Fix Your Gym

In episode 24 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Mikhail Velez, the Owner of Fitness Repair Tech, as he shares his inspiring journey in the fitness industry, starting from his early days in warehouse management to becoming a successful entrepreneur in gym equipment repair and installation.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:07] Starting a career in fitness.

[00:07:44] Work-life balance struggles.

[00:10:07] The pressure of leadership.

[00:12:14] Gym design and personal growth.

[00:17:04] Purpose-driven business in fitness.

[00:24:14] Mental health and personal development.

[00:27:14] Community-centered fitness expansion.

[00:29:59] AI in personal training.

[00:33:09] Importance of knocking doors.

[00:39:30] Preventive maintenance contract value.

[00:41:30] Importance of preventative maintenance.

[00:46:43] Trade school for technician training.

[00:49:50] Conquering inner challenges.

QUOTES

• "The whole point of a leader is to help people to keep from getting lost or to get back on the right path if they do, or to kind of go out and explore a new path." - Adam Niffen
• "Your mental health is everything, and you really have to cater to that because if you're not waking up and at least doing something to ease your mind, to get all those thoughts, all those things that have collected inside of your head." - Mikhail Velez
• "Everything that's out there that we can dabble in, we're doing. I really like to focus on the customizations. That's still my thing to do for fun. Once in a while, I get into that. I pick a project and we go for it." - Mikhail Velez

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Mikhail Velez

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/360medicalfitnesssolutions/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555491400087

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikhail-velez-0a4b3392/

WEBSITES

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

Fix Your Gym Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167556887933804

Fitness Repair Tech: https://fitnessrepairtech.com/

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In episode 23 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Peter Im, founder of Fitness Fix Pro, as he discusses the challenges and triumphs of starting a side hustle while working full-time and the motivations behind his entrepreneurial spirit. 

Tune in to learn about the latest trends in fitness equipment services and gain insights from Peter's entrepreneurial experience.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:52] Fitness equipment service business.

[00:05:16] Starting a fitness business.

[00:09:57] Career transitions and opportunities.

[00:12:56] SEO for website optimization.

[00:18:31] Marketing strategies for new businesses.

[00:22:16] SEO challenges and strategies.

[00:32:40] Business growth and personal development.

[00:37:30] Business discipline and focus.

[00:40:07] Community support for new businesses.

QUOTES

• “I'm basically my own boss. I just love the freedom of that job, meeting new people, I like to think I'm a social butterfly. I just love meeting people, hearing their stories, and learning from other people's experiences.” - Peter Im
• "It just got me into that mindset. That motivated mindset of just getting out there and getting uncomfortable.... It kind of keeps you fueled to keep going. But door-to-door sales is not always the funnest, but it has a lot of value." - Adam Niffen
• "As far as the strategy, this sounds very naive, but I'm just going to go with the flow and see where I need to, what areas I need to address or what I need to improve on and just go from there." - Peter Im

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Peter Im

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitness_fix_pro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pedrostar23/

WEBSITES

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

Fix Your Gym Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167556887933804

Fitness Fix Pro: https://fitnessfixpro.com/

==========================

Support our sponsor:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Support the show

In episode 22 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Will Santillan from SoCal Fitness Solutions to discuss the power of the internet in driving leads to fitness businesses, the value of technicians in the industry, and the importance of building relationships and partnerships.

Tune in to learn from these fitness equipment service company owners about their insights and experiences in the industry.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:27] Name Evolution to Improve Sales.

[00:05:25] Saturated fitness market in California.

[00:09:18] The power of the internet.

[00:11:57] Success during COVID pandemic.

[00:16:27] 75 Hard Challenge

[00:20:33] Leveraging Google Reviews for Business.

[00:23:33] Generating leads through Thumbtack.

[00:27:33] The value of technicians.

[00:31:47] Diversifying Business Offerings.

[00:35:35] Business expansion and niches.

[00:37:42] Free knowledge and motivation.

[00:41:03] Networking for business growth.

