We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aaron Thompson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aaron, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
My dream since around 15 has always been to open a gym. It always seemed a little unrealistic because of the startup costs. After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2017 I took a manager position at a bar Threes Above High. Shortly after I was give the opportunity to become part owner and we ended up making 2 other bars in that time. I learned just about everything I know from that experience and learning from Scott, the main owner. I turned 29 Feb 2022 and something just clicked that it was my time to chase my dream and purpose. I decided that April to jump in and go all in on it.
The most challenging part was funding and location. It took me months to get approved for loans and find a landlord that wanted me. During that time I had garages all around the city I was filling with items I needed when I could find a good deal. With some persistence I finally got approved for both in September. I spent every waking moment building out the space and was ready to open Sparked Society Gym October 17th 2022.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
A gym is not just somewhere to go to improve your body, it is an environment for true personal growth. Sparked Society is more than a gym, emphasizing both the physical and the mental aspects of individual progression.
Sparked Society gym is for those who won’t settle for anything less than their highest potential. Some need to find that spark in life to get started and some are already sparked and have to keep going. Everyone is at a different point on their journey and have had different experiences. We are all here together in search of our own spark or what keeps us going. Connecting with like-minded, passionate people that push you, especially when you cannot push yourself is very important. Build relationships in the gym that energize and motivate you no matter what goals you have. Find your “why.” Whether you want to build muscle, lose fat, become a professional bodybuilder or powerlifter, or simply be the best version of yourself determine the thing that makes you spark.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I personally am not a sales guy, business man, trainer, or pro bodybuilder. Just a guy who likes the gym and people who want to better themselves. That’s the main reason the gym comes off differently. I haven’t done 1 sales pitch or marketing strategy. Members end up loving and supporting myself and the gym because of that. Word of mouth spread like wild fire shortly after opening. It also helps that I am active on social media just being real and repost my members.
If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?
Memberships are the main source of revenue for the brand. The 24/7 access, great atmosphere, and no commercial contracts sells itself. People just dm me all day to come check out the gym and end up signing up.
The apparel line really took off once members realized I put every dollar back into the gym making it better. I constantly make improvements and add new equipment that members want. It also helps that every drop is fire lol I also sell drinks and snacks at the gym plus am currently working on a meal prep service for the gym.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sparkedsocietygym.com
- Instagram: Sparkedsocietygym
- Other: Personal IG: Aaronthompson___