Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Cahlin.
Jim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been a commercial real estate broker working for two of the world’s largest real estate firms for the past 30 years. I was also a member of the first Orangetheory Fitness studio, located in Fort Lauderdale for several years. I witnessed first hand the results I as well as numerous other members received as well as the tremendous community that was created. I had been visiting Santa Monica for years and always wanted to relocate here. I started to check into the business model for Orangetheory and soon found myself with the opportunity to be one of the first franchisee’s in the state of California. I had the opportunity to select any location in the state and I selected Santa Monica as my first choice and Manhattan Beach as my second choice. We eventually were handpicked by the city of Santa Monica to be the first tenant located in their brand new Parking Structure #6 in downtown Santa Monica. The location, offering 700+ parking spaces with the first 90 minutes free, enables us to open with a huge following starting day one. Approximately a year and half after opening we are exceeding all of our expectations and looking to open our 2nd location soon. Orangetheory Fitness currently operates in 14+ countries around the world with more to come. Their are more than 450 studios open and more than 1000 licenses sold.
Has it been a smooth road?
Any one who has opened a business in Santa Monica will tell you its very challenging. That, coupled with the fact that our landlord is the city of Santa Monica made it even more challenging. We hit several bumps along the way delaying our opening by more than 3 months but the wait was well worth it and the city of Santa Monica will tell you how thrilled they are with our tenancy.
Any predictions for the industry over the next few years?
The industry continues to trend towards boutique intimate facilities where members build a community amongst the membership. Fitness enthusiasts are trending away from the big box concepts where everyone walks around doing their own thing wearing headphones. Minimal member interaction. A major component of Orangetheory Fitness success has been the development of “community” amongst its members.
Has there been a particular challenge that you’ve faced over the years?
We constantly want to grow WITH our members. Continue to challenge them via the workouts and keep it creative. Particularly in Santa Monica, the fitness IQ for the average member is off the charts! Many members also spin, run, cycle, do yoga and Pilates outside of Orangetheory.. Our coaches have the flexibility of tweaking each workout to accommodate the fitness level of that particular class. We want to keep it challenging and fun.
What would you tell someone who is just starting out?
Its a long hard road so you need to be prepared for the challenges and setbacks, which we encountered throughout our opening process but once open, service your members, get to know your members and stay engaged with your members.
Pricing:
- The majority of our memberships are month to month, cancellable with 30 days notice
- Depending upon which membership, the cost of class can average as low as $10.45
- We have several membership options to suit all needs and we offer classes starting @ 5:00 am with our last class ending @ 9:00 pm
Contact Info:
- Phone: 9545601005
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @orangetheorysm
- Facebook: Orangetheory Fitness Santa Monica