QUOTES

• "We can install every piece of equipment. We can pretty much service any piece of equipment. We could relocate any piece of equipment. So like from a sales perspective, the resistance is really low because they look at us as like. very knowledgeable and experienced and not biased." - Will Santillan
• "I am not afraid to call somebody and get knowledge from someone who's better than me. I think that the most massive thing you could do is be humble. You can learn from everybody, you know, never stop learning." - Will Santillan

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Will Santillan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socalfitnesssolutions/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsantillan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoCalFitnessService/

WEBSITES

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

SoCal Fitness Solutions: https://socalfitnessservice.com/
==========================

Support our sponsors:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Adam Schwalb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aesfitness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aesfitness34/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schwalb-52826939/

A.E.S Fitness: https://aesfitness.com/

A.E.S Fitness Franchise: https://aesfitnessfranchise.com/

Support the show

In episode 21 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Jim Young, from Jim Maintenance, as they discuss Jim's innovative brand, his passion for fitness, and his active involvement in industry groups and social media. 

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:03] Gym Maintenance Business

[00:04:54] Joining a franchise for business.

[00:11:50] Equipment maintenance in CrossFit gyms.

[00:12:57] Gym equipment maintenance challenges.

[00:17:01] The importance of maintenance.

[00:20:40] Corporate frustrations and entrepreneurship.

[00:26:35] Learning best practices from others.

[00:30:17] Certification programs and training.

[00:33:15] Warranty work benefits business.

[00:35:31] Building relationships in the industry.

[00:41:26] Rapid expansion in fitness industry.

[00:44:33] Social media tips and tricks.

[00:48:05] Sharing struggles and successes.

QUOTES

• “Social media is just like providing value for free. So, just trying to educate the customer. And then it's slowly growing and scaling. We're still growing and scaling as we're going now. And building crews and getting into the commercial world, which has been fun.” - Jim Young
• “A lot of people on across the gyms or they get kind of dirty. And I mean, there's kind of a shift in it now. A lot of them are keeping their gyms a lot nicer, but it's like, you know, some it's like, ‘Hey, what's wiping,’ we'll clean and sanitize the equipment. It's going to look good. You know, that's a big thing too. Cause people are sweating all over the place and it's disgusting.” - Jim Young

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Jim Young

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jim_maintenance904/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-young-989bbb271/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jim.maintenance904

WEBSITES

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

Jim Maintenance: https://www.jimmaintenance.com/

==========================

Support our sponsors:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Adam Schwalb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aesfitness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aesfitness34/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schwalb-52826939/

A.E.S Fitness: https://aesfitness.com/

A.E.S Fitness Franchise: https://aesfitnessfranchise.com/

Support the show

In episode 20 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Dan Thompson, from Huff-n-Puff Fitness Repair, as they discuss the importance of building systems and processes, as well as the need for entrepreneurs to have a basic understanding of various aspects of business operations.

Tune in as they share their experiences and insights on how to navigate the complexities of running a successful fitness equipment service business.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:17] Fitness Equipment Software Solutions.

[00:05:25] Entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.

[00:10:35] The purpose of life.

[00:13:24] Training challenges in a unique industry.

[00:17:32] Employee turnover and hiring practices.

[00:21:54] Employee development challenges.

[00:24:51] Fitness Franchise Opportunities.

[00:30:14] Building systems and processes.

[00:35:15] Tough work situations.

[00:37:47] Creative scheduling for employee well-being.

[00:40:55] Overbilling by insurance company.

[00:46:27] Insurance industry challenges.

[00:51:23] Joining a helpful industry group.

[00:54:31] Surprising group members.

[00:56:30] Misunderstanding between manufacturers and service providers.

[01:00:43] Ignorant people in the workplace.

[01:06:50] Industry differences and liability.

[01:08:46] Fitness equipment industry growth.

QUOTES

• “I think it's been very beneficial for all of us to have that opportunity to have a place where we can just all bounce ideas off each other, see how somebody is doing things a little bit differently because most of us are running into the same challenges. Very few of us are running into something that's actually unique.” - Dan Thompson
• “There's always more we can do and we're constantly evolving and constantly improving and identifying issues where we fall short or issues where we could be doing better and doing everything that we can to rectify those.” - Dan Thompson

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Dan Thompson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffnpufffitness/

WEBSITES

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

Huff-n-Puff Fitness Repair: https://hnpfit.com/

==========================

Support our sponsors:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/
Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Adam Schwalb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aesfitness/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aesfitness34/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schwalb-52826939/
A.E.S Fitness: https://aesfitness.com/
A.E.S Fitness Franchise: https://aesfitnessfranchise.com/

Support the show

In episode 19 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Dillon Ivey, founder of CTX Home Gyms, as he shares his inspiring journey of starting a fitness business during the challenging times of COVID-19. They discuss the importance of building a strong team, creating a positive company culture, and the role of leadership in business success.

