 Welcome to Beats Bar Studio. I'm here to throw out owner and founder of Beats and it's my absolute honor to stand before you all today just as we celebrate this exciting stuff and the evolution of Beats Bar Studio. Thank you, mayor recommends. Thank you, members of city council, the media, local business owners and my family and sweet friends for taking time out of your day to be here with us. I'm so very thankful. Opening the studio is an absolute blessing. I have envisioned this space for Beats for a long time so it's only been in my head. So today, seeing that vision become a reality is just the best. Before we proceed with the ceremony, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible team that has worked tirelessly to make this studio a reality. From our talented instructors to our dedicated clients, all of you have played a vital role in bringing Beats Bar Studio to life. In addition to our honorable mayor, I have invited two people who have been incredible supporters of this business adventure and are close to my heart. My faith in Christ is the central part of my life and my family's life. And I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome my friend and pastor of downtown church, Dawn Hyde, to offer a prayer and say a blessing on the studio. So without further ado, I'd like to welcome Pastor Dawn to lead us. Meredith, I'm so proud of you. So proud. Let us pray. Dear God, thank you for the beat in Meredith's heart for you and for your people. Thank you for the beat she hears in music, then moves, then designs, classes, then leads us. Thank you for the beat in our city that makes room for new businesses and new ideas and new energy. Thank you for the beat in Roland's heart for Meredith and to support her dream. Thank you for the beats of her three sons, Rory, David, and James. Thank you for the beats of her parents' hearts. Thank you for the beats of her trainers and for the experience and expertise they bring to Columbia. Thank you, oh God, for the many heartbeats of mothers and college students and professionals who will walk through these doors and the heartbeats of Beats Kids who will get to see wellness and movement modeled and will get to see that it's fun. Bless beats, oh God, bless this new studio, bless this new chapter, bless Meredith. In Jesus' name, amen. I get to introduce, it's my distinct honor to introduce a good friend of mine, but especially Meredith's who has believed in the stream forever, Lindsey. Thank you, Pastor Dawn, for that warm introduction and beautiful prayer. Good morning, everyone. I think I may be more excited than Meredith. My name is Lindsey Griffin and I am so pleased to see so many faces here to celebrate the grand opening of Beats Bar Studio. It's truly an honor to stand here before you today and share how this remarkable place has transformed my life. I have tried many different workouts over the years and this one is one that I can stick to consistently. I took my first class at Beats on February 11th, 2022 and since then, I have walked into Meredith's Forest Hills Beats Studio 172 times for this amazing full body workout. I walk away from class feeling energized and encouraged, the best version of myself. In this bustling world, we often find ourselves pulled in so many different directions. We juggle work, family, kids, countless commitments, sometimes leaving little time for ourselves. In just one hour or 45 minutes for an express class, I'm able to give back to myself, my body, and my mind. This studio isn't just a place to work out. It's a sanctuary. It's a community. It's a space filled with positive energy that produces body changing results led by an amazing and creative fitness expert who pours into her clients mind, body, and soul while being an amazing mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. From the moment I stepped through the door, I felt welcomed and supported by an amazing group of individuals who have quickly become like family. There's something truly magical about sweating it out together, pushing our limits and celebrating our achievements big and small. Again, there's something truly magical about the community Meredith has created here, a community she affectionately refers to as Beats Girls. Boys, welcome to. Meredith, the visionary behind this studio deserves a warm round of applause. Meredith, your dedication to creating this haven of wellness and empowerment is truly admirable. On a personal note, thank you for holding me accountable and for those, hey girl, don't see you on the schedule for this week, reminder text. And from all your Beats Girls, thank you for your tireless efforts, your passion, and your belief in the transformative power of Beats. I met Meredith 20 years ago in Clinton, South Carolina at our dear Presbyterian College. Since day one, she has been a positive and uplifting example of how to be a friend, mentor, and role model. Whether it be ministry or movement, Meredith's career has been centered around helping others be their best selves, and she always keeps it 100. Now I have the honor of introducing City of Columbia Mayor Daniel Reckman. Mayor Reckman's emphasis on supporting and growing local business has paved the way for economic growth and prosperity. Welcome, Mayor Reckman. All right, I don't know who did the lineup this morning, but that was really not fair for me to have to go after that. I mean, wow, that was powerful, what a statement. But I think that also is Dawn said earlier the beat of the studio, but also of Meredith and what she's trying to do in her commitment. And I love that it's all centered around her faith first and her family and then her business, and that's so exciting, but