Episode 12: Building a Fitness Community ft. Kyleen & Chris Flores from The Summit Health & Fitness

‍

Summary

In this episode of the Zipper Podcast, Chris Alto interviews Kylene and Chris Flores, owners of Summit Health and Fitness. They share their unique journey from traditional jobs to creating a mobile fitness community that emphasizes outdoor activities and personal connections. The couple discusses the challenges and rewards of building a business together, their commitment to community wellness, and the importance of following one's passion.

‍

Takeaways

Their journey into health and fitness began unexpectedly.
Nature plays a crucial role in their fitness philosophy.
Building a mobile fitness community allows for flexibility and connection.
They started with minimal resources and grew organically through word of mouth.
Community values are central to their business model.
They prioritize mental and emotional wellness alongside physical fitness.
The couple emphasizes the importance of communication in their partnership.
They offer free community workouts to encourage participation.
Their experiences shape the values and principles of their business.
They believe in the power of personal connections in fitness.

‍

Transcript

Chris Alto (00:01.114)
Hey, what's going on? This is Chris with the Zipper Podcast. Today, we're delighted to have Kylene and Chris Flores, who are owners of the Summit Health and Fitness. Thanks for coming on, guys.

The Summit Health & Fitness (00:11.917)
Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having us. Yeah, good to see you.

Chris Alto (00:16.252)
Well, let's just get into it. I know you guys have a super interesting story and very interesting backgrounds. We'd to just kick it off to you and hear a bit about your backgrounds and how you got things rolling over there.

The Summit Health & Fitness (00:29.23)
Yeah, it's kind of a crazy story. mean, just starting our health journey in general. Years ago, not really knowing where I was going to end up. finding myself particularly coming from the construction field to really trying to develop a healthier lifestyle. And then getting involved in maybe doing some fitness things on my own to going to school.

with kind of a plan B in mind. And then at some point just pulling the trigger, coming home and being like, think it's time. And to my surprise, I really felt like my wife really embraced that moment of uncertainty. it was like, you you go from being an equipment operator to all of sudden, you know, you're kind of making.

really not a whole lot starting into the fitness industry as a coach or starting to build clientele or anything of that nature. And so it was a hard, it was a hard shift, but yeah, from there just developed this doing what we love to do and really focusing our, what we do on the outdoors and putting up this mobile unit that

has really nurtured a healthy quality lifestyle but also really gives us those opportunities to connect with our community as well.

Chris Alto (02:05.466)
And then Kylie and your background too, you're a nurse, right? So how did you know this was something that you wanted to get into?

The Summit Health & Fitness (02:05.696)
Yeah.

The Summit Health & Fitness (02:12.595)
Yeah, so I think towards the tail end right before he transitioned out of being a heavy equipment operator, he had been doing his personal training certificates and fitness has always been a big piece of our world. But yeah, as a nurse, I work in an oncology clinic and there is always a pull of we do really well in the

treatment of but not great in prevention, I think as a society as a whole. So when he came home, there was this piece that was kind of...

not able to explain, I think, knowing who he is and knowing that he has no problem talking. Sitting in a piece of equipment all day by himself just wasn't nurturing his personality. So yeah, it was a piece. It was a filling void that I think I see in our community or in the world, I guess. And then knowing

again, who he was and is and just wanting him to take the leap and follow his passion.

Chris Alto (03:37.592)
I it. I think what's really cool about your model is, you talk a little bit about the mobile unit? Cause I know that you go to different places around the local area and do your group workouts. Can you talk a little bit about how your business is structured and how you landed on that as being the structure of the business versus just like a brick and mortar where everyone comes to you?

The Summit Health & Fitness (04:02.107)
I think I'll start and I'll let him jump in on this. So we are outdoor people, so we really enjoy nature. It's a part of what we do day to day just in our own lives. We do backpacking trips and are hiking any chance that we have. We believe in the benefits of nature, so that was a big piece of why we wanted to get people outside.

and was a big part of the beginnings of our company was just because we did look at brick and mortar and we did look at the option of buying a facility, but knew that in doing that it would take away from our ability to be mobile at the time. So, I'll let you... Yeah, I mean, it's been an incredible journey to really kind of piece all this together.

