A small gym has made big waves in Rockaway Beach as an inclusive fitness studio that means business.
GoodForm Studios founder Monice Small wants all kinds of bodies to feel safe while they work out. Most of the GoodForm staff are women of color, and trainers who have often struggled with their own mental and physical challenges on their fitness journey. These lived experiences help them connect with newbies or gym-goers with eating disorders, and people of every shape.
In a field that often feels high-stakes, GoodForm Studios founder Monice Small is creating a safe workout space for clients to better themselves and embrace their fitness archetypes.
From re-learning good form to opening GoodForm
Small’s path to entrepreneurship began in high school, where she thrived as a track and field athlete. In college, however, she found herself stagnant after enduring injuries that sidelined her. “My body [felt] like garbage,” she said. That’s when Small discovered the transformative power of strength training.
“I realized, ‘OK, this is clearly something that more people need to know about,’” she said.
Her passion for fitness led her to become a certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer. But it was the pandemic that propelled her into a different kind of action. She had DACA status and couldn’t qualify for unemployment assistance or get a job amid the pandemic.
“I was freaking out a little bit, but I was like, ‘we’re gonna figure this out,’” Small said. She figured she would start her own business.
Crowdfunding community support
In mid-2020, Small found a 400-square-foot space that felt right. But without funds to secure it, she turned to her community for help, launching a crowdfunding campaign on social media. She just needed $5,000 for the down payment. To her surprise, she raised $6,000 within weeks.
Small says she owes the outpouring of support to her robust network, much of which was built from working in the service industry for years.
“I’m very honest about who I am as an individual, in terms of my status in America and my relationship with money,” Small said. “I’m just like, ‘hey, this is what I’m doing. If you support it, great. If not, I’d be really grateful if you even shared it.’”
Building a fitness space for connection
GoodForm Studios opened its doors in August 2020 with a focus on individual training sessions and virtual classes. Small describes the initial setup as “basic but functional.” With free weights and a shared Peloton bike, the studio became a haven for those seeking an outlet during lockdowns.
She had about 25 clients within weeks and was running on the rush of opening up for business. “People were looking for safe spaces to exercise,” she said. The demand quickly outpaced her initial plans for group classes.
Expanding GoodForm Studios
As her client base grew, so did Small’s vision. Her landlord, who was among the first clients, became an unexpected investor, encouraging her to expand into a larger space in the same building. At first she thought, “Who has the money for that?” But with support from her community and newfound confidence in their initial success, she took the leap.
In August 2022, GoodForm Studios moved into a retail space on the first floor — a significant upgrade that allowed for more classes and better facilities. Now, the business has seven coaches offering small group training because it allows them to focus on form and technique, Small says.
A hybrid approach to fitness
GoodForm Studios operates on a membership model that combines private sessions with group classes.
Small says it’s a different approach from typical fitness studios in New York City that count on members failing to show up while paying a regular membership fee. “It’s not just about dropping in for a class; it’s about committing to your health,” Small said. The studio offers structured programs that encourage participants to engage deeply with their fitness journeys. Their glute-building program is among their most popular assets.
Small also wanted to disrupt the so-called toxic masculinity of some gyms. “I’m very specific about the men who work within our space, because men in fitness … can be a little problematic,” Small said. “And I just will not have it — because we have different types of people who come in, nonbinary, trans, women who are very nervous to even train around other people, much less a man.”
Small says she’s found coaches who align with her vision and are open to her thoughts on how to build themselves up.
Redefining fitness archetypes
As GoodForm Studios continues to thrive in Rockaway Beach, Small is setting her sights on also expanding to Harlem or Brooklyn, with a specific mission in mind.
“The demographic I really want to work with more is people who are underserved, specifically Black women,” she said. “There’s a lot of misinformation around fitness, especially around the whole physique and strength thing, and I really want to dispel those myths.”
Her vision goes beyond just physical strength. Small aims to create a space where women, particularly women of color, can embrace their power while maintaining their femininity.
“Creating archetypes for themselves, like ‘Pilates princess’ or ‘muscle mommy’ – I think that helps,” she said. “If you have an archetype for yourself and you embody that, it makes you feel like, ‘OK, this is the type of girl I am. I’m just gonna go to the gym, get my matcha, do my thing.’”
Making good friends at GoodForm
GoodForm members gain a support system outside the studio too, she says. Since Rockaway is a tight-knit community and a peninsula, Small says people tend to stick around, and it’s common to see familiar faces. Small often spots gym members hanging out together outside, whether walking along the boardwalk or grabbing coffee. It’s heartwarming to her when people say they met at the gym when she thinks they had been friends pre-GoodForm.
The studio is also leaning into fitness collaborations. It teamed up with a neighboring jiu-jitsu gym for an event last month to highlight the benefits of cross-training for athletes.
“I think a lot of people see [the jiu-jitsu gym] as a little bit intimidating, because they are a martial art,” Small said. “I want people to learn, especially women, self-defense techniques and ways to carry themselves if they ever get into a situation where they need to disarm someone.”
Regardless of whether people work with her directly, Small says it means everything to her to watch her community moving and finding appreciation in the process.
“That is such a joy to witness, especially if they’ve never had that before, because maybe they weren’t athletes in their past, or they didn’t have a movement practice in any capacity,” Small said. “So now that they have something, and they’re committed to it, and they’re really stoked on it. That drives me.”
88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd
Follow on Instagram at @goodform_studios.
hello@goodformstudios.com or email via website at this link.
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