Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitch Briegel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Dan and I opened the first Apex Fitness Club in Lawson back in December of 2022. I had recently moved my State Farm agency from Overland Park and wanted a new building to land in and call home. My first plan was to have two other office spaces for rent. But with the community in mind, and my want to open a gym, on a whim I decided to join my State Farm agency with a gym instead of the additional offices.
Dan was working as my office manager at the time. So after a conversation about the future and what we might be able to build, we decided to go at it as a team. Then Apex Fitness LLC was started. Now we have the Lawson and Smithville locations, with intentions of continuing to grow and learn about business and this industry.
(If you’d like me to elaborate on how Dan and I met, and what led up to he and I becoming business partners, I will be happy to do so. He and I both came from nothing. And really weren’t even friends until 9 years ago. Then we crossed paths and our friendship became something neither of us could see coming.)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning any business is never easy. But we’ve been fortunate to have great folks behind us in the communities where we’ve opened. People have been super supportive when it comes to our members, which we are very grateful for. We appreciate each of them, and do all we can to make our facilities a place they can enjoy.
Fortunately, our struggles have been what we consider small headaches, or bumps in the road. One of the biggest struggles we had/have is finding the right real estate for our business model. It probably wouldn’t be if we were rich, but that isn’t the case. So to be successful we have to be pretty choosey about where we open a facility, as we don’t have the luxury to just purchase or rent at any location we want. And location in any business is big factor in how well it does.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Apex Fitness Club?
We’re a local, non-franchise 24/7 fitness facility, with a very community friendly environment. We want people of all fitness levels to feel comfortable in our facilities. The gym is a place where folks go to improve in many different ways without judgement. And that’s the atmosphere we do our best to create when you come workout with us. Whether you buy a day pass, or an annual membership, we will always do our best to make you feel welcome.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If you’re like us and don’t have all the money, find quality, used equipment. Things will break and wear regardless. And it’s unfortunate, but a lot of folks won’t take care of the equipment like you want them to. When you buy new, it’s a much bigger sunk cost that ends up looking used in no time anyway. So do all you can to get quality, but don’t break the bank doing it.
Pricing:
- Day Pass $10/Week Pass $50
- Individual Month-to-Month: $45/month
- Individual Annual: $35/month
- Couple Month-to-Month: $70/month
- Couple Annual: $60/month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.apexfitnessclubs.com
- Instagram: @apexfitnessclubs
- Facebook: Apex Fitness Club
