One of Hailee Bland Walsh’s biggest affirmations came in the form of a question: Is Fit Truk a franchise?
Fit Truk KC
“As someone who has built businesses from the ground up, that is very validating and a huge compliment,” said Bland Walsh, co-founder of the fully-equipped outdoor gym truck, as well as the owner of City Gym in Waldo. “People see the look and quality, and they think that it must be a copy of something larger.”
Neither City Gym nor Fit Truk is a franchise, but Bland Walsh and her co-founder Josh Guffey could envision franchising the concept behind Fit Truk — an innovative solution for outdoor strength training. Some of its features include: a squat rack, cable cross, landmine, pull up and dip bars, TRX anchor, plyo box, medicine ball wall and sled.
Click here to learn more about Fit Truk.
“It would be a great opportunity for fitness [individuals] in Kansas City and across the country to own their own business,” Bland Walsh noted. “I can see this business model working really well in places where the weather is nice year-round, say someplace like California.
“But even in places where there is inclement weather, the opportunity to make a profit on the truck is limitless,” she added. “You can run classes, train clients, partner with other businesses; and make enough money to take two months off when the weather is bad, while still retaining a loyal clientele. I definitely think the concept is strong enough.”
Fitness outside the box
Bland Walsh is increasingly comfortable with being uncomfortable, she said.
“When you’re a business owner and a leader, your job is to plan, anticipate and be proactive,” she said. “The last couple of years have really forced me to stop feeling like I need to have all the answers ahead of time. Because even if we have a plan, it could blow up in our face — but we’re going to respond and pivot in order to do what we need to do to survive.”
City Gym outdoor classes, 2020
Click here to read about City Gym and its inclusive community.
So when City Gym closed for two months in spring 2020, Bland Walsh had to take her fitness venture outside the box — or, more specifically, the gym.
Guffey, a trainer at City Gym and friend of Bland Walsh, had been ruminating for years over the idea of a fully-equipped mobile and outdoor gym.
“When we came back in person last year, Josh and I were training together, and he looked at me and said, ‘I’ve been thinking —’ and I just read his mind,” Bland Walsh recalled. “We officially launched Fit Truk in August of 2021, about a year from when we first started talking about it.”
The setup and programming are designed to be modified for any stage of use — from beginners to advanced, she said.
“Between Josh and I, we have 40 years of combined industry experience. We’ve both really pride ourselves on program design that keeps people safe, coming back to class and achieving the results they want,” Bland Walsh said.
Fit Truk offers group classes outside of City Gym, CITYDOGs KC and City Market.
“CITYDOGs KC is a new business down in the Crossroads; it is a doggy daycare, boarding and grooming business,” Bland Walsh explained. “And that is a really cool collaboration because you can come workout while your dog gets free daycare. Lots of folks in the Crossroads have dogs, so now they don’t have to leave their dog at home while they’re working out.”
Offering classes in the Crossroads Arts District and River Market also allows for those who have adjusted to urban living to get creative with their outdoor fitness routine, Bland Walsh said, noting the success of Fit Truk in the two locations.
Community members can anticipate more Fit Truk collaborations like the deal with CITYDOGs KC, Brand Walsh teased.
“I feel so lucky that we are part of the Kansas City entrepreneur community. … Kansas City businesses are so willing to collaborate and support each other,” she said. “So we’re in the works of all sorts of partnerships right now.”
Fit Truk can also be reserved for private events, she added. It has already been booked for birthday parties, neighborhood events and corporate wellness initiatives.
“Garmin is really pumped about what we’re doing, and we’ve had a workout with them,” she said. “We’re definitely going to do some more stuff on site for them.”
Click here to book Fit Truk.
Fit Truk KC
Shift in gym trends
As a gym owner, Bland Walsh keeps a steady finger on the pulse of what is and isn’t working at her gym. Since the COVID-19 pandemic’s start, she’s seen more of her members come at a wider variety of times throughout the day, as well as being more keen on outdoor classes, she said.
Fit Truk KC
“People’s threshold for being outside is the highest I’ve ever seen,” Bland Walsh noted. “People are more willing to be outside in inclement weather — rain, snow, heat.
“There’s also already been a whole group of fitness users who are just outdoors folks. They run and walk and cycle,” she continued. “Several of them may hate being inside of a gym, but they still want to strength train. This is a great opportunity for those folks.”
Although this will be Fit Truk’s first winter, City Gym held several outdoor classes during the winter season this past year (only taking a short pause for the polar vortex in February 2021).
“Our members were layering up and working out outside — all winter long at 5:30, 6 in the morning. It was pitch black and cold, but they were still showing up,” she shared.
Members of City Gym receive Fit Truk classes as part of their membership, she noted.
For the curious, Bland Walsh encouraged them to try out a class — especially with an individual’s first three classes currently being offered free of cost.
“I think it’s somewhat hard to conceptualize; some people think that we are working out inside the truck, and that’s not the case,” she explained. “The community of people who have tried it out are obsessed with it; it’s been an overwhelmingly positive response.”
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
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