And I think it's naturally started taking place when you don't have a whole lot and you just make do with what you have, also understanding that we are, we...

do these backpacking trips on days on end and looking into those benefits. And so developing that whole idea of Park RX and getting people outside of these artificial environments, there's a connection that we have and it's actually the science that...

There's plenty of studies that prove that spending more time outside is beneficial mentally, emotionally, physically. So really kind of bringing these all together and then creating a way that we get people to engage in those outdoor activities.

The Summit Health & Fitness (05:50.532)
not just the fitness, we offer backpacking, offer hiking, we offer paddle boarding, we offer yoga, things outside that really help people engage so that they can look for something and still be a part of that environment. And here in Sherwood again, got Lake Michigan. It's absolutely beautiful. It's the closest thing you're gonna get to an ocean. So spending a lot of time on the lakefront has been pretty incredible, but also...

hearing the testimonies of or you know the conversations that we've had from people where they grew up they grew up here and haven't seen

half of the places that we've taken them, you know, and that's kind of crazy. They're like, I didn't know this existed. I didn't know it was here. I didn't know, you know, we had these, this, this space available to the public. that has probably been one of the, one of the things that really nurtured and pushed us forward to grow in that area was to create those experiences for and with people. so yeah, the challenge I think in the beginning of that was just, how are we going to do that? and right now, I mean,

We went from loading up the back of the pickup truck in the garage with every equipment we needed to that day, set up, tear down, pack it back up, drop it off. We did that multiple times a day.

to now where we have a designated trailer that's got everything we need. We got a truck, obviously pulls the trailer, and then we stay in one location for an entire week. And then we do, you we kind of move around within that park, within that green space, within the beach, so that we can kind of get a different sense of that same space, just maybe from a different angle or position.

Chris Alto (07:42.052)
And is that all year round or just, because imagine it's pretty cold the winter.

The Summit Health & Fitness (07:45.28)
Yeah, no, it's it's not as of now we still do workouts during the winter time outside just to just as an experience of still getting outside We do activities that are a little more winter friendly. We got snow chewing coming up We're gonna be doing hopefully we get snow to be able to do that type of stuff But we do have a space as well

So all our internal workings are when it gets cold, we have somewhere to go to and we can operate out of the building. We actually rent from one of the local churches, a nice space for us. It actually fits really well.

Chris Alto (08:28.092)
So talk a little about the process of getting started because it's really easy to have an idea and say, want to go do this. But then the execution, there's a lot of things that happen. I'm sure that you learned a lot from how did you go from coming home one day and saying, Hey, I want to do this and getting your first customers and getting things off the ground. What was that process like? And did you learn anything that you think is important to share?

The Summit Health & Fitness (08:53.718)
Well, I mean, we're not, as far as the being business owners, I don't know that we came into doing business traditionally or the traditional way. I think it just happened. When, you I worked for a couple other local fitness establishments here in town and there was a lot of experiences that weren't so good. you know,

putting a lot of time, putting a lot of effort into the belief in people, belief in what's possible or what we're capable of doing, and then ending up having to with not so, I don't know, just wasn't a very good leave.

Because there was just conflicts to some of the business type programs or the bigger programs out there where it's not really, doesn't understand that holistic view of health and fitness. So when we, know, my last time I was like, I'm just going to go back to work and jump in a dozer and just kind of, because I had been, you know, had some bad experiences that were kind of devastating. You know, I've built a lot of relationships.

built a lot of community relationships along with individual relationships and you know it was hard to kind go through that process of realizing that the place I was in wasn't a good fit and you know and experiencing some of the hurts and pains of that. So, first clients were like calling me up, people that I had known.

Apparently we had a following of sorts and I had some people call me up and they're like, not yet, don't go back yet. And they're like, hey, let's just use what you got. And I didn't have much. I'm going to tell you, I did not have much at all. I had a garage, I had a pickup truck, and I had just a few weights at home that I use for personal use.

