PumpFit is becoming a fitness phenomenon in South Florida with members driving up to 1 hour to attend PumpFit’s one hour HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) program. PumpFit has even been converting many diehard CrossFit fans over to their training program. PumpFit is not bootcamp, not CrossFit, it’s a whole new monster that is transforming the lives and bodies of Fort Lauderdale residents. We sat down with PumpFit owner Paulo Barreto to learn more about their growth and challenges over the past 6 months.
How did PumpFit start?
PumpFit started in 2014 as a bootcamp style class coached by Hannah Eden every Sunday at Nikki Beach in South Beach. In a few months, Hannah began coaching the same style class in a CrossFit gym in Fort Lauderdale. With only 3 classes a week, she managed to create a strong following and even convert a few Crossfit athletes to join her workouts. With high attendance and great feedback, Hannah quickly invited her husband, and coach, Paulo Octavio to join her team and help evolve and develop the current program she had started. In the next few months, more classes were added to the schedule and more members decided to join. In December 2015, after developing a strong membership base, they decided to pull the trigger and move to their very own brick and mortar location in Fort Lauderdale. PumpFit Club now offers high intensity full body workouts in a structured interval training setting that goes far beyond the beaten path of circuits and stations. Its boutique upscale facility hosts group sessions that combine intense cardio with resistance training to create the ideal metabolic demand for effective long-term fat loss and overall conditioning. It is a place to break down boundaries you never thought possible and transform mind and body through fitness.
How far do a majority of your customers travel? We’ve heard stories of members traveling all the way from Boca Raton (30 miles) a day. What do you think keeps customers coming back day after day?
The majority of our members are Fort Lauderdale locals, although there are a few who commute every single day from Boca Raton and even Weston to attend our classes. The backbone of our Club is our coaching style. In simple raw words, “We give a sh*t!”. We are committed to push and motivate our members to achieve what they never thought possible. We sweat with you during every class. We get down to the floor and finish those last few reps with you, side by side. We understand the change is hard to be achieved alone, and for that reason we created a Club where you can join like-minded people and transform mind and body. The first step is coming in.
You’ve established great partnerships with the local businesses and even huge brands like Reebok One and RSP. Do you have any advice for other fitness clubs regarding how to obtain these partnerships?
KNOCK ON DOORS! Nothing is ever handed to you. Ask for it. Then ask again. Create a brand value that goes beyond the tangible product that everyone offers. If you believe enough in what you do, work hard and make others believe in it too!
PumpFit uses many online marketing tactics to reach potential new members online. What do you consider the most effective marketing technique?
The most effective marketing effort we currently have in our hands is what we like to call “online hooks”. Our brand is visible on every social media platform reaching thousands based on the demographics around us. With only one click, everyone can sign up for a free class. Then, all you have to do is pick up the phone and call.
If you could give one piece of marketing advice to a gym, CrossFit, bootcamp or any personal training program what would it be?
INVEST. Don’t be naive enough to believe your product is better than your competitors’ and that everyone will simply flock to your door. You need to dedicate a budget for your Marketing or your business will fail.