What is Special About Giverny?

So many things are special about Giverny! We'd like to share some of our thoughts on this.  Besides the beautiful space that we've been so lucky to utilize, we think the most special thing about Giverny is certainly the people!  The heart of Giverny lies in the instructors and personal trainers that are so talented and dedicated in guiding customers each day in to a fit lifestyle.  All of our instructors are trained to modify a large class to fit many fitness levels, so everyone feels welcome and encouraged.  Of course, each instructor has their own personality and brings their own, unique qualities to their class, but in addition to this, each one is loving, empathetic, and full of energy, which brings life and soul to the classes we offer.  Each instructor or personal trainer you see at Giverny is truly the backbone of our business!

Personal Coach is another specialty we offer; it is the ingenious idea of Jim Mills.  It's on the first floor and consists of top quality Nautilus exercise equipment.  What is so unique about Jim's idea? The removal of the main roadblock in personal training - finding time to meet that fits the trainer AND customer's schedule!  With Personal Coach, a certified, professional trainer will give you an initial assessment and plan, and then you as the customer can come in and workout any day or time during business hours.  The trainers will set up the equipment for you each time you come in, and every two weeks they will change your weights and repetition limits for lifting.  Personal Coach also has a full selection of cardio equipment, including treadmills, stair climbers, stepmills, elliptical machines, and bikes.  The Personal Coach area can also be used as a fitness center where our customers can utilize the cardio and strengthening machines without the assistance of a personal trainer.  This service can be used in place of a class if we do not have a class to meet your schedule or need that day. 

So many options and so many amazing people make our facility so special to us! We've had wonderful feedback from many of you on our instructor personalities and abilities, our variety of offerings, and our "charm". We very much appreciate that all of YOU feel that we are special as well. We thank you for supporting US as we continue to support YOU!

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!

Getting to Know Giverny: Our History, Our People

2014 is here! With the new year, Giverny is changing and growing. Part of our attempt to reach customers on a deeper level involves being able to communicate with you not only at the studio, but also at home, while you are wearing your pajamas and sipping coffee in the morning, thinking about your day. "What can I do for myself today? What do I want to spend my valuable time doing - and how will it benefit me?"  Your time is important to us! We want to help you make the best choices for you. Part of making good choices comes from being well informed. This blog will bring together tips, ideas, expertise, and motivation. We hope you will feel comfortable posting questions or comments in response to our posts, too! We encourage it! We will do our best to answer you in a timely manner.


As a starting point, our blog will include posts detailing our history - who we are - why we want to help.   Kelly Britton, co-owner of Giverny, has 11 years of background in fitness. Her education includes a B.S. in Health & Applied Sciences & a Secondary Health Education Certificate from Indiana University, as well as M.S. in Occupational Therapy from University of Indianapolis.  She is a personal trainer, co-owner, and instructor who has background knowledge to share.  Kelly's passion is in helping others. "I thrive at helping those who have reached that point in their lives where they are feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, and frankly pretty down about themselves. That is the person I love to meet - because I have been there and remember those feelings."  

Kelly is in her early 40’s, has been married for 21 years, and has 3 children. "I know what 3 pregnancies can do to your body. I know what a slowing metabolism feels like. I know that feeling of looking in the mirror and wondering, “Where did I go?” 

So many of us have been in those shoes.  "What now? Can I do this? Will I embarrass myself? Can I stick to it?"  We know how these emotions can take over. We want to help.  2014 could be your year to take steps in the right direction. Or, if you've already started, 2014 could be your year to improve! Together, we CAN make a difference.  If you have a question for Kelly, please don't hesitate to ask here! Keep your eyes peeled for "Tips from Kelly" in upcoming blog posts! We can all learn more - every day!