The Fit Business Guide

By Individual Businesses – October 25, 2012
Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons

It’s incredible the number of fitness-focused businesses that got their start right here in Austin—nationally recognized retailers, nutritional items, and fitness products—all of which started small and have gone global. Because of these homegrown successes, Austin has emerged as a city where fitness entrepreneurs can flourish. Our Fit Business guide gives you a glimpse of just a few companies that aim to help all of us feel, look and live healthier!
 

Castle Hill Fitness | A Gem of a Gym! 

1112 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703
512.478.4567
castlehillfitness.com

Located in downtown Austin, Castle Hill Fitness (lovingly shortened by many to "Castle Hill") focuses on creating healthy lifestyles through a variety of fitness and wellness services. A surprisingly large gem (a gem of a gym) hidden behind a small storefront on the corner of 12th and Lamar, Castle Hill provides a top-notch facility for clients to engage in strength training, Pilates, and yoga instruction and houses a health spa featuring acupuncture, skin care, massage therapy, kinesiotaping, and Structural Integration. In addition to private services, Castle Hill has 100 group fitness, Spin, Pilates, and yoga classes a week in 7 different studios. All classes are open to members and non-members alike. There are also over 15 different special series and workshops that go on monthly. When it is time to get more in depth training in Pilates, Yoga, or to get your Boot Camp on, they have all the right resources for your focus.

Castle Hill wraps it all up in a very nice package too. They have 18 Certified Personal Trainers on staff with decades of experience helping clients make transformations of all natures from elite athlete to the beginning exerciser just looking to drop a few pounds. You will find the environment unintimidating, relaxed, and clean. They have all the standard equipment you need plus some special pieces like a Treadwall, Jacob's Ladder, Power Plate, Bod Pod, monkey bars, and inversion tables that bring out the fun factor. There's not a "typical" member when you walk around the halls of the Castle. Every facet of the Austin community is served here: from the busy mom to the indie musician to the downtown businessman. Where ever you are in your journey to whole health, you will find your personalized path at Castle Hill with the help of their friendly staff.

Also nestled within the 20,000 square foot space is Castle Hill Cycles, a Pinarello dealer (the bike that won this year's Tour de France) and bike fit studio and Food for Fitness Cafe, a healthy, organic cafe and smoothie shop. Adjacent to the complex is the Studio, a rental space hosting nationally known instructors and programs year round. Overwhelmed? Don't be. Castle Hill is casual, funky, and fun for all who walk through the doors. You won't find another gym like it.
 

Propaganda Hair Group

1611 W 5th Street, Suite 150, Austin, TX 78703
512.473.0700
www.propagandahairgroup.com

PROPAGANDA HAIR GROUP is a team of highly experienced hair stylists, chemists and makeup artists who are committed to education and have received national and international recognition. We are a group of educators, whose Senior Team have spent much of their careers teaching for national brands. We bring that level of expertise to you, the client.

PROPAGANDA HAIR GROUP offers a highly professional, approachable salon environment for male and female clients. We are located downtown Austin, Texas in the Clarksville neighborhood at the 5th Street Commons. The 1800 square foot salon is positioned in a multi-use building equipped with a free parking garage for retail patrons. We present clients with an atmosphere that has every modern convenience, while maintaining an unpretentious, laid back vibe.

Owners, Lati and Sara Domi have had their share of exposure and experience. They place an emphasis on continuing education for "The Group", and use their aptitude for teaching to educate the staff in a variety of mediums, ranging from hands-on practical applications, runway environments, to photo shoots that put our artists on the set. "We feel being a multi-faceted stylist, chemist or makeup artist is the key to mastering the craft."

Lati, has taught classes and seminars on hair cutting to stylists and salon owners traveling to such places as Italy, Brazil, UK, South Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and every major city in the U.S. He's been seen doing hair for New York and Paris Fashion Week, The Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, in addition to being featured in Harper's Bazaar, Blender and People magazines.

Sara, author of makeup book "Paint by Numbers", works as an on-set makeup artist and hair stylist represented by The Kim Dawson Agency out of Dallas. She uses her eye for advertising campaigns like Neiman Marcus and Dillards. She has become a staple of the backstage hair and makeup team for Dallas Fashion Week applying looks for designers, Valentino, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Cavalli, Marchesa and Carolina Herrera. Sara has had over three hundred published pages and more than thirty national and international publications to her name including Harper's Bazaar, Allure and Vogue.

Our goal is to create a customer oriented environment where our clients will be exposed to current hair and makeup trends. We also thrive in preserving the integrity of the hair, by offering treatments that help repair and protect the hair from sun, chlorine and free radicals. Our products have been chosen specifically for an active lifestyle. We would love the opportunity to create a look for you that is versatile, easy to maintain and grows out beautifully, lengthening the time between each visit.
 

Bicycle Sport Shop

517 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78704
10947 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78756
9900 W. Parmer Lane, Austin, TX 78717
512.477.3472
bicyclesportshop.com

While a lot has changed in the almost 30 years since the first Bicycle Sport Shop opened on Barton Springs Road in South Austin, our core values haven't. We're a company born out of a love for cycling with the simple goal of getting more people on bikes more often. To reach that goal, we focus every day on these four Bicycle Sport Shop priorities:

A Thoughtfully Chosen Selection of Bikes & Accessories Plus Services that Enhance the Cycling Experience

Every bike and accessory in our stores has been carefully selected for quality and performance by our staff of passionate cyclists. We only sell the products we want to use, and everyone at Bicycle Sport Shop is thoroughly trained on everything we sell, including services like bike fitting. So when you come into any one of our stores, you can be confident you'll always get well-informed advice to help you choose products and technology that will make your cycling experience the best it can be. Whether you're a roadie or mountain bike rider, aspiring triathlete, cyclocross enthusiast, BMX shredder, committed commuter or first-time rider, you're sure to find someone at Bicycle Sport Shop who shares your passion for cycling.

A Relentless Dedication to the Best Customer Service on the Planet

No matter what your level of experience is on a bike, you'll always find a welcoming, comfortable and fun atmosphere on our sales floor and in our rental and service departments. But don't let our laid-back Austin attitude fool you! Everyone at Bicycle Sport Shop is serious about doing whatever it takes to exceed your expectations.

A No-excuses, 100 Percent
Satisfaction Guarantee

If we ever fail to provide you with the very best products or service, just tell us and we'll do what it takes to make it right. This 100 percent guarantee comes directly from our owners, Hill Abell and Laura Agnew. We welcome your feedback and promise to do everything possible to make every visit to Bicycle Sport Shop a great one.

A Commitment to Community Outreach

While we're committed to an exceptional experience when you buy something in our stores, we didn't become an Austin institution by just selling bikes. We offer maintenance classes – many for free – through our Bicycle Sport Shop University. Beginner and advanced group rides leave each of our stores every week. We've developed clinics for kids, adults, beginners and experienced riders. And literally thousands of people participate in the Bicycle Sport Shop Signature Cycling Series each year.

We are proud of the Bicycle Sport Shop Mountain Bike Team and are fired up about the addition of our first Bicycle Sport Shop Cyclocross Team this fall. Bicycle Sport Shop is also excited to announce the formation of our new Bicycle Sport Shop Triathlon Club coming in January 2013! Watch our website this fall for details on how to join and the benefits of membership.

 
 

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