I am Elana Otero, born and raised in Greenville, SC. My family founded 9Round Kickboxing Fitness right here in The Golden Strip. Franchises of the family business now exists in 19 countries to date. I have worked with my family on and off, in between my extended travels, and have now started my own independent venture – VEGOConsulting.com – as a franchise consultant. I help people franchise their existing businesses, help individual or partners find the best fit franchise to graduate into business ownership, and I am compensated by a network of companies, so the education I provide is free for my clients. I get to help people become entrepreneurs and change their lives for themselves and their families!
Q: Tell us about yourself, including a little bit about where you grew up, your education, your family, interests, passions, and career?
I have grown up living all around Upstate South Carolina. My father’s family is Puerto Rican, he is from Texas. I grew up making a lot of trips there, driving 16 hours, to and from the Houston area. I have always felt connected to Hispanic culture and wanted to learn Spanish so after graduating from the College of Charleston I moved to Madrid. I spent a lot of time traveling around Europe in 2019 and 2022 and I haven’t really stopped exploring yet. In 2023 I am finally venturing into Asia and Oceania. My mother co-founded 9Round Kickboxing Fitness, which expanded to many corners of the world. I have learned so much from her in business and franchising. I have been around it for years and in 2023 began my independent venture in the franchising world as a consultant, helping people find the best franchise to become entrepreneurs. It’s an outstanding role I get to play in people’s lives as they level up to business ownership.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in The Golden Strip?
I have lived in this area since 2013 or so. I graduated down the road from Mauldin High School and I’ve moved back recently. I now operate my consulting business with the amazing folks in Greenville.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I think one of the most important things in life is empathy. You never know what people are going through before you interact with them. Whenever people are unpleasant in traffic or at restaurants, I try to make up a good reason for them in my head that might explain why they had to rush past and cut me off or whatever it may be. I make a game out of it almost. Maybe they are rushing to get their sick child to the ER, for example. It really changes your outlook on the world and helps me operate my day peacefully.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in The Golden Strip?
With my parent’s first 9Round location and my high school on East Butler Road, I have met a lot of folks through the years around here. I truly admire anyone willing to step out of the box and live their life by their own rules and design. However, my family did meet a former US president at what is now Crave coffee!
Q: What current / former local business makes you the most nostalgic about The Golden Strip?
Probably The Lazy Chicken. That was where I had my first job in high school, and it’s still busy to this day. They are also parked next to the original 9Round location so it was always a family favorite for lunch when we all spent a lot of time there in the beginning of our family business. That whole shopping center really. I used to stand out front and hold a sign to grab people’s attention while driving to come try a free workout! My stepdad also had a hand in bringing his original karate school to that shopping center, Hurricane Martial Arts, where we all took karate for a number of years. I watched my baby brother grow up there… We had the first corporate 9Round headquarters there until we grew out of it. Great memories of many beginnings at the Brookfield Promenade shopping center!
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about The Golden Strip?
I went to high school on the Strip! My brother goes there now. I moved away for 5 years and now that I’m back I can’t believe how much it’s changed. This whole area is really expanding and it’s great to see new businesses come in. My favorite places to shop sometimes are the various family owned groceries. There are Mexican and Korean groceries that I love stopping in to get ingredients for my next meal. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do as there are some really fresh finds in The Golden Strip.
Q: With so much growth in our area, there are always new places popping up. Tell us about the a “new to you” place that you recently tried.
Tropical Grille has to be one of the most impressive additions to our area in my opinion. Fresh, healthy, speedy, and tasty! They do a really great job and it’s exciting to see their growth. Green sauce forever!
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME or NEIGHBOR?
1. When I think of home I truly think of coming back to greenery and tons of trees. The street I live on feels like driving through a National Park sometimes. The other cities I’ve lived in, Charleston, DC, Madrid – they’re a lot larger and some of that nature feel goes missing because of it. The neighborhoods around here are really beautiful.
2. The chickens my neighbor has that are always wandering around and
3. Sunsets, which anyone can attest to around here, we get a really good view.
Q: If you had friends or family visiting you from out of town, what is the one place that you must take them to?
Probably Korean BBQ off of Woodruff Rd. I prefer the truly local spots and that one does japchae right!
Q: If you had a free day with no plans, what would you do? Or where can we find you on the weekends?
On my free days I’m often playing pickleball with family at the public courts. I also enjoy heading downtown for dinner or a drink. Otherwise I’m enjoying my backyard. We joke it’s like a Disney movie in my backyard, with deer, bunnies, and birds chirping, it’s very relaxing.
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
Probably Julia Roberts. That woman has aced every role in my opinion, absolutely stunning and so poised. I admire her!
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I would like to get scuba certified. Every time I go snorkeling or snuba…you have to try snuba…I’m so in awe of what there is to see underwater. I would really like to expand on that and be able to really dive.
Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
Live slowly! Seriously, this is something I had to learn living in Spain. Coming back to the United States, I always realize how much we rush and press ourselves here. Life can be simpler. Tune in and appreciate every part of life, sad, boring, difficult – it’s all a part of the human experience which is easy to forget.
Q: Who would you like to see nominated for this project, The Faces of The Golden Strip?
Probably my mother, Heather Hudson. She is a wise and accomplished woman who really turned our lives around right here on The Golden Strip. Things were very different for us before 9Round and she started a business that has change people’s lives all around the world — a lot of it began here. We’ve had such a good life too because of that and I’m grateful to her for it all the time.
