9Round St. Louis’ ‘Punishing’ Workout

When April Porter first became a trial attorney in Kansas City, Missouri, her hope was that she’d be able to affect positive change in people’s lives. And although that was the perception, she didn’t always feel that way.

“The reality was as a prosecutor, I didn’t really get to help many people,” explained Porter. “I was the person who came in on the backend of what had happened. I couldn’t change what had happened, and my job was to literally force these victims to relive what had happened over and over again through depositions and then through trial, tell their story in front of a bunch of strangers and then have to argue that they were telling the truth, and pray that the jury didn’t call them a liar at the end of the day. That didn’t always happen. Sometimes people walked free, and the emotional impact on the victims was very hard.”

So, Porter began looking for alternatives, and came across 9Round. She became a franchisee in 2014, and opened her first location in St. Louis, Missouri, in February 2014.

Although she no longer serves full-time as a prosecutor, the skills she earned during her 10-year stint have proved valuable in her new career as a gym owner. “When you’re a trial attorney you have to be really persuasive,” said Porter. “You’re a persuasive speaker. And that kind of translates over into fitness. But instead of using the word persuasive, I’d change it to motivational. It’s the same thing, but you have to help people commit.”

As a prosecutor, Porter also had to conduct research and use strategic thinking, which came in handy when first pursuing the idea of becoming a 9Round franchisee. “I did a lot of research and question asking on the front end before we even took the leap,” she said.

Through 9Round, Porter finally feels as if she’s fulfilling her dream of affecting positive change in people’s lives. “It is so rewarding,” she said. “People are getting results and they’re so appreciative and motivated by all those things. It’s like, their lives are changing right before my eyes and every person’s life is changing for the better, and that’s the impact I wanted to have as a prosecutor.”

Although Porter is no longer a full-time trial attorney, she hasn’t completely left the court system. Once a month she serves as a municipal judge, and her “fighting” nickname at 9Round is appropriately “The Punisher.”

Since becoming a franchisee in 2014, Porter has opened another two gyms, and hopes to have another fourth in the near future. And as the locations grow, she hopes to grow as a leader for other managers and owners.

“I just really love seeing people succeed and helping them learn the skills they need to succeed, both inside the gym and outside, so I’m hoping that I can continue to work with corporate in that capacity as well,” said Porter.