Tune in to learn more about the latest industry trends and technologies in the fitness world.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:03:28] Supporting Valuable Products and Services.

[00:05:16] Building a Community.

[00:10:59] Entrepreneurial Journey and Divine Intervention.

[00:14:03] Starting a Business with No Money.

[00:18:17] Refurbished Equipment Sales Strategy.

[00:21:36] Entrepreneurship During the Pandemic.

[00:23:10] Seizing Opportunities in Entrepreneurship.

[00:28:59] The Importance of Personal Development.

[00:31:15] Genuine Care in Business Leadership.

[00:33:45] Social Media Presence Strategies.

QUOTES

• “The more time that my technicians can spend in the warehouse actually refurbishing the equipment, the better for our organization. That's just how the model is designed and built. So it's such a healthy ecosystem, specifically using refurbished companies partnering with service companies that do install or repair.” - Dillon Ivey
• "Seize the opportunity. In any destructive or negative situation, there's always some sort of opportunity there." - Adam Niffen
• “Y'all can lean into us for anything, whether that's just a 15-minute conversation about anything that you heard on this podcast or, you know, you need help with anything in Texas. We're super down.” - Dillon Ivey

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Dillon Ivey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dillonivey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctxhomegyms

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-ivey-41b98913b/

WEBSITE

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

CTX Home Gyms: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-ivey-41b98913b/

==========================

Support our sponsor:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Support the show

In episode 18 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen dives into the key elements that have transformed his business, sharing valuable insights and personal experiences. From implementing effective systems to prioritizing health and building a strong company culture, Adam discusses the essential components for success in the fitness industry.

Tune in to the importance of core values, the impact of health on business performance, and the value of loyalty and progress.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:03:18] Overcoming Business Chaos with Systems.

[00:08:37] Health Challenges for Entrepreneurs.

[00:12:36] Focusing on Health.

[00:15:55] Building a Company Culture of Health.

[00:20:37] Company Core Values and Loyalty.

[00:24:02] Embracing a Higher Power.

[00:28:36] Open Invitation for Show Guests.

QUOTES

• "Yeah, it's difficult. You don't want to be pissing away all the hard-earned money you have just because you don't have the right systems and things like that in place."
• “Build a business and you're not taking care of yourself. It makes no sense at all. And so, yeah, helping my employees get on the right path in that area. It's not necessarily really rigorous, but we make it fun. We make it where we get together and we do runs and we do challenges and I compensate them if they do well in the challenges and things like that and build a company culture of health, of support, of encouragement.”

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

WEBSITE

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

==========================

Support our sponsor:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Support the show

In episode 17 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Juliana Scheidhauer from Reimagine Resources to discuss her journey in the fitness equipment services industry. Juliana shares her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field, the challenges she has faced, and her vision for a healthier and happier world.

Tune in from this engaging conversation to learn about industry trends and innovative technologies.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:03:08] Building Collaboration in Fitness Industry.

[00:05:31] Starting a Fitness Business

[00:07:38] Importance of Finance for Entrepreneurs.

[00:14:21] Industry Advocacy and Change.

[00:15:23] Industry Improvements and Collaboration.

[00:22:21] Scaling a Fitness Service Business.

[00:24:49] Women in Fitness Industry.

[00:27:06] Entrepreneurship and Social Impact.

QUOTES

• “But really just gives me a good overview to ask the right questions to smarter people about how to do business better. So I would say for me, it's not so much of I know how to do everything, it's more of like I know what questions to ask now of smarter people and how to get there.” - Juliana Scheidhauer
• “I know a lot of small businesses can't afford that, but finding a way to be to maybe our prices, and maybe some of the warranty work needs to be a little bit higher so that we can provide better jobs with better compensation so that we can retain our people and retain the talent.” - Juliana Scheidhauer
• "I was of the mindset for a long time that scaling my business means increasing sales and expanding. But what I've learned after increasing sales and expanding is that scaling is not about that. It's about hiring and training. And that is a very difficult process." - Adam Niffen

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Juliana Scheidhauer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliana.scheidhauer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliana.scheidhauer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianahscheidhauer/

WEBSITE

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

Juliana Scheidhauer: https://jscheidhauer.wixsite.com/julianascheidhauer

Reimagine Resources: https://www.reimagineresources.co/

==========================

Support our sponsor:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Field Tech Fitness Solutions: https://fieldtechfitness.com/

Support the show

In episode 16 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Dean Boyle, the founder of Recopad, a company specializing in gym equipment upholstery and a new app designed to streamline the process for gym owners and suppliers. Dean also shares insights into the importance of collaboration in the industry and how innovation can drive growth and success.

