Meet Ginny Turner | Fitness Studio Owner and Operator, Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Corrective Exercise Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ginny Turner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ginny, how do you think about risk?
I believe that you must take risks in life, to grow, to succeed, and to learn. As a business owner if I didn’t go out on a limb every once in a while I wouldn’t have grown like I have. I started CORE training people in the parks around town in 2011. I had been a mobile personal trainer in Southern California for 10 years before then so it wasn’t a stretch for me to run a business without a space. Then a space kind of fell into my lap to rent. It was a no brainer, even though I didn’t have any numbers to back me up I knew that in order to grow my business I needed a brick and mortar studio. This was in 2014 when online training was just coming around and most people still wanted to be face to face and with a group. At that point the business model was me training and teaching classes and running the backend of the studio. I grossed around $35,000 that first year but it also didn’t cost me much to run the business. This was in a town of about 2500 people. In 2019 I had the opportunity to buy a space of my own – this was a BIG risk. This required three loans, lots of worrying and hand wringing and much more overhead for me but again, I knew that if I wanted to grow my business this was what needed to happen. Especially because the commercial space in town was starting to get very expensive to rent and was going up in price to purchase as well. If I hadn’t bought the space we are currently in, I would have a much harder time making ends meet and creating a profitable business. When COVID hit I had just signed the final paperwork to purchase CORE’s new home, so I had to pivot and go out on another limb and start virtual classes, online training and an on demand video membership. Many people in our field did this to stay solvent and it worked! It was risky because I am not a tech person, I like working out with people and I had to learn (quickly) how to use all sorts of tools and apps to make it successful. I am certainly not taking over the online fitness world, but my risks paid off in that I was able to keep CORE above water, in the end, 2020 was my most profitable year yet! CORE grossed over $140k. We now have 4 personal trainers, 10 instructors, a weekly Instagram Live Workout (that people actually show up and do) and over 600 people on our marketing lists. Again, this is in a town of around 2500 people with 6 other direct competitors in town, so I feel good about my numbers. Taking risks has shown me time and again that you win when you take smart chances. I looked at the options, weighed the risks and went for it! It’s paid off every time and I know I will continue to take chances with my business in order to grow and push the limits of what I think I can do with it. That is what is the most rewarding thing about being a business owner for me – taking the risk and reaping the rewards.

What should our readers know about your business?
CORE is a private training studio that offers personal training, small group training, group classes, nutrition coaching and corrective exercise programming. While we are proud of all our offerings, there is always a long list of ways to improve or add to what we currently offer and how we give back to our clients and our community. CORE is based on the idea that we do what others won’t, we go the extra mile, we continue to grow and learn and we give back to our community both in the studio and in the community at large. CORE gives about 10% of its earnings back to non-profits in the Gunnison Valley, through in kind donations, volunteer time and money. One of the ways we do this is by being involved in a program called 1% for open space. We give 1% of our personal training proceeds to this program on a quarterly basis. This program funds the purchase of large parcels of ranching land and open space land to preserve both the ranching and open space in perpetuity. This fits perfectly with our motto, which is, Train To Play! That’s what all our instructors and trainers do and we encourage all of our clients to do that as well! We want people coming into the studio to stay healthy and injury free so they can enjoy all their recreational activities of choice. My degree is in Outdoor Recreation and what speaks to me as far as being fit and healthy is; preserving open spaces and encouraging people to go enjoy the outdoors. When I started my mobile training business in Southern California I realized I needed some business guidance. At the time the Small Business Administration was offering free workshops for entrepreneurs. I took advantage and learned everything from marketing and sales to creating a brand to pricing structure and liability issues to consider. This was HUGE for me. I also used the SBA website to create my first business plan with their template. This was an amazing resource for me. I also took it upon myself to go to fitness specific business seminars on selling, pricing, customer service, and offering personal training. I learned a lot of what I could be doing and some of what I would never do in those classes. My path has been mostly trial and error and intuition – you could call it organic. If it felt right it probably was right. This sounds simple but I think it has real value when you are considering owning a business. Integrity, honesty and applying a quality education has been what’s really gotten me to where I am now. Being an authentic person and doing what’s right for the client is the secret to success in the fitness business. At least it has been for me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh boy! Where to start!? If they came to Crested Butte in the winter we would go to a yurt dinner with the Crested Butte Nordic Center – you nordic ski to the yurt, eat a 5 star meal with wine pairings and then ski home guided by tiki torch lights along the trail. If the avalanche conditions were safe we would spend a day skiing Red Lady glades or Snodgrass – these are two fairly accessible and safe backcountry skiing experiences. If money was no issue I’d go to Irwin Guides and go cat skiing for sure! We’d eat yummy Nepali food at Sherpa Cafe or pick up a take out pizza at Mikey’s Pizza. We’d maybe take in a fun concert the The Center for the Arts or one of the local bars and definitely have to plan a nice massage at Creekside Spa. If the snow was good we could also go ski at the local resort CBMR, where the steeps are steep, the snow is light and fluffy and the apre ski is sure to be a good time! Summertime I would opt to take them backpacking. Crested Butte is the wildflower capitol of the world and is an amazing place to be in July. There are many places to choose from in our amazing area I couldn’t even begin to narrow it down. We could hit a hot springs, swim in an alpine lake and go where we wouldn’t see a single soul for multiple days in a row. Now there’s an exciting vacation!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have supported me throughout the years. My parents; who helped me with a small loan to start the first incarnation of CORE, and who have always let me know they believed in me no matter what. My husband; who has been a steady and stalwart supporter and sounding board for me, my ideas and my drive to succeed with this business, even when he didn’t fully understand or agree. Without the books, Start with Why and You Are A Badass, I wouldn’t have had the courage or the clarity to take the big leap into commercial real estate ownership. All of my clients past and present have helped me to learn and grow within my field and challenged me to continue to work at the highest caliber possible for them – without them I would be nowhere! Last but not least, my client/friend who loaned me money (at an affordable rate!), gave me support and helped guide me through the commercial real estate maze – without her, none of this would be happening.

Website: corecrestedbutte.com

Instagram: @train.to.play

Facebook: @turnerfitness