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

Hi Nic, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success and the success of our brand is the specific product that we offer. From day 1, I wanted to build a gym that was a serious, no nonsense, old school weightlifting gym. We market ourselves as a “hardcore” gym which essentially just means that we provide a serious environment for people that are serious about their fitness goals. We are here specifically for the people that cannot stand waiting in lines for equipment, having a buzzer go off if they make a loud noise, being surrounded by teenagers on their phones, or generally hate the sterile dulled down corporate gym franchises that cater more toward beginners. We play loud music here. There are loud noises from time to time. People are encouraged to train hard. We are very upfront, honest, and unapologetic about the environment we provide and there is a huge demographic of people that specifically seek that out. The second part of my success is because of my business ethics. Again, from day 1, I have dedicated myself to running my business the most ethically I possibly can. This is an industry full of very unethical owners and corporations that make every decision possible to benefit themselves and shareholders over actually taking care of their members. I have taken best practices from my numerous positions in many different fitness corporate powerhouses and applied them to my own personal business model. I treat each and every individual the exact same, and for 7.5 years I have always made decisions that benefit my members first and foremost.

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?
I own and operate a little hardcore gym called Edon Fitness and Training in Brighton CO. We provide a serious or “real” gym for people that refuse to step foot in the corporate franchise places. For over 7 years, we have been 1 block away from one of those places and we have been successful, that is because of the atmosphere/ equipment we provide here. That is what I am most proud of. Opening a block away from a corporate giant, never even advertising, and still being successful. No, this path certainly wasn’t easy. This was my first endeavor into ownership, despite my past experience in the fitness industry. Even then, there were a lot speed bumps and a learning curve in the beginning. We were very fortunate though to be profitable in the first year of business, which most businesses don’t experience. I would like the world to know that your locally owned businesses like mine are owned by people like me who are passionate about what we do. We are not in it for shareholders, we are in it to help you. Go support your local small businesses!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had friends coming in to town, I would obviously take them up through Rocky Mountain National Park. Cant come to Colorado and not see the beauty of the Rockies. We would definitely need to grab some BBQ at Smoking Dave’s. I would take them up lookout mountain for that unbelievable view of Golden and the Denver skyline. Red Rocks would be next on the list, and then heading on down to the springs for Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

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?
Yes, of course there are others in my life that have greatly contributed to my success. As Arnold Schwarzenegger has always said, “Don’t call me a ‘self-made’ man. I never would have made it in my life without help.” First, obviously my wife Nichole. If it was not for her support, I never would have made it. Its a lot to ask of your significant other when you tell them that you are considering quitting the corporate grind, leaving the stability behind, and venturing into the unknown taking on such a substantial risk. She has been with me through all of it, ups and downs. The early days of 0 members, $0 income, opening at 5am, closing at 11pm, 7 days a week, to where we are today. My parents also deserve a shout out, Bob and Sherry, as they have also supported my decisions since day 1. There is also another person that I could not have done of this without, and his name is Robert. When I initially knew I wanted to start my own business, I had no idea where to start. How do I create a business plan? How do I get a loan? Not a clue. At the time, my dad worked in the financial industry and he gave me the name of a “small business” guy to call to get started. That was the first cold call, in a line of around half a dozen cold calls that led me to Robert. I quickly found out, this isn’t 1960 anymore and you can’t just walk into a bank requesting a business loan. Robert is an independent financing broker that specializes in SBA loans for startups and small business. It was only because of him, that any of this actually came to fruition. I would also be remiss if I did mention and thank the people that are the very reason we became successful and are still here today, which of course, are all of our members.

Website: https://www.edonfitness.com

Instagram: edonfitness

Facebook: Edon Fitness and Training

Youtube: EdonFit

Image Credits
I own all photos.

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