The Future of Fitness: How One Boutique Gym Has Hacked the Luxury Market

It’s no accident that a boutique fitness studio in Columbia, Missouri has found enormous success…

Evolved Personal Training has been delivering its promise of a highly-tailored, technology-supported training  for 11 years – a business model that industry experts are calling “the future of fitness.”

While personal and semi-private training are its core service offerings, Evolved offers much more than individualized, evidence-based workouts. The 7,500 square foot facility not only includes a spacious training floor with every type of equipment you could ask for, but also spa-like locker rooms, an infrared sauna, a Fit3D Body Scanner to measure member progress, and even a full espresso bar and local kombucha on tap.  

It’s no wonder the high-end studio is named “Evolved.” It’s in a league of its own when it comes to high-touch service and luxury amenities. 

When co-owners/co-founders Scott Schutte and Nate Kesterson met working together in a big-box gym years before, they both instinctively knew there had to be a better way – a more individualized, community-centric model.

While Scott and Nate always had the vision of making Evolved the “third place” for its members (a concept pioneered by Starbucks), delivering the luxury feel they wanted wasn’t always easy, particularly on the backend of the business.

“We were stuck relying on our trainers for all client communication and stuck using their personal phones…Plus, when communication is always with the same trainer, clients get very attached to that one person. Inevitably, if a trainer were to leave, we’d experience client dropoff…I know this a common problem for gyms, but we didn’t want it to continue to be a problem for us,” Scott explained.

“We really had two options – the first was to accept the client dropoff and spend more money on our marketing to replace those clients [and the lost revenue]. The other option would be to spend more time and energy on building stronger relationships [between members and the Evolved brand] and retaining clients. And we chose the second option.”

In the search for a more efficient way to communicate with clients and build a strong retention strategy, Scott found Naamly.

In Scott’s words, Naamly was the centralized communication and client care platform the Evolved team needed, and it gave him the quality control he was looking for as a business owner.

“First impressions are so big – our trainers are now reaching out before the workout and after the workout, and they’re also able to do the Lifestyle Accountability Coaching and even the satellite programming we offer all with Naamly…so not only are we able to achieve that high-touch feel we’re after, I’m also able to make sure those reach-outs are happening, and they’re happening in the way I want them to happen.”

With the streamlined systems and quality control they needed, Evolved is now serving over 200 high-value members and has successfully established a culture of brand loyalty (versus trainer loyalty).

With the help of a single, simple client communication platform, the future of Evolved Personal Training is bright.

If you’re anything like Scott, you know quality control and streamlined systems are non-negotiables when it comes to delivering the best experience possible to your members. The good news is you don’t have to create those systems for yourself – we’ve done the hard works for you!

Unlock the secrets to the future of fitness as one boutique gym hacks the luxury market, all made easy with the Naamly Guide for Operations simplified!