We had the good fortune of connecting with Jodi Avalos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
D.T.L.A. Fitness is a premium fitness and recovery center. We specialize in small group fitness classes, personal training, and recovery. There are quite a few things that set us apart from other gyms and studios, two that I am most proud of are our small class sizes and sense of community. Compared to neighboring group fitness studios our class size maximum is 10 people, where most of the other studios are allowing 20-30 participants per class. As a former teacher, I believe a small student to teacher ratio is not only safer but more beneficial for the clients and their movements. I also want health and wellness to be accessible to more people and for more people, particularly women and women of color to feel comfortable and safe in their workout environment. Additionally, we have a full separate gym space for personal trainers and our clients to work out on their own if they don’t feel like taking a class or it doesn’t fit their schedule. And lastly, we have a recovery room with state of the art Hyperice and HigherDose wellness and recovery technology.

I got to where I am today by making a lot of mistakes. And I REALLY mean a lot of them. Some of them cost me money, some of them cost me friendships, some cost be both, but all of them have led me to where I am today and I truly believe that God’s plan for me is just falling into place little by little. Starting this business has definitely been the biggest challenge of my life, but having the support of great friends and family and faith in God have helped me continue to get back up and move forward time and time again. I’ve worked upwards of 90-100 hours/week at times to keep my dreams going and I would do it all again. I think the biggest business lessons I have learned are to make sure everything is in writing and make sure you have a good attorney!

What I want people to know about the brand, D.T.L.A. Fitness is that DTLA doesn’t just stand for Downtown Los Angeles. It stands for our motto, we are a community Determined To Live Actively. And, our community is diverse in size, color, and ability because we are a gym for everybody and every body.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh wow, there are so many places! On a weeklong trip we would definitely make day trips to Venice Beach, Point Dume in Malibu, The Broad and LACMA, Santee Alley, The Getty or Getty Villa, and The Santa Monica Pier. We would get up early a few days to get in a hike at Runyon Canyon and to the Hollywood Sign and we would probably stay out late a few nights catching a show at the Novo or another small venue close by. Some of my favorite places to eat are Etta in Culver City, Zinqué Downtown, LaLa’s Argentine Grill Downtown, and Joey DTLA and Manhattan Beach. We would definitely have to stop by Hilltop Coffee and Kitchen for a latte. My go-to is their honey lavender latte with oat milk. It’s a must. Being a long-time resident of DTLA, I often find I just enjoy walking around the neighborhood grabbing a drink here and there, The Proper Hotel’s Cara Cara, Prank, Good Clean Fun, etc. We are in one of the most vibrant cities and fun, interesting, exciting things are always just around every corner.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a lot of people that deserve credit and recognition for the current success of D.T.L.A. Fitness; friends, family, clients have all kept me motivated to keep trying.. One of my biggest supports has been my parents/mom though. My dad passed away a few years ago, and truly if it wasn’t for him and my parents’ initial financial support, I never would have made it this far. My close friends and my OG clients and their unwavering faith in my success are what keeps pushing me forward. They know who they are!

Website: Www.dtlafitness.com

Instagram: @dtlafitness

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dtlafitness/

Facebook: Www.facebook.com/dtlafitness

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dtla-fitness-los-angeles-3

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.