The Summit Health & Fitness (11:06.493)
you know, as we gave it a chance and started moving forward with just getting together with people and doing some workouts, you know, it three people and five people and 10 people and, and now, you know, it's, it's kind of a...

I don't know, it's humbling to be in the place that we're in and to see the growth and development in such a short time is pretty incredible. But yeah, again, don't think we didn't have a plan to open an establishment and bring Sheboygan into...

or Bringshub in another fitness facility. I think what we just started doing was what we love to do ourselves and people really caught on to that and apparently they love to do that stuff too.

Chris Alto (12:02.62)
That's awesome. So it sounds super organic. It was just slow and then word of mouth.

The Summit Health & Fitness (12:05.117)
And it keeps like now we're building a team. We got some people on board now and we're adding another person this next couple months here, our nutrition coach. And that is like it's.

It's happening in a way that we all sit down and it just fits. It works. We don't have to, it's not forced, but it is, like you said, it's organic. And I'm not sure, I mean, it kind of blows me away in a lot of ways, because again, it's like the right people at the right time and making it through some of those challenges and just sticking with it, man. It's been quite the journey.

Chris Alto (12:52.124)
I know that you guys talk about community. What do you think about in terms of principles that you use when building community? Is there anything that you guys talk about internally where you're like, here are our values. Here's how we think about our community, or is it really just totally organic?

The Summit Health & Fitness (13:12.144)
I think this guy has a way of connecting for sure. he makes friends at any grocery store or anywhere.

Chris Alto (13:22.044)
you

The Summit Health & Fitness (13:22.64)
So I don't think it's for lack of not being able to connect on that level. I think it just that happens naturally given the person that he is. And people are drawn to that. We want community. mean, that's human desire, right? So I think just creating a space where people feel safe and feel connected.

And then we just have, know, Sheboygan's a unique community in and of itself. It has a lot of really great small businesses that have the same drive and desire to connect people and have a healthy, you know, lifestyle. So I think that also makes it really easy to be able to.

know, each other and find their strengths and pull in our strengths and be able to, yeah, coordinate some pretty cool events. you know, just, we offer yoga at discounted rates through Elevate Yoga here in town.

paddle boarding with our local surf shop EOs. So, you know, those things, we're offering things to the community that are otherwise unobtainable because there's so much costs involved to have all these different memberships and rentals and purchasing of equipment, et cetera. So I think when everybody in the community has that same mindset, we're able to offer discounted rates and encourage people to try new things.

and get outside. Yeah, and I think the values are, you know, started organically in that we're built on our experiences, right? Built on some of the not so good experiences that we've had and some of the successes that we've had, you know, the, you know, and it's really comes back to

The Summit Health & Fitness (15:23.085)
just that honor, loyalty, know, having a great respect for the people that you share space with, whether it be your home or, you know, the city or the world. And I think over time though, that those values have really taken shape and taken form in that, in that like, we're not trying to...

Actually, we're not trying to compete with other gyms. I've sent people to other gyms. I'm actually trying to connect with other gyms a little bit more. Because the truth be told, like, we don't have... This isn't everybody's cup of tea. And that's okay. You know, so we do as far as values, you know, and what we want to value is the person.

Clearly. So we do free assessments like, hey, come in, we'll spend an hour together, take you through some movements, ask you some questions, and really get to know you a little bit more to see what you're looking for. And if it's not here, maybe I can point you in the right direction. But also like, you know, free Saturdays. Every Saturday is free to the community.

So we want to keep those options available because we value getting people to experience it and without, like my wife said, all the costs, without everything that kind of gets in the way is I'd like to try that, but, you know, whereas you can walk in the door, we'll get you set up and.

