Saturday, April 10 hosted an experience for Troy Daugherty that he will never forget — the opening of his first Zoo Health Club in Allen, Texas. Although, Daugherty has been involved in fitness since he was 13 years old, he has just been able to develop his own club.
“I have been doing fitness training in Allen for over three years,” Daugherty explained. “I have a group fitness business, HIT Get Fit, that has been very successful in helping people achieve their fitness goals. I have a passion for helping people improve their quality of life through fitness.”
Considering Daugherty already had a successful business, he understood the nuances of starting a second; however, he still ran into the same situations that many new clubs face. “There were delays getting construction started,” he explained. “We had weather challenges, finding the funding to procure equipment in the current economy, etc.
“Through perseverance and a great support team at Diversified Health and Fitness, we were able to work through the challenges. Also, I was fortunate to have a great general contractor, who through his own creativity and initiative, helped me get our doors open as quickly as possible.”
Don’t think because Zoo Health Club is a chain that it looks just like the others. Aside from the paint job and the basic theme, the fitness center is immaculate. Daugherty has taken a lot of time to develop spacing throughout the club to give people an open perception while still having all the functional equipment members’ desire. “The Zoo Health Club includes individual programming on all equipment for first workouts and a second if needed,” Daugherty said. “We offer a touch program for our members that will assist in retaining the customer. We provide three membership options for our customer to choose from; no contract, limited membership and a short-term agreement.”
Daugherty received his first certification as a Nautilus instructor in the mid 1980s. “I did membership sales and managed a health club until I graduated college and joined the U.S. Army,” he said. “As a U.S. Army officer for 12 years, fitness has been a way of life. When I retired from the military, I continued my fitness training, and in September 2006, I started a military style group exercise business.
“In 2007 I certified with the American Council on Exercise, and have been helping people improve their fitness ever since. Fitness is a lifestyle and there are many people looking for help. It is one of the most rewarding experiences I have, helping others improve their health and fitness. I really enjoy it.”
Daugherty’s Zoo Health Club has started targeting members and prospective members throughout the community immediately. “We actively communicate with our members and encourage them to do their ‘first workout’ orientation with a ‘Zoo’ trainer,” Daugherty said. “We also have a great buddy referral program that serves as a great incentive for our members to spread the good word about The Zoo. We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are family focused, both on our members and our employees. We are genuinely excited about helping people improve their health and fitness.” -CS
