It was July 2018 when Erica Pattni and JR Jones first set out to build ROWDY, their boutique fitness brand. The two met in Davis and agreed there was something missing from the regular roster of workout classes.
They launched their answer, a club-inspired cardio and HIIT experience set to the beat of some killer music, in January of this year—offering an escape as much as a workout. The goal, says Pattni is to “bring together a passionate community of do-ers that love life and join us to release and refuel. We’re not promising inches or pounds lost, we’re offering something much greater. Getting ROWDY can transform perspectives and do amazing things for the body and mind. We focus on what you’ll gain more than what you’ll lose.”
Soon after ROWDY’s launch, however, the world changed. And like so many small, local businesses, Pattni and Jones moved fast to adapt by launching their digital business.
“When the Shelter in Place went into effect in March,” recalls Pattni, “we immediately shifted into build mode. Overnight, both of us founders assumed additional new roles (that we were not experienced in) as A/V engineers, coders, web developers to launch www.getrowdydigital.com. At one point, we accidentally unplugged our website and entire ecommerce platform! We learned that it’s best to confirm actions with customer support teams.”
The pivot worked, and since then they’ve found that 99% of those who try ROWDY for free become subscribers. “People show up suited up in ROWDY apparel for their ROWDY classes, ready for their getaway! In the 20 years of brand work I’ve done,” remarks Pattni, “I’ve never seen this! The energy of the community we’ve built inspires me to work harder, every day.” She and Jones attribute the success to their growing team: “THEY are called ROWDY PARTY STARTERS because they’re electric.”
Still, Pattni notes, the process requires patience. “When we launched our original business, we forecasted profitability in month five. But since launching an entirely new tech based business just over a month ago, we’ve reallocated resources and reworked projections which means we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see those profits roll in.”
In the meantime, the two founders remain focused on their vision to create a community and have been inspired by the results: “With just six months, our community has grown from a local Davis and Sacramento brand to a global brand with subscribers in over 15 states—and all over the world from Australia, to Thailand, England and Canada.”
Turns out the world may have changed, but people are craving a release and a night out more than ever.
ABOUT ROWDY
“We innovate based on needs, not fads. We constantly think of how ROWDY experiences can bring more value to our customers and community. For example, we organize our classes differently to simplify browsing and to minimize time wasted shopping for classes. We offer ROWDY RXs (our prescription for your week)—a week’s worth of recommended classes and getaways that deliver specific benefits. For example, Time Machine is designed to give you a week experience of going out to the clubs; Glow Away offers a week-long collection of classes to help deliver that glowing face and look you get after a daily endorphins rush.”
GIVE IT A TRY
ROWDY classes are AVAILABLE ON DEMAND AND LIVE AT WWW.GETROWDYDIGITAL.COM
FREE 10 DAY TRIAL AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AS LOW AS $10/MONTH. WWW.GETROWDYDIGITAL.COM
