Are you a gym owner, fitness entrepreneur, or wellness professional looking to inject some serious fun and engagement into your business? In this episode, host JT and guests dive deep into the secrets of creating a customer-centric experience that keeps people coming back for more. Drawing inspiration from the wildly successful Savannah Bananas baseball team and social media marketing guru Richard Toutounji, this episode provides actionable insights on how to make your fitness studio, health club, or personal training business stand out from the crowd. Learn how to build a strong community, craft engaging content, and gamify your workouts to drive client retention and boost your bottom line. Get ready to transform your business into the place everyone is talking about!
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Jared Orton began working with Fans First Entertainment with Savannah’s sister team in Gastonia, NC. while he completed his degree in Sport Management at Belmont Abbey College. While with the Grizzlies, attendance grew to new heights for the franchise as Jared began to tap into new niches of fans in the marketplace. After the 2013 season in Gastonia, Jared became the Assistant General Manager of his hometown Burlington Royals.
Because of a relentless focus on entertainment and ticket sales, the Royals were fortunate to see tremendous growth in attendance and revenue during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Jared is now taking those experiences, along with the experiences of Fans First Entertainment, to develop a value-packed, non-stop, entertainment experience for Savannah fans. Jared currently lives in Savannah with his wife, Kelsey.
For two decades, Richard Toutounji has been driven by a passion for the health and fitness industry, a constant thread throughout his entrepreneurial journey. From owning Australia’s first Private Fitness Studio to founding Lifestyles Corporate Wellness, Meet Your Personal Trainer, and now COM Marketing, Richard has consistently innovated within the health and fitness industry. Alongside his wife Joey, Richard co-founded COM Marketing, dedicated to empowering health and fitness studios across Australia and New Zealand to market and grow their businesses.
key takeaways
Spice up your Socials: Learn Richard Toutounji’s six elements of engaging social media content: Surprise, Shock, Relatability, Personalization, Timeliness, and Playfulness to create a marketing strategy that pops!
Embrace the “Fans First” Mentality: Discover how Jared Orton and the Savannah Bananas put their fans at the heart of everything they do, creating a unique and unforgettable experience.
Gamify Your Fitness: Explore the power of gamification to drive motivation and engagement in your clients’ workouts with Jay Worthy from MyZone.
“We feel like the critical mission of our team is to make baseball fun.” – Jared Orton
“We exist to create the best possible experience for our fans and every key stakeholder within the organization is aiming directly towards that.” – Jared Orton
“Don’t take things too seriously, especially on social media. It is a platform to be playful as well.” – Richard Toutounji
Justin “JT” Tamsett is a seasoned fitness industry veteran and passionate advocate for promoting physical activity. His mission is to reduce the health care costs across the globe by having more people move and move more often. JT’s hope is that his daughter Zoe can grow up in a world full of opportunity rather than one where governments and communities don’t have the burden of an ageing and sickening population. With over 30 years of experience, JT has owned gyms, coached fitness classes, and now specialises in business coaching for fitness entrepreneurs.
Through his company, Active Management, JT provides guidance and support to gym owners worldwide, empowering them to build successful businesses and contribute to a healthier society. He also leads 8 REX Roundtables in the US and Australia, spoken at over 40 conferences in 23 countries, and consulted with gyms worldwide. JT’s commitment to improving health extends beyond his professional endeavours, as he has also dedicated himself to coaching various sports and actively participates in industry organisations.
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