Meet your neighbor, Julie Ferrell

Fitness is Julie Ferrell’s business, but it’s also obviously her passion.

“I hate to see people suffer from diseases that can be prevented,” she said.  “I’ve always been interested in fitness and health, but it hurts my heart to know that people are suffering when they could feel better and look better just by being active and eating better.”

The Sand Rock native and current Odenville resident is the owner of Curves in Leeds and was recently named president of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce.  In between workouts Tuesday, she discussed her business, what she enjoys about the community and her love of the outdoors.

About Curves:  “We provide a 30-minute CurvesSmart workout, which is the most advanced fitness technology in the world.  Ladies can burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes.  We also offer Curves Complete, which is the most researched diet program in the industry.  Members can lose up to 20 pounds of fat in 90 days.”

Her history with Curves:  “I have been with Curves for 11 years now, first as a manager then I purchased this location in 2003.  I was working as a sales rep for another company, and I would spend two weeks in each area cold calling.  Leeds and Moody were the only places where not one person was rude to me.  I came into Curves to try to sell them advertising.  Instead, the owner sold me on Curves and then hired me as manager.”

A current Curves project:  “We have a goal to collect 2,000 pounds of food items for the Leeds Community Outreach in March.  We’re encouraging members to donate, and new members can join free if they donate food.”

Something she enjoys about the community:  “I love the people in the Leeds and Moody area and how involved everyone is here.   It’s a very civic-minded community.  People really care about the community.”

The biggest challenge facing small business owners:  “People are very selective in where they spend their money, so you have to make sure you are giving the best service.”

The best advice she ever received:  “Follow your passion.  I love motivating people.  I think that is the gift God gave me, and I get to do that every day at Curves.”

If she could change on thing about the world, it would be:  “For everyone to be healthy and free of disease.  Obesity has become an epidemic with adults and children.  We have to bring more awareness to the diseases and hardships that obesity causes.”

How she describes herself:  “Adventurous, compassionate, outgoing, and outdoorsy.”

Her favorite leisure activities:  “Anything outdoors, like rock climbing at Horse Pens 40 near Steele.  There are a lot of great rock climbing spots in St. Clair County.  We also like backpacking, camping, kayaking, and disc golf.  Usually I need a vacation from my vacation.”

How she started rock climbing:  “I have always been fascinated with climbing but didn’t know how to get into the sport.  So one of my members at Curves and I took a climbing class in order to learn to tie proper knots and develop safety techniques to make a sport viewed by many as dangerous to be relatively safe.”

Something an acquaintance might be surprised to know about her:  “I would love for me and my husband to be on The Amazing Race.  I am blessed to have travelled all over the world to help open up new Curves.  I’ve gone to New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Scotland.  My husband has been with me on a lot of my travels and we’ve had some crazy adventures.  We try to climb in every country we go to.”

If she could have dinner with any celebrity:  “It would be Beth Rodden.  She is a short female climber that has climbed all over the world.”

If she were to be stranded on a desert island with one book, one meal, and one CD, they would be:  “War and Peace so I’d have lots of paper to start a fire, trail mix and beef jerky to sustain me, and some great praise and worship music because I’m sure I would need it.”

About her island wedding in Jamaica:  “We both love the beach and wanted our weeding to be a stress-free, romantic day.  It was just Eric and I on a gazebo overlooking the ocean.”

The one thing she’s never without:  “Food.  I am very active, so I always have granola bars and fruit with me for a quick pick-me-up.”

If her favorite restaurant offered the Julie Ferrell Special on its menu, it would be:  “Mexican, for sure.  Grilled chicken with veggies on a whole wheat tortilla shell.”

Her favorite movie:  “I love The Wizard of Oz.  I’ve seen it more times than I can count.  My husband is taking me to see Wicked this weekend. “Her favorite guilty pleasure:  “Dancing with the Stars, to be sure.  I love to dance, and I just got my Zumba certification to teach the Curves circuit with Zumba.  And, of course, dark chocolate.”