Bring Your Spirit Alive - Freight House Fitness

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brandon Smith and Bre Conn, founder, and owner of Freight House Fitness, located in Kansas City, MO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Brandon: The business of true fitness!

  • Mind
  • Body
  • Spirit

We make sure we grow all of those things together, not only challenging you in workouts but also challenging the mindset. We make you understand that fitness is huge, but recovery, fueling for performance, and rest time is also huge! We do it all in 30-minute classes!

Bre: Our business is Freight House Fitness, and we are a gym in the West Bottoms district of Kansas City. We've been open since 2014 and have just continued to grow each and every year! We are passionate about helping people love fitness and make the commitment to the movement for a lifetime.

Tell us about yourself

Brandon: I'm a college graduate who got injured while I was on top. Tore every ligament in my left knee in one pop. During that time, I was unable to walk for a year and got into a dark place in my life. I lost about 50+ lbs. and started getting used to the prescription the doc gave me! Ended up dropping out for a year! I then went back to finish what I started! Fast forward to 2018, when I graduated college with my BA in movement exercise science from the University of Northern Iowa. With a minor in sports psychology! I did so well in this field my strength conditioning intern wanted me to stay and get my master's, but I had different plans.

After college, I moved back home and started modeling. Came to FH was loud as hell. We worked with everyone and danced while I did it all. Instantly got hired there. Worked there every day for me, and my now business partner ran the business for a long time. So when 2020 came with an opportunity to run it fully, we did just that!

Now we run the best gym in the city, the way we want! I bring all the science and grind to these workouts. Bring the most unmatched energy you can find on this planet! Our workouts no one can mimic, and last but not least, we've formed one of the top-notch communities in the KC area!

Bre: I started attending Freight House Fitness back in 2014 as just a member under the previous ownership (Brandon and I purchased the business during the pandemic) and became a yoga instructor there. It was just the sense of having a space that felt like home that I wanted to continue to share with every person I could. I believe strongly in good customer service and relationships, so it's important to me that someone is there to answer emails and phone calls that cares deeply about fitness and has a love for people.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Brandon: My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is crushing all goals during a pandemic and making out on the other side! There is literally no stopping us after that!

Bre: We made a complete comeback from COVID, and that has been something I'm so proud of. We purchased the business during the pandemic and had to rebuild it from the day we took over, basically. We did it, and we can't wait to keep growing and serving more KC residents.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Brandon: For me, since I coach also is finding times for yourself. Note that is extremely important and something you need to figure out early.

Bre: There is so much going on behind the scenes that people don't realize. Showing up at the gym and exercising is just a tiny sliver of the actual business dealings. There are bills, payroll, ordering supplies, lawyers, landlords, hard customers, etc., that you must have someone managing aside from trainers.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Brandon:

  1. Do not do this because you want to be "rich."
  2. Know everything can't always be perfect, also won't always be terrible. You must learn to roll with the punches.
  3. Be there at your business; people love to be able to match a face with your business name.

Bre:

  1. Running a business starts from the top down--if there's an issue or a misunderstanding, as the business owners, it's probably due to a lack of communication on your end or a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, as a business owner, you have to approach something like, "How can I fix this?"
  2. Priorities change daily, so let them. Set bigger goals for the year, but allow enough flexibility (financially especially) to be able to get new equipment if it breaks, hire a new trainer, run a campaign, etc.
  3. Relationships are the most important thing, and I mean that within your home. Getting your marriage/motherhood and personal relationships right first is so important to your mental health and showing up as the best version of yourself for your job!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Brandon: If you are looking for a gym with High as hell Energy, Unmatched Workouts, and Programming, A place you walk in, we all know your name. Come to Freight House Fitness!

Bre: In my opinion, having a therapist as a business owner has been a game-changer. We are not supposed to shoulder these things without talking through all of them with a professional.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.freighthousefitness.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/freighthousefitness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freighthousefitness/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.