It’s a pleasure to serve you and to own a company that contributes to society by helping people improve themselves. We are all in this together, striving to be better than we were yesterday and I thank you for choosing to workout with us.

You should know that our current location wasn’t how we started. I started in the park with one person. We then got kettlebells and moved into part of an office that they weren’t using. The office workers came out and made copies while we worked out. Those were the days.

Back then, I did everything personally to run the business. I answered the phone, taught personal training sessions, taught group classes, sold kettlebells, handed out business cards, stuffed flyers I designed personally into mailboxes, etc. I was involved in every aspect. It was a real one-man show. I loved it.

As more people chose to workout with us, we saved the money and expanded only as much as we could handle. We never wanted to make a financial mistake that could sink the company. And I kept answering the phones and teaching all the classes as we expanded.

Believe it or not, cleaning the bathroom and sweeping the gym were two of my favorite activities. A gymgoer the other day told me I looked very zen as I was sweeping outside of the gym and he was right, I felt that way at the time. That’s one reason why I love doing that type of manual labor. I always tell my kids that wherever we go, we must leave the place better than we found it. We need to constantly make a contribution, a place should be better because we were there. We improve wherever we are and in the process, we improve ourselves. There’s a connection between where you are and what you are. Clean surroundings produce a clean, calm mind.

But the other reason I like cleaning is that it’s a way to serve others. And let’s face it — if you aren’t willing to do the dirty work yourself, then are you really willing to help others? Do you really care? Doing only what’s easy doesn’t count because everyone is willing to do that. Doing what’s unpleasant both builds and shows character.

So unlike some other business owners, I’ve worked the front desk, I’ve taken weird phone calls about things you’d never expect, I’ve personally trained hundreds of people. All these experiences have shaped me as a business owner and as a person. I bring that knowledge into how I run the business.

Again, I want to thank you for choosing our products and services. We’re family here and we’re glad you’ve chosen to be a part of it.

Yours in fitness.