Forte’ Fit | Lauren Foundos

SWEAT journal 1805417946647703007 Forte’ Fit | Lauren Foundos women health fitness

Oh, how times have changed. But definitely for the better! Remember those days when you would pop in a workout tape in the VCR and follow along with the instructor. Well let’s fast forward to 2018 where Lauren Foundos has created a way to bring back those in home workouts but with a new twist. “I am building a company that fuels the core of my existence, which is being physically fit and active. I am the Founder & CEO of a tech company that is revolutionizing the fitness industry.  ​FORTË provides access to cutting-edge boutique fitness studio classes (from boxing, running, yoga, spinning, HIIT, and more) coached by leading fitness experts worldwide. Both a technology and subscription based streaming platform, ​FORTË ​installs hardware and software into boutique studios, which enable the classes to be streamed live to FORTË​’s platform. A ​FORTË ​subscription gives you access to this curated, interactive, real time, unedited, and unparalleled fitness experience with unlimited content and classes from the most elite boutique studios and coaches around the world. ​FORTË​’s subscribers have the opportunity to experience their favorite classes live or through their on-demand library, anytime, anywhere,” Lauren explains.

Fun, innovative and most importantly convenient, FORTE can definitely be a game changer here. Think of all the times you wanted to go to your favorite fitness class but had to put it on hold because you had a cold and didn’t want to spread it or you couldn’t find a babysitter or maybe you wanted to try a new class but was a little shy about it, with this app you’ll never have to miss a beat. Join in with the class right from the comfort of your own home!

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Start

Lauren’s product definitely has me intrigued but I wanted to get to know a little more about the woman behind the idea. Luckily, Lauren was pleased to give me the rundown. “Working out has always been a daily ritual for me and instrumental in helping me stay focused and grounded my entire life. I look forward to every workout, and I find the “post-workout high” to be almost cathartic in the best way possible.

My earliest memories are all about playing sports and being active. I would spend every minute outside if my parents would have allowed me to, but fortunately they strongly advised me to focus on school (which I’m thankful for today). As a child, I wanted to be a professional hockey player like Pierre Turgeon from the NY Islanders. I managed to play enough street hockey with my garage door to become a two-time all-American field hockey player and to play Division 1 at the University of Maryland for the nation’s top ranked program.

I spent ten years working on Wall Street; but having to be at work so early made working out in the morning increasingly more difficult, so I started taking my clients to work out with me prior to our evening events. That was the catalyst for the FORTË concept,” Lauren says.

“I was self-motivated and steered clear of studios; but once I began dabbling, I was immediately hooked by the energy and unspoken camaraderie within the room. As I began to fall hard for studios, my vision for FORTË became extremely vivid. I knew that I had to figure out a way to enable these incredible pioneers in the boutique fitness industry to reach beyond the confines of their studio walls and empower them to share their magic with the world.

I am aspire to make everyone enjoy working out as much as I do. I am determined to do this, and believe that by bringing together the world’s top fitness classes that we can offer something for everyone, whether you fall in love with a running studio from Boston, a sexy dance class from Miami, or a jump rope workout from a top boxing studio in NYC, that is up to you,” Lauren continues.

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Obstacles

Just as with any business venture, Lauren had some hurdles that she had to overcome, but there has been nothing that could stop her progress! “This entire road (building FORTË) has been an enormous challenge, day-in and day-out. Each day I am presented with obstacles, many of which I am encountering for the first time in my life. I prefer to focus on the moving forward when I face difficult moments rather than letting any negativity consume me. I have overcome these challenges by taking a deep breath, often going for a run, and then sitting down and coming up with an attack plan for the day. Starting your own company is much different than working for someone. That said, it is also extremely fulfilling, especially when you are building a company that is improving the quality of others’ lives. That fact inspires me daily,” Lauren expresses.

Rewards

Even with pushing through new obstacles on a daily basis, Lauren’s attitude always remains positive. And her positive mindset has led her to have a good amount of success. With that success comes great rewards. “I believe that it is extremely important that you work on things you are passionate about, but with that you must also be incredibly resilient because no great feat was accomplished through all victories. Building your own company isn’t the easy path, but it certainly is a rewarding path.

The most rewarding part of this journey thus far has been the countless emails from our users where they are telling us how we have changed and improved their lives. It’s those emails that keep me going, it’s insanely fulfilling knowing that we are building something that is positively impacting the lives of others,” Lauren declares.

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Can you tell me about how you developed your fitness philosophy and methods?

Let me preface this by saying, I am not a trainer or certified in anything fitness related (only licenses to trade bonds, ha). That said, my fitness philosophy was born out of the athletic training throughout my life which I have done to compete at some of the highest levels of my sport. I think the most important thing is to vary your workouts, being incredible at one type of workout and extremely weak in others doesn’t make you a strong or balance athlete. Your body plateaus eventually, so to stay on top of your game, vary your workouts.

What research / science is behind what you do?

According to One Medical, it’s important to vary your workout routine to breakthrough a plateau, keep your brain healthy, build new muscles, prevent overuse injuries, among other things, so vary your workout routine and I promise you will not regret it.

What makes your method/s uniquely effective?

Varying your workout as stated above is proven to help you reach new levels of fitness. On FORTË, we offer so many different types of workouts that I assure you that you can find a workout that is new to you.

Who responds best to your method/s?

Anyone who varys their workouts will be glad that they did because not only will that make them stronger and more fit, but it will also prevent them from getting bored or stagnant in their fitness routine.

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Lauren Foundos

Website

Instagram: @LFOUNDOS  // @FORTE.FIT

Twitter: @LFOUNDOS // @FORTEFIT_