OPEX GYM SUCCESS STORY: CENTRAL ATHLETE
My name is Jesse O’Brien and I am the Founder of Central Athlete in Austin, TX. Before opening the doors to current gym, I was a former CrossFit affiliate owner. When I saw the writing on the wall and future philosophical challenges, I decided to sell my equity to my business partners and start an individual design fitness business. Enter Central Athlete. My biggest goal as a gym owner is to scale our onsite training business. After completing my OPEX CCP and seeing the difference the OPEX Gym has on client success, I knew I needed to be apart of it.
OPEX has had a profound impact on my life. They have helped me upgrade my abilities as a Coach, reach new physical potential through OPEX’s Remote Coaching and now they are supporting the growth of our new business model. They have helped me progress in multiple areas of my life.
My experience as a fitness entrepreneur has been very difficult. Deciding to abort what I have been building for six years was a very tough decision. Transitioning from a group class model to an individual design model came with a large personal cash call, a pay cut and a year of a lot of sacrifices. However, we can all relate to the times in our lives when we have to accept that taking one step back is necessary to take two steps forward in order to #livealargerlife.
The most important part of OPEX’s education is that you are forced to do the work. There wasn’t any magical pill that did the job. We are simply a group of 5 gyms that have a collective vision for a better way. OPEX guided us through the process of scaling our businesses. As with many other aspects of life, a mentor/mentee relationship can be a powerful formula for progression if you commit to the process.
The most valuable part of this program gas been putting me through a process where I was forced to do the work. Each week we would talk about the changes we were planning on making with a sounding board or both experts and peers to fine tune our strategies.
Since beginning as an OPEX license, we have hit a record in revenue as well as increasing profits. Our facility and customer experience has improved, as has my personal alignment in regards to being able to spend more time working within the business.
Our Coaches have also been able to scale their careers, both financially and educationally. There now is a clear road map for our Coaches to reach their career goals. It is incredible to see a group of Coaches, all connected to a singular vision.
We are very excited to continue to build Central Athlete alongside OPEX’s guidance. We have large aspirations of shaking up the Austin, Texas fitness scene and establishing ourselves as the leaders in achieving results.
One last piece of insight: I recently suffered a grade 3 ankle sprain. If this happened four years ago, I would have been faced with the situation of having to gut through several weeks of limping around, from client to client and class to class. I was reliant on transactional income that physically required my presence during this stage of my lie. Recently, I have found myself feeling grateful because I have not only increased my personal income, but my life has come into a better place of alignment. I am not as reliant on transactional income that demands my presence. Additionally, I have built a team and implemented systems that helps me feel at peace and that Central Athlete will continue to run, even during times when I am not physically there.