what else is exciting is we're opening another business in Columbia. Here we're having a ribbon cutting for another women-owned business, and I was talking with Ashley earlier, this may be a record for women-owned businesses this month in the City of Columbia, which really is a great thing for our community, but also it really shows that Columbia supports small businesses and continues to support it. That's why I ended up staying here, and after college in 1992, I decided to stay in Columbia because I saw the opportunities and the support for small businesses, and we wanna continue that trend by having more ribbon cuttings. I think this might be in the 70s, Ryan. I'm not sure Ryan Coleman for our Economic Development Office who spearheads these events. We have so many of them and it's so exciting to be there because each one of them has a personal story behind it, and there's a family behind it, and there's an impact on our community, and I don't know that you can put all that in a press release. You have to actually be there, see it, feel it, but very excited to be here for your ribbon cutting marathon. With that, I'm gonna give you the podium back because I can't follow all that just went on before me. Thank you so much, Mayor Rickman, Lindsey and Dawn. Your support not only adds significance to the event, but also demonstrates a strong partnership between local government and businesses like ours. Your leadership and dedication in our great city is a great place to live, work, and play. Have not gone unnoticed, your leadership. As I'm staying here, I'm grateful for the opportunity to take these next steps for Beats Studio here in Columbia. My husband Roland and I met here as he was finishing undergrad at the University of South Carolina, and while life took us away for 15 years, it has always felt like home to us. Creating the studio has been a labor of love, but not without its challenges. As I stand here today, it's awesome to see it become a reality. Beats is not just any other gem. The creative spirit of the studio is designed to break away from cookie cutter fitness routines and to create transformational results. Every song is intentionally selective, selected, and every move is specifically choreographed to push people in a way that fosters growth. But don't take my word for it, come and see for yourself. Fitness and health, both physical and spiritual, have always been an important part of my life. In my late 20s and 30s, I worked for the Presbyterian Church. After my oldest son was born, in order to shed my post-baby weight, I began distance running. I loved the sense of accomplishment from completing a long distance run. However, the impact of my body and injuries sustained made it unsustainable. So I began practicing in group fitness classes more frequently and started to narrow down which classes were most effective. 10 years ago, I was asked to teach at my local YMCA fitness studio in Lexington. And from that class, I wanted to create something that brought both the endorphin rush and calorie burn of running, and included the fun of dance, but that limited the risk of injuries. So I began formulating my own method based on exercise science, research, and lessons learned from the various classes I taught at the YMCA. Thus, Beats was born. The Beats story has quite humble beginnings, and it started from my basement with a 10 foot bar. And starting with just five clients, one of them is here today. Thanks Meg. It grew in popularity. At that time, we were in Lexington, North Carolina, and in 2022, we moved to Columbia. We built a lovely home studio in our carriage house behind our house in Forest Hills and began to get connected to the community. I love this community and it's impossible to express just how grateful I am for this opportunity to help others in their wellness journey through the Beats method. But our journey doesn't end here. Beats is not just a fitness space. It's a community, a family that celebrates each other's triumphs and victories, but will also be there in support during the difficult times. Together, we'll build a community that not only focuses on physical wellness, but also embraces mental and emotional strength. I want to express my deep gratitude for each and every one of you who is here today and for all those who have supported us. Thank you, Ryan Causey, with Trinity Partners, who was incredibly patient with us and with me that led us through the process of finding the perfect space. I truly feel like this building was waiting just for Beats. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my business partner and my husband, Rowan Trout. Thank you. You worked tirelessly for me and for our family. You're a great dad. You're a great partner. And thank you for your belief in me and in this business. I love you very much. Beats Studio is truly a dream come true, y'all. Yeah. Yeah. It's much more than that. It's a vision, it's a movement, it's empowerment. When you exercise and move your body, you feel better. And when you feel better, you are better. It's reflective in every aspect of your life. Your home life, your work life, your social life, your faith life. As we move forward together, let us remember that the journey is just beginning. And let us continue to uplift and empower each other and may this be a space where our dreams and our lives not only are realized, but they are exceeded. Thank you, Columbia, for believing in the power of this vision, for being a part of our growing family and for making this grand opening unforgettable. Cheers and blessings to the future to help to strengthen to the boundless possibilities that lie ahead for Beats Studio. Thank you all so much.