We were lucky to catch up with Devin Perreault recently and have shared our conversation below.

Devin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Becoming a co-owner of Uplift Boulder was not something I had set out to do. Through a combination of good timing and good preparation, my business partner Jena Franz and I were presented with the opportunity to purchase a gym. In July 2020, interest rates had plummeted and I refinanced my condo with the expectation that I would use some of the equity to purchase a second home. I didn’t realize that I would have to wait a year to use that money for a primary residence and contacted the only commercial realtor in town that I knew to help me find a space to start my own gym. I knew that commercial realtor because he owned the gym my future business partner managed. The commercial realtor and I couldn’t find a reasonable space and instead he offered Jena and I the ability to purchase his gym. Neither Jena or I was prepared for this opportunity but we decided we had a once in a lifetime opportunity ahead of us. Until the deal went through in August of 2021, I had only worked as an independent personal trainer for the previous decade. This would mean I would have to completely change the way I was used to running a business, many things were completely new to me but I had the utmost confidence in my business partner and my ability to figure out new challenges.

Devin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started personal training almost immediately after finishing up my undergraduate degree at CU Boulder in Integrative Physiology. I worked at a 24 hour fitness for 15 months and then started my own business in September of 2011. I have been self employed ever since. I love showing people how strong and capable they can be, educating others in strength training has been my favorite way to do this.

Exercise is something that I always found fun and rewarding, but I saw how it could improve and extend one’s quality of life when I started taking my 95 year old grandfather to the gym. He had just gotten out of a 4 month stay in the ICU/rehab facility and I took him to the gym twice a week. I watched him go from walking with a cane to jogging across a basketball court in the span of a little over a year. I know that my time training with my grandfather helped us get closer and also gave him more time on this Earth. I’m grateful for both things and want to share with as many people as possible how strength training can be life changing.

I compete in a lot of strength sports myself, in the span of five months in 2022 I made a competition triple bodyweight deadlift in a powerlifting meet, achieved a lifting total (combined lifts of snatch and clean and jerk) that qualified me for Masters World Championships in weightlifting, and competed in USS Strongman Nationals. I use the same training principles for others as I do myself, it’s all a matter of meeting people where they are at. We are all athletes with the potential to get stronger and I love showing others how capable they can be.

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

Take care of people. The best principles, I believe, are simple but not easy. As a trainer and gym owner, I am in the business of taking care of people. My business partner and I know that the people who come through our doors to train and get healthier have a limited amount of time to do so. We also understand that there are many stressful aspects of life that those individuals may be experiencing, whether they tell us or not. We know their time is limited and for them to share that with us is not something we take lightly. We regularly ask for feedback on the experience our members have at the gym, be it through conversations or frequent anonymous polls that we conduct online. Word of mouth is the best referral source and we are always striving to improve the experience of our members.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner, Jena Franz, maybe 8 or 9 years ago. I was doing my own workout at the gym I then worked at and saw this woman doing mixed grip pull ups for an impressive amount of unassisted reps. She had just moved to Boulder and was looking to build her personal training business. We quickly became friends. I would often ask other trainers in my community if they would want to meet up outside of the gym to chat all things business, Jena was the only person who took me up on this.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.upliftboulder.com
• Instagram: @devin_strength
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/devin-perreault-b7b2b4139

Image Credits
Larisa Johnson for keg photo