For over a decade, we’ve dedicated ourselves to bringing high-quality fitness and wellness instruction to Washington Heights. With backgrounds in martial arts, strength training, and holistic wellness, we’ve spent years refining our craft—Priest as a lifelong athlete blending music, movement, and martial arts, and Lisa as a certified fitness professional who transitioned from corporate America to pursue her passion for nutrition, Ayurvedic studies, and yoga.
Together, we built Studio in the Heights to be more than just a gym—it’s a community where people of all backgrounds can train, heal, and grow. As demand for our programs increased, it became clear that we had outgrown our space. Expansion was the natural next step, but the financial risk of leasing and building out a new location in New York City felt overwhelming. Real estate costs are high, and taking on traditional debt carried significant risk for our small business.
That’s where HFLS stepped in. Their Small Business Loan provided us with the safe, zero-interest capital we needed to grow responsibly—without the burden of interest or fees. This support allowed us to secure a larger location on 181st Street and move forward with confidence.
Every dollar of our expansion has been carefully considered. While the construction process has come with its fair share of surprises, knowing we had HFLS’s financial support made all the difference. Thanks to HFLS, we’re proud to say that we’ve opened our expanded studio, and are hiring more trainers, welcoming new members, and offering even more high-quality fitness and wellness programming to the Washington Heights community.
This isn’t just a business—it’s a dream we’ve built for our community. HFLS gave us the opportunity to take this leap, and we’re deeply grateful for the role they played in helping us grow.
