Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Martinez.
Hi Robert, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am a father, grandfather, husband, business owner, and an avid dog lover. My three fur babies all huskies named Klondike, ten-year-old, and Olly a six-year-old, and Wonomi three-year-old. All three are rescues. I have always been a fitness enthusiast from a very young age. I started at the Albuquerque Boys & Girls Club as a basketball player and a Little League baseball player. I also played football for Highland High School in Albuquerque New Mexico, graduated in 1983. Went to College in New Mexico. I made the move to San Diego, California in 1995, where I discovered Triathlon competitions, a multisport event that includes swimming, cycling, and running; Muay Thai sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques.
24 years ago, I suffered a stroke. Yes, I am also a Stroke Survivor. The trauma of the stroke has shaped my life in ways I was not prepared for. After a stroke, the life you once had is changed forever, and the journey to create a new way of living has influenced every aspect of my life. This has strengthened and propelled my journey of fitness, nutrition, and a positive lifestyle. In 2000 I was ready to run The Los Angeles Marathon, which was my first full marathon run after the stroke. To date, I have competed in over 19 running competitions, improving my time with each race.
In June of 2006, my wife, Jennifer, and I moved to Dallas Fort Worth, and bought our first home. Jennifer and I became members of 9Round 30Min. Kickbox Fitness and students of KRAV MAGA disciplined in a combination of techniques sourced from Boxing and Muay Thai, along with realistic fight training.
I have worked in the Finance and Mortgage Servicing industry for over twenty-three years until May of 2018 when I decided to leave the corporate world to become an Owner and Operator at 9Round 30 Min. Fitness Kickbox Fitness studio in Coppell, Texas. Our grand opening was February 2019.
Alright, 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?
It was June of 1998; Jennifer and I started dating. She had no idea at the time we would embark on a journey, and less than four months later on September 18, 1998, I had a Stroke, and the journey began. While at work on September 18, 1998, at the age of 33, my life was suddenly changed. The morning started off like any other, and I arrived at work in the early morning. At first, I started to feel dizzy, then I couldn’t stop sweating, and I felt like I was burning up on the inside. I was a healthy man. Ate clean, ran, swam, rode a bike, and lifted weights regularly. My first thought was I had a cold or flu. I remember tuning my head to see who was walking behind me, and I heard a “pop” in my neck – the same sound that is common while stretching or adjusting. I quickly found out this was not a normal “pop.” The sound I heard in my neck was a dissection of the artery in my neck. I was diagnosed with Wallenberg Syndrome. The inner lining of the artery on the right side of my neck dissected. It was told to me that the tare blocked blood flow to my brain.
After I heard my neck pop not only was I having problems with my body temperature, but I was also having difficulty walking and maintaining balance. I somehow managed to drive myself home.
I was home asleep in bed by 10 am, and I woke up to Jennifer shaking me to wake up (to my surprise, I thought it was 5 pm not 2 hours later that same morning). Jennifer later told me that she had a feeling something was really wrong. When Jennifer woke me, we quickly noticed I was dizzy, unable to walk, and had Nystagmus of the eyes, which is rapid eye movements. I also had paralysis and numbness on the right side of my face and the left side of my body. Everything seemed tilted or off balance, and felt like I was on a carnival ride.
Jennifer drove me to the hospital and wheeled me from the car to the Emergency Room on a wheelchair. We were told it was going to be a lengthy wait. Luckily a nurse came by and asked me what was wrong with me. I slurred “I do not know” he asked me to open my eyes and saw that my eyes were rapidly moving back and forth – a sign of brain trauma. I was immediately wheeled into the ER with half a dozen doctors and nurses franticly getting me into a cold room to address the traumatic symptom the nurse discovered in the waiting room.
A few hours later, I was diagnosed with a stroke. I was told by three doctors that I would never be able to walk again without assistance, much less run. They told me I would have long-term neurological problems and that the paralysis may be permanent.
I was later moved the San Diego Rehabilitation Institute to begin months of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I had to relearn the functions we all take for granted. It was a very humbling and terrifying moment to think that my short time on this earth was changed forever.
Being a stroke survivor has prepared me for things to come. We opened 9Round 30 Minute Kickbox in 2019. In March 2020 we were ordered by our Governor to shut down due to the spread of COVID-19. We have 76 Cancelations since mid-March. That was more than half of my membership base.
Roughly a loss of $83K in lost sales since the pandemic.
As we navigate through the cancelation request:
Good afternoon, Robert I am needing to cancel my membership for financial reasons – lost my job due to COVID-19 layoffs.
Hi Jennifer, I need to cancel my membership. I no longer live in Dallas since I lost my job and had to relocate due to COVID.
Hi Robert, I lost my job due to COVID-19 layoffs – thankfully, I just started with a new company, but sadly it’s just too far of a drive from Coppell now. I will need to cancel my membership.
