Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Mugavero.
Hi Sam, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path to the fitness industry and entrepreneurship was a bit atypical than for most. I was a two-sport athlete in college and then went to graduate school to pursue my Ph.D. in Chemistry. I had always been interested in fitness and training. After completing my Ph.D., I moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in the chemical industry and began bookending my days as a coach at a local gym while working full-time in academia. I taught for five years and then came to a crossroads where I had an opportunity to work in the fitness industry full time. At the time, my wife and I were expecting our first daughter and I couldn’t continue working both careers, so we decided to take a leap into entrepreneurship in the fitness industry. I had a business partner the first few years, but we learned quickly that we were headed in different directions and agreed to part ways. Upon parting in 2016, I opened the first Smugs Fitness facility in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta. The business grew quickly and in December 2020, our larger, second facility was opened. Additionally, in 2020, I purchased SportSight-Atlanta, a sports vision training business and brought it into our services at Smugs Fitness. Smugs Fitness offers custom fitness training for individuals, small groups, and companies and with the addition of SportSight, we provide cutting-edge vision and cognition training to individuals, small groups, sports teams, and schools.
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?
Coming from a Ph.D. in Chemistry to owning a fitness business was a windy, bumpy, and pothole-filled road with many mistakes and plenty to learn along the way. I learned business on the fly and lived by the “Never make the same mistake twice” rule. One of my earliest struggles was the decision to expand from a single-person operation to hiring coaches and creating careers for individuals. I was comfortable working on my own, training clients and earning enough money, so the decision to grow and hire was not an easy one and I made mistakes in everything from the timing of hiring to how to hire the right person. (I had some great successes too!)
And, of course, we must mention the pandemic. Many gyms struggled and/or closed during the pandemic. We experienced a few months of struggle, but we bounced back. In addition to navigating the pandemic, I had signed a lease for our second location in January 2020. Due to numerous unforeseen issues such as the City of Atlanta’s closure during the pandemic, it took almost a year to open the second location and provided me with the biggest challenge of my entrepreneurial journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Smugs Fitness LLC and SportSight Atlanta?
Smugs Fitness believes in the power of well-being to change mindsets, alter physical chemistry and perceptions, and ultimately improve our lives. We are inspired and motivated to share this outlook — to teach, train and encourage so our clients can recognize and release their own capabilities.
Smugs Fitness has an established reputation in the fitness and corporate wellness industry. We provide individuals and businesses with the tools, knowledge and training they need to live independent, long and healthy lives. No two clients are alike. Our goal is to honor differences and deliver the most effective customized plans for individuals and businesses seeking to improve health. To achieve this, we implement lifestyle changes that include fitness programming, nutritional guidance, stress management and reduction, and sleep improvement techniques to educate each participant on the positive impact of every aspect of their lives to their overall health. While many in the industry focus their energy on fitness, we provide the customer with lifestyle adjustments and complete programs with the express goal of improving their health overall. Move better, eat well, stress less and sleep more!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Many individuals deserve credit and have had a hand in helping Smugs Fitness get where it is today. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive family – my wife, siblings, parents and in-laws, uncles, and cousins all have had roles in supporting me. I’ve had many mentors both through structured programs like Start:ME Atlanta and also through relationships established during my time starting the business. I’ve had excellent staff members who believe in the vision and the mission and continue to choose to share their time, knowledge and energy with me. Friends who lent a helping hand and continue to do so, fellow business owners (many of whom are part of the Kirkwood Business Owners Association), and past/current clients all have helped shape the business and have challenged me to grow. Listing by name everyone who had a role in helping me along the way would be longer than my Ph.D dissertation and even then, I’m worried I would unintentionally miss recognizing someone. Entrepreneurship is a team sport despite what many often think. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential to foster and cherish relationships with individuals who challenge and support you and with whom you can also challenge and support.
Contact Info:
- Website: smugsfitness.com
- Instagram: @smugsfitness
- Facebook: facebook.com/smugsfitness
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/Smugsfitness
- Other: sportsightatlanta.com
