We were lucky to catch up with Sally Urban recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sally, appreciate you joining us today. Day to day the world can seem like a tough place, but there’s also so much kindness in the world and we think talking about that kindness helps spread it and make the world a nicer, kinder place. Can you share a story of a time when someone did something really kind for you?
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to shutter our doors in March 2020, our studio was only 7 months old. We moved classes online overnight and our monthly revenue fell by 75%. There was so much unknown in those early days of the pandemic, and I was worried about the survival of the business.
With the abrupt halt to our studio classes, I notified members that we would be pausing their monthly auto-payments, priced for our in-person studio experience, until we figured out how we were going to cope with the change. To my surprise, 30% of our members responded and said they would like to continue paying their full price membership despite not having in-person offerings. I was so touched by their generosity that it brought me to tears, and I was reminded that our community is what makes BLOCK21 so special. Those members saved the business, and I will forever be grateful.
Sally, 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?
BLOCK21 Fitness is a fitness studio in Capitol Hill, Denver that offers cardio dance classes that bridge the gap between working out and having a dance party. Our classes don’t require any previous experience and include all types of people and fitness levels. Our goal is to make you feel good in your body while getting sweaty and shaking your booty for 50-minutes.
Many people are a bit uneasy when they walk through our doors for the first time, not knowing what they are in for and not wanting to embarrass themselves by dancing in front of other people. Trying something new takes courage! The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the transformation that occurs after a few classes. It is magic to watch someone’s confidence sky-rocket. They stop caring about what they look like and are able to turn off their brain and just have fun. People tell us that they have never looked forward to a fitness class before finding BLOCK21, and we are here to change that.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
BLOCK21 Fitness began as a side hustle. I started out renting a dance studio for 1 hour/week and holding a pop-up style workout. I added classes slowly from there, which allowed me to solidify the class structure and gain brand awareness. I began to look for retail space after 1.5 years. It was just me and one other instructor at the time. The jump from a business with very low overhead to signing a 5-year lease on a dedicated studio space felt risky, but I was excited to expand our offerings to existing customers.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Hiring remains one of the most difficult parts of my job. Our instructors must have professional dance training, but they also need to have charisma and endless energy, two skills that can’t be taught. They are the face of the brand and the biggest assets we have as a company. The most important lesson that I’ve learned is that hiring in a silo does not work for us. Thinking about how someone will fit into the larger team is so important since we must operate as a unit for things to run smoothly. We have such a strong family dynamic among the team.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.block21fitness.com
- Instagram: block21fitness
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/block21fitness
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-urban-2a488458/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/block21fitness
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/block21-fitness-denver-7?osq=block21
Image Credits
Photos by Kalen Jesse