Today we’d like to introduce you to Bri Franklin.
Bri, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I joined up with my current business partner, Zach Morman, at the end of 2013. We had coached together previously, and he knew he wanted to open his own gym…I was not convinced. However, I came to realize that in this industry if you have your own vision and passion for helping people, your best and often only route is to create it yourself, whether or not you feel “ready.”
Once I decided to get on board, it was an arduous process. Finding real estate in Dallas that would take a chance on two young kids opening a CrossFit gym was, in a word, daunting. Zach was tireless in his scouting and we finally chanced upon a spot right off 75 in Central Dallas, thanks to some help from former clients. After a buildout that lasted approximately four months and taught us very usable skills in construction (ha!), we opened the doors in July 2014.
It has always been about our people – we have a community that shows up daily to improve themselves, physically, of course, but also mentally. Witnessing the transformation that comes about through their willingness to put in the work and learn is one of the most humbling experiences, in my opinion. And it never gets old. We continually strive to provide the right amount of guidance, support and, well, humor. Vickery is not short of colorful personalities.
We are approaching our third anniversary, and I can say with full honesty that it has never been better. Each month brings more progress for my members and growth for our gym. It is a privilege to play a role in this journey and it would not be possible without the people who show up willing to improve themselves, our coaches who dedicate themselves to providing safe, quality instruction, and a business partner who brings business savvy, patience with my Type-A personality and the most unique and fun coaching style you’ll probably ever experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
From the beginning, we’ve had to fight for Vickery. From finding the location, to a very exhausting buildout, to advocating what was best for our members in an industry that doesn’t always cater to what is actually in people’s best interests, we’ve had to learn how to balance running a business to being softhearted pushovers.
In the end, what allows us to build a better gym for people is ensuring that our business side is developed to create the resources for our growth. We have not been immune to some of the common new business pitfalls; we’ve experienced stalls, plateaus and made some hard decisions on the back-end that we are now able to reap the benefits of and I am thrilled to see how this will affect our influence in the near future.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Vickery Athletics story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a gym that believes improved fitness, instructed in an intelligent and safe manner, has the power to improve people’s lives in every way. We are performance-based, in the sense that we believe in measuring our progress. But we are mostly behavior-based, in the sense that the wellness derived from changing a lifestyle to being active four times per week is a more powerful conduit for change than simply trying to increase a metric such as the weight you can back squat.
Every individual that walks through our doors has unique needs that we strive to assess and meet with the utmost care and dedicated experience. We believe proper implementation of assessment and education supports the journey to rich and abundant lives.
We strive to provide the tools and expertise for guiding individuals to the best state of health possible. Group classes and private training are tailored to improve physical fitness and provide education in areas such as nutrition and lifestyle, which elicit potent results time and again. CrossFit has proven its extraordinary effectiveness at producing function and fitness, and Vickery uses that methodology in a safe environment with first-class coaches.
As the boutique fitness market in Dallas bottoms out, the fitness industry will follow the same industry trends as all others; trends fade, quality remains. Gyms and fitness establishments that make people the priority (and not a fancy product) will always maintain lasting power. Any place that can address the core needs of their clients will be around for a long time.
Pricing:
- $150 Beginner’s Prep Course (3 Private Sessions that include a background/experience assessment, complete movement review and personalized nutrition/lifestyle guidance to prepare you for the group fitness classes)
- $189/month Unlimited Group Classes (31 options per week in a community that is simply fun to be around)
Contact Info:
- Address: 4411 Belmont Ave
Dallas TX 75204 - Website: www.vickeryathletics.com
- Phone: 469-828-1293
- Email: bri@vickeryathletics.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
