Early in 2024, the PushPress Blog featured a story about Emily and Mike Wester. At the time (January), we shared the details of how the Westers were embarking on the journey of building gym.
Two months later, Legendary Fitness in Prairie Grove, AR had already hit 150 members. Six months in, they were at 180. And today, not quite one year in, they’re approaching 300.
Emily Wester admits that financially, she’s way ahead of where she expected to be.
“We have skyrocketed dramatically,” she said. “We didn’t project we’d be where we’re at.”
Four Keys to Legendary Fitness’ Gym Growth.
Wester chatted with the PushPress team about four factors she believes have contributed to her gym’s rapid success in just one year.
1. Unique Billing Setup in PushPress Core.
First, Wester explained that Legendary Fitness members are billed through PushPress Core on a four-week, 28-day cycle, rather than a monthly one. She said this gives the business a bit more of a financial boost each month.
Second, in addition to monthly membership, Wester charges a yearly maintenance fee of $80. If there’s a second person on the membership, they only pay $20. While this maintenance fee is fairly standard at globo gyms, it’s less common for CrossFit or functional fitness gyms.
Wester said this goes a long way in providing a “little bump” in cash flow each year. For example, she was able to bring in an additional $11,000 in April. This helped her cover the cost of her new $9,000 exterior business sign.
2. Communication and Value for Members.
Wester is a proponent of one of the ideas we preach frequently at PushPress: It’s imperative that you provide value for your gym members.
For example, she suggested purchasing new equipment with some of the maintenance-fee money.
“It makes members feel like they’re getting something for their fee,” Wester said. “The goal is to put the money all directly back into the business.”
She also wanted to remind other gym owners to be upfront and transparent about the fee. Use the money for the maintenance and facility upgrades that it’s intended for. And remind your gym community ahead of time that the payment will be withdrawn.
“I send out a reminder ahead of time, just to let people know it’s coming,” she said. “And I always let them know about it when we first set them up with a membership, too. And with the large majority of people, there’s no push back.”
Pro Tip: Did you know you can use PushPress Grow to quickly send your community reminders, or let them know about upcoming gym events? Book a demo with our team today to learn more!
3. The Importance of Location.
According to Wester, the importance of selecting the right gym location cannot be overstated. In fact, she believes it’s been crucial to the success of Legendary Fitness. While Prairie Grove has only 7,000 people, there’s a larger population of more than 23,000 who live within 15 minutes of her gym.
Further, her gym is near a highway and is the only one of its kind in the area. The next-best option is more than 30 minutes away.
“Our location is perfect,” Wester said. “There is no gym like this out here.”
4. The PushPress Grow CRM.
Wester is adamant that without PushPress Grow, Wester said wouldn’t have been able to manage her leads properly. With the number of prospects she’s had in just the first 12 months, having the Grow gym CRM has been a game-changer.
Before Grow, Wester was trying to acquire and nurture leads on her own. And even after her husband Mike left his full-time job to help, the team of two were still trying to keep up. So, she says, the PushPress Grow software is how they get everything done.
“I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with all these people without Grow’s automations,” she explained. “And just being able to bulk message people and send newsletters is helpful for getting information out there, and just reminding people we’re here. It helps me stay on top of managing so many people.”
In Summary: The Future Looks Bright for This Arkansas PushPress Gym.
While it’s unusual for a new gym to experience the level of growth that Legendary Fitness has, Emily and Mike Wester are proof that it’s possible. Just one year after opening their fitness business, they’re approaching the 300-member mark.
They attribute the growth to several factors. First, PushPress Core and Grow help them with everything from billing and scheduling to lead nurture and member communication. Second, they provide value to their members. And finally, they couldn’t overstate the importance of choosing the right gym location.
The future actually looks so bright that the Westers are considering purchasing a piece of land adjacent to theirs for continued gym growth.
