Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Teliga.
Hi Justin, 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?
Hot Ground Gym® (HGG) was founded in 2013 and is owned by military veterans and former first responders. We have developed a first-of-its-kind place for kids to be active and fit. We use an approach that combines obstacle course-based fitness and teambuilding challenges to provide a truly unique, wholesome, and super-fun experience to kids & teens.
At HGG we pride ourselves on being the first to bring this revolutionary concept of kids programming to market. We work tirelessly to preserve the values and quality of service that have become synonymous with the Hot Ground Gym® brand. We truly love and believe in what we are doing, and invite you to become part of the “HGG Family” to experience it.
The location in Austin is the very first franchise location and came about when two Dripping Springs families were struggling to find day camps for their own children. Both families had been HGG members when they lived in Illinois and really missed being part of the HGG program after moving to Texas. The families decided to reach out to the franchise owners and, after a bit of convincing, they decided to award the families with HGG’s first franchise opportunity and first HGG gym outside of Illinois.
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?
We’ve had many hurdles along the way, everything from finding the perfect commercial space, trying to do a 5,000 sq foot build-out during August and September (with no air conditioning at the time), finding the right class schedule and offerings (as customer preferences in Austin are quite different than Illinois), and the list goes on. For both families, this was our first venture into small business ownership and although we thought we knew the amount of work we were taking on, we had no idea. Everyone was so right, as a small business owner, you are never “off the clock”. There have been so many little struggles along the way, and we feel like we are constantly pivoting (similar to parenting), but seeing the growth in our students and hearing such amazing feedback from parents makes it all worth it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Founded and owned by veterans, first responders, and teachers, who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of children in the communities they serve. Hot Ground Gym®’s first-of-its-kind programs combine obstacle courses, teambuilding challenges, “target practice” (hand-eye games), and life skills. We love what we do, and appreciate the support of our “HGG Family”.
We target physical, mental, and character growth during the pivotal childhood development stages to teach skills like resilience, cooperation, perseverance, and leadership traits.
Physical Development: The kids can become stronger, healthier, and calmer through the obstacle course fitness they experience in our gym. They are working out, and may not ever realize it.
Mental Development: The first aspect honed is a child’s discipline. They will pay attention to what is going on around them. Later they will activate their problem-solving skills to complete the course and “mission”.
Character Development: We are huge believers in “Teamwork makes the dream work” & “Many hands make light work”. We love making the kids work together to solve challenges. That’s when we get to see their leadership skills start to shine through their personalities.
We offer afterschool and homeschool friendly classes, day camps, teambuilding events, and birthday parties for kids ages 5 to 12! Our goal is to send kids home from class, tired and inspired!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
We have a very robust and thriving small business community in Dripping Springs so we do a lot of networking on social media (i.e., Facebook, Instagram) and in person at various events around town. Some of the podcasts our team enjoys include the Joe Rogan Experience, the Jocko Podcast, the Shawn Ryan show, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and more. We spend lots of hours rearranging the gym each week and a lengthy daily cleaning protocol, which allows the team to keep up on current topics.
Pricing:
- Junior Boots – Once a Week ($99/month)
- Junior Boots – Unlimited ($160/month)
- Junior Boots – 5 Session Pass ($165)
- Junior Boots – 10 Session Pass ($290)
- Junior Boots – Single Class ($35)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hotgroundgymds.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hgg.dstx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hot-Ground-Gym-Dripping-Springs/61564453829044/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hotgroundgym244
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hot-ground-gym-austin?osq=Hot+Ground+Gym
- Other: https://hotgroundgymds.com/reviews/
