Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Evangelista and James Shook.
Mandy and James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We started out as personal trainers and group fitness instructors. We held classes that included cardio kickboxing, high-intensity training, yoga and even fitness classes for children. Although we enjoyed teaching these classes, we wanted to help our clients to break the habit that many gym goers form — the habit of “going through the motion” for a little bit of progress, but never really seeing the big changes. We felt a program that held each person more accountable could yield better results. That’s when we decided to form Chrome Angels — a fitness competition team that also encourages anyone with a desire for self-improvement to join the team.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has not been smooth, but we made it work. We also have a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program so we were able to use it to help us foot the bill. Since we did away with all our other programs to invest time in Chrome Angels, the exodus of members who preferred the group classes affected revenue, but we knew this would only be temporary. Sure, we could have kept the other classes going as we grew our new program, but we wanted to build a program that could ultimately deliver so there was no question that our focus needed to be on Chrome Angels.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We appear to be a gym that helps people lose weight, and we may have started out as one, but we have become so much more. When we look at the results our members are showing, not just physically, but also mentally and socially, we can say confidently that we are not just in the business of helping people lose weight, we are principally in the business of helping people find happiness.
When our program first started, it was very linear. Eat this, train like this and voila, look like this. We focused just on diet and exercise. The results were good but we later discovered a way for results to be phenomenal. We noticed that those who succeeded had a positive attitude, appreciated the minor results they were making, believed they could progress and thus, more progress came. Those who did not do as well felt like they were fighting an uphill battle and focused on how far they had to go instead of how far they had come. From this, we learned that we needed to help our clients see themselves in a more positive light and guide them in setting fitness goals established through self-appreciation and self-love, not goals compelled by fear or self-deprecation. Once we added mental awareness to our existing diet and exercise program, we could clearly see its impact on the team’s overall success rate. Not only did members experience better results, the team also became more cohesive and members became more supportive of one another both inside and outside the gym.
We find it very rewarding and motivating to see someone who first walked in with their head held down now walk tall with confidence and a smile. Our clients have told us their personal relationships have gotten better, their social life has improved and even that their businesses have grown. Some have cried from happiness because they can now shop in a different section of the department store, are no longer on certain medications and can wear a bathing suit in public.
Our clients change physically but they also change mentally. Losing weight or gaining weight is one of those things that cannot be attributed to anyone other than the person that decided to make the change. Sure, information from trainers help, but it is always up to the individual to implement what they have been taught. So when someone is able to achieve a goal associated with fitness, there is a true sense of accomplishment and accomplishment leads to a higher self-esteem, which leads to confidence, which leads to better interactions with everyone in their lives, which ultimately leads to a happier life. So it is all one big circle and we are genuinely grateful to have a hand in turning the wheel. We love what we do and find it highly satisfying to help people from all walks of life find who they truly can become. We have celebrated many victories and we look forward to celebrating many more.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Not only is health and fitness a popular industry, Atlanta is a city that’s growing in health awareness. It is almost impossible to miss a gym driving down the streets of Atlanta, but what is missing is that personal connection. Although not impossible, it is difficult for larger gyms to offer what we offer. Most people are able to find the type of attention they need through personal training, but with an average hourly rate of $60 – $70 per hour, not everyone can afford personal training. Team training, as we like to call it, is a blend of group classes and personal training. It is the perfect fit for someone who would like the extra attention without having to pay personal training prices.
Pricing:
- Prices start at $145/month
Contact Info:
- Address: 5780 CH James Parkway, Suite 130, Powder Springs, GA 30127
- Website: www.chromeangelsfitness.com
- Phone: 678-983-8089
- Email: chromeangelsfitness@gmail.com
- Instagram: @chromeangelsfitnessteam
Image Credit:
Chris Ozment
Getting in touch: VoyageATL 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.
