Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanner Martty.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had a deep appreciation for physical culture, health and self-improvement, which was passed on to me by my father. About 10 years ago, I made the conscious decision that I was going to dedicate myself and my life’s work to something I believed in that was a reflection of the principles for health, strength, and happiness that I had developed. I was very clear about living a lifestyle that puts personal wellness at the core and I wanted to surround myself with other like-minded individuals and then share our experience with others.
I started a personal training studio in Santa Monica with a friend and former business partner. After 3 years, he wanted to travel the world and I wanted to expand the business to do more than just personal training.
Specifically, I wanted to create a community. At that time my wife, Lauren, and I were very inspired by the birth of our first daughter, Ryan. The sense of family and responsibility for something bigger than ourselves was the seed of the vision for 34° North. We wanted to create a place that would support an extension of our family and we were successful in that venture. A thriving community emerged.
After 3 years, it became clear that we needed a larger space in order to truly realize our vision for 34N. We looked at properties for over a year and a half, finally settling on our new location on Lincoln Blvd and Hill Street in Santa Monica. We picked the location because it was close enough to the first location that all of our community would be able to move with us and because it had three buildings on the property that would allow us to expand our vision in phases.
We started with the 4000 sq. ft. main gym space, which opened December 1, 2017. Next, we plan to develop another 2000 sq. ft. of training area out of an old auto repair garage that will allow us to expand our martial arts and movement training program. The final step will be to take another 2000 sq. ft. auto repair garage and convert it into a regenerative space with treatment rooms for bodywork, quiet rooms for meditation and a spa area housing infrared saunas and cold tubs for cryotherapy to name a few things. Once finally realized, we’ll have a fully integrated wellness campus.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a challenging road. Starting a small business is tough. Lauren and I were figuring out things as we went. There’s no manual for running a successful gym business. We’ve made a ton of mistakes, but have always tried to capitalize on the lessons we learned from them to turn them into positive experiences.
The greatest struggles we had were in the construction phase of the new space. The city of Santa Monica doesn’t make it easy. Managing the city permitting and inspection process and construction was a full-time job in addition to running the gym. The hours Lo and I were putting in were insane. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in movement training. We offer 1-on-1 personal training and small group training focusing on expanding movement skill, strength and body resilience. Everything we do is in the context of improving movement quality and skill. The “workout” is a side effect of the practice.
We have the most skilled trainers in LA and we’re proud of the fact that we can create programs that are challenging, sustainable and results driven by someone of any fitness and ability level. Our trainers aren’t blindly following some cookie cutter program. We have progressions and regressions for every skill we train and we’re constantly evaluating our students to ensure that we’re giving them the right exercise and intensity level.
What sets us apart is that we’re improving people’s movement skill while making them look better naked and helping them feel healthier and more energetic!
What were you like growing up?
We moved around a lot when I was a kid so I got pretty adept at entertaining myself. I loved reading, writing, and physical culture. I was into sports but not because I loved any particular sport. I liked sports because I loved training and competition. What I was competing at didn’t really matter.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2723 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica , CA 90405
- Website: www.34-north.com
- Phone: 310-730-3944
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @34_north
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/34Northgym/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/34-degrees-north-santa-monica?osq=34+north
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