Moms Tell All Series: "RISE" Up Snohomish
The Moms Tell All Series lives on! And I am so excited to feature a new business in town, Rise Studio. First, let me just paint this picture for you (if you’re a working mom, you’ll appreciate and hopefully relate to this! I sent a message to Caressa the first week of March (a few days after I had learnt of her opening in town) eager to meet her. I just knew that her story would be fun to chat about! A few weeks went by and a couple of reschedules later, 2 kiddo illnesses (one mine, one hers) & just a typical mom life led us to chuckle with each other for a moment as we FINALLY got to meet in person on March 26th!
We joked about how it was just so funny and the perfect real-life scenario of 2 working moms attempting to fit each other into our busy lives, and I’m just so thankful we did! I had my oldest daughter with me the afternoon we met; we were preparing to head to her Spring school conference. I also did not even realize I had booked my interview with Caressa on the same day as her conference #momwin.
Rise Studio, offering Pilates, barre and yoga - will be opening in Late April/May pending some final permitting and fine tuning. It is located in the prime location off of First Street - right next door to Peaches, in the lower level of the historic Marks Building. I learned that the space was a former jail back in the 1800s! Rich history, beautiful architecture, trendy vibes, the space is truly magical.
We got into the nitty gritty of Caressa’s background, and unbeknownst to me — we happened to share a shockingly similar path! A history in Fashion, and many years logged at Nordstrom Headquarters as a buyer and in marketing. Sports and athletics were a passion of hers aside from work, and 2020 was the year for her that really changed everything (a trend I am noticing as I meet and talk with other entrepreneurs). She also had her daughter in 2020, which ultimately propelled her into her focus on health and wellness after she decided to leave her Nordstrom career behind and spend time homeschooling her kids. “Your body just isn’t the same after having kids” She explained, “Barre & yoga felt like an easy way to escape & reconnect.” She knew that this passion and reconnection to health & wellness would be a smooth transition into her next chapter, and her big dream of opening her own studio. She started and pursued that dream by getting certified and becoming an instructor.
Caressa, her husband, and 2 kiddos live nearby. They frequent the farmers market here in the spring, and all of the local Snohomish businesses often, so it just felt natural for her studio to land here. It couldn’t be a more perfect fit as her dream of a space with unique detail, & architecture has really come to life. They started looking at spaces last year and came across the Marks building, and the opportunity just happened at the perfect time for them, as her kids are getting older and are now in school.
Her passion for Pilates, barre & yoga stems from the intentional ways to move your body with low impact. “I love group fitness, community building and the idea of friends just walking down the street for coffee or lunch after class.” Caressa explained. (HOW FUN. Count me in.) They will be offering lots of different classes, instructors with different vibes, and her ultimate goal is just to create this welcoming environment for all.
Her #1 Tip for any entrepreneur:
1. JUST START. You never know what could have been if you don’t just start! Similar to what Jennifer mentioned in my interview with Golden.
The biggest thing she has learned as a mom-biz owner in town, is just the daily grind and juggle. Juggling multiple aspects of your life, and giving yourself massive grace while doing so. We talked about just finding that ability and will to “let go” of things that feel important (dishes, laundry, chores) that just aren’t as important as they feel in the moment. Family and building the dream is what’s important, and her family was FULLY involved and invested in the creation of this space, it just warms my heart.
Blood sweat and tears, getting it ready to be such a soul-filled hub for Snohomish is truly special. “My kids would just sit down here while we worked on projects and played with scraps of wood, and we just do the best we can!” Talk about dedication. It is so inspiring! The grind can be hard, and overwhelming as a business owner with kids - but we both loved and chatted a lot about the idea that being a business owner as a parent, teaches your kids some invaluable and important lessons at a young age. Seeing your parents’ dreams and goals come to fruition and instilling that work ethic is such a special accomplishment.
This post comes at the perfect time as Rise Studio has just announced some spots open for founding members to join for just $100/mo. for unlimited classes. Excuse me, while I run to hopefully grab a spot if they don’t fill up!
I am so excited to take some classes and have some intentional me time, connect with more “Snohomies” in the community, and feel so lucky to have had this one on one time with such an inspiring woman in our community!
Thank you Caressa, for sharing your life and light with our little town!
We are rooting for you!!
Namaste :)