Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Walker.
Hi Brandi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Body Arc was founded in 2021 by Brandi Walker, who is an artist with her BFA in Sculpture and Extended Media, as well as a personal trainer of 8 years. Brandi invited Victoria to join her as a co-owner in 2024. Below are both of their answers to this question.
Brandi: Art has always been a fundamental part of my identity, and a crucial tool in how I interact with the world. My integration into fitness started in a dark place. As a teen, I had developed Body Dysmorphia and teetered on the edge of an eating disorder. I began learning about movement and eventually found my way to a healthy and joyful relationship with my body and exercise. Fast forward, and I found myself miserable in gym spaces and in need of color, creativity, and inclusivity. In short, that’s what led to the creation of Body Arc. I believe art is a powerful tool in creating a more comfortable, inspiring, and joyful environment, which are all powerful tools to change people’s experience around exercise into a positive one. Body Arc is full of color, murals, and community. Designing the physical experience of a space is a passion of mine. In addition to continuing to run Body Arc and train clients, I also sew costumes for local drag performers, run an event venue called Crescent Collective, and work with Virago Alley to build/design sets for events such as the recent RVA Renaissance Faire.
Victoria: My story as COO started as a trainer at Body Arc. One day, Brandi called me and mentioned she wanted more help on the business side of things, and brought me on as a partner. It’s so full circle for me, coming from commercial gyms, I secretly always wanted my own space. This was my chance; it was the universe trying to give it to me. My role includes Social Media Management, New Client Enrollment, and additional administrative tasks. The best part of the partnership is that we both bring different strengths to the business and fill in where the other may have weaknesses.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Brandi: Oh no it has not been a smooth road, that is for sure. A major challenge I personally struggled with was the onset of my chronic illness, Narcolepsy. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2021, shortly before I began pursuing Body Arc. I was incredibly unwell during the process of starting the gym. Not only is that a daunting process on its own, but it was also like I was stuck wading in a swamp that kept getting deeper; my invisible illness was making everything harder. These days, I have my symptoms under control, which has made a huge difference in my quality of life and the gym’s growth.
Victoria: I think common obstacles that all relationships have are communication. It has been a learning process, but one that has been very fruitful.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Brandi: I touched on this a bit in the first question. I am an artist, a personal trainer, and an entrepreneur. I love to work with all kinds of materials and mediums. Sewing has been a major pursuit over the last 5 years and something I continue to develop. Honestly, I just love problem-solving and making something out of nothing. This translates to the creation of the business, too. I am incredibly excited to further my working relationship with Virago Alley and build/design more interactive experiences and sets. Our next event is Warriors in Bloom in August. On a different note, my training is rooted in functionality and pain-free movement. I strongly believe that movement, as well as art, is a crucial part of the human experience, and one that shouldn’t be neglected.
Victoria: My work comes from my childhood love of sports and movement. I have learned so many lessons from playing sports and learning different movements in my life. My specialty is in Olympic Weightlifting, and in my sessions, I teach lifts such as squat, bench, deadlift, cleans, snatches, and hip thrust. I find these compound lifts to be fundamental to strength training and day-to-day movements. Training with me, I am traditionally known for having a good time while lifting moderately heavy weights. I love to teach that to people of all ages and body sizes. I’m different from others because of my passion for lifting and how rooted it is in me as a person, athlete, and entrepreneur. I want to give people that same joy and confidence.
How do you think about happiness?
Brandi: Our work as trainers can be life-changing for people. That is an incredibly fulfilling outcome of the work I do. I have seen so many clients benefit both physically and emotionally, in ways they did not expect when starting. Giving people the tools to care for themselves and connect with their bodies in meaningful ways makes me happy. Using my hands to create new things makes me happy. I feel connected to my body in a way that creates a deep appreciation that I did not understand before I expanded my experience as an artist and discovered the power in strength training. Both are intertwined in my eyes. Perhaps art is the secret to creating enriching and healing experiences in gyms.
Victoria: This is my job. I could not ask for a better career at this point in my life. I am the happiest girl doing the work I do. It is a privilege to meet the people I train. The things they learn from me are nothing compared to the things I learn from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bodyarcrva.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/body_arc_rva/
