For us at Beyond Marketing, this is an extra special feature for us for two reasons! Account Manager, Imani Belton works part-time at Orangetheory Fitness in Fort Mill (you were wondering why she looks so familiar) and Beyond Marketing’s owner, James La Barrie regularly works out under the watchful eye of Elan.
Whether you workout with Elan or work with him everyone has the same takeaway – Elan.Is.Awesome. The reason is this: he’s passionate about what he does, whether it’s his first class of the day or his fifth. He brings it for all of his students and pushes them beyond their limits while making them laugh with his random commentary throughout the session. Add waist-moving Latin music with his great personality and you’ve got a 60-minute class that feels like 30 (which is ideal if you don’t love exercising the way James does).
So, we hope you enjoy this week’s People of Fort Mill: Elan Barreras…. and should you feel so inclined, swing by Orangetheory Fort Mill – the entire team there are fantastic!
Background
I was born and raised in Miami, FL. I’m half Cuban and half Puerto Rican. I am the youngest of four; one brother and two sisters. The oldest brother is ten years older than me. I always looked up to him when I was younger. He was the best baseball player in my eyes! He then moved out and became a pro baseball player, but throughout my childhood, I was closer to my two sisters as I grew up because of the age difference, and I spent the majority of the time at home with them. I had a great upbringing and was loved as the baby of the house, you can say.
There weren’t many entrepreneurial examples in my family. My father was in banking for as long as I can remember, he also coached my brother and me in baseball from age 5 to high school. My mother was a manager at PageNet for a long time, and for the past 15 years, she has worked for Fidelity Investments setting up accounts. But the examples of discipline, dedication and perseverance my parents instilled in me from my childhood definitely helped me open two brick and mortar businesses by the time I was 25 years old.
Inspiration
Someone who inspires me on the daily is, Jason Khalipa. He inspires me because on top of being very driven and a smart entrepreneur, he is a great father and family man! Someone who also inspires me is my wife, Allyson, and my daughter, Ella, inspire me every day to get up and get at it! Ally has been by my side through thick and thin. We were high school sweethearts and she has supported me through every crazy idea like opening a gym, a retail store and uprooting our whole lives and moving to Charlotte, NC we have made. I’m her number one fan!
Life As a Fitness Coach
After being in the medical field in the Air Force I wanted to keep helping people but, instead of helping them with something already diagnosed like diabetes, chronic heart disease, etc… I wanted to help prevent it in the first place. The transformations I witness every day are my number one inspiration and it’s what I love the most about being in this industry.
Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) has completely changed the way I interact with clients and people. I used to be very introverted, but since starting OTF 5 years ago, I have changed as a person and a coach and have learned how to be more understanding to people’s needs and what they really want for their fitness journey. I’m very grateful for that.
Meet Elan
If you’d like to meet Elan and reach your fitness goals, be sure to register at Orangetheory Fitness located in Kingsley Town Center in Fort Mill.
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