Don’t underestimate the power of a compelling brand to attract business. Just ask Sharon Prothe and Melinda French, the team behind Fit Formula.

The Brookside-based fitness studio offers a mix of athletic training, yoga instruction and nutrition coaching at 6236 Main St. Since launching a year ago, the company has created a loyal following of clients who want to look and feel their best. Prothe is the “fit guru” who oversees classes while French, a former student, handles the accounting and other business functions.

Prothe has actually been in the fitness business for a few years as an independent fitness and nutrition consultant using her name, Sharon Prothe, as the brand. Since developing the Fit Formula brand, complete with design work by local firm Design Ranch, the business has gone from six classes to currently 28 per week, French said. (Another nice thing about the Fit Formula name is that it’s relatively gender-neutral, which has helped the business win over more male clients.)

Another key to Fit Formula’s growth? The business took over a larger portion of the space it was renting, which has allowed French and Prothe to hire additional instructors and expand Fit Formula’s schedule.

“The studio space remained the same, but we were able to acquire additional square footage that allowed us to create a check-in area and a place to personally engage with our clients,” Prothe said. “We also reconfigured the space, adding a wall for better client flow and overall aesthetics.”

“We really rethought how to approach the business,” Prothe said.

Though they’re talking about alternative advertising streams, Fit Formula mostly has relied on social media and word-of-mouth to build its business. That’s because, when it comes to fitness companies, current clients who’ve achieved some success are some of the most powerful advertising available.

“I think with fitness, people like to see results,” Prothe said.

Creating a new brand identity has been a game-changer, and French and Prothe are mulling over ways to take the business to the next level.

“We feel like the Fit Formula brand could be a lot of things—it might not just be a studio on the corner in Brookside,” Prothe said. “My brain doesn’t stop working, and we continually talk about the opportunities for the brand.”

(Above: Students take part in Fit Formula’s Brookside Health Initiative at the tennis courts near 63rd Street and Brookside. The classes are at 9 a.m. Saturdays through July. Photo courtesy of Jenny Kincaid / Socialworx PR)