Inside Empire
The Monthly Newsletter of Empire Portfolio Group
September 2026
September Observances
Labor Day
Sept 7: honoring the American labor movement and the work our teams put in every day
Patriot Day
Sept 11: a day of remembrance for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
Rosh Hashanah
Evening of Sept 11–13: the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holy Days
Yom Kippur
Evening of Sept 20–21: the Day of Atonement, closing the High Holy Days
Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 15–Oct 15: celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans
First Day of Fall
Sept 22: sweater weather, and the busiest membership season of the year
Welcome to September, Empire. Summer's in the rearview, routines are back, and before you know it, it will be Halloween. Here's what's happening around the Empire. 🍊
2026 Momentum Recognition
Empire Portfolio Group Presents
🏆 Empire Takes Fort Lauderdale
From North to South, Empire will be represented this year with 34 team members heading to Momentum — and nominees from multiple regions up for regional and studio awards.
📍 Fort Lauderdale, FL
34
Team members attending
8
Award nominees
3
Award categories
Our Nominees
🏅 Finalists
Morgan Smith and Maddie Hill made it all the way to finalist. Good luck in Fort Lauderdale!
MS
Morgan Smith
Regional Sales & Ops
🏅 Finalist
AS
Attiyyah Shakir
Regional Fitness
MH
Maddie Hill
Regional Fitness
🏅 Finalist
SC
Staci Czajka
Regional Sales & Ops
ED
Emily Desautels
Regional Fitness
MM
Maizie Machado
Regional Sales & Ops
SB
Sisi Barksdale
Studio Manager
GD
Gia DeRosa
Studio Manager
Way to represent,
Team Empire! 🍊
Around the Empire
Movers & Shakers
AR
Aric Roberts
Charlotte Region
⬆️ Regional Fitness Manager
New
KK
Katie Kocher
Charlotte Region
⬆️ Regional Sales & Operations Manager
New
Coach Class Milestones
A big year for big numbers. Thirteen coaches crossed a milestone, led by Ralph Taylor in Connecticut at 12,000 classes coached. 👏
New Jersey
LL
Leon Limani
11K
JR
Jeff Rocha
8K
HJ
Hannah Jenson
7K
NO
Nolan Osorio
6K
AG
Aleks Gogic
6K
ME
Melissa Espinosa
6K
North Carolina
KT
Kelly Thompson
8K
KK
Katie Kocher
8K
JS
Jon Stiner
8K
EB
Elan Barrera
6K
Connecticut
RT
Ralph Taylor
12K 🏅
Washington DC
MJ
Melanie Johnson
6K
New Hampshire
CL
Carrie Levesque
6K
Two New Empire Babies
Jared Lipton
Jared and his wife welcomed their second child, Everett, in June. He is already properly submitting Fexa tickets for diaper changes and bottles.
Steven & Gina Scelzo
Mason Arnold Scelzo arrived July 24, 2026. In their words: “We are so grateful we have a healthy baby, and very thankful for the entire Orangetheory community for their kindness and generosity.”
Local Activation Around the Empire
Three studios took the brand off the treadmill and into the neighborhood this month.
🏊
Park Road
Sam brought OTF poolside at a resident pool party — branded giveaways and a free-month raffle turned a Saturday afternoon into new leads.
🏃
Matthews
The studio joined the Matthews Run Club to hand out swag and meet local runners.
🥕
Foggy Bottom
David set up at the local farmers market for a day of conversations, giveaways and new connections in the neighborhood.
Park Road · Pool Party
Foggy Bottom · Farmers Market
Running something local? Send us the photos — we will feature it here next month. 🍊
A Few Fun Facts — Orange Edition
We wear it every day. Here's what you probably didn't know about the color. 🍊
👑
It was once reserved for royalty. Elizabethan sumptuary laws meant only nobility could wear orange.
🎤
Nothing rhymes with it — unless you count Blorenge, a hill in Wales.
🎶
Frank Sinatra was a fan. He once called orange "the happiest of colors."
🥕
Carrots weren't always orange. Purple was the common one until Dutch growers crossbred their way to orange in the 17th century.
🚗
An orange car supposedly marks you as fun-loving and trendy. Rich Mejias has owned three — including a trike.
🍊
Got a better one? Send it in for next month.
Get Featured Next Month
Want to Be in the Next Issue?
Nominate a teammate for a Golden Ticket, submit a shoutout, or share a fun fact. We read every submission.