Today we’d like to introduce you to Jules Herrmann and Jason Giardino.
Hi Jules and Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We’ve always been in the fitness industry and it’s a part of our lives. For over 10+ years, Jason has been a personal trainer helping people reach their goals as well as those who want to compete in the fitness industry. One day we decided to open a gym in the neighborhood of Leander, Texas. Why not? We both loved fitness and wanted something different. There were a ton of corporate gyms out there but all had the same basic equipment. So, we set off to create a gym with “unique pieces” that you wouldn’t find in a corporate-type gym. Our goal was to be different and we are!
We started searching for a location in 2018 and while I was driving home I found the “perfect spot”, it came out of nowhere. I never took that route but one day, I decided to drive home a different way and bam, there it was. I stopped to look at the warehouses and got lucky, the owner of the property was there too so we talked for about an hour. I called Jason and he came right away. We both agreed that this was the “spot”. In April of 2019, we opened The Iron Plate Training Ground. Less than a year later, the pandemic hit and we were forced to shut down. It was a disaster and we were terrified as to what would happen next. Fortunately, we survived the pandemic. Three years later in July 2022 we expanded adding a new powerlifting section, turf, and some functional pieces. Something for Everyone.
Our goal has always been to be different. We would ask ourselves…..What would set us apart from the “other gyms”? We decided to hand-select each piece of equipment to ensure our members get the most out of each workout. We wanted advanced pieces so when you walked into the gym you would say “wow”. That was important! We also became the first gym in the area to offer “recovery services” such as localized cryotherapy, compression boots, EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) an infrared sauna & much more. We didn’t stop there. We also decided that healthy meals & smoothies would work well after a workout so we put in the ”Fuel Bar”. Each smoothie is unique, with names and ingredients that we tested out with members before we made the final decision of what we would sell. Our most popular is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Paradise. A must-have after a workout!
Our goal was to be unique, have something for everyone, and not focus on being a bodybuilding type of gym but more of a “bodies are built here” type of gym. I think we accomplished that.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was not a smooth road. We were only open around 11 months before the pandemic hit. We were forced to shut down due to Covid. It was a disaster. We didn’t think we would survive the closure being a new business but fortunately, we did and three years later we’ve expanded.
It was not an easy road. As everyone knows, starting a business is tough. It was just the two of us working the gym plus our other jobs, we were easily putting in 60 hours a WEEK and we were exhausted. Unfortunately, after the pandemic we were not in a position to hire help. So we did everything by ourselves from selling memberships, cleaning restrooms, vacuuming & mopping the entire gym and so forth. We did it all, we had no choice. It was either putting in the hours and struggle with exhaustion or lose the business. We worked way too hard to let the business go so we did what we had to do to succeed. No matter what. We didn’t have a life for about two years, it was all work but we got through it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We offer:
Recovery Services
Personal training
Contest prep
Nutrition – meal preps
Group athlete training (ex: football, baseball, etc.)
Smoothie bar
Healthy meals
Supplements
What are we most proud of? Creating a gym in the area that included a multitude of recovery services that inspired other gyms to do the same.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Jason was very outgoing always joking around. Played football and baseball and always found some way to make a dollar (lemonade stands, cutting grass, shoveling snow). Always had the entrepreneurial spirit so it just made sense he’d end up owning a business. Just like Jason, Jules always worked 2-3 jobs at a time. She always wanted more. She enjoyed sports like softball, volleyball, and water skiing and you can say she was like a tomboy growing up. She loved doing Krav Maga and started working out when she was 23 and hasn’t stopped since. Jules was a military brat & traveled all her life. She finally settled in Austin, Texas. Both Jules & Jason run other successful companies in the area.
Pricing:
- $40 month to month no contract
- $100 month to month with unlimited recovery
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theironplate.com
- Instagram: @theironplatetx
- Facebook: @theironplatetx
