Meet Anthony L Wilkins | Personal Training Studio Owner & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anthony L Wilkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony L, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I am someone who is always looking for the next challenge. I had been working as fitness coach at Alloy Personal Training Center in Roswell since 2005 and around 2015 I was beginning to feel as if I had reached my ceiling of growth in that role. I knew that I needed to make a change and even though I did not know exactly what it would be at the time I knew that my time was up and my next level of growth need to begin. I live in the classic entrepreneur mindset where I will jump and worry about whether or not the parachute works on the way down.

When I was initially approach by my future business partner with the idea of opening a women’s-only small group personal training studio I declined. I just couldn’t see myself in that space and I just knew it was right. But the more that I though about it things changed. When I began to break down the opportunity I realized a few things:

1) 60-70% of the consumers of personal training services are women
2) Generally speaking, women are more concerned with their looks/health than men
3) I was raised with four sisters…so I was pretty much born to do this job

From there, the rest was finding the right demographics and location to open the gym and simply run it the way that I know how. I am coming to the end of my 5th year in business and I am poised for another 5 years! I’ve even found a new challenge!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I created my business to give women a place where they can go to get as strong and as healthy as they can while doing so comfortably. Bigger gyms can be VERY intimidating for women for so many reasons. Having a place where all of the distractions and anxieties are taken away makes getting started on a health and fitness journey so much easier. My gym has become as successful as it has because our main goal is to always let our clients know that we care. Money will come but the relationship that is formed with a client when they know for sure that they are cared about is priceless.

The community that has been created amongst the women always amazes and excites me. The bonds and friendships that are formed within the training sessions helps the ladies to push each other to be their best. It is definitely a sisterhood that makes going to the gym a lot less of a chore and more of a place of acceptance.

The number one reason why I have gotten to the position that I am in business is preparation. I study what I do all of the time. From getting to know as much about my clients as possible to always looking for new ways to perform an exercise, the learning never stops. I am also always looking ahead to what can be next in my business as well as in the fitness industry. If there is one thing that COVID taught me about my business is that having the ability to adapt to changing conditions is imperative.

My personal training studio is not fancy but it is effective. Clients can get a god workout anywhere which is why I don’t hang my hat on a “good” workout. I bring energy and life to every session as if it were my last! I make sure to give each client the attention that they deserve every time they are training with me. It’s this consistency and commitment to keeping my clients happy and healthy that keep my business thriving.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am pretty much a home body but some of my favorite things to do around town are:

1) Go hiking and get out in nature
2) Check out a sporting event at any of the local arenas or ballparks
3) Take in at least 1 outdoor festival
4) Brunch at Flavor Rich Restaurant or Hen Mother Cookhouse
5) Barbecue from Socks Love Barbecue

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
From day one my mom has been my ultimate supporter! She established early on that she would have my back no matter what path life lead me down and her support and love have always pushed me to be better.

My wife is the next pillar of love and support that keeps me going. She believes that I can do everything, even BEFORE I saw that I want to do it which makes getting started that much easier.

Next is Rick Mayo, my friend, business partner and mentor. He actually hired me back in 2005 and gave me my start. From that moment on he has supported my work and become like a brother to me along the way.

Last but certainly not least are ALL of the clients that I have ever worked with during my coaching career thus far. I truly appreciate the trust that they’ve placed in me and my abilities to help them stay healthy while keeping them safe. I’ve made some great friends along the way that I will never forget!

Website: www.aspireptforwomen.com

Instagram: @coachalwilkins