How Did It All Begin - Part 2: Giverny's Name

Many have wondered not only how to pronounce our unique name (ja-vair-nee!), but where exactly our name comes from.  Read on to learn the answer from Kelly's perspective!

"Missy and I were going crazy trying to come up with the perfect name. We threw out so many options you wouldn't believe!  We decided we wanted the name to reflect the feeling we wanted people to experience when they walked into the door, not the sweat they were dripping with when they left.

One afternoon, at a family gathering, we were looking at pictures from Missy's parents' trip to France.  We were admiring how the painter, Claude Monet, had been inspired from the beautiful gardens of Giverny, France.  That was the feeling - inspiration and beauty!

Many of Monet's famous paintings were from the village of Giverny.  We decorated each room with copies of his paintings and named our studio rooms after our three favorites, "The Waterlily", "The Bridge", and "The Garden".  We were blessed to have two local, wonderful artists offer their services to paint wall murals.  Sherri Johnson painted the picture of France you will see on your right side when you walk into the front door.  She also painted beautiful scenery along with the name of each studio room outside of each door.  Patricia Manich was the other artist who recreated two of Claude Monet's paintings for us.  The first fills the wall in the reception area behind the couch.  The second is the painting of "The Waterlily", appropriately located in the Waterlily studio."

So, as a result of careful and prayerful consideration, we have selected what we feel is just right for our building, our atmosphere, our people, our "vibe".  A special thank you to those local artists who helped in the early days to make our building burst with color and feeling. We feel so fortunate to have had the assistance we've needed along the way to make our studio special and unique! We are so thankful that it has come together so well and makes so many people so happy! 

Giverny: How Did It All Begin?

Have you ever wondered how a business began? How the idea formed? Where the people involved came from?  Giverny (pronounced ja-vair-nee, in case you've ever wondered!) is a locally owned business, started by two people who saw a need for a warm, inviting atmosphere for people to share their fitness goals, desires, needs, & overall journeys. You might be interested to know just how Kelly and Missy took a small idea and created the place we all know and love as Giverny Fitness Studio. Read on to find out more, from Kelly's point of view!

Part 1

God’s will.

I was given the idea and sat on it for awhile. I began talking about it with my family, which happens to include Missy Cook, my sister-in-law.  One afternoon, I called Missy and asked her if she would like to be my partner in this business. Happily, to my surprise, she said, “Yes”!  From that moment on, Missy turned my idea into an actual business. She has an MBA and a Biomedical Engineering degree, so lucky me!!

We began searching locations around Warsaw. Missy created a business plan, and I started recruiting some of the most amazing instructors you will still see today at Giverny. We would teach Zumba in the elementary school gymnasiums, and the body sculpt instructors and I would train together in the basement of Silveus Insurance.

One day, I got a phone call from my neighbor, Theresa Thrasher with a suggestion for our new business. She suggested meeting Jim Mills. Jim was Warsaw High School boys’cross country coach along with running his own business, Personal Coach. He said he was ready to retire from running his business but still loved the fitness side of working with people. And by the way, his family had a building on South Buffalo Street, right next door to Expressions, that just might work for our business.

We loved Jim, and we loved that building! So, we purchased Jim’s equipment, the building, and hired Skyline builders. The building is over 100 years old, and it looked like it!! There was partial renovation already on the first floor, but the 2nd and 3rd floor were 100 years worth of storage of the previous businesses. In fact there wasn’t even access to the 3rd floor except through the freight elevator. We had definite ideas on how we wanted each of the three floors used and how we wanted the rooms set up, and Skyline builders did an amazing job at creating what you see today. God is good!

Want to know more about our story? Keep checking for our next post to hear about our name, our staff, and more. We are excited to be able to share our history with you!