Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenny Bailey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kenny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Being impatient in business can be an asset but also can lead to a harder road to travel. In hindsight, my impatience to open a business as soon as possible made my road a steep climb.

In 2019, I had an opportunity to live out my passion project by building a recovery studio for athletes and non-athletes alike. I called it the Recovery Lounge and it offered cryotherapy, massage/stretch therapy, and compression. The existing market was nascent and recovery was becoming a hot topic in fitness and wellness. I wanted to create more than just a transactional place so I also included leather recliners and a full smoothie bar to make it the third location between the gym and the home. I even got a beer license and held happy hour Fridays!

I’ve spent my whole career in the corporate world building out new divisions and businesses for others and this was my time to build a successful business for myself. Rather than buying into a franchise, I decided to make my own. Jumping into the retail world would be different but I felt I had the skills to thrive.

As I mentioned, the idea started in 2019, and by February 2020, the doors were open. Five weeks later the doors were closed for a few months due to a once-in-generation epidemic. The initial inertia that was built up had all but evaporated. We had to essentially start from scratch again and build up a client base that was frankly scared to be out too often for several months. I started a new business, with a nascent market, at the worst possible time.

Another impatient mistake I made was convincing myself that I was building a destination location therefore a storefront wasn’t that essential. Feeling like my lease options were drying up, I signed a multi-year lease on a mixed-use location with condos on the second floor and businesses on the first. I found out that outdoor signage wasn’t allowed by the HOA and the only signage available was on the door and windows. Couple that with parking in the rear, I not only made it harder for clients to find but had few walk-in customers due to lack of signage.

The good news is that, once people stepped inside, they loved the place. We hosted elite athletes, student-athletes, weekend warriors, and anyone else looking just to feel better. We held corporate events, bachelorette parties, and yoga sessions. Word of mouth spread and we were getting more people walking through the door.

I learned in the corporate world to not get “contract fatigue” when negotiating as it leads to substandard deals that could come back to bite you. I didn’t apply that lesson to my own business and it created an uphill climb to get clients through the door. By being more patient, I could have chosen a much better location and avoid a false start.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been in the healthcare technology business for over 20 years as a product, marketing, and sales leader. I’ve worked for large companies like Intel to starting my own business, The Recovery Lounge. Throughout my career, the common thread is that I’ve been at the start of either a new division or business. I love being at the center of the storm when there isn’t a clear path ahead. My superpower is that I can map out a strategy and then provide the steps needed to achieve that strategy.

On a personal front, I am an endurance athlete, competing in marathons, triathlons, and long-distance cycling. My passion for fitness is what made me decide to open The Recovery Lounge. After three years of success, I sold the business to another wellness group. I am now on the hunt for the next new thing.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

The Freeze & Squeeze! At our store, The Recovery Lounge, you can get monthly memberships for cryotherapy and compression therapy along with multipacks of massage or stretch therapy. The monthly services were unlimited as that is great marketing and generally, people don’t have time to abuse that offer.

When we started the business, we didn’t think to bundle any of the monthly services as we didn’t think people would want that until a client asked. I just offhandedly said “You mean like freeze you and then squeeze you? Give you the freeze and squeeze?” The lightbulb went off!

By just calling it the Freeze & Squeeze with a cryo and compression bundle, that monthly membership was our #1 seller and it was the most expensive bundle we offered! It got so popular that we had out-of-state travel teams book the whole facility out for their entire team.

Key lesson: listen to the customers and don’t discount silly names!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Not only did we have a new business idea where we had to teach people about the importance of recovery, but we had a location that was not easily found, and coming off the heels of a major pandemic. All signs pointed toward a difficult path.

I did the only thing that I could control and that was to hustle by hitting every boutique fitness, CrossFit, gym, and coach that I could contact. This was on top of pushing content online to showcase the cool stuff he had ready to use. I also used influencers to spread the word (and wear the SWAG!).

Within six months of opening, we went from a non-existent company to Nashville Fit Magazine Best Recovery Studio, a contest voted on by readers. Pretty darn good.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenny.bailey.104
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenny-b-bailey/