13 years ago, Sandpoint Strength was born.
It’s hard for me to fathom, honestly. In a lot of ways, it feels like yesterday. In many others, it feels like an eternity.
I mentioned our gymniversary to a new member the other day, to which they asked, “what’s your secret?”
I laughed. Then I realized they were serious.
My knee jerk reaction was to say, “hell, I have no idea. I’m more shocked than anyone!” (Which is true.)
But he pushed on, reminding me that in a town of 10,000 people and like 47 other gyms, it’s probably somewhat more substantial than a happy accident that we’re standing strong with some 300 members who actually use their gym memberships.
So I thought for a few minutes and came up with the following, which I feel to be pretty accurate:
- I’m strikingly clear on our mission. I want to empower people to live lives they love for as long as they can using proven methods of fitness and coaching supported by a positive, family-like community.
That sounds simple, but it’s really not. And while it’s evolved a lot over the years, my whole belief system has revolved around making it productive and enjoyable in the gym. That means we’ve tried to learn and be on the forefront of the industry without just throwing nonsense at people because we saw it on instagram. And bluntly, if you hate going to the gym, you won’t go, regardless of how effective the program is.
- The team is as clear on our mission as I am (perhaps more so). They just plain get it. They care about the success of our people to a fault. They wake up in the middle of the night wondering where people have been. They put their best foot forward and a smile on their face every single day in order to facilitate the best hour of someone’s day regardless of what’s going on in their life.
I can’t say enough about how lucky we all are to have them in our lives.
- People like you! Whether you’re a current member or not, if you read my emails, you probably believe in the improvement of your existence through fitness, nutrition and mindset. You know that damn near everyone is just plain better after a workout, but that getting to (and through) that workout is the hard part. So you act accordingly. You prioritize your fitness and you prioritize supporting people through their fitness.
One of the biggest pieces of feedback I’ve heard over the last few years is that our gym culture is the shining example of positivity. You’ll never find another gym where you walk in and people are just genuinely glad to see each other.
So you are the reason that we’ve made it this far. You’re the reason people want to go into the gym. To get their socialization and smile on, while at the same time, getting a workout in.
That’s it. That’s the secret.
Positivity, support, community and lots of smiles, even if sometimes they look more like grimaces.
Thanks for being a part of it.
Kenny