Tune in to learn more about making a difference in the fitness industry.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:03:15] Fitness Equipment Upholstery Innovation.

[00:05:14] Upholstery Business Growth Journey.

[00:11:40] Upholstery Industry Apprenticeship Program.

[00:15:32] Streamlining Gym Maintenance Processes.

[00:19:55] Streamlining Gym Operations.

[00:26:06] Gym Owners Finding Local Services.

[00:31:18] Upholstery Needs in Niche Markets.

[00:34:13] Upholstery Industry Collaboration.

[00:37:15] Upholstery to Gymnasium Transition.

QUOTES

• "I just believe there's a need in our industry for those of us that have a voice, small business owners, there's a lot of really cool experiences, people's stories, and things like that. Different niche businesses. I just felt like I wanted to do this to provide value." - Adam Niffen
• “There is some element of reforming that you can do whilst you're on-site, but a lot of it really still let anybody in the upholstery industry, gem upholstery industry, we'll back them up on this. It is just a re-upholstery service, so stripping of the vinyl and re-sewing a cover to replace.” - Dean Boyle
• “What can you do to change to maybe avoid something that we do not know is coming around the corner? Nothing lasts forever. That is what I am constantly saying to myself. It does not. Businesses change. Everybody's businesses change. The world changes. Economic climate changes and all sorts. It is basically putting all that into a bucket and trying to come up with some new ideas or some new direction to be better.” - Dean Boyle

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Dean Boyle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deanmarkboyle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dean.boyle.50

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanmarkboyle/

WEBSITE

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

RecoPad - Fitness Equipment Upholstery Service: https://recopad.com/

==========================

Support our sponsor:

Ruben Hand

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldtechfitness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fieldtechfitness/

Support the show

In episode 15 of Fix Your Gym, Adam Niffen interviews Adam Schwalb, owner of AES Fitness, to discuss his journey in the fitness industry, starting from being a field service tech to franchising his business. They delve into topics such as the challenges of finding good technicians, the impact of COVID-19 on the fitness industry, and the process of franchising a business.

Tune in to learn about industry trends, innovation, and the importance of collaboration for gym owners and fitness enthusiasts.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:02:02] FieldTech Fitness Solutions App.

[00:07:05] The Struggles of an Entrepreneur.

[00:08:45] Changing Lives Through Entrepreneurship.

[00:13:25] Labor Challenges in Business.

[00:17:19] Leadership and Team Dynamics.

[00:19:29] Building a Strong Team.

[00:26:22] Franchise Expansion Plans and Strategy.

[00:28:56] COVID Challenges and Resilience.

[00:31:42] Buying into a Franchise.

[00:35:48] Starting a Business Mastermind.

QUOTES

• "Truthfully, we have more power with unity. We can make the changes that we need to in our industry. Nobody's going to come and do it for us. They're not going to change their price structures because we try to negotiate. If we can join together and start making them make these changes, that's what we're going to do." - Adam Niffen
• "It's not about the name. It's what's behind the name. You know what I mean? Yeah. You can make anything blow up as long as you do the right thing and you work hard and you got a good name and a good brand." - Adam Schwalb
• “Now, a lot of it's warranty because all the a lot of these gyms all have new stuff that are under warranty for three to five years. So you have to have those relationships with the manufacturers and we do have them to become, you know, we can get the franchisee to become warranty certified so they can immediately start getting warranty work from manufacturers and start building relationships that way.” - Adam Schwalb

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Adam Niffen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-niffen-6baba7170/

Adam Schwalb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aesfitness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aesfitness34/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-schwalb-52826939/

WEBSITE

Stride Fitness Solutions: https://stridefitnesssolutions.com/

A.E.S Fitness: https://aesfitness.com/

A.E.S Fitness Franchise: https://aesfitnessfranchise.com/

Support the show