Private Training Studio Elevates its Business Status

Elevate Fitness & Nutrition of Pinellas County

Justin Lamar Dudley, owner of Elevate Fitness and Nutrition, a private training studio in Pinellas County, has experienced significant growth with the guidance and support of the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) and his business consultant, Yolanda Goodloe. Specializing in personalized fitness programs, Elevate Fitness and Nutrition has become a local hub for clients seeking tailored workout plans, especially for weight loss and weight gain, in an intimate setting where clients can feel comfortable to perform their best and improve their health.

When asked why he chose to launch a private training studio, Dudley said, “I chose to launch my business to assists other people in their health and fitness journey, to be the best version of themselves.” His passion for fitness, combined with his desire to help others achieve their health goals, inspired him to open his own studio.

With the help of Yolanda Goodloe, Dudley secured a new location that better accommodates his growing client base. “I established a physical location in 2022 so people could be more comfortable, the people that are not comfortable in big gym settings, and to connect more with the people that I’m dealing with,” Justin Dudley said.

In addition to location assistance, the Florida SBDC at PCED provided valuable marketing strategies and networking opportunities, allowing Elevate Fitness and Nutrition to reach a broader audience. “The information that I learned from Ms. Yolanda has helped me grow as far as like my marketing, my business plan, just structure in general, which way to go,” Dudley said.

Since working with the Florida SBDC at PCED, Dudley has seen tremendous growth, especially when it comes to having a space where he and other trainers are able to assist their clients with their health goals in a comfortable setting. “My business has grown since working with Ms. Yolanda and the SBDC because I used to freelance, I used to bounce around into different gyms, training people, getting kicked out of gyms for training people, doing bootcamps at parks, so now I got a physical location,” he said.

The trainer and business owner’s biggest success so far has been, “Helping people. Health is everything, that’s the most important thing to all humans. So, really, that’s it, just watching all my clients reach their goals and making people the healthiest version of themselves,” Dudley said.

Looking ahead, Justin Dudley plans to continue leveraging the expertise of the Florida SBDC at PCED as he expands his business and hopes to help the youth in his community. “As I grow my business, the SBDC and Ms. Yolanda, I’m sure they’re going to help me evolve and get even bigger to help even more people, build even more relationships with the community, and really help the youth. That’s the ultimate goal, is to help the youth.” Dudley mentioned. “Fitness and nutrition changed my life and my mindset on life. I believe it can positively affect the lives of the youth and the older generations mindset on life.” He added.

To other small business owners, Dudley offers this advice: “get with the Florida SBDC because having a small business is really hard, no matter what, even when it’s doing good, it’s doing bad, it’s hard. They really have professionals that really can motivate you and point you in the right direction, you know, cheer you up sometimes, because they understand.”