Erica Weddle’s Fitness Journey
courtesy photos
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~by Paige Langenderfer
rica Weddle pivoted through the COVID pandemic like a professional athlete, successfully sustaining, and even growing her Simply Fitness brand. Erica, a life-long resident of Brown County, started her business in 2015 by offering just a few private personal training sessions while continuing with her full-time work in social services. “I am literally as native as it gets. I was born and raised here, went to high school here, played all of the high school sports, did all of the outdoor activities,” she said. “My dad, Jack Weddle, was a teacher in the Brown County school system for over 30 years, and my sister Wendy Weddle has been teaching locally for over 20 years.” Erica, now 50, earned certifications as a personal trainer and as a yoga instructor in 2015, but wasn’t exactly sure where to go from there. “At first, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them (the certifications),’” she said. “Then I stumbled upon this space the Chamber of Commerce was offering to individuals wanting to start a business.”
38 Our Brown County March/April 2022
Finding a physical space to offer yoga classes and personal training sessions was the push Erica needed to take her business full time. “You know the saying, ‘Build it and they will come?” she said. “Well, I did, and they came. I outgrew the space within six months.” Erica moved her business four times before the pandemic hit. “In the spring of 2020 I decided to close the physical studio space because of the pandemic. I had no idea how long the shutdown was going to be,” she said. “So, I pivoted to Zoom.” Multiple times a week, clients joined Erica on Zoom for private and group sessions of yoga and various personal training activities. When the weather cooperated, she also met clients outside at the Brown County High School track, Salt Creek Trail, and Brown County State Park. “I just knew I had to meet people where they were and in whatever format they were comfortable with,” she said.
