Several months ago, the building where I first opened the doors to RevFit was torn down.
With that, goes the physical landmark of where our story began.
As many know, when I started the business in May of 2009, I didn’t know anyone and I was starting from the ground up.
The woman who would become my first client, in a fascinating turn of events, is now my mother-in-law.
It’s funny how those things work out.
We left that building in efforts to expand in 2012 and moved from the city of Hudson just over the border into the city of Stow (a little over a half mile from our original location.)
The plaza we moved into, The Shoppes of Stow, became our next home as we nestled into a not-so-visible corner of the plaza.
That space allowed us to grow and by 2017, we needed a new playground.
In November of that year, we expanded into the far left corner of our plaza where we took over 3000+ sq ft of space, a unit that was 3 times what I had when I first opened up.
It’s been our home ever since.
As much as I would love to tell you, that each year when our anniversary comes up, it gets easier to talk about it, that’s not entirely true.
In fact, the longer we’ve been in business the more I find myself dumbstruck and at a loss for words for where we are now. Most of that is just out of sheer gratitude.
What many don’t know is that the average personal trainer leaves the industry within the first year to year and a half. There isn’t enough credit given to how difficult building your initial client base takes.
As I’ve watched and will likely continue to watch “competitors” come and go, it’s hard to gauge who will stand the test of time and who won’t.
Historically, I’ve found that the more fitness facilities we have in the area, the better business is for RevFit.
But to be honest, the business landscape in a “post-COVID” world is anything but predictable.
As I try to look back objectively on the last 16 years, it’s with an immense amount of pride, satisfaction, happiness and with no small amount of appreciation for the “luck” we’ve had, I’ve probably forgotten more memories than I’ve retained.
But a few key principles remain:
-We have an absolutely amazing community. I am 1000% biased, of course, but never in my working career have I been able to walk through the doors of a business I’m involved in and look forward to the day as much as I do here. When you have a clientele that embraces you and encourages you to keep improving like ours do here, it’s a reminder we ALL are here to get a little bit better every day; from the coaches to the clients.
-I have a staff that I continue to admire and be proud of. Words can’t express what working alongside Coaches Mike Roder, David Cameron, Nick Morton and Marcus Masters has been like. I might be old enough to be their father (and I am) but these fellas teach me as much as I could ever hope to teach them. In a paternal sense, I hope I’ve given them goals worth shooting for and the path to achieve them.
-The “journey” of self improvement never ends. When I first walked into a gym of my own accord in my early-20s, I felt like I didn’t fit in. When I opened this business, I wanted to build a fitness space where the people who always wanted to fit into a gym could finally find their home. That doesn’t mean everyone will fit in here, I know that RevFit is an acquired taste. We’re loud, we’re ornery but if you give us a try, we’re likely the most devoted “family” you’ll find outside of the one you go home to. As I’ve been known to say more often lately, build a body as strong as you can for as long as you can. We strive to be the place where you can do so indefinitely.
Methods and perspectives for how we approach fitness may have shifted and evolved over time. We’re not the place to punish you into submission, we’re not seeking to burn as many calories as humanly possible, we’re the place the misbehaving adults (and some kiddos, too) come to get stronger, feel better and look better when they’re in their birthday suit.
I’ve heard the term “holistic” used when people describe our approach. While I think the term has been misused over time, we do take into consideration the “whole person” at RevFit. It’s not just how strong you are or how strong you want to be, it’s not just what the scale says you weigh or what you want it to say, it’s about how we try and take every variable that makes you, uniquely you, and say: How do we make this whole person better?
And admittedly, I’ve had to do just as much work on myself, as anything I’d ask a client to do for themselves. That means: get stronger, nourish your body, rest and recover appropriately, have good self care routines, take care of your mental health, read good books, listen to great music, love others but most importantly, respect yourself.
RevFit is now “old enough to drive”, raging hormones and all.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to every single person: past and present who has brought us here.
I remain in your debt.
Humbly, Jason Leenaarts, owner and head coach.
(Pictured behind me is what’s left of where RevFit began)
