Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay Gaskill.
Kay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My husband and I started out as silent investors when we first opened Zyn22 five and a half years ago. The CEO at the time and I were friends from our college days at Baylor, where I cheered. He said to me, “Hey, with all of your cheer and dance background, you should instruct for us!” So I said, why not! I was retired from my real job at Southwest Airlines and was super excited to not only invest in a start-up but to go through training and become an instructor seemed like a dream, a new path! So I passed our very intense training program and began to instruct on a part-time basis. I really had no intention of participating in the actual business side of things, but I think because I have an accounting background, was outside of my mid-twenties, i.e., on the mature side – ha!, and had worked in the corporate world for many years, I became a natural resource for our staff and studios when they needed help, had questions or just a level head.
Fast forward to Feb 2019, we transitioned CEO’s and went from 4 to 2 studios, as I believe we had tried to expand too quickly. As I had been with the company since we started and had a business background, I was asked to assist the new CEO with closing our two struggling studios and focusing on getting our two current studios back to good financial health. In September 2019, our new CEO resigned, and I stepped in full time on a “temporary” basis, and here I am. I stepped in with no salary, as we were not in a position to pay me. But I stepped in for all of the reasons that people love Zyn22. I love our team, what we stand for, our workouts, and our clients. We have battled through so many challenges to still be here. And in the last three months, things have become even tougher. But all of us at Zyn22 truly believe that we only get stronger by facing life’s challenges… TOGETHER! We would not still be here without our amazing employees and our loyal Zyn22 clients.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are no smooth roads in the fitness industry… ask anyone that has owned or managed a fitness facility. It’s the industry that never sleeps… we are here seven days a week, beginning at 5:30 am until 7:30 pm. Alarm clocks don’t go off, instructors have car trouble, marathons, parades or protests block roads to get to classes, the wifi goes out, nearby construction cuts off your electricity with no warning, and finally, you are mandated to close for two months due to a new virus in town. YES… we’ve had many struggles along the way. In the first two years, expanding too quickly was the big one. Expenses got way out of hand quickly. We are still paying the price for that one.
To have to cut expenses and employee payroll when everyone thinks things are going well, (I mean if we are expanding, things MUST be going well, right?) is like asking everyone to give back their iPhone Xs in exchange for a flip phone, but you still have to pay the price of the iPhone. Something like that. It was extremely difficult to close two locations. We had to let some of our team members go, as well as let down our community. Zyn22 is more than just a spin class… it truly becomes family. We lost a lot of family with two closings. And as of late, the unrest and anxiety in our communities as a result of COVID and protests has definitely posed additional challenges. BUT… I am so proud to be a member of the Zyn22 family because they always find a way to rally! And to keep battling through these challenges… TOGETHER!
We’d love to hear more about Zyn22.
I took some information from our website, as I feel it sums it up pretty well. We offer one modality in our Uptown studio, and we call it our signature ZYN Ride. Our ZYN Ride is a 45-min, full-body workout on the bike. We pedal to the beat of the music and cool lighting, with hills, jogs, sprints and choreography that will not only engage and strengthen every muscle group but the mind and our soul as well. Zyn22 is indeed a boutique fitness/spin studio, but we believe we are way more than that. We are a fearless trYbe of people at all fitness levels that come to classes to encourage each other, push each other to new levels, and lift each other up, all in the name of sweat. We become a community, a family. Every class can be tailored to the exact challenge you want and need. Your first ZYN Ride class is free, so show up, move your body, and do better than yesterday. We like to say it never gets easier. You just get stronger!
I am most proud of our employees, our Team, and I believe they are what set us apart from others. They truly love this place and it shows. They love our clients and it shows. They will know your name, your shoe size and your favorite bike number in the matter of a couple of days. Our instructors are the best in the industry, hands down, and they love their peeps! Our employees make us who we are… special.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe the quality that is most important to our success is again, our people, our Team. They make our clients feel welcome. They are helpful. They go above and beyond to provide an amazing experience. Our instructors are top-knotch but real and friendly at the same time.
Contact Info:
- Address: Uptown: 3858 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Ft. Worth: 3236 West 7th, Ft. Worth, TX 76107 - Website: zyn22.com
- Phone: Uptown: 972-803-5252
- Email: zynfo@zyn22.com
- Instagram: @zyn22
- Facebook: ZYN22
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