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

Ruhi, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Gym / a place or club where you can go to exercise using machines, weights, and other equipment.

That’s the definition of a gym in the Cambridge dictionary. At my studios, we have members who are waiting for the coaches to give them the next progression and challenge their limits. We have members who arrive 20 minutes before class just to chit-chat with other members who are now lifelong friends. We also have members who email us telling us where to host the next event or how to improve client retention. We get invitations to celebrate their life events. We also get hugs that are full of compassion. Our members, Scott & Christy are hosting a Crawfish Boil and extending the invitation to 50 members. And, we are currently planning our next social event that is dedicated to Daniel’s 1000th F45 workout.

One of our members, in his early 50’s came for his first ever F45 experience and took rest on the bench for more than half the workout. His exact words “I swear I’ll never go back”. One and a half years later, we had champagne in our hands, listened to his words and celebrated his F45 journey with tears in our eyes as he said goodbye to us. He tried to join another fitness studio in Austin but said “what you have created is something special.”

What we are trying to create is a safe space where there are no mirrors, no egos and no judgment. Everyone who enters the studio has their own set of struggles but when they enter, we are trying to create a space where they forget, heal and gain the energy to go out there and fight their battles. Our goal for my team and for each class is to re-energize the client and make them leave the studio feeling accomplished and slightly happier than when they entered the studio. The physical results including weight loss, fat loss, muscle gain are the bonus features.

We give explosive high-fives, form real bonds and build confident beasts.

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

I have an Engineering background and worked in Electronics Manufacturing in Silicon Valley. My first role was an Industrial Engineer at an $11B company with a very specific and focused role, handling 3 major clients. What always fascinated me was the 10,000ft overview of the entire business. Design, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Sales, Customer Satisfaction – I wanted to be a part of every business meeting and say yes to every client and every challenge. I started gravitating towards smaller businesses with a larger and more influential role but my role stayed the same – delivering a superior quality product/service that creates happy clients, and maximizes repeat business and brand growth. Towards the end of my corporate career, I was the Sr. Director of Quality for an Augmented Reality start-up in Los Angeles. It was a fulfilling role and an amazing phase and yet, I found myself still having the desire to own something, apply my creativity, practice full flexibility and architect my own business model.

Since I have always been curious about health & wellness, F45 Training seemed to be the right fit. We provide a superior product and compliment it with personable service that makes all the difference. Anyone can get a good workout by watching YouTube videos or joining a big-box gym but we try to build a vibe that makes our clients want to come back again the next day. While technology takes care of the workout programming, my team spends time connecting with clients, enhancing their form, and educating them on technique. We are constantly creating ways to make working out fun and exciting. Squid Games, Beer Olympics, March Madness – we take what’s trending and create in-studio competitions and exciting games. My vision is to create a playground concept where children hang out every single day as they make new friends and get healthier. There are too many electronics to keep us stuck at home – I want to create a reason they leave the couch every single day.

I get to use every concept I learned in my engineering as well as my career. Design, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Sales, Customer Satisfaction – From a business perspective, I find myself holding the exact same role – delivering a superior quality product/service that creates happy clients, maximizes repeat business and brand growth. But now, I get to merge in my creativity, passion for people and drive for growth.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

After opening F45 Rice Military more than 3.5 years ago, I recently acquired F45 Midtown. I always had a plan to expand but the pandemic pushed my timeline. The acquisition process was a smooth one and it was a solid handshake switchover. There is however, always some resistance to change – it’s a standard in any industry and for any acquisition. Each owner brings their own vision, goals, expectations and way of management. And it takes adjustment for all parties involved. The first quarter was focused on managing change, creating stability and establishing a basic level of trust in both the clients as well as the team. The second quarter was focused on implementing processes that were focused on enhancing member experience and optimizing member retention – keeping the existing client-base happy, engaged and experiencing results. We also worked on increasing attendance and creating relationships. This quarter, we are focused on sales and growth.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Your team is an extension of you, a representation of what you stand for and a part of the brand you want to create. You have to carefully select your team, focus on their superpowers and let them unleash their potential.

When it comes to advice, I have 3. First, you have to spend time observing the strengths and weaknesses of any team member and then focus all your energy and efforts on extracting where they add the most value – focus on the strengths and find another team member to fill the gaps. Second, a skill can be taught but core values like honesty, compassion, willingness to learn and deliver can never be taught. Look for core values and train the team on the skill. Last, you have to constantly align and adjust yourself to meet halfway. You have to continually inspire them to be the best version of themselves. You have to gain their trust and respect as they gain yours. You have to listen to their perspective, their ideas and how they can best add value to your brand.

A happy business starts with a happy team.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.f45training.com/ricemilitary/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/f45ricemilitary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/f45ricemilitary/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruhirastogi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@f45htx
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@f45htx

Image Credits
Sarah Gifford