I remember getting the shelter in place order in March of 2020 very clearly.
I was part of a gym owners mastermind group and we had members from all over the country. As part of each meeting we had to submit our talking points a few days before. No one even mentioned Covid. By meeting day it was all we talked about. That’s how fast the world changed.
I realized I’d have to change some things about the gym and my attitude towards personal training if I wanted to keep Castro Valley Fitness open.
It sounds easy, but it wasn’t. And I didn’t take it well.
Without my wife Kristi, and my friend and co-trainer Diane, Castro Valley Fitness would not have made it. Those of you who were here, understand that words are not nearly adequate to express the depth of what that really means.
With my lease up in June and me not knowing if I still had a viable business, my landlord thankfully agreed to a month-to-month lease.
Fast forward three years and I’m thrilled to say that some things have happened that have finally guaranteed the long-term existence of Castro Valley Fitness. It’s taken time, a lot of work and working through a lot of doubt.
Last month we signed a long-term lease, guaranteeing for the first time in over three years, that we have a solid home.
That’s a huge relief, but what gave me the confidence to negotiate that lease was something else altogether.
I’ve known Tammy Schnieckert since she joined CV Fitness as a client in February of 2015. She was a fantastic, hard-working client who a few years later became a fantastic, hard-working trainer for us. A little while after that she bought her own gym. We stayed in touch, and in March of 2020 we commiserated as our futures became uncertain.
We made it through. Earlier this year she sold her gym, took a deep breath, and popped her head out of her rabbit hole. She still wanted to be involved in fitness so last month she came back to Castro Valley Fitness as a trainer…and a lot more.
I’m incredibly excited to announce that Tammy is now the co-owner of Castro Valley Fitness!
This is incredible news, not just for me, but for all the current and future clients of our gym.
Running a business alone is difficult under the best of circumstances and these past three years have not been that. In the last few months, though, it finally feels as if the Covid cloud is lifting, and I can’t ask for a better partner to move forward with than Tammy.
I want to make clear that this will not change anything about who we are, our values, or what we do. Our mission is, and always has been, to serve each and every one of our clients to the best of our ability, while maintaining a friendly, inclusive, and accepting community.
We serve real people, not fitness models. We create programs for those real people, whether they are 30 or 80. Coming off knee surgery, about to have hip surgery, training for a powerlifting meet or marathon, or just want to play with their grandkids and carry their groceries to and from the car.
Real people with real goals living real lives. Our clients reflect the best of Castro Valley and I look forward to continuing our conversations in the gym about fitness, nutrition, books, TV, music, gas prices, lottery tickets, and who knows what else.
To celebrate, we’re hosting a Grand Re-Opening at 1pm on Saturday September 30th and I’m incredibly excited to be presenting our first seminar in over 4 years called, “The Top 5 Success Strategies When Starting (or continuing) An Exercise Program.” This FREE SEMINAR will focus on some of the foundational things about exercise that most people don’t realize.
It’s all free and Tammy and I will be there to answer all your questions about fitness, nutrition, our gym, or anything else you want to talk about. And if you don’t have any just come by and say hello!
We can’t wait, both for our Grand Re-Opening and the future of Castro Valley Fitness. This has been my business for more than a decade and it’s awesome knowing that we’ll be helping even more people moving forward.
You can reply to this email or call us at 510-755-9191 with any questions.
We can’t wait to see you on the 30th!
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley
510-755-9191