Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Gawron.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a skinny kid going into UMass Amherst, I discovered weight lifting and fell in love with how training boosted my confidence in how I looked and felt. Soon I switched my major to Kinesiology, got ACSM certified, and became more and more involved with personal training. After college, I started training at a luxury gym in downtown Boston and grew my client base from that point on. While I loved the atmosphere and camaraderie of a large chain gym, I always felt the urge to own my own training space, as many trainers do. After a year and a half I took the leap and left, strictly training in home clients around the city. Then, in 2017, I found the perfect spot for a small, private gym in Downtown Crossing, and COBALT by New School Fitness was born! Now my mission is to help other trainers take that leap and work for themselves, creating more freedom and more advancement in their careers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There definitely have been some major challenges. One large one has been building, and then maintaining, a large client base, which is hard enough when you have a gym supplying you leads, but even harder when you’re on your own. However, I learned over the years how to build connections and advertise myself well enough so that I now don’t have to search for business like I did when I first started. I see many new trainers struggle with generating leads, not putting in the hours or the face to face time with potential clients, and that’s oftentimes where they fail. To be successful in the training business you definitely need to enjoy spending all day, every day devoting your energy to the people trusting you with their fitness goals.
Please tell us about New School Fitness Training Studios.
My company is unique in that I look to support independent trainers, like myself, who need the space, the pipeline, or both, to continue building their own businesses. While almost all gyms require you to sign over your clients to them or take away a large percentage of the cost, I charge a flat hourly rental fee for the space, and nothing else. By removing the middle man from the equation, trainers can charge less, take home more, and create a closer bond with those they are working with, all under the umbrella of their own brand. I also help those trainers in my network looking to further build their client base by providing free referrals and advertising, creating the support system that I would have valued greatly as a trainer in the past.
The space is also unique in that it’s an entirely private, one on one studio. There is no feeling self-conscious around others, no clients discussing personal matters awkwardly around strangers, as I often experienced when training clients in large gyms. It’s a one of a kind concept in the Boston fitness industry.
COBALT, my first studio, has been open since 2017, and JADE, my second studio, is scheduled to open July of 2018. I also have a third location in the works, projected to open towards the end of this year. Each studio is named for a mineral or stone, as I’m located in the historic Jewelers building in Downtown Crossing.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
What would I change if I had to do it all over again? Absolutely nothing. Every mistake I’ve made, every problem I’ve encountered, has helped me grow better as a trainer, a business owner, and a human being.
Contact Info:
- Address: 333 Washington St Boston MA 02108
- Website: nschoolfitness.com
- Phone: 7812678574
- Email: training@nschoolfitness.com
- Instagram: billy_newschoolfitness
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