We recently connected with Chris Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Risk tolerance is a huge part of starting a business. They call it “taking the plunge” for a reason. I was fortunate to have a very steady job and clear career path in my first career in the technology space, but I lacked some of the passion for the space. Going from having a 401k, stable income and a clear future to essentially starting from scratch was certainly a mixture of excitement and fear. I had two young kids and COVID was at it’s height when I put in my notice at my old job. I remember dozen of conversations with people expressing bewilderment leaving such a stable thing to such a high risk venture and at a time where meeting in person with COVID was destroying gym and fitness companies. Ultimately, my rationale from then is still true now– there is never a perfect time. No amount of planning can fully prepare you, but you can have well laid plans and contingency plans. I’m a big believe despite the obstacle you can resolve to never quit and never stop innovating and that is ultimately how we were able to endure our start.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Coming from a background in technology I spent the first 12 years of my career using data and analytics to advise companies on which of their customers were likely to leave before they made the decision to. Taking a step back and reflecting on what I was most passionate about I did a deep dive on the fitness and wellness industry. Did you know 80 to 90% of people who actually have a gym membership don’t even use it?! I was startled by that statistic– especially given wellness companies should be the most utilized of all products if they are actually going to help their customers.

Cerus was created to build a path for clients of all abilities to get into a healthy lifestyle and stay in it for the long haul. We created events for all ability levels to serve as milestones and focused on how to always give clients information on how their positive habit changes are changing their lives for the better through a series of small wins like just showing up and moving. I’m so excited I had an opportunity to combine my strengths and experience with retention and engagement in another industry with what I’m most passionate about—extending lives and improving quality of life!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Opening in the heart of COVID we were faced with countless challenges– but none simpler and more daunting than growth. We had budgeted for a growth rate about 2X faster than we actually saw. I guess you could say we had optimism at heart when we kept banking on things slowing down and people returning to their normal lives. There were about 4 to 5 times in our first 2 years open where we started a month not knowing how we would keep the lights on another month. We’d look at numbers like: “Oh yeah we just need 150 new customers THIS MONTH” and it will all be fine”.

We ended up getting very creative. We focused on our core competencies of digital and engagement and partnered with some awesome sponsors who helped us bridge the financial gap while we grew. There were a lot of long nights and weekends but seeing the other side of it built a mindset of resilience that is now our identity.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of the easiest questions we could ever answer: Our Clients/Customers/People/Friends. Great companies and communities are defined by those within them, and we were so lucky to have amazing people involved in Cerus from Day 1. Word of mouth is the single most powerful way to acquire a customer. We focused on our people and our people paid it forward 10 fold. To date I’m always amazed when someone comes in and says “I just had to check you out after hearing so many amazing things.” Not only is it gratifying– it also further incentivizes us to put our people and our customers first– a true positive feedback loop.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cerusfitness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cerusfitness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CerusFitness/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/69194499
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWEiCS5Fq8uPVwRsmrcLThw

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