MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Cole Giovannetti is one of those weekend athletes who can’t stop training, or finding different ways to train.
“I found I like to work out at high-end gyms doing different things,” the 37-year-old Red Door Wealth Management executive said. “My wife said, ‘Enough with all these gym memberships,’ but I didn’t want to stop.”
Instead Giovannetti, wife Lauren Lee Giovannetti and fellow athlete/techie Steve Kaspar started a “Gym du Jour” concept they have dubbed diversiFIT.
For $250 a month, members can have access to classes at CycleBar, Iron Tribe Fitness, Will Coleman’s Boot Camps, CrossFit Chickasaw, Hot Yoga Plus and the soon-to-open Shed Fitness in the Memphis area. Members also would qualify for four free cryotherapy sessions a month at Flow Recovery, plus perks and discounts at Pro Health Wellness Clinic, 901PT Physical Therapy, and sports nutritionist Alex Maclin.
Phase one began June 1. Giovannetti said the group had a goal to recruit 50 people for the initial run, and were halfway to that goal within two weeks.
“I basically built this concept for myself,” said Giovannetti, who has run Ironman Triathlons and recently competed in a 24-hour obstacle-course race. “And after talking to other people, we realized there was a real need for this.”
The concept is Giovannetti’s, but the execution has come from his wife and Kasper, who were part of the Fanbank startup and put the framework together.
“The model allows diversiFIT to partner with a mix of gyms who are really not competitive with each other, and allow a group of people access to those gyms at a cheaper dollar amount than if they joined each individually,” said Lauren Giovannetti, who was a local TV reporter before joining Fanbank.
The key is the app Kaspar developed, which allows members to book classes at the gyms, or sessions with the health/wellness partners.
“Fitness has always been a passion of mine,” said Coleman, who played for the University of Memphis Tigers from 2009 to 2011. “It’s something I enjoy and I’ve found it’s a way for me to help another person become a better self.”
Coleman’s day job is developing fitness-related fundraising efforts for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. But he’s been operating his boot camps three mornings a week since last October.
“We work on cardio, some strength and conditioning work and a lot of teamwork exercises as well,” Coleman said. “You try and bring a community together to have a great time through sweat equity, supporting each other and holding each other accountable.
“Cole started coming to the classes and when he came to me with the idea I got excited. It was a chance for everybody to have a piece of the pie and variety when it comes to working out and staying fit.”
Creating a community feel was one of the draws for Giovannetti, who said “these are the friends I spend much of my spare time with. You want to develop that kind of community feeling.”
The next phase in the development will be to add “gamification” to the app.
“Companies have done this with sales forces, making it like fantasy football, where you score so many points for making sales calls, or developing clients,” Giovannetti said. “With our app we hope to have it where you get points for posting photos of members working out at various gyms, or when they sign up for classes. And at the end of the month the one with the most points might win a free month’s membership fee, with smaller prizes down the line.”
For more information, go online to diversiFIT.io. Those who sign up will get a free one-week trial.