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- This gym trains 550 kids in 1,900 sq ft
What’s up Gym World?
We often showcase seasoned pros who’ve:
Learned from their biggest mistakes
Dialed in their systems
Earned the freedom to work when they want
Taken vacations
Reached $100k/mo
But Kevin Higgins from Stonefitt Performance is a counterexample. He:
Works 12-16 hours a day
Never takes weekends off
Works for free
Offers his services for free and at discounts
Operates without organized systems
The gym has been open for three years, and while Kevin seems to be breaking every rule in the book, he’s built a massive kids program in one of the most competitive markets. He’s training 550 of them in just 1,900 sq ft. Like KOR4, these numbers are INSANE. 🤯
Kevin is earning his battle scars in the industry and is one of the hardest-working gym owners I’ve come across.
And despite the mistakes and lack of systems, his gym is still profitable, proving there’s more to success than just good business practices.
Mike Doehla built Stronger U into an 8-figure business by breaking all the rules, but it worked because he focused on customers, delivered results, and built a fanatical community. Kevin is doing a lot of these same things right.
Here’s his story:
Building Stonefitt Performance 🏗️
Kevin is a 25-year-old gym owner, but he was once a high school athlete with a passion for sports.
After college, he took a job and hated it. The only thing he wanted to do was help kids become better athletes. So, he shifted his focus and started volunteer coaching at his high school.
Sam Tooley has a similar story. He knows Kevin well and acts as a mentor to him.
To build his clientele, Kevin bought cheap equipment and posted daily workouts on his Instagram. He charged $5 a head or offered free sessions to get as many kids to train as possible.
This helped him gain exposure around New Jersey over time.
As business grew, one of Kevin’s athlete’s moms, who owned a small private training studio, offered him the space to train. He used it until COVID hit, then shifted to online training.
Just like the Frezzas, Kevin comes from a big, well-known family that’s active in the community, which has helped him leverage his network. When parents see how hard he’s working for his dream and the difference he’s making in their children’s lives, they’re willing to go out of their way to support him.
By 2021, Kevin rented a 1,900 sq ft building, where he still trains today.
He works with 550 kids, and the gym always seems packed.
Kevin eventually added an adult program because parents kept asking for it. Now, he trains about 200 of them at $135 a month for unlimited functional fitness (HIIT) classes. Everyday heroes like nurses, firefighters, police, military and veterans pay $115 a month.
He separates the kids into three cohorts:
Elementary school (starting from 4th grade)
Middle school
High school
And offers two main programs: speed & agility and strength training.
Programs run for 6 weeks and cost $245. Members train twice a week.
The reality 😬
Most owners we talk to have been in the industry for over 10 years and have things figured out. Meanwhile, Kevin is deep in the grind and still making mistakes.
The early years in any business are tough, and Kevin’s 12-16 hour days show just a glimpse of that.
A good month brings in around $60k-$70k, which is waaaay more than the average gym. However, Kevin's current approach may not be sustainable.
Here’s what else he’s facing:
👉 Insane workload
Summer is one of the busiest times at the gym. It’s open 5 AM to 9 PM most days, with classes running almost every hour.
Adult classes go from 5 AM to 9 AM and then again at 6 PM, while kids' programs are scheduled from 10 AM to 12 PM, 3 PM to 5 PM, and at 7 PM.
There are four full-time coaches, including Kevin. His family and girlfriend help out too, with his mom handling towel service and his sister cleaning, making it feel more like a family business than a typical gym.
And when Kevin’s not there, he’s coaching for free at the high school.
Kevin also runs an all-kids program every Saturday at 8 AM and usually posts about it on social. He didn’t post about it one week, but 87 kids showed up anyway.
If I had to guess, he’s getting 4 hours of sleep a night. 💀
👉 Generic positioning
Top-performing gyms are hyper-specific about who they serve, which helps them create content that resonates. But Kevin admits he’s not sure who he’s targeting right now.
If you want to tighten your positioning, try this quick 5-minute exercise.
Ideally, he'd like to hire separate marketing teams for the kids' and adults' programs to sharpen his messaging.
👉 Discounting
In the beginning, gym owners do whatever it takes to get people in the door, including:
Offering services for free
Providing discounts
Kevin still does both, often giving 10% or 15% off.
When I talked to him, it seemed like most members had some kind of a discount. For Kevin, it’s a way of giving back.
I don’t recommend this strategy unless you’re struggling to get clients. But industry pros like Mike Doehla say discounting is a smart move when you’re starting out.
👉 Lack of systems & processes
Most of Kevin’s leads come from referrals or the high school where he coaches. He also co-owns a smoothie bar next to the gym called FitSips.
Customers who buy a smoothie get a free trial at the gym, which constantly brings in a steady stream of leads.
New sign-ups and check-ins are handled over the phone and email. Kevin had 777 unread text messages during our interview, all from just one week. The inbox was clear the week before. 💀
Kilo fixes this by automating lead nurturing. It alerts you when a new lead comes in, so you can respond faster. This lets you focus on running your gym while boosting sales.
He finds it incredibly challenging to keep track of and accommodate everyone, but he manages to get it done.
👉 A second location
I’ve seen plenty of gym owners destroy their businesses by expanding before they’re ready. That’s why on Gym World we strongly advocate:
Making sure your first location is profitable and runs without you before opening a second
Creating a replicable model
Establishing organized systems and processes
But when Kevin got a great deal on a second space, he couldn't resist the temptation. So, he's opening a second location soon and figuring things out as he goes.
TL;DR: final thoughts for gym owners 💭
Like many new gym owners, Kevin burns the candle at both ends to build his business.
But it’s paying off because he's doing much better than the average gym despite making mistakes on the easy stuff, which means he's getting a lot of the hard stuff right.
He’s determined and hardworking, so I’m curious how things will turn out.
cheers,
j
P.S. If you found this valuable, share it with a gym owner who could benefit.