative yoga, empowering class members to challenge themselves and em-brace recovery, all within one class. The balance is perfect, just like the friendship be-tween co-founders Alyssa Charbonneau and Angela Balistreri.

Charbonneau and Balistreri met while working as trainers at another gym. While they were in the fitness industry, owning a gym wasn’t something that they planned on doing. Then in 2017, they attended the BOLD conference in San Diego, California.

The poolside conversation of destiny

After attending a few sessions, they met by the pool to share what they'd learned and how they could apply it to their day-to-day work at the gym. While talking, they realized they wanted more from their careers and that they could create a space of their own. “We were missing something in our current career path, and it essentially sparked something in us that we could build our own dream,” Charbonneau said. They quit their jobs at the gym and decided to create their boutique fitness studio. They signed a lease for a space that was partially underground and decided to put it into their name: Liber8Fit Underground.

Empowered through education

After opening the studio, Charbonneau and Balistreri realized that they didn’t know what they didn’t know—and that they needed support to keep classes full and the gym doors open. They knew that they had education available to them through Mindbody and attended Mindbody University to learn best practices, returned to BOLD to be inspired, and worked with their Customer Success Associate to help make their vision a reality.

“It's my forte to be able to design these really creative sets and the workout side, the physical,” Charbonneau said. “But I want to make sure that I can also balance out and learn everything I need to know in terms of our numbers, growth, marketing, things like that. I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t know much about that.”

Looking towards the future

Now, nearly three years after opening, they’ve built a dedicated community that loves their hybridized approach to wellness. Classes are filling, and the studio is offering challenges and community classes to drive more members through their doors. They've partnered with other local businesses to deliver services to members, including chiropractic and Kinesio taping services. And they aren’t planning on slowing down anytime soon.

“We’re very capable,” Charbonneau said. “We’ve gotten this far.”

Throughout it all, they’ve trusted Mindbody to deliver software and business education. "They're definitely a part of our business and a part of our growth and success,” Charbonneau said.