With that being said, owning and operating the business is certainly not without its major challenges, especially throughout the Covid19 closures. Frankly, there were times that we were not sure we were going to make it. Like so many other small business owners, we saw what we had worked so hard to build start to crumble as revenue ceased and expenses continued. However, we were committed to our staff, coaches, and members to get back after it, and we wanted to show them that we were never going to give up on them or ourselves. We constantly preach for folks not to give up on themselves and their goals (one of the biggest challenges is people quitting), so we needed to practice what we preached, and we were able to persevere through that very challenging time. We continue to have struggles, but the culture of the gym really helps, as everyone stepped up big time to help us weather the ongoing storm. The outpouring of support has been incredible! It has been simultaneously the most humbling and uplifting experience of our professional lives.
Q: What is an important lesson you have learned that still impacts how you do business today?
Matthew Kuschert: I try to take an introspective approach in life and that is certainly true with this business. I find that sometimes people are resistant to admitting mistakes, but I believe that is exactly how you get better and better every day. My personal mantra is to be “1% better every day”, so it takes a self-critical (not negatively, but constructively) person to improve every day. The list of mistakes is too long to write out, but I pride myself on not making the same mistake twice.
There are so many variables that go into operating any business, and the fitness industry is filled with minutiae. It has taken several years to fully (and I am nowhere near done learning) understand the day-to-day management operations, along with the ownership responsibilities. Insurance, taxes, hiring and selection, payroll, profit and losses, feedback, rent, maintenance, sales, marketing, and many other things are all critical details when running a quality club. Even when they are done well, there are challenges that present themselves. Tapping into the mental resilience and perseverance that physical fitness and competition have taught me has been absolutely critical to getting through tough times and enjoying the great times!
Q: Have you experienced any failures that you now realize directly contributed to the success you have today?
Matt Kuschert: I think all of my failures have contributed to success. It is so important to recognize them and learn from them. The only failure that is worthless is one that you don’t learn from. I have been humbled so many times with the multitude of things that I did not know, but I was taught at a young age to not pretend that I know everything, and to seek out resources and good people that can help me along the way. This has helped me to avoid the catastrophic failures that could have destroyed the business. I learn from EVERYONE, whether it be my partners, staff, coaches, members, family, friends, insurance agents, attorneys, accountants, etc. I genuinely value feedback, and I try to enter every conversation as if I have something to learn from the person I am speaking with. Worst case scenario, if they are a total jerk, I know what I DO NOT want to do or be like, after speaking with them. Either way, I learned something!
Q: How can we find out more about Ricardo Lamas’ UFC Gym Naperville and contact you?
Matt Kuschert and Ricardo Lamas: We have a multitude of options to meet the needs of our diverse client base. We take an individualized approach to learning what our potential clients are looking for and then we advise about and build the plan accordingly. For some of them, the classes are exactly what they are looking for. For others, we need to customize and develop a plan to meet their specific goals. In 99.9% of the cases, we are able to offer what people are seeking and serve them accordingly.
Please call 331-444-2580 or email matt.kuschert@ufcgym.com to set up a time to swing into the facility, take a look around, get any/all questions answered, and determine what plan or approach will meet your specific needs. When people show up consistently, they get great results, but I still haven’t figured out a way to force people to get off their couch! 🙂
For more information on UFC Gym Naperville, visit: https://www.ufcgym.com/locations/naperville/