You can give it try and if you really like it, let's go for it. If not, then how can we help you find what you are looking for? Because there's a lot of questions, especially right now in the health industry. I think there's a shift happening to being a little more proactive on your health. And I think that's kind of creating some momentum. I think that's stirring things up for people to start advocating for themselves a little bit more than just kind of go to the doctor and have

The Summit Health & Fitness (17:24.891)
them give them the answers. So our hope in building community and building those values is you know is to you know

offer our clients or the people of Sheboygan, you know, those resources to, you know, acknowledge to just, you know, the people that they need to see or the programs or whatever it might be, but really building on that connection. And I think from a big standpoint to a small standpoint, right? I mean, we want to do that internally for each other as well. Our team is so different. We are, we are like,

polar opposites sometimes, embracing our differences has been one of our greatest assets, I believe, internally and externally, is understanding we are different. And that's what makes us strong, if we can unify that somehow, some way, some shape, some form, even if it is another gym, because our purpose isn't to, we're not here to be the best or make all the money in the world, we're here to...

to really help people and do what we love to do.

Chris Alto (18:36.986)
Love it. And talk to me a little about building a business with a spouse. So that's something that's pretty unique and pretty interesting. Do you guys have any lessons learned there or things that... It's amazing. Everyone loves it. Everyone should do it.

The Summit Health & Fitness (18:46.004)
I mean, you know, I think I think it's it has its challenges, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that.

Timing is huge, right? There are some dynamics that we really had to have a conversation with on the front end of this is are we both ready? Super important because if she's not ready, then this is never gonna work. And most likely it's gonna end in us maybe not getting along, maybe even divorce, who knows? And that's the last thing that like.

Even this isn't worth that. I think there's a healthy balance. It's probably the biggest challenge, right? Is remembering those balances, or remembering that balance and how fragile that is. granted, there are seasons that we get a little more busy than others, but I think we need to come back to those. Again, even talking about the values, coming back to those things. So.

There's nothing like going through some of the growing pains and having a spouse that believes in the same thing you do say, Hey, like, let's keep going. Let's get up. Let's keep moving. Let's, let's, let's do this. We got this, you know, keep believing, keep pushing, just take one day at a time. Right. Those are all phenomenal things. And those are the things I value the most. but at the same time, there's a lot of challenges too, that you really need to work with.

you know, as far as just making sure that you're both on the same page and communication and, you know, understanding that, you know, there are times where I don't have a lot to give at the end of the day that, you know, I still need to make that time up somewhere. You know, I'm not adding time. I can't add time. I need to take something away somewhere else down the road or...

The Summit Health & Fitness (20:55.149)
at least stop and be willing to listen to where she's at and vice versa. I think that's been one of the greatest assets is, is, you know, seek to understand and then seek to be understood. It's kind of something that we value quite a bit, you know, because there's two sides all the time. There's, there's things she's going through. I don't know about that day and vice versa. So for us to slow down and say, Hey, like, let's check in what's going on, you know, or I felt this way today, you know,

and understanding that some of those things aren't necessarily a direct dig or it's meant to be deceitful, but it's just maybe taken that way or that's the way the day's playing out. So being able to kind sift through those things and not get bitter or angry about it, but be very open about it, those are the different challenges.

And you know there's some decisions I made on the front end with buying equipment for a while there that's like, let's little, let's pucker up on that one a little bit, know, let's relax. again, I wouldn't have it any other way because I mean, know, our differences have really complemented one another long term. So yeah, I mean, it's.

Yeah, it's definitely a challenge, but I think it's the most rewarding thing in the world as well. So I think it's worth it. Yeah, I think there's the unique perspective of just, you know each other so well, right? So, you you know where each other's weaknesses are and where the strengths are and where...

there's areas of challenge and need for growth. And I think that that has been very evident in the startup of this because as we mentioned, right, like our goal when he left and the piece that I had when he left his job wasn't necessarily to start a business. It was at that time to pursue a dream, not realizing that this was the dream.

The Summit Health & Fitness (23:03.074)
But I think, again, knowing each other well enough to identify that this is a dream of his, this is who he is, this is his passion and where his gift lies. And then also, I think he's really good at protecting me because I...

you know, I work a full-time job outside of this. So it can become overwhelming or consuming at times to make sure that all of those pieces are in place. And so I think he does a really good job at protecting me, knowing that I will continue to jump in and do all of this. And he's just like, don't you stick to your lane here. And we have other people for that. And so that's been the

perspective, which I don't think you always get, you know, without that deeper intimate relationship coming into it.

