HER STORY ⟡ Lashae Bacon

Today, we are meeting Lashae Bacon of AKT FTL!

Tell us about you and your background!

I grew up in a small town in Kansas, always dreaming of big things outside my little world. In high school I had the opportunity to join a reginal choir and tour 8 European countries to sing in beautiful cathedrals and see the world. Earning my Bachelors of Science in Public Relations at a wonderful school, Emporia State University, I had the opportunity to work with small groups and not for profits like the National Teachers Hall of Fame. I wanted to get into the fitness industry because of where I started in my own fitness journey when I was in my 20’s. Something happened to my knees that no doctor, x-ray, MRI, steroid shot, or Physical Therapy was able to find, but it left me immobile for weeks and chronic pain for years. I finally went to a gym, which I had never stepped foot in before, and spoke to a personal trainer about everything I’d tried so far. He started me on a strength training program and in 2 weeks I noticed a significant improvement of my pain. My thought was, why isn’t everyone working out like this?! 

A year after graduating college I joined the U.S. Army as a Warrant Officer and became an Apache Helicopter Pilot. After 2 years of training, a 10 month deployment to Poland (and other parts of Europe), 9 month deployment in South Korea, and a total of 8 years of service I left the Army to pursue my passion, fitness and entrepreneurship. During my service I earned my ACE Personal Training and Fitness Nutrition Specialist Certifications. I moved to Fort Lauderdale from Kansas to take on my current role as the General Manager of AKT Fitness FTL to learn and grow into the industry. Re-opening and running the studio as my own to work toward my ultimate goal of building an eco-friendly gym in South Florida.

Tell us about your business & why you started it?

I took on the position as GM for AKT FTL to learn. It’s a position that needed someone to build relationships, partnerships, take care of all of the technical aspects of the studio, and ultimately open the business successfully as the sole operator. Tasks which I welcomed head on. I was so excited to find a position in a fitness studio that not only offered the learning points I needed but also a fun, efficient, and very effective workout. The AKT workouts are what I lived on 5-6 days a week for nearly 3 months straight! Sometimes twice a day so I could support the new trainers getting certified and learn more about them.

We have some of the greatest group fitness trainers Fort Lauderdale has to offer because they truly care and take the time to get to know our members. I respect our trainers so much because they have a very taxing job that a lot of people don’t realize. Every 2 weeks they learn new content for 4 different workout classes to a level proficient enough to teach back to a group of members while simultaneously offering corrections and modifications at 6-8 classes/week…that is hard work. But our trainers are great at it!

 Through the week, we offer AKT signature choreographed Dance cardio classes and resistance Bands cardio classes, both integrated with full body strength sections. We also offer Tone, all strength with no cardio, and Circuit, timed intervals of strength and conditioning movements (my personal favorite). We have a little something for everyone, which people love! We have so many members tell us that AKT is the only fitness facility they’ve ever really enjoyed working out. The enjoyment of your fitness routine creates consistency which leads to accomplishing your goals. That is my ultimate goal for AKT Fort Lauderdale, is to help the members achieve their fitness goals.

What do you love about being a business owner?

I love the freedom it gives me to make my own decisions. Re-opening AKT FTL and going through all of the networking, processes, and organization it took to get to this point has been really empowering and fun for me. I love to create, build, challenge norms, and growing a business with that mindset creates so many possibilities.

What type of impact do you hope to have on those you meet and/or who receive your services?

I hope that for every person who walks into the doors of AKT Fort Lauderdale that they feel like they’re greeting friends, even our first timers. I want our members to look forward to coming to class because their favorite trainer is teaching their favorite class and they can’t wait to soak up the energy and joy the staff brings to the studio. I want our members to feel so good at the end of their workout that they can’t wait to come back for the next class! I want our members (you!) to brag about your accomplishments and things you’ve overcome since the first class! Most of our members say, I’m having so much fun it doesn’t even feel like I’m working out! Guess what, we have some of the most efficient workouts in the market with the environment to match (psst.. we have a disco ball yall!)

What advice would you give to yourself from 5 years ago? OR your past self just starting your business?

Be fearless in your ideas and actions, trust yourself. Remember, no one has everything figured out and everyone is just making up life as we go along. So who is to say that something can’t be done?

What does BEAUTY mean to you?

I think BEAUTY is actions, services, decisions that people make in order to improve life or situations that everyone can gain from.

Who or what inspires you?

Myself and those before me that accomplished what they were told was the impossible. I am amazed at how far I have brought myself in the last year. I think not enough people give themselves credit for the things they accomplish. I absolutely had some help along the way but I can also acknowledge that I made all of my decisions, asked the right questions to the right people, put myself into good positions, and took ownership of my life.

What would you like our Beauty Boost members to know?

One of my favorite quotes is: “Why worry about the things you can’t control? And why worry about the things you CAN control?” Thinking about these words has helped elevate a lot of self-induced stress by confronting situations or problems with a more logical mindset.

Anything else you would like to share!

I’ve almost abandoned my own Instagram for running AKT Fort Lauderdale’s Insta so much, ha! But I’ve got some pretty tasty high protein desserts and meal ideas on mine, if I do say so myself. Follow me @Lashae_Bacon and make sure you follow @theaktfortlauderdale!

 All TBB Members receive 40% off Unlimited VIP Membership or 20% off Class Packs at AKT Fort Lauderdale!  Mention The Beauty Boost to redeem by calling (954) 666-5864 or DM @theaktfortlauderdale!