I do jiu-jitsu. There’s one jiu-jitsu place 18 minutes from my house. There’s another one that’s 19 minutes from my house. But every week, I drive 38 minutes each way to the spot where I go. This isn’t at all because there’s anything wrong with the close ones. I drive all the way to Saratoga to go to Alliance Jiu-Jitsu because it’s the best place for me. It’s the right culture, the right teaching style, the right class dynamic, and the right kinds of people to keep me coming back, and I’ve been going to this spot for 9 years now.
Our gym is in Fort Edward. We have members who come from Hudson Falls, from Glens Falls, from South Glens Falls, from Queensbury, from Argyle, from Greenwich, even from as far away as Niskayuna (a whopping 55 minute drive!).
There are great places to train in every one of those other communities. So why do they come to us? Is it because we’re better than the other options? Well… it depends on what you’re looking for.
Our gym is NOT the best for people who want to put in their earbuds, watch a show on the monitors, and do their own thing.
We’re the best for people who want to be greeted by name every time they walk through the door, want someone to check on them if they haven’t been in that week, and want to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.
We are NOT the best for people who are unwaveringly serious about fitness.
We’re the best for people who understand that not every day is perfect; for people who can laugh and joke; for people who have days where anything is better than nothing and sometimes their only goal isn’t to crush the workout, it’s just to keep going.
We are NOT the best for people who have it all together.
We’re the best for people who sometimes finish a hard workout and find themselves crying; for people who find out that on this fitness journey there are some mental and emotional hurdles to get through too; for people who get anxious sometimes and who get sad sometimes.
We are NOT the best for people looking for mirrors and weight machines. We’re NOT the best for people looking for tanning beds and saunas. We’re NOT the best for air conditioning.
We’re the best for people who are looking for coaching: for someone to learn and understand your goals, help you chart a path, and then walk with you on your journey and keep you on that path. Developing coaching skills is the main thing we invest our resources in as a business. Everything else is secondary.
We are NOT the best for fitness competitors.
We’re the best for regular people – moms, dads, entrepreneurs, teachers, professionals – who want to be in the best shape of their lives.
Our gym is not the best for everyone. But it’s the best for our members. And it might be the best for you.
And the reason that’s worth traveling for is that when you find the best place for you, you’re more likely to go. And the more you go, the longer you’ll stay. The longer you stay, the better your results. The better your results, the more you’ll keep going. And the more you keep doing any exercise, the better your health, and the better your life.
It takes time to find that place you’re willing to travel for. But it’s so worth it.
