Meet our super awesome Fit4Mom South OC owner Caralee! She’s a California girl who loves dates with her husbands and floating in a lazy river with her adorable kids. You might not ever catch her at a sporting event, but she is first in line for business courses and is always trying to learn new ways to make our Fit4Mom village the best for all of our mamas!

Hometown: Eugene, OR

How long have you lived in Southern California? 25 years

Tell us about your family: I have an amazing husband and 2 daughters, as well as a step-daughter and step-son who are both in their late 20s! My husband is a software engineer and business owner. He's an idea monkey when it comes to software he could build and businesses he could start, and has had a few successful businesses already. I also like looking for new business ideas and constantly learning about business, which is one reason it has been so much fun owning Fit4mom. It's been an incredible learning journey. But both my husband and I have so many other interests. He is an organist, loves photography, dabbles in the law, loves reasearching medicine/law/business/software/all things Disney/mechanical engineering/etc. He loves learning new things. And I used to be all about musical theater. I'm a singer, I like watercolor painting if I get time, I love entertaining, etc.

What did you want to be “when you grow up”? I always wanted to be famous. First I wanted to be a famous singer, then an actress, then on Broadway. At some point even a doctor (for about a week), but a famous one. I just wanted to be famous for whatever it was I was going to do. I got a couple degrees in vocal performance and really enjoyed doing musicals. But since having kids and owning Fit4mom, the LAST thing I want to be is a famous actress or singer. I think that was just all I knew growing up, but once I learned about all the possibilities that come from owning a business, and also all the things I want to teach my kids, I just don't have any time left for performing and don't want it to take away from all the cool things I'm doing now.

What is the furthest you have been away from home? Hmmm, Morocco? Just all over Europe is the furthest I can think of.

What is your favorite thing to do? It has changed a lot throughout my life, but right now there are 3 top things I like to do: go on dates with my husband, float on a lazy river with my kids, and take business or parenting courses.

What is something about you that someone may not know? I'm not a sports person at all. I've never been into sports, I never watch sports on TV, I never go to games of any kind. It's a world I just don't care about at all or enjoy. Baseball games are dreadfully boring and I haven't been to a football or basketball game since high school.

What is your favorite local restaurant to eat at? What is your go to order? Starbucks! Haha! But honestly, I can't say I have a super favorite. I prefer fancy restaurants, and I like to try new ones when I can, which isn't super often. There aren't a ton in South OC. So at the moment, my favorite is Thai Bite - just my local Thai chain. Their thai tea is perfect - no weird additions or too much sugar, and I always get green curry with beef. I prefer going at lunch because I love their lunch special with basic soup, iceberg lettuce salad with peanut dressing, and of course mango sticky rice.

What is the best thing about living in Orange County? The weather! It's not crazy hot and it's not too cold! That's the main reason I live here. But I also love that there are healthy options for food. We drove across the US once and all there was too eat was BBQ and super unhealthy food! Combine that with extreme weather and I'm out! California girl forever.

What is your favorite color? Gold and Pink

What is your favorite song or artist? I've never been able to answer this question. I love so many different kinds of music and artists that I could never pick one favorite. But when I was in high school I was the weirdo that had no idea who Nsync or Mariah Carey was, but I was obsessed with Barbara Streisand. I decorated my locker and my trapper keeper with pictures of her and new all the lyrics to her songs.

What TV shows are you currently watching? OUTLANDER!!!! That's all the TV I ever watch, besides an occasional 5 minutes of something random at bedtime until I fall asleep.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us: I come from a very poor, dysfunctional family. Like, some criminals that you don't want to know. Living in government housing, on foodstamps and welfare. My story always really shocks people. People tend to look at me and think I grew up with a white picket fence and perfect parents - which I take as a huge compliment, but so far from the truth. But now I've built a beautiful family and lovely life because I knew what I didn't want, and I've taken a lot of courses and therapy to try to unlearn the dysfunctational behaviors I was taught as a kid.

If someone had to describe you in one word, what would it be and why? Resourceful. My husband and I like to research everything. So if I ever need to know anything or need to find something, I think I'm pretty good at finding the answer or the thing, or the avenue to it.

How did you find FIT4MOM South OC? I was a member of Fit4mom Anaheim Hills about 6 years ago. I found Fit4mom thru several childbirth education classes I took when I was pregnant with my first, then finally joined after I had my baby. Then I moved to South OC and joined Fit4mom South OC. It closed down a few weeks into the Covid lockdowns and I HAD to buy it because I couldn't imagine my life without a Fit4mom.

How long have you worked for FIT4MOM South OC? I've owned it for 3 years now!

How has FIT4MOM South OC changed your life? Holy Moly, where do I start??? I'm a different person than I was 3 years ago. I've gained sooo many more skills than I had before and so much more confidence as a result. I'm also always surrounded by people who want to be healthy and practice it daily, which only helps me and my family. But the biggest thing that has changed my life, is how Fit4mom has changed my kids lives. Not only is exercising a normal thing they see and do regularly, as well as eating healthy, and socializing with friends, but all the amazing things I've learned from owning this business I've already started to pass on to them. I've had to learn about time management, marketing, sales, team building and management, networking, finances, meditation, etc. and coming from my background, there was A LOT to learn. But now my kids get to start learning these things at such a young age and practice them thru their entire lives. And by teaching them, I'm cementing them in myself a little more everyday. If I had to do it all over again, I would buy Fit4mom in a second.

What was the first class that you attended and/or taught? What was the last class that you attended and/or taught? My first class was Stroller Strides at Fit4mom Anaheim Hills and I was instantly sold. They could have charged me $200/month and I would have said "take all my cards!" I had been looking for a way to workout without my daughter crawling on me, a way to make mom-friends, and a way for my daughter to make friends since we were new to the area. I had an instant village! The last class I attended was on Wednesday with Amanda at Stroller Strides. It was a HOT day, but she had water balloons for us and lots of shade, so it was a really great time.

What classes do you currently attend and/or teach? I go to all of them! I really like Fit4baby right now because I'm pregnant and I like it a lot better than prenatal yoga. I'm more of a regular fitness class kind of girl than a yogi. I like upbeat music and that I can talk to the other mamas during the workout. But I also like Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre, and Strides 360. In Strides 360, since I'm pregnant, I just don't push my heart rate too much, so I walk instead of run, but that's just me. Anyone who was a runner pre-pregnancy could still run in 360. I just love that every class has modifications for me and however I'm feeling that day.

What is your favorite workout move or class layout? My favorite class is Body Boost. It's a HIIT workout. I like high energy, high push. It makes it all go faster and feels extra fun. We're going to do some Boost pop-ups in the fall, so I'm excited. And as far as my favorite workout move goes, I like any exercise that also allows me to chat with the person next to me. That's what Fit4mom is all about - making friends, building community, WHILE getting a great workout. I could go to a regular fitness class at a gym, show up, do my workout, never talk to anyone more than a "hey" or "that was a fun class", and be on my way, but what fun is that??? I like working out with friends, and that's what every class here is.