Q: What is your background? What did you do before opening The Little Gym of Greenwood Village? 
KA: My path here wasn’t exactly linear. I have a degree in Business Economics and started my career in HR and retail, opening and managing stores like Victoria’s Secret and Marshalls. Over time, I made a big shift and went back to school through the University of Denver’s full-stack development program, which led me into tech. Most recently, I was a Software Engineering Manager at Boeing.

Q: How did you decide to open a Little Gym location? 
KA: I was at a point in my career where, on paper, everything looked great—but it didn’t feel meaningful to me. I was spending a lot of time away from my daughter doing work I wasn’t passionate about, and I started asking myself what I actually wanted my time and energy to go toward. 

I wanted to replace my income, have the flexibility to not miss important moments with my daughter, and do something I could truly feel good about—making an impact in our community and in the lives of kids. I also love that my own daughter gets to be part of it.

What really stood out to me about The Little Gym is how different it is from other kids’ activities. We truly meet kids where they are and help them grow from there—physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. It’s not one-size-fits-all, which is something we ran into a lot when trying to find the right fit for our own daughter.

At The Little Gym, our teaching mindset is simple: all children are good. We focus on supporting each child as an individual and creating an environment where they feel safe, confident, and capable.

It’s a place where every child can feel like they belong and be successful, and that felt very different from anything else we had experienced.

Q: What is the Little Gym? What do you offer your members? 
KA: The Little Gym’s programs are designed to be a springboard for life’s adventures. Through movement-based learning and imaginative play, our classes help children ages 4 months–12 years build coordination, confidence, listening skills, and social-emotional growth in a fun, supportive environment.

Our Parent/Child classes give little ones a chance to explore movement while also helping parents better understand their child’s development and the purpose behind the activities we do in class. As children grow, our preschool and grade school programs focus on building independence, confidence, resilience, and gymnastics skills through positive encouragement and non-competitive learning.

In addition to weekly classes, The Little Gym of Greenwood Village will offer camps, Parents’ Survival Nights, and Awesome Birthday Bashes filled with instructor-led games, music, and Serious Fun.

The Little Gym teaches kids social and physical skills appropriate to each stage of childhood by creating opportunities to experience achievement and build self-confidence. The core of the international franchise’s mission is becoming the foundation of a child’s development that will set them up for success. Through a proprietary philosophy called Three-Dimensional learning, programs foster growth in three holistic dimensions including physical, cognitive, and social and emotional learning. The core teaching methods create opportunities for children to experience achievement and build self-confidence.

Q: When do you officially open? 
KA: Preview classes are being held 5/27/26-6/4/26, our Official first day of classes is 6/8/26

Q: When is the grand opening event?
KA: Our Grand Opening party is 6/6/26 10am-1pm

Q: What is one word of advice you can offer to young women who want to reach your level of success?
KA: Build relationships. Success doesn’t happen alone, and the people you connect with along the way will support you, challenge you, and help you get where you want to go.

Q: At the start of your career, what do you wish you had known? 
KA: I wish I had given myself more time and permission to figure out what actually make me happy and fulfilled in a career—not just what looked successful on paper. Early on, I focused so much on titles, goals, and proving myself that I didn’t spend enough time asking what work felt meaningful to me personally. Once I started aligning my career with purpose, people, and the kind of impact I wanted to have, everything became much more rewarding.

Q: Which woman inspires you and why? 
KA: I have a lot of thought leaders who inspire me to think differently about leadership, business, and life, but honestly choosing them just didn’t feel quite right. The people who truly inspire me are moms. Even on my hardest days, seeing other moms continue to show up for their kids with patience, strength, love, and resilience reminds me how incredible women really are. Mothers give so much of themselves because we would do absolutely anything for our children.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to pursue their dream and start a business? 
KA: I would tell young women to take risks and not wait until they feel completely ready. Follow what you are passionate about, because building a business is hard and it helps when you care deeply about what you are creating. Keep building your network but do it genuinely — the best relationships come from connecting with people, supporting them, and building real community, not just thinking about what you can get from them.

I also love Carol Dweck’s work around growth mindset — the idea that challenges, mistakes, and setbacks are not proof that you can’t do something, they are part of how you grow and improve. Entrepreneurship will constantly push you outside your comfort zone, so learning to see hard things as opportunities to grow instead of reasons to quit is incredibly important. Find mentors, connect with other women entrepreneurs, and fall in love with learning because you will never stop evolving as a business owner.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?
KA: Don’t be afraid to speak up about what you want. A lot of women work incredibly hard but hesitate to ask for the role, the opportunity, the project, or the promotion. People cannot support goals they do not know you have.

Q: Can you tell us how you manage your work life balance?
KA: I’m honestly still figuring this out. I don’t think there is a perfect way to “have it all,” especially as a mom. The reality is that when you choose one thing, something else has to give in that moment. There are times when work needs more from me, and there are times my family does. I think work-life balance is less about perfectly splitting everything evenly and more about being intentional with your time and being present wherever you are. Owning my own business has given me more flexibility and control over those choices, even though balancing it all is still something I’m learning every day.

Q: What's your advice for women in male-dominated fields?
KA: Coming from aerospace and tech, I know that women often wait until they feel 100% ready before speaking up or going after opportunities. My advice is to trust yourself, take up space, and do not underestimate yourself. Find mentors, allies, and other women who support your growth, because having people in your corner makes a huge difference.

Five Things About Kathleen Arnold 

1. What's your favorite family tradition? 
I have so many favorite family traditions, but if I had to choose it would be our monthly family game night. We host the whole family at our house, and everyone hangs out, relaxes, plays board games or yard games, and just laughs together. 

It’s also my daughter’s absolute favorite thing. She gets so excited to have the whole family together, and I love that she’s growing up with those memories. 

2. What was the last book you really got into? 
One of the last books I really got into was The Whole-Brain Child. I loved how it breaks down child development in a practical, easy-to-understand way. A lot of the ideas around emotional regulation, confidence, and connection really align with how we approach curriculum and class management at The Little Gym.

3. Who is your favorite author?
My favorite author is Brené Brown. I really connect with her work around vulnerability, courage, leadership, and human connection. Her writing feels both relatable and practical, and a lot of her ideas have influenced how I approach leadership and relationships.

4. What would your perfect Saturday be like? 
My perfect Saturday would be sunshine, a family hike, delicious food, some time to relax, and ending the day with games, laughs, and family all together.

5. Cake or pie? 
Cake, vanilla!