For many gym owners, running a fitness business isn’t just about passion — it’s about sustainability, growth and finding the right support to navigate challenges. Jean-Pierre Mikhael, a co-owner of Results Fitness Ridgefield, knows this firsthand. After starting the business in his early 20s with his brother, he quickly realized that passion alone wasn’t enough to compete in an increasingly crowded market. By 2016, the gym was struggling, and the future looked uncertain. That’s when he turned to Fitness Revolution.
In this conversation, Mikhael shares how partnering with Fitness Revolution was a game changer — bringing much-needed organization, strategic planning and a clear path forward. From nearly closing their doors to quadrupling revenue and thriving through the COVID-19 pandemic, he explains why Fitness Revolution has become an invaluable partner in Results Fitness’ ongoing success.
Why did you decide to partner with Fitness Revolution? What problem were you looking to solve or what solution were you looking to incorporate at Results Fitness Ridgefield?
My brother and I were very lucky to start this business when we were very young, like in our early 20s. We had been in business for about 16 years and things just weren’t going that great for us. There was a lot of competition. I had been following a few fitness coaching businesses, and we decided we needed to make a change. So, we thought we would get some advice and some structure. And after long research, we chose Fitness Revolution.
How have they helped enhance your offerings?
I mean, I tell Justin Hanover, the president of Fitness Revolution, all the time, and I tell my business coach all the time it really was a game changer for us. We thought we knew what we were doing. We weren’t very organized. We weren’t really keeping proper track of metrics, like we could look at our profit and loss, but we weren’t setting goals of like, “Hey, this is where should be Q1, Q2 and Q3 if we want to progress. And then, here’s the steps we need to take.” Fitness Revolution just brought organization and structure to our planning.
You said your business wasn’t doing that well. How has that changed since working with Fitness Revolution?
Well, in 2016 we were going to close our business. It was our worst year. We made some changes in our philosophies, got some different education to bring to our clients and then sign up with Fitness Revolution. Since that day, we have like four-times our yearly revenue. We crushed it through the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitness Revolution had advice right away. Our dashboard had steps we could take. The day the doors closed, we just went online, and we just kept moving. So, we had a plan for that as well and we were lucky enough that it worked out for us.
How would you describe Fitness Revolution’s customer service?
I can’t compare it to anything else. I could just say they’ve never let me down. I’ve never had an issue or an opportunity that I need to discuss, and like walk through and talk through that they weren’t available for. I feel like they’re a partner for my business, and I have full trust in their advice.
What else can you tell other club owners about the benefits of working with Fitness Revolution?
I recommend them all the time, especially to my friends who have clubs, they complain of needing some help, things aren’t moving along, etc. and basically, I just let them know how I feel. Fitness Revolution is a partner to Results Fitness and how, with their guidance, we’re able to progress. As a mature business, we’ve been around for 23 years, it’s hard to grow year in and year out, and we’ve been growing 20% since every year since we’ve been with them. That’s what I what I share.