The pandemic bruised us, but it did not knock us out, we are rebuilding our member base one member at a time. We are blessed to have members that supported Jennifer and I during the pandemic. Paying full membership dues even if we were closed. These are the 9Round Heroes!
To add to my journey in October 2022, I became a HIPPIE-lol. I had a Total Hip Replacement on my left hip.
20 years of Running, Kickboxing, and KRAV MAGA had its effects on my hip. I started experiencing hip pain about 6 years ago. At first, it was simple stiffness and soreness after a workout. It slowly progressed into a limping pain in my left hip while doing something as simple as walking the dog or climbing stairs. I found myself asking my trainer in the studio to demonstrate kicks in class because I couldn’t whip out that “round kick” without wincing. I went to see Dr Fuller at Ortho-Texas. Looking at the X-rays, he said I’d eventually need to have my hip replaced, but in the meantime, I opted to have Fluoroscopy (live X-ray) is commonly used in hip joint injections for guidance in properly targeting and placing the needle in the hip joint. The first two lasted 6 months (got me through the pandemic) the next 4 injections on lasted 5 weeks. I was then told by my doctor that I have a choice live with pain or live without pain. Best decision I ever made was to get a total hip replacement.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
If you are not familiar with 9Round, permit me to highlight why 9Round is unique to the fitness industry: No set class times, the circuit format means you are never late.
Workout changes daily, you are never bored!
Trainer Included, you will be guided and motivated!
9Round combines a total body kickboxing circuit workout with heart rate Technology and nutritional support (access to an online nutritional portal for diet/meal planning based on your age, height, and weight, optimizing results with expert tips and recipe ideas).
Each 30-minute session is led by a trainer and can be tailored to an individual’s fitness level.
Membership includes unlimited sessions.
What do I do? I run a business.
Running a business is hard. What they do not tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid-back people like me.
People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore. You have to worry about if you forget to email, forget to respond to a text or call someone back are they going to think it was on purpose? Will they hold that against you? Will they give you a bad Google review and/or spread the word in the community of bad customer service.
Starting up and running a successful business puts incredible strain on personal lives and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work-life balance.
You need to be the owner, operator, trainer, customer service, human resources, accounts receivable, CPA, the admin, the marketing team, the cleaning service. All whilst being a parent, a husband or a wife, family support, and friend.
There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in small businesses after 5-10 years.
If we are successful, we are overwhelmed.
It takes a toll. It’s exhausting. BUT THIS IS WHAT I DO!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There is no question that two years was a tough one but based on what I see and read, the future of the fitness industry still looks promising. As mental health and cardiovascular disease, and the obesity epidemic continue to rise, the industry will play an increasingly important role in the health of global populations. Fitness businesses that adapt to meet this challenge should find security over the long term. There are several fitness trends I see that have been consistent over recent years. Functional training, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT – like my 9Round Kickbox Fitness studio), and a shift towards holistic wellness all look set to stay for the foreseeable future.
While 2021 saw a new wave of digital trends (online and virtual training both made the top 10), 2022 trends reflect a return to previously popular activities. Wearable tech reclaimed the #1 spot, followed by home gyms, outdoor exercise, and free weights.
On-demand fitness services such as 9RoundNOW. 9RoundNOW offers collection of kickboxing themed workouts, so you can crush your fitness goals from anywhere your devise takes you – no equipment required. Each workout includes a dedicated trainer on screen to help you through every exercise. can
Nielsen survey found that 81% of Millennials exercise or would like to, vs. only 61% of Boomers. For this reason, Millennials have caught the attention of boutique studios, wearable developers, and equipment manufacturers.
The rise of boutique studios looks set to continue throughout 2022 and beyond. Now more than ever, people are looking for the sense of community that boutique clubs typically provide. They’re perfectly positioned to service Millennial members, offering personalized training and unique fitness experiences.
9Round gives you an outlet to compete against yourself — and get stronger with every workout. Wherever you are on your fitness journey, you will feel at home in our intimate boutique studios. 9Round includes everything you need: a full-body workout that’s fast, effective, and fun… personal trainers to help you… and expert nutritional guidance. And it is all based on the latest exercise and nutritional science. 9Round is more than the 30 minutes you spend pushing yourself. It is the pride of knowing you did something hard. It is the satisfaction of learning a new skill and seeing progress. It is the community fighting alongside you every day. 9Round builds confidence that you carry with you every minute of every day.
What I like about this the of workout is that you see MIND-BODY RESULTS. 9Round’s kickboxing program makes you feel good inside and out. Boost your endurance, promote heart health, release endorphins, relieve stress, burn calories, improve sleep, sweat out toxins, build lean muscle.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.9round.com/locations/tx/coppell/denton-tap-rd
- Instagram: @9round_coppell_dentontap
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/9roundcoppell
- Other: www.9Round.com
