Many successful business stories follow a straight line – entrepreneurs who build careers in their chosen field. The story of Edgard Corona, however, takes a different route, showing how life’s unexpected turns can lead to new opportunities. His journey from chemical engineer to becoming the dono da Smart Fit demonstrates how adaptability and fresh perspectives can transform entire industries.
Early Career Shifts and Unexpected Beginnings
Before establishing himself as Latin America’s fitness mogul, Edgard Corona walked a very different professional path. After graduating with a chemical engineering degree from Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) in 1979, Corona joined his family’s sugar mill business. For 14 years, he worked in this industry, gaining valuable business experience but operating far from the fitness world he would later reshape.
Corona’s entrepreneurial spirit showed early – even as a university student, he started a clothing manufacturing business. This venture proved successful, particularly in producing jeans and t-shirts, but would ultimately not be his final destination. These early experiences across different industries gave Corona a broad business foundation that would later help him spot opportunities others missed.
The Accident That Changed Everything
The pivotal moment in Corona’s career came from an unexpected source – a serious skiing accident that required extensive physical therapy. While recovering, he spent many hours in fitness facilities, observing their operations and identifying both strengths and weaknesses in how they served customers. What started as a health setback became the catalyst for a new vision.
This extended exposure to fitness centers allowed Corona to see the industry through fresh eyes. Unlike longtime fitness professionals who might accept industry norms, he questioned why gym experiences couldn’t be better. In 1996, at age 39, Edgard Corona opened his first gym – Bio Ritmo in São Paulo – bringing an outsider’s perspective to the business.
Learning Through Failure
Corona’s first attempt at running a gym wasn’t an immediate success. “The first gym was a series of mistakes. We did everything that could have gone wrong,” he has candidly admitted. Rather than giving up, he treated these early struggles as learning opportunities, systematically addressing issues from gym layout to customer service.
This willingness to learn and adjust allowed Corona to gradually improve his business model. After establishing the upscale Bio Ritmo brand, he spotted another opportunity – the lack of quality fitness options at affordable prices. This insight led to the creation of Smart Fit in 2009, a concept that would transform fitness accessibility across Latin America.
Applying Cross-Industry Knowledge
One of Corona’s key advantages was his ability to apply lessons from other industries to fitness. His experience in manufacturing helped him create standardized, efficient gym operations. His retail background informed Smart Fit’s attractive, customer-friendly environments. Even his engineering training proved valuable in analyzing data to optimize gym locations and layouts.
This cross-pollination of ideas exemplifies how diverse experiences can spark innovation. Without the preconceptions that come from spending an entire career in one industry, Corona could challenge established fitness business practices. The result was Smart Fit’s revolutionary high-value, low-price model that brought quality fitness to millions who previously couldn’t afford it.
Edgard Corona’s unusual path to becoming the dono da Smart Fit underscores an important lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs: Sometimes the most valuable preparation for success comes from experiences that seem unrelated to your ultimate destination. By remaining open to new possibilities and applying diverse knowledge, Corona transformed a personal setback into an opportunity that changed fitness culture throughout Latin America.
