Tampa Gym Turns Childhood Fitness into a Growing Community

My Gym South Tampa of Hillsborough County

For Amy Morin and Laura Loshin, opening My Gym South Tampa was more than a business opportunity. It was a chance to bring a program they personally believed in to families throughout the community. The co-owners launched the children’s fitness franchise after seeing firsthand how the program benefited their own families.

Today, the South Tampa facility offers age-appropriate classes for children from as young as 2 months through 10 years old, focusing on motor skills, coordination, confidence and social development.

My Gym South Tampa is also a Step Up for Students marketplace provider, which opens their services up to more students, especially families who utilize the state scholarship system are able to pay for services through their EMA portal.

“We started out actually as customers ourselves,” said Morin. “I have a three-year-old and a six-year-old, and I started out as a My Gym parent, and I saw my children flourish, make friends, grow in confidence. We love the programming so much that we decided to bring it to the South Tampa community and plant our roots there.”

Morin and Loshin, who are neighbors and share connections through their church and local fitness community, both dreamed of owning a business someday. As working mothers and career professionals, they searched for an opportunity that aligned with their values and interests. “We just kept coming back to something that really resonated with us, which was fitness and fun,” Loshin said. “We found My Gym, and it’s the perfect combination of creativity, fun and fitness that really spoke to both of us and how we live our lives, but what we also want to bring to our community.”

Like many entrepreneurs, turning an idea into a viable business required careful planning, financing and expert guidance. That’s where the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of South Florida (USF) stepped in.

Early in the process, the pair worked closely with Florida SBDC at USF business consultant Brad Owens to develop a business plan, refine their financial projections and prepare for conversations with lenders. “He helped us come up with the best way to introduce ourselves, make a business plan and explain our financials to people that were not familiar with our concept,” Loshin said. “Brad has been amazing to work with. He went above and beyond, having several meetings with us so we would feel confident when we started talking to lenders.”

Owens also facilitated a critical introduction to a lender that ultimately helped the owners secure SBA financing for the project. “He even helped us make an introduction to a lender that ended up being the final one we chose, and they chose us to move forward in the SBA loan process,” Loshin said.

With financing in place, Morin and Loshin were able to transform their vision into reality. What began as an idea on paper became a fully operational children’s fitness center housed in a renovated former pharmacy. “Since we started working with the Florida SBDC at USF and Brad, we were able to really start building our business and we took it from just an idea on paper and turned an old pharmacy into this beautiful facility,” Morin said.

The Florida SBDC at USF’s support extended beyond startup planning and financing. The owners also tapped into the organization’s network for marketing guidance and referrals, ultimately connecting with a marketing firm that helped strengthen their social media presence and generate new leads.

“We also used the SBDC to get advice for marketing firms,” Morin said. “We are partnered with a LocalIQ marketing firm who has done all of our social media posts and really helps grow our leads and our customer base. We can’t be more grateful for all the help and support we’ve received from everyone at the SBDC at USF.”

As the business has grown, one of the owners’ proudest accomplishments has been building a team committed to serving both children and parents. “Our biggest success as My Gym South Tampa has been hiring an amazing team of coaches and teachers,” Loshin said. “Not only do they love children, but they love creating a community for moms that come with their little ones here to use our facilities.”

Looking ahead, Morin and Loshin have ambitious plans. While their immediate focus remains on growing the South Tampa location and delivering exceptional customer experiences, they hope to eventually expand elsewhere in the Tampa Bay region. “We would love to open up another location in Tampa Bay, closer to Brandon or Riverview down the line,” Morin said. “Right now, we’re just trying to make this one as successful and grow it as much as possible and have an amazing customer experience.”

The owners credit the Florida SBDC at USF as a valuable partner throughout their entrepreneurial journey and encourage other aspiring business owners to take advantage of its services.

“SBDC is amazing to work with,” Loshin said. “I would use them from the beginning of an idea that you’re thinking about opening a business all the way through full implementation and execution on any business plan you want to implement.”