Chris Alto (24:00.252)
Yeah, the strong communication and aligning upfront on expectations seems to make a lot of sense. I think it's also great that you guys have such, I mean, from an outside perspective, such complimentary skill sets like Kylie and you have the most beautiful spreadsheets you've ever seen. then Chris obviously is the personality behind everything. it's really cool to see from the outside perspective of you being able to build a business together as a husband and wife, because there's risk there.

The Summit Health & Fitness (24:29.526)
Mm-hmm.

Chris Alto (24:30.236)
It's amazing. Great, well anything else that you would want to share, whether it be lessons learned, advice for other folks who might be thinking about starting something or might be in the thick of it where you all are.

The Summit Health & Fitness (24:47.924)
I mean, I think for me, it's...

One of those things where think sometimes you just have to, you have to put your dream into motion. I think there is, you know, fear and there are things that are put on the line in a sense when you're...

following your passion, but also knowing that, you know, the worst that can happen is that you fail. But the best that can happen is that you are able to reach a lot of lives. And I think if you can remember that at the end of the day, it's cool to see that piece. And I think for us, our children get to see that as well, right?

They've seen us go through all of the steps and leave a good paying job to pursue something and basically start over, right? And they had to live through those pieces. But it tells a really great story to them at the end of the day as well. Yeah, I mean, for me too, the patience of allowing things to happen the way they are and because you can burn out.

I mean, you can burn out, can, I mean, even mentally, know, wishing yourself in a place that maybe you're not ready for yet. And that was hard for me because I wanna keep working and I wanna keep moving and I wanna create the best experience I can. You know, and then looking at our, what we were a year ago to where we are today, it's pretty incredible. And I'm like, man, we did that that way? You know, so embracing that you can do.

The Summit Health & Fitness (26:35.145)
amazing things with what you have. And it doesn't have to be a lot because I don't, my biggest lesson in all of it, especially in this, is people didn't necessarily care as much as I thought they did about the equipment, about the location, about the looks of things. They cared about how they felt when you showed up. They cared about not just the fitness stuff.

or not coming in and then having to leave, they cared about the fact that you became a part of their lives. And sometimes that part of their lives is the best part ever, right? Or the best part of the day sometimes. And those are just the key things that, I I hope that we can really strive for that mental aspect, that emotional aspect, obviously in a safe perspective, but that mental and emotional just as much as the physical.

because all of it tied together. Like you can't just come to a workout program or a facility and get healthy. You know, it's very dynamic. It's very holistic. It needs to be recognized. It needs to be explained. But I think you get there by showing up, by being present with the person, getting to know the person, and doing that and really connecting with

regardless of where you are or what you have. And I'm going to tell you, that was a huge struggle for me in the beginning because I went from these gyms that had almost everything else and then a squat rack, a cable machine, and like one kettlebell. You know what I mean? So like, you're like, what? I'm going to do nothing with this, you know? But at the same time, again, people kept showing up. And I'm super grateful.

Super honored to be to be in these places, you know, I don't know that's For me it's just kind of

Chris Alto (28:49.114)
You guys get a maybe a phone call coming through or something. Okay, it's all good. We'll just cut it out.

Sweet. Amazing. Well, you guys are clearly building something special and a very important part of the Sheboygan community. So I'm sure a lot of people are going to be excited to hear the story and thanks so much for spending some time to share it.

The Summit Health & Fitness (29:11.12)
Yeah, thank you for having us, Chris. Yeah, absolutely. This is fun. So thank you for also being a part of that process. I yeah, it's been cool to learn and have you guys around with us too. mean, you guys do really good at the communication and touching base with us. And I think that's a good connection. You guys make it very personal. So thank you for that.

Chris Alto (29:40.708)
Yeah, absolutely. Great. Well, thanks so much for coming on, Kylene, Chris of Summit Health and Fitness in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. We will talk to you guys soon. All right. See you. Bye.

The Summit Health & Fitness (29:51.037)
All right, have a good one. Bye, Chris.

‍

‍