We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anthony L Wilkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anthony L below.

Alright, Anthony L thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

COVID changed the way the entire world works. But as a gym owner it felt even worse as gyms were vilified for creating a space where sweat and heavy breathing were viewed as things that would potentially kill people. So when we were forced to close our doors I knew that I need to do everything that I could to keep my ladies moving not only for the physical well being but mentally as well. So I decided to loan out ALL of the gym’s equipment to the members and then create a live virtual training schedule so the ladies could still have some semblance of routine to follow. This new normal allowed our community to continue to thrive as the ladies were able to still “see” their fellow gym members and friends even though we were all stuck in our individual homes.

The response was that about 80%-90% of our ladies continued to pay their memberships because they wanted their gym to be open on the other side of the pandemic. After the pandemic, the gym has seen growth that had never happened in the 4 years prior and I thank our members for how much they believe in our community for that.

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?

I had always worked out while growing up and playing multiple sports so I always enjoyed the activity personally. But while living in NYC as an actor/model and restaurant manager I met an older couple that told me how I could turn personal training into a career. So in 2005 I decided to get certified, move out of NY and down to Atlanta. I started personal training and did so from 2005-2016. It was in 2015 that I came to realization that I had reached the top of the gym I was working at and needed more. When the idea of opening a small group personal training studio for women was pitched to me I hated it actually. I just didn’t see only training women as the avenue that I wanted to pursue. But when I honestly thought about it, I was raised for that very thing. I have 4 sisters who have taught me all of the things that I did and didn’t want to know about women. At the same time, 65%-75% of the people who seek the services of a personal trainer are women so my market was right in front of my face!

So I opened Alloy Personal Training for Women in 2016 with my business partner as a small group personal training studio. I wanted to give women a place where they felt most comfortable getting as strong and as healthy as possible. In 2021, I bought my business partner out, rebranded the gym to Aspire Personal Training for Women and am now the sole owner. Most recently (July 2024) we opened our second location with our eye on opening a new location each year until we get to at least five.

Our space removes the intimidation which often comes with larger gyms which can be quite overwhelming. We focus on showing our women that they are stronger than they think and that they are so much more than a simple number on a scale. We also make sure that our ladies know that they are loved and cared for even if it is simply by asking them how they are doing not only physically but mentally as well. We all want to look good and feel good but there are so many layers to what we provide as coaches. We focus on empowering women in as many ways possible. Seeing our ladies grow both physically and mentally is so rewarding. They can then take that new found or increased confidence to their families and communities and continue to be leaders.

In the process of getting to know our ladies and helping them become the best version of themselves the relationships that they form amongst themselves is one of the things that makes me proud. So often ladies who were strangers before becoming members are now lifelong friends. On the business side, I am proud to have been able to open and sustain a successful business for over 8 years! Now I am in the position to expand the brand without having to seek outside investors to do so.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Without a doubt, getting into the community and getting to know the people in it has created the greatest return for me. When I opened in 2016 I decided to attend a big charity event for the biggest local high school. I donated a membership to the gym but beyond that I met some of the most important women in the city. I was able to get 3 of them to become members and they have all been members for over 7 years! they have also been some of my biggest cheerleaders.

Creating cheerleaders is another avenue for growth for the gym. As amazing as I think that I am at what I do I know that not everyone will think the same. That doesn’t stop me from treating EVERY person that has taken the time to even become a prospect at my gym like they were queens. The goal: even if someone joins for a short time, long time or not at all I want them to have such an amazing experience that they would still recommend my studio to a friend.

I’ve been able to do this so well that I haven’t directly marketed the studio since 2020 as our members keep the Aspire name strong via word of mouth. This doesn’t happen by accident. I consistently ask our ladies to write their success stories for fellow and prospective members to see as well as consistently asking for 5-star Google reviews. I also get our ladies involved in as many gym decisions as possible. When we were changing the brand I let them pick out the color scheme and I also let our ladies submit their favorite charities where we donate $500 to each month. This gives them an even bigger sense that the gym is theirs and people generally take care of the things that they take ownership of.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Being an entrepreneur is tough in so many ways. We feel as if we have to always have to be “on” or working or our business will fail and I was definitely playing into that mentality for YEARS! I was sacrificing my family time and ability to get some much needed physical and mental rest because I figured that that show must always go on. After being open for 4-5 years I was given a new lease on life and I have my ladies to thank for that.

While talking about traveling and time off with a group of my ladies one day they simply said, “Your mental health is our mental health” and nothing felt so profound to me in my life. They had to convince me that I needed to take time off to enjoy the fruits of my labor and take care of myself in the process. Doing so would allow me to return to work refreshed as well as give me much needed quality time with my family.

So now, there are two times per year that the gym closes for a week each time. We call it Mental Health Week and it has allowed me to begin traveling the world with my family. It gives me something to look forward to each Spring and Fall and it makes all of the work that is put in between those times much more fruitful. Since instituting this policy the gym has not gone out of business and it has even become something that our ladies look forward to as well for both some time off personally as well as to see where my family is going next. We’ve been to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belize, Thailand, London & Morocco so far and it is so rewarding!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aspireptforwomen.com
• Instagram: @coachalwilkins

Image Credits

PB Infusion (Photographer)