Wellness expert discusses how she is growing her business, MISSION:midlife Wellness Studio
By Steve Yablonski
Beth Ann Dice is the owner and trainer of MISSON:midlife Wellness Studio in Fulton. The business was the recipient of a $4,000 Business Recovery and Revitalization Grant awarded by the city of Fulton and the Fulton Community Development Agency. She recently discussed how she got started.
Q: What is your background? I have a bachelor’s degree in arts management and a master’s in marketing. My health and wellness certifications include certified personal trainer, certified sleep coach, certified stress coach, certified lifestyle and weight management coach, and cancer exercise specialist. I am currently completing breast cancer recovery BOSU specialist certification and certified women’s coaching specialist.
Q: When did it open? I opened the physical space in 2018, but have been working with clients for more than five years.
Q: Why did you start this kind of business? As I worked on my own wellness concerns, I began posting about my journey on social media. As women started to follow me and then join me, it seemed to naturally evolve. I was very inspired by the women who were joining me and wanted to be able to assist them. As my daughter was approaching college age, I wanted to find a way to get her through her first few years without student loans. This turned into the part-time job where I controlled the hours.
Q: What sets it apart from a YMCA or a health club or spa? I take a very individualized approach to each client to be sure that the client and I work as a team to address their specific needs and abilities. Most of my clients have special wellness issues or chronic disease.
Q: What do you offer clients? I offer specialized programs to aid midlife and older women, particularly those with chronic conditions, in leading a healthier and fulfilling lifestyle through exercise, sensible food choices, stress reduction, improved sleep and mindset work. The addition of a cancer exercise program makes MISSION:midlife the only facility in the area to offer this service. When clients are in the studio or joining online, they are under my constant direction and observation to ensure safe, effective workouts for each person’s individual abilities and unique needs.
Q: Tell us about your physical space. The physical space is unique as well. I spent a lot of time working on the overall feel and design of the MISSION:midlife Wellness Studio. I didn’t want to create just another gym. I wanted a studio that was inviting and comfortable with a homey feel; a place where women could come and feel at ease, just as they are, as they pursue a healthier lifestyle. It’s a warm hug for your mind, body and spirit. A client recently described the studio as “a much needed warm hug every time she comes in.” It’s a boutique-style wellness studio designed just for women featuring one-on-one and small group training options in person and online.
Q: Did you start this during the pandemic? I had been doing the business part-time. In January 2020, I made the decision to move to a full-time basis, before the pandemic was really a factor.
Q: How tough was it to get going? Certainly deciding to go full time and then having a pandemic cause a shutdown of my physical space presented some challenges. However, when I built the studio, I had included a number of features including cameras and other necessary equipment, with the vision of offering my services online as well as in person made the transition much smoother. On March 16 of 2020 I literally had to flip a switch. This has helped me attract women across the U.S. and even have a client in Newfoundland.
Q: What kind of feedback have you received? Wow, where do I begin? Every day it seems I am overwhelmed by what my clients tell me. From the client that told me she realized that she had been doing housework for more than two hours without having to sit down and even made her husband lunch for the first time in years; to a client telling me her back no longer hurts when she gets out of bed in the morning; to mobility coming back in her arm on the side of her body where she had breast cancer; to being able to get on the floor to play with her grandkids; to just finally feeling good again. It’s just been incredible.
Q: Any plans for expansion? Definitely! I’ll use the CDA funds to help expand the cancer wellness program.
To reach Beth Ann Dice, call 315-887-1182 or visit www.bethanndice.com.
