Hidden Gems: Meet Lindsay Warren of Kali Strength

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Warren.

Hi Lindsay, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Owning my own business has always been a dream. As a young girl I grew up playing three or four different sports and learned how incredible and powerful a community of women can be. I have accomplished so much in my life because of the camaraderie and support of the women I’ve surrounded myself with. From winning a CCAA national championship in college, to successfully entering my 6th year in owning a women’s only strength training gym here in Denver. The dream to open a women’s only gym stemmed from my early “CrossFit” beginnings in 2012. I immediately fell in love with how challenging the workouts were and the community surrounding your success.

Within six months of beginning “CrossFit”, I was driving up to “The Ranch” in Northern California to get my very first coaching certification. I drank the kool aid as everyone would say… through a firehose! From there, I spent the next nine months as a coaching intern for a big gym down in San Diego and discovered a gaping need in the “CrossFit” community – a way to make women feel welcomed in what most see as a male-dominated sport. Another few year of coaching goes by and I decided to finally make the leap in opening my own facility. I packed my bags and went to one of the fittest cities in the US to begin my new endeavor and landed here in Denver, CO. I knew no one in the city and had no idea what to expect but began creating my brand one step at a time. I joined a Roller Derby team here in the city to meet athletic women and everything exploded from there.

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?
Any small business owner can tell you that there is never a smooth or easy road to success. I’ve worked 80+ hour work weeks and paid myself little to nothing to survive at points. I’ve coached every class from 5am to 7:30pm day in and day out to keep the dream alive. Was it worth it? Absolutely. You have to be relentless in fighting for your dreams to keep them alive. Some of my largest hurdles have been securing additional funding after three years of business. Having business partners come and go, and then of course, the global pandemic. Nothing has been more challenging than maintaining a group-fitness based gym during COVID. The only reason we have made it this far is because of our incredible community of women supporting us every step of the way. They lean on our community here as much as we lean on them and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had women come to the gym to just drink coffee or have a glass of wine to unwind instead of actually lifting weights. We’ve always welcomed our members in any mood or mental state they are feeling for that day and it makes a difference.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a women’s only strength training and cardio facility here in Denver, CO. We specialize in welcoming women of all shapes, ages, and sizes to come and learn how to lift with us. Our programming is designed specifically for the female physique and our programming is completely customizable to your goals. What sets us apart from every other strength training gym out there – community. Our members are not clicky and they genuinely care about your day. You’ll find our community going on hikes, grabbing a beer, or engaging in our gym book club regularly. When you join us, you get 100 instant friends which is pretty unique.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding a good mentor should be the bread and butter to your early success. Look for the people you want to become and get close to them. Send them an email, go to their store, or intern under them if possible. You’ll learn years of experience from the person that paved the way. If you have no success at first, hit the pavement and get face to face with the people you need to surround yourself with to get to where you need to be. Be hungry.

Pricing:

• Monthly Unlimited Membership $165
• 2x/week Membership $95
• Personal Training $75/hour

Contact Info:

• Email: lindsay@kalistrength.com
• Website: www.kalistrength.com
• Instagram: kalistrength_training
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalistrengthtraining/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG_oBn-9dAQZ1tPQZgTkbPA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kali-strength-denver