Lulz. Here's some stuff Lauren posted up about two weeks ago...from a different birdy this time.
Captain CrossFit - The Essay
by Lauren Jenai on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 6:56am
I guess it started when I decided to get off my ass and get back into the gym after several years out of the gym business and several kids later.
Two workouts in, at CrossFit Prescott, and I knew that I would not be content if I was not training folks again and if my kids were not growing up in the CrossFit environment. Joey and Andrea who own CrossFit Prescott joined me for coffee and we discussed the possibility of me opening an affiliate in Prescott. I told them that I would not proceed without their blessings and/or involvement. Joey told me that working together would likely never work if he were not in charge given his temperament. I let him know that given the scope of the project, my background, and MY temperament, the project would HAVE to be my baby. It was up to him if he could handle that or not. And so we decided to try.
Simultaneously, I had made some personal decisions to come out of my shell and make friends in Prescott. In doing so, I found CrossFit diamonds in the rough. These were great folks, held back a bit from a bad economy and lack of functional fitness! I was inspired to make a difference in these folks lives by offering an opportunity to become supremely fit and do something professionally that was rewarding. My friends not only rose to the occasion, but in turn kept me on track to pursue the things I love best - TRAINING and running a CF facility.
And then came Jolly Green! The perfect CrossFit Facility basically fell into my lap. 15,000 ft of warehouse glory was available and for sale. In passion, good people, and the perfect building, Captain CrossFit was born.
My "marketing plan". I found about 5 people who I offered to train for free if they were diligent about doing what I asked. They agreed, started working out with me and doing the Zone diet. Two months in, their bodies and minds were transformed, and I had dedicated seed clients! Of course, their transformations began to inspire interest and curiosity in their friends and family. CrossFit became such an important part of these clients lives, that they wanted more. They too wanted to become part of the Captain CrossFit team. We had about 10 people passionate about this project, committed and working towards our common goals.
As our building was in the build-out process, we held events outside the facility to show the community what CrossFit was all about. Rob Orlando came out and helped us build Atlas stones, we held a CrossFit Kids Day, and a fundraising Memorial Day workout all on separate occasions. We were building a sense of community at Captain CrossFit, offering workouts and libations!
Rogue Fitness outfitted the gym in gorgeous red and blue gear. The facility turned into a CrossFit SHRINE. I was stunned at the energy felt just standing in the building. I could tell that this was a place people would want to be a part of - it just felt good and positive and exciting.
Obviously I am blessed in that I had the resources to build such a facility. But now there was the issue of running it. Given that I grew and ran the first CrossFit gym, there is a part of me that though I knew everything. Because I had so much at stake, not only in the building and build out, but in the staff I had developed, I thought it would be best to council with folks who have actually been in the affiliate game over the last 5 years that I had not. My assistant and I traveled to LA to talk with Andy Petranek, CF LA and John Burch, CF LA THE BIZ. We loved what they were doing and were inspired to move forward using the processes they had laid out for themselves and other affiliates. Was any of the information earth shattering? NO. Was it important, YES. I firmly believe that there MUST me a system in place and good management to make a gym run well. What John and Andy were doing made perfect sense to me and challenged me to infrastructure and ideas that I would not have had otherwise.
The Challenge. Top notch facility, great staff, a good plan, now what? Joey and Andrea brought to the table about 140 clients with a $49/ month average rate. This income clearly would not support the expenses of Captain CrossFit in immediate terms. We had to get to work. I purposely over staffed the gym for two reasons. 1. My newly made trainers needed as much experience as possible and 2. I wanted clientele to feel completely cared for. Folks needed to know that this was a completely different gym experience from every level. Success for me was to come from me allowing others to shine as trainers, managers, and athletes.
Early on in the process I realized that Captain CrossFit would not afford its self at first. I looked at my lifestyle and saw that I could re purpose much of what I spent personally to Captain CrossFit. Given raising 4 babies on my own, a large portion of my income went to child care. What if I offered child care at the gym? I was already spending that money, but I could offer the service to my clients. I also had been enjoying life :) I decided to curb my excessive spending on travel, food, wine, clothes, SHOES! and put those resources towards Captain CrossFit. I understand this is not a luxury many folks have, but the point is there were some personal sacrifices I was able to make that made life better for my staff, my clients, and the business overall.
A little more than two months in business, we have increased membership to almost 200 clients. Our average monthly client rate is increasing as is the number of introductory sessions scheduled each week.
Joey and Andrea. Unfortunately through this process, Joey's initial concerns became a reality. I felt that I needed to be able to run Captain CrossFit at full steam in my own way. Joey's personality was such to create frictions for me that I found unproductive. It was a hard decision, but I decided it was best for me to let the Powells move on to something else. Joey and I are on good terms and will be friends for life. Andrea gave birth to a wonderful baby boy during this time. I am better off for having their entire family in my life. I believe they feel the same about me.
What is the point of all this? I believe that I have a lot to offer in how to create a successful CrossFit Affiliate. I also believe that much of what I have to offer will be shadowed by the fact that I come to the table with a lot of resources. This is undeniable. But these resources exist because of 15 years of building and developing CrossFit.
At the heart of success is, a passion for teaching functional movement, getting the right people on the bus, work ethic of a pitbull, building community and having a GREAT time doing all of the above.
"What is the market like in Prescott?" "What are the demographics?" "What is your marketing plan?" I say fuck all of that. CrossFit trainers are forged. CrossFit trainers forge elite fitness in their clients, CrossFit Affiliates FORGE clients from their community.
At the end of the day, if your community is better served both by increasing overall fitness levels and providing an economic opportunity in allowing people to do professionally what they love, you have success.
" I can't surrender. I don't know how!" - Captain America
Yeah, fuck a marketing plan. Steal a "friend's" clients!!!
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