RUNFIT: A LOOK BACK AS WE MOVE FORWARD

As the RunFit team prepares to officially open the doors to our new Milwaukee gym and office location, I can’t help but think back to the first day I served my clients as a women-owned, small business in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, and how much has changed since. 

My goal was to build a personal training, running coaching and nutrition coaching business that was welcoming of all, both runners and non-runners, who wanted to “run their lives” instead of letting their lives run them.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, questioning if I could build a business during a time of uncertainty. But I knew I wanted to make my own mark, and I had a base of clients that stood strong beside me. 

On day one, I was a solo practitioner, without team members to back me up. I climbed the old slanted stairs to my second floor, 2800-square foot gym, turned the lights, and wondered what I had gotten myself into. It felt empty and too quiet, but listening to the chatter from the Starbucks below me helped me feel less alone… and the smell of coffee was divine. I started seeing clients that very first day, with nothing more than a yoga mat, a stability ball, a bosu ball and a pair of 8-pound weights. As weeks went on, and equipment started arriving, energy filled the gym and so did clients. 

Pre-pandemic, we quite enjoyed the short commute to Starbucks, located one floor below us.

I shared the space with another small personal training business in the first couple of years until the pandemic hit and, like so many other things, that arrangement came to an end. In-person training sessions turned into Zoom sessions, and once again I felt alone in a space that seemed so empty. Only this time there was no more chatter to fill the void. The Starbucks below me closed, and the third floor tenant moved out. That’s when I decided it was time to branch out, look for training partners that enjoyed personal training as much as me, and saw it as a career as opposed to a job. In the past couple of years, the most amazing team came together. 

Coaches and Trainers Peter, Amy, Kia & Cleo, and Karen

RunFit is now made up of a team of four certified personal trainers, running coaches, and nutrition coaches. Our clients are amazing and diverse. They include runners of all fitness levels as well as those who swear they will never run. They include heavy lifters and cardio fanatics. They are teenagers, college athletes, parents and grandparents. They are corporate executives and small business owners. They have different political views, come from different cultures, and have varying opinions on whether Aaron Rodgers should return as a Packer. And with all this diversity, all of our clients jive, just like the members of the RunFit team. 

Our new home, 316 North Milwaukee Street, Suite 535

While the last seven years were not without its challenges, they taught me the power of community and reminded me of how quickly time passes. I am immensely grateful for each and every RunFit client that passed through our doors over the years, and being able to call myself one member of a great team. Check out @runfitmke on Instagram and Facebook in the weeks to come as we reintroduce our team members to you. I couldn’t be more excited to open our new location alongside them, this time with a lot more equipment, Stone Creek Coffee, and absolutely no fear. See you on March 6th at 316 North Milwaukee Avenue, Suite 535!