Why I'm Grateful COVID Nearly Killed My Business
Look, I know that sounds crazy. Who in their right mind would be grateful for a pandemic that decimated their industry and nearly put them out of business?
But hear me out.
Three years ago, if you told me that a global crisis would force me to completely reimagine my gym and that I'd come out the other side actually running a better business... I'd probably have laughed and offered you a free training session because clearly you needed to work out some delusions.
Yet here we are.
The Wake-Up Call I Didn't Know I Needed
When the lockdowns hit in March 2020, I was running what I thought was a pretty successful gym. We had decent membership numbers, the usual mix of group classes, personal training, and that constant hustle that us small business owners know all too well.
Then boom. Doors closed. Revenue? Gone overnight.
I remember sitting in my empty gym at 2 AM, staring at the equipment and wondering if I'd ever see my members again. The silence was deafening. No weights clanging, no music pumping, no energy. Just me and a whole lot of uncertainty.
But you know what? That silence forced me to listen. Really listen.
To my own thoughts, to what my business was actually telling me, to the clients who reached out during those first few weeks. And what I heard changed everything.
The Crisis Mirror Effect
Here's something nobody talks about: crises don't create your problems – they just reveal them.
Before COVID, I was so busy putting out daily fires that I never stepped back to see the bigger picture. I was like that coach who's so focused on the next play that he misses the fact his entire game strategy is flawed.
The pandemic held up a mirror, and honestly? I didn't love what I saw.
I saw a business that was spread too thin, trying to be everything to everyone. I saw a team structure that made no sense. I saw myself complaining about being "too busy" while simultaneously not making the kind of impact or income I wanted.
Most importantly, I saw that I'd lost touch with what actually mattered.
Four Hard Lessons That Saved My Business
1. Less Can Actually Be More (If You Do It Right)
When we couldn't pack 30 people into our group classes anymore, I panicked. How could we survive with smaller groups?
Turns out, smaller groups were exactly what we needed.
We pivoted to semi-private sessions – 3 to 5 people max. And you know what happened? Our revenue per square foot actually increased. Our client satisfaction scores went through the roof. Our coaches weren't burning out from managing massive classes.
Think about it: Would you rather have 30 people paying $20 each for a session they're kinda getting value from, or 5 people paying $40 each for something that genuinely transforms them?
The math is simple, but the mindset shift? That took the pandemic to force.
Question for you business owners reading this: What are you doing at scale that might actually work better at a smaller, more focused level?
2. Your Mindset is Your Most Important Business Asset
I used to think mindset talk was fluffy nonsense. Give me spreadsheets and systems any day.
COVID taught me I was dead wrong.
When everything fell apart, the only thing that kept me going was getting my head right. I had to stop focusing on what I'd lost and start seeing what I could build.
Before the pandemic, I'd complain about being too busy. After nearly losing everything, I swore I'd never complain about being busy again. Perspective is everything.
I started practicing gratitude daily. Not the Instagram-worthy kind, but the real deal. Grateful for the clients who stuck with us. Grateful for the team members who took pay cuts to keep us afloat. Grateful for the opportunity to rebuild better.
This wasn't just feel-good stuff – it directly impacted my decision-making. When you're operating from gratitude instead of fear, you make better choices.
3. Play to Your Strengths (Even When "Experts" Say Don't)
Here's where I'm gonna get a bit controversial.
There's this trend in business coaching that says you should remove yourself from the day-to-day operations completely. "Work ON your business, not IN it," they say.
COVID taught me that's not always right.
When I had to rebuild my team, I realized something: I'm actually really good at training people. My clients love working with me. It energizes me and keeps me connected to what we're really doing here.
So instead of following the "expert" advice to get off the training floor, I built a hybrid model. I train clients for part of my day and handle business stuff the rest of the time.
Is it more complex? Sure. But it plays to my strengths and keeps me grounded in the actual service we provide.
Your turn: What are you doing (or not doing) because some business guru told you that's the "right way" – even though it doesn't feel right for YOUR situation?
4. Crisis Reveals Your Real Community
This one honestly surprised me the most.
When we reopened with limited capacity and had to raise prices to survive, I expected to lose a bunch of members. Instead, something incredible happened.
Our core community rallied around us like I'd never seen before. People pre-paid for months of training. Members referred their friends specifically to help us out. Some clients even invested in new equipment for the gym.
COVID didn't just reveal who our real community was – it strengthened those relationships in ways I never could have planned.
The clients who stuck with us during the worst of it? They're still with us today. They've become not just members, but advocates and friends.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Survival
Here's what I wish someone had told me before all this happened: sometimes you have to nearly lose everything to figure out what actually matters.
I was so caught up in the metrics and the hustle that I'd forgotten why I opened a gym in the first place. I wanted to help people get stronger, feel better, and build confidence. Everything else was just noise.
COVID stripped away the noise.
When you can only work with five people at a time, every interaction matters more. When your revenue drops by 70%, every dollar has to count. When your team shrinks, every person has to be the right person.
These constraints didn't hurt my business – they saved it.
What This Means for You
Look, I'm not saying you need a global pandemic to improve your business (please, no more pandemics). But I am saying that the principles I learned can work in any challenging situation.
If you're running a business right now, ask yourself:
- What are you doing at scale that might work better with more focus?
- Where are you following conventional wisdom that doesn't actually fit your situation?
- Who is your real community, and how can you serve them better?
- What constraints could you voluntarily adopt that would force you to get more creative?
The Plot Twist
Three years later, my gym is smaller than it was before COVID, but it's also more profitable, more sustainable, and frankly, more fun to run.
We have fewer clients, but stronger relationships. We make more per session but deliver dramatically more value. My team is smaller but way more aligned.
Would I choose to go through a pandemic again? Absolutely not.
But am I grateful for what it taught me? Every single day.
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to your business is the worst thing that can happen to your business.
The question is: when crisis hits (and it will), will you see it as the end of your story or the beginning of a better chapter?
I'd love to hear from you: What crisis or challenge forced you to improve your business in ways you never expected? Drop a comment below – your story might be exactly what another entrepreneur needs to hear right now.
