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In May 2020, Khari Dickey was looking for a way to become more active in her local community. Through her work as a corporate fitness coach, which included working as a trainer at DTE Energy, Khari saw first-hand the physical and mental benefits of exercise. She also realized that her neighbors faced barriers to becoming more physically active that she wanted to break down. Based on the philosophy of meeting people where they are and challenging them, Khari founded Konnected Fitness. 

“Our goal is to help people connect with their best selves through fitness,” said Khari. “We have more of an emphasis on community compared to other fitness programs, so everyone feels like they have a place.” 

Konnected Fitness focuses on reducing pain, increasing strength and endurance, and improving overall quality of life. Khari tailors her training to each individual, so everyone is able to participate and feel their best, even if they have certain limitations. 

“My mission as a coach is to help people dig within themselves to perform better, rather than just focusing on the physical outcome,” said Khari. “Yes, there will be physical changes, but if you can change your mentality, that’s where you’ll really see a difference.”

Khari began her business as a mobile training program, using minimal equipment and advertising through social media and word of mouth. This past January, she opened her own gym in Detroit, where she hopes to grow Konnected Fitness into a business with multiple trainers, programs, and classes.

“It’s been a transformative experience, starting a business from scratch and evolving my training based on the needs of my community,” said Khari. “Owning a physical location presents another learning curve in the journey – it challenges me to continue to learn and adapt.” 

Now that she owns her own gym, Khari is open to new opportunities for her business, including enrolling in DTE’s MIGreenPower program. Through MIGreenPower, Khari is reducing her company’s impact on the environment by attributing more of the gym’s energy use to renewable energy. 

“Working at DTE I learned a lot about energy, more than the average person,” said Khari. “My gym uses energy, so why not use it to help the environment? I’m happy to participate in MIGreenPower and start greening my business from the beginning rather than down the road.” 

 

More than 53,000 Michiganders are already using MIGreenPower to reduce their carbon footprint. You can join them for as little as $1 a month at www.migreenpower.com.