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Snackin' & Yakkin'
Some conversations start with a business pitch. This one about Forge Charleston starts with a Halloween hot dog getting dragged around a cul-de-sac.
In Episode 32 of Snackin’ & Yakkin’, Big Ben Kennedy sits down with Tiffany Dennis of Forge Charleston (Forge CHS) for a low-pressure chat about gym culture, big chain takeovers, why scales can mess with your head, and how a gym can feel more like a safe place than a zoo. Also, yes, okra shows up twice.
From Halloween chaos to a gym owner on the couch
The connection was pure neighborhood randomness. Ben’s neighbor Lauren (who also works with Tiffany) tosses out the idea of having a gym owner on the show, and Ben’s attitude is basically, “I’ll talk to anybody, if there’s passion.”
The origin story includes Ben unintentionally becoming the guy who’s trick-or-treating while carrying his daughter Bridget’s hot dog. Not a costume choice, just parenting.
The simple path from “who is Tiffany?” to “come on the show” looked like this:
- A neighbor mention at Halloween
- A group text (Ben’s “how old am I?” moment)
- A solo follow-up
- Tiffany checking out a past business-owner episode (including Annie O from Cafe of Sweet Abundance)
- A casual “let’s do it” invite
That’s the show’s whole vibe, snacks plus stories, no pressure.
Tiffany Dennis, Forge Charleston roots, and a long trainer runway
Tiffany was born in Texas, but she’s basically Charleston through and through. She moved to Mount Pleasant young, went to Wando, and shows up wearing a Clemson hat (Go Tigers). She even shares the same “Mount Pleasant isn’t what it used to be” feeling, with a little “Mount Plastic” energy tossed in.
Before Forge CHS, Tiffany trained at Pivotal Fitness in West Ashley for 17 years, which is long enough to watch gym trends come and go, and long enough to know what actually helps people stick with fitness.
Ben shares his own gym trauma, including a trainer who wrecked his legs so badly he couldn’t walk right. Tiffany laughs, then calls out a real problem: new trainers sometimes think success means they “killed” the client. Her goal is the opposite.
Her standard is simple: people should leave training ready to handle life, not crawl out of the gym like they lost a fight.
Why Forge Charleston exists: big gym takeovers and a local-sized answer
Forge Charleston didn’t happen because Tiffany woke up one day and thought, “Time to start a business.” It happened because Crunch Fitness took over Pivotal, and overnight the future changed.
Tiffany explains that she wasn’t included in what the new ownership wanted to do. After 17 years, she wasn’t looking to restart life at 42 in some totally new role. So she improvised, training people at parks and on-site using her partner’s truck loaded with gear.
That outdoor route had issues fast: heat, no bathrooms, no water, and only so much you can do when the weather decides it hates you.
The turning point came while sitting at Home Team BBQ, when news hit that Crunch also grabbed the old O2 Fitness space. That was the moment Tiffany and her partner Christian decided West Ashley needed a gym built by locals, for locals, with community at the center.
Inside Forge Charleston: open space, fewer mirrors, and a “no nipples” policy
Forge CHS sits in West Ashley near Savannah Highway and Sam Rittenberg, in the shopping center with SeaCoast Church, an urgent care (Ben calls it the “doc-in-a-box”), and 17 Prime (Tiffany makes a point to shout out Doug for supporting them).
Size-wise, Forge CHS aims for the sweet spot. Tiffany calls out the extremes:
- Boutique gyms are often around 2,200 to 2,500 square feet.
- Big box gyms can hit 30,000 to 55,000 square feet.
- Forge CHS lands at 10,000 square feet, big enough to offer “everything,” but small enough to avoid that Walmart feeling.
The layout stays simple: a big open space with tons of natural light, and clear “lanes” that separate free weights, machines, and functional training. Tiffany likes that she can see the whole gym from the front desk, which means she can spot the moment someone looks lost or frustrated and step in.
And then there are the rules, which are honestly part of the charm:
- No TVs, so there’s no news playing and no politics yelling at you mid-set.
- Mirrors only on one side, because not everyone wants to watch themselves from every angle.
- Shirts stay on, thanks to a direct, unforgettable policy: no nipples.
It’s all built around comfort, not intimidation.
Two okras and Oreos: the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ food philosophy in action
Tiffany brings snacks from a local spot, the Tomato Shed on John’s Island, because supporting local is part of her wiring.
She also admits she’s “psycho” about what she eats, not as a diet trend, but because she doesn’t eat animals. She’s not trying to police anyone else’s plate, she just can’t do bones, tendons, and the whole situation.
The snack lineup hits three very different moods:
Dried okra chips: three ingredients (okra, sea salt, oil). Ben expects something weird and gets something addictive, crunchy, and oddly clean-tasting.
Pickled okra: the “slippery” one, basically a pickle cousin with a mild okra flavor. Tiffany also brings a hot version, because she’s not here to be boring.
Oreos: the peace treaty snack. Tiffany drops the fun fact that Oreos are vegan, then the crew debates stuffing levels and salty-sweet cravings. Tiffany’s son Kingston joins in, and later Ben’s daughter Bridget pops in too, turning the ending into a mini family snack summit.
No gimmicks memberships, New Year season, and how to follow the show
When the New Year rush comes, Forge CHS isn’t doing the usual “everyone pays a different price” chaos. Tiffany says they don’t do discounts in general, except an ongoing rate for first responders and active-duty military.
They also skip the gym stuff that makes people furious:
- no contracts
- no random fees
- no weird cancellation hoops
If someone wants to leave, they can leave. The goal is to keep it honest, so people stop assuming all gyms are out to trick them.
Find Forge CHS at forgecharleston.com and visit them at 2049 Savannah Hwy. Suite 30, Charleston, South Carolina
To keep up with the show, follow the host and clips on the official socials, including the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ Instagramand Snackin’ & Yakkin’ TikTok. Full episodes live on the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ YouTube channel, and behind-the-scenes extras are on the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ Patreon.
Conclusion
Forge CHS comes off like the gym version of a good neighbor, it’s calm, clear, and run by someone who actually watches how people feel when they walk in. Between the no-TV quiet, the mirror choices, and the no-gimmicks memberships, the place sounds built for real life, not just selfies. If Episode 32 proves anything, it’s that community can look like a 10,000-square-foot gym, plus a jar of pickled okra on the side.
