Meet Kim Zengerle | Owner / Operator Ignite Fitness West Hartford and Avon

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

Hi Kim, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
I decided very early on, quickly after I started college for Exercise Science, that I was always going to put myself in a position to control my own destiny. I knew that I wanted to be responsible for my success or failure, my happiness or discontent, and my monetary success among other things. This meant not being dependent on anyone else and being solution driven as problems came and went. I had a job when I started college that had great benefits and an overall good work environment, but was also very rigid and lacking opportunity to progress, grow, and create. I was already living on my own at 18 which this job afforded me, but it was not putting me on the path I was looking for. My first major step in creating the life I wanted for myself, where my results would be determined by how hard I worked, was taking a job as personal trainer for 24 Hour Fitness. Although this was my area of education I was currently attending college for, I had no actual experience. Back then this role was heavily commission based and my success was a direct reflection of how much time and effort I put into building relationships, providing great service, and my literal hours worked. I held this position for about 7 years and this is where I learned how to fine tune my craft, but more importantly this is where I learned that you get out of something exactly what you put in. My success was not determined by my co-workers, or my boss, or company politics, etc. The rest of my decisions made in my life and career, including starting my own business, have been driven by controlling my own destiny.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ignite Fitness is wonderful blend of a personal training facility and socially motivating community with an amazing energy, and even more amazing people. All of our clients work with a coach on an individual program as well as have club access to utilize on their own, and may also participate in our Metabolic Classes that we offer to complement their individual program. Our mobile app allows clients to access their program anywhere in real time for our virtual clients or those that travel often, and clients always have access to their coach for questions or motivation. When I created Ignite Fitness’s model, my goal was to blend the convenience or a commercial gym with expanded hours and open gym access, the community of some of the better class based models, with the customization of a personal training program to ensure clients have programs that are appropriate and goals specific for their needs. I am most proud of the community that we have built over the last 3 years. Our coaches and our clients are supportive, fun, and a family. Our business is built off relationships, and that is what makes us successful and keeps our clients consistnet. It is truly all about our clients and our team. If I operate the business this way, then we will continue to see growth and success. There have, of course, been challenges such as COVID, building repairs, staffing challenges, to name a few, but I believe in being solution driven, and as long as I make decisions with our clients and teams best interests in mind, there is no challenge that cannot be overcome.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Connecticut is small, but beautiful state. West Hartford, where our first Ignite Fitness is located, is a very charming town along with it’s surrounding towns. On a week long trip, I would recommend the following:

Litchfield wineries as a day trip
Dinner on LaSalle Rd in West Hartford. My favorite spot is Harvest Restaurant and Wine Bar
The Hillstead Museam in Farmington, and the Wadsworth in Hartford
Attend a Yard Goats Baseball game in Hartford if in season
Hike to the top of Hublein Tower for a short hike, or Bear Mountain for an all day adventure
Obviously stop in for a workout at Ignite Fitness West Hartford or Avon
Take a tour of the Mark Twain House in Hartford and/or Noah Webster House in West Hartford
Take a stroll, picnic, walk through he rose garden, or listen to live music in Elizabeth Park that straddles the Hartford / West Hartford line
Have dinner at Millwrights in Simsbury, one of the most famous restaurants in the nation

I’m probably missing a lot of stuff, but this is a start!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother taught me how to make it happen. She was a single mom of my sister and I with barely a GED and some minimal work experience to her name. She started her own resale business that allowed her to raise my sister and I and to give us what we needed as kids. Because of her love, support, and commitment to us through many challenging periods, I was able to become the woman that I am today.

Website: www.ignitefitnessct.com

Instagram: @ignitefitnesswesthartford

Linkedin: Kimberly Zengerle

Facebook: @ignitefitnesswesthartford

Youtube: @kimberlyzengerle2137