Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Gragg.
Hi Heather, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a proud Latina raised in San Antonio, Texas, where family, culture, and activity shaped me. From childhood through high school, I was all-in on sports. I was in cross country, swimming, volleyball, basketball, and track & field, while balancing academics and leadership in the National Honor Society, student council, theatre, AP Calculus Club, and the Media & Film Institute magnet program at Brackenridge High School. At The University of Texas, Austin, I majored in Radio-TV-Film and minored in Business. I cheered on the Longhorns and was involved in campus life through the Business Administration club, the Christians on Campus group, and I was a producer of Sneak Peek at Texas Student Television.
After graduating, I chased my dreams to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood. At 27, I launched my own production company – landing The Price is Right and Let’s Make a Deal as my very first clients. I spent 11 incredible years working in Hollywood, an exciting chapter full of energy and creativity. Then life shifted: I became a wife and mom, and we made the heartfelt decision to move back to my home state of Texas.
Fitness, health, and wellness have always fueled me. But nothing prepared me for how powerfully movement can change a child’s life until my own 3-year-old faced developmental delays. We joined My Gym, and the difference was incredible! The fun, engaging classes, expert coaching, and playful structure helped my son rapidly improve his fine and gross motor skills. Watching him gain confidence and joy in his My Gym class was everything. When the opportunity to own My Gym Austin came about, it felt like the perfect next chapter. I couldn’t pass it up.
Now, I get to share that same transformative experience with Austin families. My Gym is ranked #1 worldwide for children’s programs because we deliver: age-appropriate gymnastics, games, music, and adventures that build strength, agility, cognitive skills, and social abilities, all in a non-competitive, nurturing environment for kids 3 months to 10 years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In my experience, no career path is a straight line. My production company, Live Audience Photography, was my baby. The COVID pandemic killed it. The pandemic meant that audiences were no longer allowed at the studio, and California’s strict rules around COVID meant that the audiences would not be coming back for a very long time. My husband and I decided to move back to my home state of Texas, and did not intend to make the move permanent. However, I discovered My Gym Austin and, after we joined as members, learned that the business was for sale. I jumped at the opportunity because it aligned with so many of my passions.
I purchased the gym in the middle of COVID, and at the time there was a big question about whether anyone would ever be comfortable bringing their children indoors for fitness classes ever again. My Gym Austin’s enrollment dropped with each new COVID variant. The outlook was bleak for the first several months after I took over My Gym Austin. But I stayed the course, and eventually our enrollment grew to what it is today. Now I have a thriving business and I’m opening up a second My Gym in Cedar Park.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My Gym was born out of our passion to teach children in a fun, physically engaging environment. We delighted in seeing children’s eyes light up for all those incredible milestones, from the tentative first steps to tumbling down soft mats. Sharing the parents’ excitement at their children’s accomplishments was the high point of our day.
How We Started
Picture this: In 1983, three fitness enthusiasts—Yacov, Susi Sherman, and Bill Caplin—redefined children’s fitness by blending dance, gymnastics, and athletics. That’s the birth of My Gym! Their mission: create a space just for kids—no more sharing mom’s or dad’s gym, but My Gym. With backgrounds in dance, gymnastics, and athletics, they crafted a unique fitness curriculum focused on non-competitive skill building for ages 6 weeks to 14 years. Fast forward: Cory and Monique turned My Gym into a franchise sensation in 1994. The success was undeniable, growing from 100 kids to over 400 in a year. Now a global phenomenon, My Gym is consistently ranked the #1 children’s program worldwide.
Today, My Gym has over 600 locations in 16 countries, has hosted over 1.3 Million birthday parties, and there are over 3.8 Million My Gym families around the world.
My Gym Austin, My Gym Cedar Park (and soon every neighborhood in the greater Austin area) carries on this mission to create a special place for children to thrive.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
With the omnipresence of screens, children increasingly need an outlet for their energy and creativity. The influx of families moving to Austin over the past several years has only increased that need in and around our city. The emergence of AI will create a demand for authentic human interaction, so the need for neighborhood My Gym’s has never been greater. I think that the health, wellness and fitness industries will only continue to grow in the next 5-10 years. It is a business that cannot be replaced by tech.
Pricing:
- Membership: $139 per month
- Unlimited Membership: Only $29 more than a Membership
- Trial: $29 for 1 week of unlimited classes
- Drop-In Play: $19 per day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mygym.com/austin
- Instagram: @MyGymAustin
- Facebook: @MyGymAustin
- Twitter: @MyGymAustin
- Youtube: @MyGymAustin & @MyGymFun
- Other: TikTok: @MyGymAustin
