We were recently approached by CanvasRebel, a blog that shares the stories of business owners and creative entrepreneurs across the country. We were happy to share our story and a bit about what sets us apart from other businesses and gyms in the fitness industry!
Check out the interview with Owner/Trainer Erin and learn a little bit about us, our history, and some behind-the-scenes of the business operations!
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We were lucky to catch up with Erin Tallard recently and have shared our conversation below.
Erin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you manage your own social media?
We currently manage our own social media, focusing mainly on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where our members are most active. Our demographic consists of 70% women and 30% men, mostly aged 40-65+, depending on the program. Recently, we have considered using TikTok to reach a younger demographic for our group health and weight loss coaching program, Killer Kurves.
I run ads and shoot content, including Reels, with the help of my marketing assistant who creates captivating, eye-catching graphics. We always get permission from members before using their images, and occasionally stage photos to convey specific messages. However, the smiles and laughs you see are genuine. Our insights show that creating a meaningful impact in people’s lives is easy to showcase!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are a locally (Madison, WI) owned fitness and wellness facility that specializes in group exercise. Our sessions build strength, balance, cardiovascular endurance, and more through three main programs:
Sweat Fit: A combination of strength and conditioning mixed with cardio and core exercises to improve body composition, strength, and functional movement.
Killer Kurves: Group health and weight loss coaching, especially great for those who don’t feel comfortable in a traditional gym.
Fit Over 50: Small group personal training for individuals over 50, extending up to 80+ years old.
Although we see huge progress in all of our programs, Fit Over 50 has some of the most noticeable changes in strength, endurance, mobility, posture, and daily physical abilities! For many, getting up and down off the ground isn’t an easy thing, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen the look of shock and triumph on member’s faces as they easily achieve what they once found challenging or impossible. This is the reason I started, and continue to stay in the fitness industry. The lives we not only touch, but truly change is the reason I continue to show up at 5:30am in the morning!
One thing that sets us apart is the sense of community. When you walk into our facility you aren’t overwhelmed with intimidating faces, gym equipment or harsh smells. You’re welcomed warmly and hear laughter, see people dancing or engaging in light and heartfelt conversation. There is inexcusable evidence in the literature that social connection is a necessity for not only health but longevity. We are a hub for nutrition coaching, mobility training, online training, and connect with other specialists in the area in order to TRANSFORM lives in all ways.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The largest and most memorable pivot, for myself I’m sure and many, was during 2020 with the pandemic. As a gym/fitness facility we rely on people coming in, moving and breathing heavily. With our demographic, location and restrictions this became a severe risk to the business.
We started recording workouts, when businesses closed their doors, to provide a similar experience to our in person sessions and give our community the same feel and connection they had in hopes of keeping as many members on our roster as possible. However, the recordings were only so fulfilling so we had to quickly make our next move.
Since no one really had anything to do during the day we decided live zoom workouts were our next go-to option. They were a hit and we had 25-30 people on zoom sessions 3-4 times a day! Myself and our other trainers spent our days messaging members, reminding them what they could do to keep active, healthy and connecting with them in a time where there was mass disconnect.
As things continued to change we continued to adapt.
We came back with masks, we cleaned equipment constantly, ventilated appropriately, sectioned off the room in 6 foot squares, worked out outside in the parking lot, and zoomed from home, all to make sure we didn’t go out of business like other gyms and studios in the area.
Through all that our members stuck by us, paying their same rate (which isn’t the lowest on the market either), not because they had to, but because they wanted to and we made them feel valued.
We couldn’t have survived without the countless quick pivots through the years and now we’re rebuilding and thriving to place as one of Madison’s Best Alternative Fitness Centers again and again.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I joined the training team about nine years ago at the age of 25, fresh out of college. I started by shadowing some sessions and then began coaching. During one of those sessions, without knowing it, I corrected the form of one of the attendees who happened to be the head trainer. She took the correction well, though with a touch of salt. Later, I found out who she was and learned that she had been slightly irritated by the correction.
Today, the Transformation Center is co-owned by three people: myself, that head trainer, Liz, and Brent, who joined the training team about four years after I did. We were all full-time trainers when the previous owner decided he no longer wanted to run the business and presented us with a proposition to take over.
Having three owners and decision-makers is uncommon, as most prefer to have sole control over the business. It isn’t easy; there are hard, sometimes tense discussions. However, we believe this setup gives us strength, as we all bring different perspectives and skills to the table. Our ownership team is divided into three categories: head of marketing, finances and backend operations, and member services. This allows each of us, while still wearing the many hats of business owners, to have our own specialties within the company and propel it forward.
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Thanks for reading and learning about us – see you in the gym!
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