“I spend two full days out in the gym right now and workout three times a week,” Ashley says. “It was just storage before – I didn’t have a vision in mind. I love the light, natural floors combined with the white metal. I don’t think I would ever pick that, but it was part of the barn and I love it. It feels more minimalist than a lot of gyms that feel so busy. This feels calm and serene. It’s my space.”

“A lot of women have what I call ‘gymtimidation,’” Ashley says. “They don’t want to walk into a busy gym of really fit people. They want someone to teach them how to get going and help them build their confidence to where they can work out on their own and know what to do.”

“I wanted it to be really light,” Ashley says. “I love the windows. We decided to do clear windows looking into the barn so we can see views of Mount Werner.”

She also wanted to use the space efficiently. So she purchased a Prodigy Rack from Prime Fitness, which offers versatility: a cable station with high and low pulleys, a 350-pound weight stack, and attachments for including barbell hooks, a lat pulldown seat, a low row footplate and more. A treadmill and Peloton help with cardio and sets of free weights line the wall. “The wall mirror is great for my clients so they can watch their form,” Ashley says. “And my daughter is a dancer so she uses the barre.”

Ashley also does nutrition coaching so it was important for her to have a sitting area too. “I wanted a place where we could sit and I could chat with my client and it would feel welcoming,” she explains. 

“I have dreams of doing fun farm-themed fitness,” Ashley says. “We could utilize the driveway and do things like farmer carries with full five-gallon buckets or the 50-pound feed bags. In the winter, we have a Nordic ski track around the pasture – we could do cardio outside and then go inside to strength train.”

“My clients are typically 40+ women who want to improve their strength,” Ashley says. “As I was trying to figure out how to market myself, I had to think about who would resonate with what I’m saying.” She settled on busy moms who are also professionals. “They’re capable but they don’t have time. They want someone like me to come in and tell them what to do and how to do it effectively and efficiently.”

“I want everything to be doable,” Ashley says. “I want to start with an end in mind. I ask my clients, ‘what do you want life to look like? What does success look like? How do you want to eat? What foods and traditions are important to you?’ I want to figure out how to make it work for people in their own lifestyle because if people don’t love it, they won’t stick with it.”

“Women are capable of so much more than they think when they start,” Ashley says. “Everyone can lift more, do more reps, can feel uncomfortable and bounce right back.” Ashley currently trains her clients in private and semi-private sessions in her barn gym. She also does online coaching and teaches classes at Steamboat Fit. “For people in the South Valley, this is such a great spot on the way into town,” she says. “It’s another new space but also a place where people can train in private, with discretion and build confidence.”