everybody 10 years: a note from our founder
10 years is a milestone for any business. For us at EVERYBODY, it is not a stretch to say that it also feels like a miracle.
10 years ago today we opened our doors. I remember that day well because the equipment had loaded in the night before and I had only had about 3 hours of sleep before we opened. Lake joked "It's your first born- welcome to parenting!" It was an accurate analogy. A small business can feel a lot like a baby, especially in the beginning. A sleepless night was a fitting beginning to a journey that has been filled with challenges as well as so many gifts.
Our first years: Breaking ground, Planting the seeds with co-Founder Lake Sharp in 2015, and multitasking.
Also fitting was the fact that our opening coincided with the very beginning of the first Trump presidency. There was always a sense of that timing being more than coincidental. We felt then (and continue to feel) the urgent need for an inclusive space like EVERYBODY. We envisioned an intersectional space that centers all communities who are deliberately left out of mainstream gym culture: those who are queer and/or transgendered, BIPOC, fat, disabled, of all ages and backgrounds while also cultivating allyship within, across and beyond these lines. Our name, EVERYBODY, has remained our north star, reminding us that radical inclusion omits no one and is a space for all. We have been guided by the hope of our space becoming the refuge we knew we all needed entering into a regime defined by division and hate. A place to recharge between the daily battle of simply existing and resisting that regime.
A space for all.
Over the past 10 years, we have weathered many storms of many kinds: fires, floods, the pandemic, the rise and surge of fascism and authoritarianism. Before we even opened we spent an entire year securing a permit with the City. During a rainstorm, a telephone pole landed on our roof and split it wide open, flooding our space. We struggled to obtain funding during our protracted permit process, where we were already paying rent with no income of any kind. Driven by hope and a vision of one day becoming a beacon for the community we now serve, we took on debt in a way that felt like leaping into an abyss with no safety net. Failure was not only possible but highly likely. It is a well known fact that most small businesses close within their first two years of opening.
All along, our prayer was simple: Keep going.
When we finally opened, the community that showed up reminded us why we had made that leap. Tears streaked down the faces of new members who admitted they had never felt safe in a gym before. We watched as regulars became fixtures in our space, daily reminders of our purpose and place in their lives. We became a literal "third space" for so many Angelenos.
Before and After: EVERYBODY Patio and main Weight Room
Movement classes led by incredible teachers and trainers created the sense of true community bound together by the goal of moving bodies and also hearts and minds-- a beautiful, insanely talented ensemble cast. Finally, a gym that allows you to both get your heart rate up or slow your pulse, depending on your nervous system's needs! A gym that tells you your body, not toxic diet culture, is the boss! A space where all bodies could truly share space, beyond binary and body shaming big-box gym culture. There is a quality to the respectful and kind interactions of our members not seen before in other gyms- it is remarkable, especially to the people coming from corporate chains. I can't count the number of times I have heard: "Thank you for creating this space. It is the only place I feel comfortable working out in."
The many modalities of EVERYBODY: Weight room, MOVE/BUILD room, HOMEBODY VOD, Outdoor patio
It was this same community who kept us going through the pandemic when we were forced to close our physical space overnight. It was this community who showed up online when we had no classrooms, who showed up at the beach and park when classes were held out of our van, who showed back up on our patio when we finally could have limited use of our space but only outdoors. This was a miracle. In 2020, most businesses faced losses that forced them to close. Especially gyms. We have you, our community, to thank for our survival during this time.
Today, we understand that this survival was no accident. We now know how critical this space is to the health and wellbeing of our community, which is a guiding light that keeps us going even when we face difficult times. We know now more than ever that real-life, in-person, face-to-face community is a rare and precious resource, especially a community like ours that shares progressive, radically inclusive values. Creating community is also challenging work. We continue to evolve-- to listen and to learn, and to lean into our values as we respond to the emerging needs of our community. We will continue to reflect on and to protect this sacred community as we grow and expand our community into new places and spaces that need it most.
Sam Rypinski, Lake Sharp, Staff, Instructor and Trainer pix from 2017 to present.
I am so deeply grateful to all those who have supported this project, from staff and affiliates to our members and supporters near and far. We could not have reached this moment and milestone without you. I am also grateful for the challenges we have faced, both internally and as a community. If I have learned anything it is that like just building muscle, true strength and resiliency blooms after periods of real struggle and hard work. We will continue to face hurdles ahead with the knowledge that they ultimately help us to heal and get stronger.
We now look forward to the future, to expansion and growth and showing up each day with the same hope, heart and humility that got us through this past decade. May our days ahead be filled with transformative, energizing, reflective and grounding movement that moves us all to KEEP GOING.
In Community and with Gigantic Gratitude,
Sam