Muscle Cra Distillery: We Just Raised the Bar!

The equation is simple... Clean eating + daily exercise = a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy lifestyle, however, also includes balance. Sometimes, we just want (and need!) to let loose without compromising our hard work! Meet the woman who has the answer to achieving this balance — Grace Gillespie. Grace is the sole owner and operator of Muscle Cra Distillery, which is the rst and only distillery located directly in downtown Stuart… and, it’s 100% women-owned!

Growing up, Grace was immersed in a life of tness. Her dad was a bodybuilder, and her brother and nephew were boxers, so the gym was a comfortable and familiar place for her. Grace’s upbringing sparked her passion for an active, healthy lifestyle accentuated by setting numerous high-achieving goals. “I knew,” Grace a rms, “health and tness [were] my life at an early age.” Grace ran cross country, participated in multiple sports, and eventually became an award-winning tness competitor. She is also a nutritionist, and trainereducated by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).

By Gina Zuk

Entrepreneurship At Its Best

As Joel Osteen says, “Sometimes we say faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Sometimes, you’ve got to risk if you feel a calling deep down. You’ve got to take that step of faith.” at mindset is exactly what Grace embraced when she created Muscle Vodka. As a trainer, Grace wants her clients to enjoy a balanced, healthy lifestyle without jeopardizing their tness goals. “I told my clients, eat this food, don’t drink that, try this,” explains Grace.

To help her clients achieve their tness goals, Grace decided to take matters into her own hands to create the best option for people who occasionally drink alcohol but want to maintain clean eating habits. She went to work, and for 4 years, she studied the chemical compositions of food and alcoholbased products. And, in July 2022, Grace got her DSP (distilled spirits plant) license and opened the rst distillery in Martin County. She launched Muscle Vodka in 2017 at the annual Mr. Olympia Competition in Las Vegas, which is the most prestigious tness industry showcase event in the world.

“Alcohol is still alcohol, but I wanted to create the best option,” states Grace.

Muscle Vodka, which is produced and bottled at Grace’s Muscle Cra Distillery, is made from just two ingredients: corn and water. It is gluten-free, charcoal ltered, and cra ed using a reverse osmosis process that produces the cleanest form of water possible. e vodka is smooth and great tasting.

Today, Grace’s Muscle Vodka is an o cial partner with many tness industry showcases and tness centers.

Prior to opening Muscle Cra Distillery, Grace owned and operated a gym and juice bar in Cleveland, Ohio. She took her nutritional know-how and opened her second juice bar last December, which is located right inside the Muscle Cra Distillery in Stuart. All of the smoothies and juices on the menu are completely organic, contain only natural sugars, and are all under 300 calories! You can also choose from acai bowls and other tempting, yet healthy, snacks to satisfy your hunger... without the guilt!

Created and Distilled On e Premises

All of Muscle Cra Distillery’s products are created and distilled by Grace on premises. In fact, if you take a walk into the distillery located on Osceola Street, then it is hard to miss the 100-gallon working still, which is proudly presented in the front window.

In addition to Muscle Vodka, Grace created Muscle Sparkling Wine, which can be purchased on the distillery’s website (MuscleCra Distillery.com).

Do you have a tness bu to shop for this holiday season? Muscle Cra Distillery o ers small batch, specialty- avored vodkas and whiskey that everyone (even the couch potato) will enjoy! Eggnog, peppermint, and gingerbread vodkas, plus peanut butter whiskey, are not only delicious and fun, but also clean and smooth! All of these products are available for sale at the distillery.

Stop into Muscle Cra Distillery for a bottle of Muscle Vodka! Or peruse any of Grace’s four books, which cover everything from motivation to cra ing your own healthy cocktail!

LAS VEGAS – The International Franchise Association (IFA) has named Helen Martin, owner of 22 Stretch Zone studios across the U.S., as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Martin was honored at the 63rd IFA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.

“I am extremely honored to be recognized for growing a brand I am so passionate about. Serving multiple communities and showing them what Stretch Zone has to offer, from our certi ed practitioners to our patented strapping system, has been so rewarding since rst joining the brand almost 10 years ago,” said Martin. “Being an active member in Stretch Zone’s franchise family has only in uenced my desire to help other franchisees within the system, and I can’t wait for what’s ahead for the brand that’s backed by such inspiring individuals.”

The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their service to their communities, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, and supporting their fellow franchisees.

“Franchisee of the Year recipients represent the best in franchising,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “This is the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and local business owners like Helen exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to communities around the world.”

After spending nearly a decade with the brand, Helen has secured her space as one of the strongest franchise owners within the Stretch Zone franchise system and tness industry. Helen owns and operates 22 locations to assist people in need of mobility assistance while also managing 15 additional locations to ensure the success of her fellow franchisees. The impact she has made has proven that she is a vital member of the Stretch Zone team and a leader within the franchise industry.

There are approximately 800,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.4 million direct jobs and generating over $800 billion in economic output. According to Oxford

Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better bene ts than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.

For more information on how to franchise with Stretch Zone, please visit stretchzone. com/franchise.

About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 790,492 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.4 million direct jobs, $825.4 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.

About Stretch Zone

Stretch Zone is the leading franchised stretching concept that offers proprietary, practitionerassisted stretching sessions to help clients achieve enhanced quality of life. It was founded by Jorden Gold in 2004 after seeing rst-hand the bene ts assisted stretching brought to his grandfather. With a steady cadence of location openings, Stretch Zone recently achieved its 257 location milestone. The brand has now set a goal to reach 300 locations in Q3 of 2023. As a pioneer within the health and wellness space, Stretch Zone uses its patented Stretch Zone Stabilization System to aid in increased mobility and muscle function. The system enables clients to accomplish Flexability for Life® with processes to train muscles to move with a greater range of motion, allowing for an easier golf swing or comfortable night’s rest. Clients are welcomed into Stretch Zone by nationally accredited practitioners, a relaxing atmosphere and secure equipment.

Call Today

Stuart Location

-772-708-5188

Port St. Lucie Location - 772-348-3336 email: stuart@stretchzone.com

Visit: www.stretchzone.com/Locations/Stuart