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Small Town, Strong Culture


A new club owner discovers that creating an inspirational fitness community can build a business


BY BRADY JOHNSON


grew its sales 230 percent within the first year. We were also able to expand to an amazing team of three full-time and recently two part-time staff mem- bers to service our growing clientele. With explosive growth in such a short period of time, I have to thank NPE, S3 Success and Balanced Habits for pro- viding turn-key systems that helped me to train the staff and deliver the highest quality of service and excep- tional results to our clients. I firmly believe that the atmo-


BY BRADY JOHNSON T


aking the leap from operating a fitness business as a hobby to making it a full-time career was a big decision that didn’t come


easily. Fortunately, before I made the tran-


sition, I attended a MegaTraining con- ference hosted by NPE, a fitness busi- ness coaching organization that helps fitness businesses succeed. At the con- ference they presented member-voted “fitness business of the year” awards, which really inspired me and sparked my ambition. At the conference I set a goal to


be on that same stage one year later. Once I returned home, I quit my full- time job and leapt wholeheartedly into a business focused on empower- ing others to live happier and healthier lives in a non-judgmental and encour- aging environment with social support and a community focus. One year later I was selected as a


nominee for the “fitness business of the year” at the NPE Mega Training conference. I was able to share my


22 Fitness Business Canada March/April 2018


story about running a successful busi- ness, and I was also honoured to be se- lected as the North American member of the year for 2016. A lot had happened in that one year


from quitting my job to being recog- nized for outstanding fitness business growth. First, I learned that to grow a busi-


ness I had to grow as an individual. I needed to focus on my own person- al growth if I was going to not only help others live happier and healthier lives but to also inspire them and walk through each step with them as a lead- er. Having a kinesiology degree but no business experience, I educated my- self in every way possible by reading books, attending conferences and find- ing mentors who were where I wanted to be. Despite opening in a recession,


which caused a major downturn in our local economy, Encompass Fitness grew from five to nearly 200 regular members in less than a year, expand- ed from 700 sq. ft. to 5,200 sq. ft. and


sphere we have created is the driver of our success. Ninety percent of our new members come through word of mouth referrals. We attract quality customers by having clear core val- ues, an explanatory sales process and a nurturing on-boarding sequence. The “CO” in our logo stands for communi- ty outreach, and we believe in making a positive contribution to the commu- nity as well as fostering an inclusive and supportive community within our facility. We donate one dollar for every inch


lost at Encompass to a local break- fast program where our staff volun- teer their time and are helping to raise a healthier generation by teaching children about good nutrition. We also lead stretches at local races and


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