Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat & Sheila Cornelius.
Hi Pat & Sheila, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband, Pat, and I had been looking at different franchise opportunities for several years and had not been able to find the right business model that aligned with our interests and budget. As soon as we heard the franchise presentation for D1 Training, we both knew it would be the best choice for us for a business investment given our love for sports and our desire to serve our local Sandy Springs community. We loved the idea of investing in a business that could have such a positive impact on the lives of others.
D1 was unlike any boutique fitness business that we had ever seen. Serving both kids and adults allows us to have a very broad audience. We offer sports fitness training for kids as young as 7 and all ages beyond. The great thing is you don’t have to play sports to join D1. People join our facility for many different reasons. Some adults are looking for a new fitness routine or a place that can help them lose some weight and get back in shape. Some people are looking for personal training to help them reach a big goal they have set for themselves. Some of our members are former collegiate athletes that want to be challenged and continue to train like they did when they were in school. Other people come to D1 for their mental health and just enjoy the sense of community that we have formed here.
We have youth athletes that just need some extra physical exercise each day or need to work on coordination and proper running technique. We offer training for all types of athletes and we are not sport-specific. However, if you are involved in athletics, having a place like D1 to reinforce your training, build up your strength and sharpen your skills will definitely give you a competitive edge, both on and off the field. I can see the way this program is changing the kids that come here consistently. Their confidence has increased and they are getting faster and stronger every week. We provide testing and assessments to have measurable data to track progress. Pat and I would have loved for our kids to have had a place like D1 to train at when they were playing sports in school.
We just celebrated our one-year business anniversary on June 26. We are proud to be a part of the Sandy Springs community and hope to continue to build lasting relationships with more schools, sports teams, businesses and residents of this area and other local communities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to opening a brick and mortar business has many challenges. Finding the right location is a very long, tedious process. It actually took us over two years to get the doors open once we signed our franchise agreement. Then, the buildout took longer than expected due to some unforeseen construction challenges that had to be resolved before we could put down the turf.
Also, D1 Training is new to the area, so we have some brand awareness obstacles to overcome in the community. No one really knew what we were all about, at first, but hopefully, we can continue to build up our brand recognition and more people will learn about this elite training facility.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Pat and I come from very different professional backgrounds and are new to the boutique fitness industry. Pat is a graduate of Auburn University and was a successful sales representative for Jostens for 28 years in the metro Atlanta and north Georgia area. He worked in the printing and publishing division and helped hundreds of schools design their yearbooks each year. He currently works for Legacy Studios as National Sales Manager, in addition to helping oversee things at D1.
My background is in retail merchandising and culinary arts. I am a graduate of the University of Georgia. I worked at the Atlanta Gift Mart for many years in sales and visual showroom design before deciding to pursue a second degree in Culinary Arts. I love catering small events for people and preparing food for all types of occasions. I also like to incorporate healthy food options into wellness events at D1. In addition, I am a director for Isagenix health & wellness products. I got involved with Isagenix in 2015 as a product user and quickly realized the importance of proper nutrition and the huge role it plays in our overall wellbeing. I continue to grow my business by sharing product information with others and selling this elite line of health and wellness products at our D1 facility.
Juggling multiple business ventures has been very challenging for both of us. However, I think most people have some sort of side hustle or additional part-time job these days. The key is staying focused and organized. Time management is crucial to getting everything checked off the list.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the fitness industry, in general, has changed a lot since Covid. People suddenly had more time to slow down and focus on their health. I think that a lot of people have realized that having a holistic approach to fitness helps with more than just physical strength. It also helps with reducing stress and provides many benefits for better mental health.
Self-care seems more popular than ever because we had time to stop and think about the amount of stress we were putting our bodies through on a daily basis. I think more people are conscious of mental well-being and ways to help deal with stress. I love seeing more people out walking and exercising outdoors. People seem obsessed with apps and wearable technology to track and record their steps, their sleep, their food consumption, etc. to help them stay fit.
More people realized that they could get in a great workout at home by finding online fitness training resources when many gyms were shut down. I think this has created a new market for personal training and virtual training that didn’t even exist five years ago.
Also, I think that strength training is having a moment and will continue to increase in popularity as more people gain a better understanding of the movements and relationship to overall wellness. We all want to find the best way to look and feel our best. The same answer does not apply to everyone so we all just have to find what works best for us.
Pricing:
- We offer a FREE workout to anyone that wants to try a group fitness class at D1. Just call to get on the schedule.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.d1training.com/sandy-springs
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d1sandysprings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/d1trainingsandysprings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/d1_sandy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5lKP8K8wkVGdv3Oo_clHpA/featured
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/d1-training-sandy-springs-sandy-springs-2
