Meet Alex Osuna | Fitness Studio Owner and Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Osuna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It was never reinventing the wheel. I have a passion for education. The foundation of training/coaching fitness is education. We are constantly educating people on how to become healthier, how to perform movements safely and how to maximize the effects of a workout.

Though the concepts are not new, I knew that the implementation of the concepts and practices in the majority of other fitness studios could be improved upon. Not only did I want to offer the best classes for my members, but I wanted to create a co-working environment that allowed for other fitness professionals to build their own brands and businesses, while becoming available to our members so that we could be a “one-stop shop” to performance excellence.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The fitness industry is so unique because there are so many varieties and ways to support someone’s journey in health and fitness. Though we may be very similar in concept to other fitness studios offering high intensity, functional fitness classes, what sets us apart from the other facilities is that we focus on programming and environment based on our members’ needs, rather than being so fixed on a particular type of training and style. That’s what I’m most proud of: that we have created a program that in focused on the majority, while being able to be personalized to an individual based on their needs, which is why our coaches are so important in the successful implementation of our program.

I believe that our concept is advanced and so difficult to implement because there is no set product or menu. We need to be able to think on our feet, assess an individual’s needs or modifications and implement them from one class to another. It is our goal take care of each member on an individual basis to the best of our abilities and therefore the job can get quite complicated. But our coaches are great at building such great personal relationships with our members, so the longer a member is with us, the easier it is to change a workout to their needs.

So after so many years of being in this industry, there are so many lessons I have learned along the way. The main one is to always stay Member Focused. If you think about what is best for them and make business decisions based on this, then the clients will always feel like you care about them and their well being. This builds loyalty and longevity. I know that it may not be best for profit margins, but I prefer to have the peace of mind knowing that I was doing things for my members’ benefits and desires, rather than adding a few extra bucks in our pocket.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami is constantly changing and new places are constantly popping up. I’m a family man now with two young kids, Alessandra (3) and Mason (2), so my knowledge of a good time is based on what I can include them in and nightlife is a little sporadic. Therefore I may not be the best to ask for the most exciting places. Luckily I have a pool at home so most beautiful days we like to relax pool-side and enjoy the beautiful Miami weather. If I wanted to have some family fun, we usually take the kids to Zoo Miami or Pinecrest Gardens. We may be spoiled being Miami natives and take our beaches for granted, but we love going to the west coast, Marco Island, which is only an hour and a half away and feel the beaches and the sunsets there are amazing.

If we do get some help watching the kids, we love going to a new dining spots and there are plenty to choose from. We have recently tried the restaurants Klaw, Queen, Lucky Cat, Bayshore Club and Erba. All of these are fine dining, different cuisines that are all great locations for dinner.

If my friend was to come during a sports season, I would suggest going to a game. Miami sports are so much fun and aside from the Marlins, at the moment, they are all really good. The Miami Dolphins, the Miami Heat, the Florida Panthers (Stanley Cup Champs!) and InterMiami with Messi are all exciting to watch.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Nobody becomes successful in their craft or business by themselves. In terms of support, love and encouragement, my family especially my wife, Cristina Obregon-Osuna needs to be given the most kudos. Her patience and understanding was crucial to my professional growth and that of GRIT Miami. My brother, Kris Osuna, also needs to be given so much credit for assisting in the direction, managing. and success of GRIT Miami, since he has been in the forefront of the business operations since we’ve opened.

As for mentorship, holding me accountable and the main reason why GRIT Miami was able to even open its doors, all the credit goes to Darius Nevin. He is more than just a partner and investor. He has taught me so much from business to juggling professional and family life.

I must also give credit to every coach and member that has come through GRIT’s doors. We have had both that are still with us since Day One and their support is really the heartbeat of what we have created here. Even those that are not with us anymore, we have learned so much from those that have left us and has allowed us to get get better. So all-in-all who we are now is because of everyone’s impact throughout our years being open.

Website: https://www.gritmiami.com

Instagram: @gritmiami