Progress Starts with Small Steps Forward

My older brother just opened his first gym, and it wasn’t something he planned on doing.

He lives in a small Texas town that has no gym other than the school, and they weren’t allowed to work out there, so he built a small shed in his backyard and stocked it with the equipment he’d been using in his master bedroom. 

After the shed was built, some of his friends would come over and use it, and being that it was really the only place to work out in the town, he decided he would allow others to come use it, too. 

Side note: a large gym was eventually built in the town, but it was a bit pricey, so some people still chose to use Sam’s shed.

His small shed was eventually filling up with people. Guys who moved out there to work in the oilfield and had nothing else to do with their time needed an outlet. His wife was holding small workout sessions for some of the local women.

During this time, Sam started to love working out, and being that the backyard gym was doing so well, he realized he wanted to open a gym of his own or buy a franchise of another one.

One of his dreams was to move to east Texas and open a gym there, but after being persistent and looking into a job transfer, he found out there were no available positions, and even if there were, he’d have to take a huge pay cut. So, of course, the wise choice was to stay put.

It was obvious that God kept him in Kermit because in November 2018, Sam randomly decided to call and see how much a building was and go check it out. As soon as he saw the inside and the multiple rooms, he was all-in.

Things started moving super quick after that. He got the building, knew what company he wanted to use for his gym equipment, and had a landlord who was incredibly helpful getting all the pieces of the building up to snuff. 

On February 21 (only 3 months later), he opened the gym to the public and within 24 hours, he had 62 sign ups – and he opened on a Thursday, not a weekend.

I’m a super fan of learning how people got from Point A to Point B, so getting to see the whole process with a front row seat has been awesome for me.

And it all started with needing more space to work out than what his master bedroom offered. One step a couple of years prior led to his first business a few years later. 

I can’t wait to see how much it expands – and it will – because, unlike other gyms, his main goal is making sure that people who don’t feel comfortable in gyms feel welcomed and non-intimidated in his. 

His goal is to make sure his gym is super personal. He wants you to connect with you while you're there. He wants to help you learn the machines. He wants you to get better at improving your health through fitness. He wants to hear your feedback, your ideas, and your fitness struggles.

So, any time you need a little encouragement, remember his story. Take a little action now, and who knows where you may end up.

Take that first step that’s been on your mind,

Venus