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It is not typical for a single mother to leave a stable job in pursuit of a passion, but Mandi Karpowich, studio manager of the new Solidcore in Short Pump's Greengate, did – and has been able to reconcile the two successfully.
Solidcore, which opened at Greengate March 2, is a privately owned fitness studio company with 43 locations throughout the nation. The workout is comparable to pilates, but it is more intense. A megaformer machine is used in order to build strength through slow and controlled movements.
Before working for Solidcore, Karpowich worked in investments as a portfolio assistant handling fixed income and internal equity. She had been taking online courses through Penn State to advance her career, and she had her CFA certificate and became a chartered financial analyst in investments.
While working in investments, Karpowich was also a receptionist at Tidal Wheel, a cycling studio in Richmond, part time and began training for an instructor position after three months.
“I wanted to learn” Karpowich said. “I wanted to expand my craft. I wanted to get more education in indoor cycling.”
That goal is what pushed her to accept an instructor position from CycleBar in May 2017 upon the opening of its Greengate location.
“Over the last six months, I started to feel that fitness was something that really started to feed my soul,” Karpowich said.
“I wasn’t getting the same fulfillment from my job in investments, and I didn’t imagine this would change even if I continued. It didn’t feed me the same way my part time job did.”
Then, after she was approached by Solidcore several months ago and offered the role of studio manager, she accepted. The opportunity to help others on their fitness journeys while simultaneously being able to pursue her passion made it impossible for her to say no.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, you know, leaving my investment job,” Karpowich said. “It was a really good job, and I took a really big risk stepping away from that. What made it easy was having confidence that this was something that truly made me happy.”
As a single mom of two teenage boys, ages 13 and 18, the fitness community helped motivate her at a time when it all started becoming a bit much. Her new role at Solidcore is a way for her to continue giving back.
“I am working every day towards helping people be better versions of themselves, and I know that I needed that as a single mom, someone to tell me that I could do this and to keep going even when it gets really tough,” Karpowich said. “Now I feel like I am in a place where I can give that back to people.
“I want my boys to know that putting in the work and doing something you love will make you a better person, and you will be that for other people as well.”
This supportive community Karpowich found in fitness is an integral value of Solidcore. Its CEO, Anne Mahlum, has a vision for Solidcore to be a national brand that promotes a happy, supportive, and encouraging culture for all coaches and clients, Karpowich said.
“Even though the workout is really intense, you can get through it because you have such a great company culture,” said Kat Dolan, a Solidcore Greengate coach. “From the moment you walk in, everybody is really friendly. You are instant family.”
These company values stem from Mahlum’s background and personal morals. Years ago, Mahlum created a nonprofit to collect and distribute sneakers to homeless people in an effort to help them become active. The goal was to get people feeling better about themselves and to establish a routine that ultimately would help raise them out of the hardships they were facing, said Solidcore coach Deanna Neiser.
Solidcore sets itself apart from other fitness studios through its atmosphere, Neiser said.
“Our lights are down low and the music is loud," Neiser said. "It almost gets you into a zone that you wouldn’t necessarily be in at another place where the lights are on the whole time.”
