Hitchfit is so much more than a gym. The evidence is all over their walls.
Thousands of pictures of triumphant clients wallpaper their facility at 3036 Gillham Rd. It’s a testament to how many people Micah “Hitch” LaCerte and Diana Chaloux LaCerte have helped to reach their potential. The friendly, dynamic couple met through their shared passion for the world of fitness — including competitions, fitness modeling, and one-on-one training. They combined their talents to create HitchFit Personal Training, which has enjoyed success with thousands of clients since its launch in February 2009.
Social media has always played a large role in the company’s influence — going all the way back to MySpace, where LaCerte originally gained a sizable following as “Hitch.” They offer many different programs online (hitchfit.com), each of which includes a book, a DVD, and a custom-designed nutrition program. But when the couple purchased the facility on Gillham Road in August 2012, they were able to work with clients face-to-face as well as having online-only clients — and business just keeps getting better.
Although both of them are driven to teach others about the benefits of nutrition and exercise, what they’re really passionate about is transformation.
“Our whole focus is transforming peoples’ lives, internally and externally, to help them become the best versions of themselves through nutrition, fitness, lifestyle and choice-making,” says LaCerte. “We’re not pushing a magic pill. It literally is: This is what you do, this is how you do it, this is how you get there.”
They both describe their approach to personal training as more organic, with no hard sells for purchasing sessions and lots of education — which their clients can use indefinitely.
“We give them the tools they need so that when they leave here, they can just continue to live healthy and keep their body in great shape,” Chaloux explains.
The enthusiasm is evident on both their faces as they describe the joy of seeing a client make progress.
“The coolest thing is, you wake up in the morning and you get emails of all these ‘after’ photos — we both get so excited! It’s a big deal every time. Sometimes you have to just stop and soak it in.” Chaloux says.
“We’re trainers because we help people work out, but I also like the life-coaching aspect,” says LaCerte. “We get to wake up and do what we love.”
Their desire to make life better for others extends into volunteering, as well. They sponsor a school of children in Haiti through a group called Love in Motion and are proud to have a “Little” through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“I was a Little when I was a kid, so it was something we were passionate about,” LaCerte says. “We came from nothing, so we wanted to give back in whatever ways we could.”
As allies, LaCerte and Chaloux are also excited to be members of the Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. “There’s a lot of unity in the chamber to help one another. They’re interested in helping me and I’m interested in helping them.” LaCerte says.
“We’re getting to hang out with friends.” Chaloux adds with a smile.
It’s hard not to be motivated in LaCerte and Chaloux’s presence — they are determined, passionate entrepreneurs with a successful business. But what stands out most is how genuine they are.
“We just want people to be happy,” LaCerte says.
All those smiling client photos on the wall are proof that they are achieving that goal.
The Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MAGLCC) is an organization that advocates, promotes and facilitates the success of the LGBT business community and their allies. Learn more at maglcc.org.