It’s hard to believe, but this week marks our 7th anniversary as On Point Fitness Club! With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to share with you seven lessons learned over those seven strong years.
- If you build it- they will come
We were lucky to have an established client base when Tom and I began our journey together as OPFC. Many of you can remember though, the previous ownership and gym culture wasn’t always to be desired. As we have gone through the years, we have worked hard to build a new culture. Our training model has also replaced the old “lying on the floor dead is a good workout” idea with an emphasis on repeatable efforts and recovery. Our mission is simple: We train our members to move better so they can live better. We feel very confident that we have built a model of success that will last. You, our loyal and outstanding members, prove that to us every single day. And we cannot thank you enough!
- Ride the waves
Each season brings on new and very different challenges for us as a business. The spring brings us tons of vacations, the winter brings us highs and lows of attendance with holidays, the summer brings on busy mornings and slow afternoons, and the fall brings the onslaught of new members and people who fell off the wagon during the summer. We love it though, as we have learned to ride the waves of change. Similar to how we write our programs, waviness is what allows us to be adaptable and take time off to refresh our minds so that when the busy weeks come, we can be sharp and ready to roll!
- Nutrition is a never-ending battle
Seven years as a business. 25+ years of combined training experience between us. We continue to fight the same damn battles when it comes to nutrition. The internet sure doesn’t help when you can look on 10 different sites and find 10 different answers to the same question! When you boil it down to its simplest form though, there’s one true answer to any nutrition questions… EAT LIKE AN ADULT (thanks to Dan John for this quote). Put the cookies down and find some protein, or if you absolutely have to have the cookie, mix it in with some plain Greek yogurt!
- There is no perfect music choice
I think it’s safe to say there will never be a music selection that pleases everyone. We will keep trying though! And just a little caveat, complaining about the music isn’t the best way to get it changed, maybe a little bribery or kind words to the trainers will work 😉.
- Sleep is the most important thing
This goes for both Tom and I, as well as every person we have ever met. If you cross paths with someone who hasn’t slept well, WATCH OUT! Sleep is the number one best supplement on the market, so I will continue to encourage you to get your 8 hours of sleep, turn off your screens within an hour of bed, and for the love of all humanity, please stop eating so much sugar!
- Avoid the burnout
If you overload your system with stress, you will crash and burn and not see the results you want. Whether it is weight training, emotional, work, family, or any other form of stressors; if you do not take time to recover and allow yourself to take a breath, bad things can happen. It is just as important to take care of your mental health as it is your physical health. Prioritize things that make you happy and free so you can avoid burning out and losing your mind. Don’t worry. Be happy.
- Growth and change are inevitable
As we move forward in life and business, there will be change. Whether that is for the good or the bad, change is inevitable. How we react and handle said change is where growth is made. Tom and I have come a long way as individuals and business partners over this journey, and I am confident in saying we are better today because we continue to challenge and grow as a team. As many of you have joked, we are sort of like a married couple. We may fight and argue, but it’s because we care deeply about our gym family and we want to continue to make this the best home for them as possible.
Cheers to seven years, and many more to come!
-Nick and Tom
