The first company I cofounded opened and ran indoor climbing gyms. During my eight years operating that company, we opened seven gyms. I was primarily responsible for developing and opening the doors to customers of the first five locations. What was the process like?
A typical development timeline for a new gym is around 3 years. A climbing gym building envelope is at least 25,000 square feet in size with tall clear span ceiling heights. For every ten possible locations I would review, only one might be a physical fit. And, of any ten that were a physical fit, only a few would match financially and logistically with landlords or property developers. So, I invested much time in projects that never came to be.
After getting past the initial stumbling blocks, there were the challenges of setting a budget for each gym location—the basis for deciding the maximum acceptable purchase price or rent. Climbing gyms are simple to build but difficult to budget, because they are highly customized spaces unlike restaurants, stores, or offices . They are large warehouse spaces with air conditioning, locker rooms, and climbing wall equipment.
A budget would often be followed by a fight with landlords or property sellers over contract terms. The fight could easily last months, and it would always cost the company legal expenses. And, of course no matter how hard we tried, the rent or purchase price would be higher at the end of a negotiation.
After (and assuming) contracts were sorted out, construction would begin. Weekly meetings on site to review status. Decision after decision about both small details and enormous challenges. Tracking project costs and payments. Keeping an eye on the contractors to ensure they’re doing what they say they’ll do. Dealing with the inevitable upset neighbors and angry subcontractors.
While overseeing construction, I’d be preparing our team to operate a new gym. Creating long checklists of all the tasks that must be completed before opening, on opening day, and immediately afterwards. Pushing the marketing team to work on pre-open sales. Hiring new staff. Explaining to existing staff why they didn’t get the job.
And then, suddenly, the new gym would be there and opening. We’d always throw a grand opening party.
But I wouldn’t be there.
After all that time invested and all the struggles, I’d leave town with my girlfriend and go outdoor climbing. It felt very natural to avoid the celebration, but oftentimes my friends would tell me that it was strange. So, why did I skip the party after so much work?
It really was the team
I was a co-owner of the gyms and primarily responsible for building most of them. But it takes many people to build a gym. There are landlords and general contractors, and business brokers who know the real estate. There are the tradespeople and employees who are the boots on the ground turning construction dust into customers. I was just at the front, leading the charge forward.
The work had only just started
It’s not a climbing gym business until the climbing gym is profitable, and generating profit is a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, perpetual process. Oftentimes, building the thing you’re planning to operate ends up being the least fundamental and challenging part. More fundamental is making money from the things you build. Whether customers are ready to pay you money is the best test of a business vision.
I wasn’t building a reflection of me
The most common fallacy I find among business leaders is that the building should be a testament to who they are as a person. A building, though, really is just a building. It has no meaning beyond what we ascribe to it. And, that same building could be profitable or unprofitable given so many variables. The front desk design, the upholstery colors, the speakers in the climbing spaces, the shower hardware in the locker rooms–if we’re lucky, your customers respond to them and give them meaning. Even though I did so much work, it will be employees and customers who imbue meaning to those buildings. Avoid the temptation to deify yourself as monument builder.
Conclusion – The process always goes on
A multiyear project like launching a business is often an outgrowth of personal passion and strong vision. Turning a vision into a reality requires some selfishness. It requires ignoring your loved ones from time to time. It requires pushing staff and partners farther than they want to go. It requires pushing yourself to the limit. As you test your limits your confidence builds. With that confidence, an especially insidious spiritual parasite might begin worming its way into your spirit. Without any overt symptoms, that parasite turns confidence to arrogance. And it’s a foolish and very dumb arrogance. It says, “I’ve built something that impresses others, therefore I am important”.
Remember that achieving your vision sometimes meant setting aside the opinions of others. It meant fighting against the doubters and honoring your judgment and integrity. If you let others’ opinions of your success rule you, you’re letting go of what made you successful to begin with. Why, suddenly, when you’ve built something that impresses, do you value the opinions of others?
In doing good work – whether by building a spreadsheet, managing an effective department, or leading a strong company—we turn the soil of our souls and risk admitting the arrogance parasite. I encourage you to find a business effort you succeeded in and that you’re proud of, and gift it. Let your customers enjoy it. Let others who helped you (or doubted you) claim it. That gift will make you stronger and happier.
After all, you weren’t doing it for acclaim were you?