One of the hardest challenges to overcome as a new gym owner is deciding on the group of people you want to work with. Should you stay open to having a diverse clientele, or should you work with one specific demographic?
In this episode of the Gym Owners Growth Zone Podcast, host Andres Escobar speaks with Alexis Perkins, the owner of Chairone Fitness. Listen to her powerful journey as a gym owner and how she discovered her community.
Alexis Perkins Journey
- Alexis Perkins has been working in the fitness industry since 2009. She first started as a group fitness instructor teaching Zumba and Yoga classes.
- In addition to her background as a personal trainer, she has also worked as a business consultant for gyms.
- She now runs the Chairone Fitness program, helping those who cannot do standing exercises and need help staying active.
What Keeps Her on Track?
- Alexis shares that what helps keep her on track is being confident about trying new things. She discovered when you’re not afraid to try new things, you’ll gain a wonderful learning experience.
- During her first Zumba class, she met another trainer who only spoke Spanish. He offered her the chance to go to France and teach Zumba classes there. Her family and friends said she was crazy for going, but she took the opportunity anyway.
- While there, she learned new ways to run a business and teach classes. The concepts Alexis learned from teaching fitness overseas still apply to her business and classes today.
- However, she did experience imposter syndrome as a fitness instructor and gym owner. But by acknowledging what was holding her back and getting outside her head, she overcame this and pushed through to reach her goals.
- Lastly, she gives herself a timeframe to help her meet her goals. This prevents her from giving up on a task and never finishing it.
Overcoming Obstacles as a Gym Owner
- The first fitness studio Alexis owned happened because the original owners were late on rent. The property owner asked her what makes you think you’ll be good at running this gym when the previous owners weren’t. She told him she was the most successful trainer there and the concepts she learned from teaching could be applied to running the business.
- However, she quickly realized that she knew nothing about running a gym. For example, she needed help effectively communicating with her team.
- She tried to gain communication skills by listening to audiobooks but was unsuccessful. She discovered sometimes it’s better to hire a mediator to handle specific tasks when you can’t take them yourself as a business owner.
The Biggest Issue in the Fitness Industry
- Alexis believes that one of the biggest issues in the fitness industry is trainers not being confident in their authenticity.
- Everyone is focused on diversity but should be trying to target the group of people that they really want to work with.
- When you get authentic with the people you want to work with, everything falls into place for you as a business owner.
Removing Blocks for Growth
- As a business owner, it’s easy to forget about the people and feel entitled. However, you must never forget that your people have feelings.
- Take the time to wish your team members happy birthday or talk with the gym members to get to know them better.
- Alexis wishes she had put the people first before business. She also shares that if you cannot check in with your teammates or clients, hire someone who can.
In this episode of the GOGZ podcast, you get insightful advice on how to find the demographic you want to work with as a gym owner. Listen to Alexis’ story and discover how she overcame her challenges and became a successful entrepreneur in the fitness industry.
“If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. I feel like we are all designed by God, and once you know that, you start stepping outside the box and becoming great at what you’re doing.” – Alexis Perkins
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