Knoxville, Tennessee business owner shares how her father inspired her

Father and daughter behind Frankie’s Body Shop The Gym (Chloe Padilla)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – On Father’s Day, a family business owner reflects on how her father helped her become the woman and entrepreneur she is today.

“I’ve been working with my dad since I was 16, it’s awesome, we love it, we’re together every day and we do things I never thought I would dream of,” said the FBS Combat owner Club, Chole Padilla. .

After watching her father, Frankie Padilla, interact with his training clients and start his own training gym in Knoxville, Padilla said she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She has co-owned Frankies Body Shop the Gym with her father for almost five years.

“I just decided I love it, it’s amazing, I also have a gift for helping people and that’s what I want to do,” she said.

Growing up with a coach as a father and working alongside him, she said he inspired her to break stereotypes.

“It’s always been something that my dad instilled in me a lot, and then my two sisters, he’s definitely a girl’s dad,” she said. “He taught us to break every glass ceiling that’s out there, we all have really big aspirations, and we all want to go somewhere boys have never gone before, or do it better than boys, and that’s it. is something my dad really taught us to do.

This led her to compete in mixed martial arts and start her own business. Right across the street from the gym, Padilla opened FBS Combat Club in April. It aims to train students interested in Brazilian ju-jitsu, strength and conditioning and MMA.

“Especially in martial arts, it’s not only male dominated, but it’s pretty much 100% male, so going to tournaments and being one of the only female trainers there, going to the fights and being the only woman there, that wouldn’t have happened without my father’s support,” she said.

Padilla said she hopes that one day she can be the same inspiration that her father was to her and to her future children.

“That’s what really inspired me is that you know, my dad is here training, training, helping people all the time, and that’s why at 16, I “I was like I want to do this, like I want to work out in the gym,” she said. “I think it’s really important to show kids through actions, you know, I. I want to somehow inspire them with my actions and show them that they want to follow in my footsteps, like I did with my father.”