Allegiate Gym

If you visit Allegiate Gym in Redondo Beach, California, you might feel like you’ve entered the locker room of a sports team—and that’s just what Allegiate’s cofounders want.

Before opening Allegiate, the three co-founders met as members of the University of Southern California football program. Cody Romness and Steve Blackhart were players on the team, while Tim Caron was their strength and conditioning coach.

After leaving USC, the three ended up in separate states but found themselves missing the same thing: the camaraderie and training of college athletics. “We tried every fitness option out there, but we couldn’t connect with all-cardio-focused workouts,” Cody said.

Over time, they realized that they could build a gym, company, and culture that provided what they were missing. The three regrouped in California and Allegiate was born.

Over time, they realized that they could build a gym, company, and culture that provided what they were missing. The three regrouped in California and Allegiate was born.

“We were seeking the camaraderie, the high-energy training style, and (most importantly) the results we were used to,” Cody said. “We were seeking something that didn’t exist, so we risked a lot to build it ourselves.”

For three first-time business owners, starting a new gym was intimidating. “When you start something new, you work so hard to get everything right from the naming of the company to the installation of the weight room to the free, trial sessions for potential members,” Cody said.

One of the most significant decisions the Allegiate team needed to make was how to build the community that the three founders were envisioning. “We know there are people out there that need a place to build athletic strength and fitness, train hard and do so with a group of buddies,” Cody said. “Finding the right caliber of people to train hard in our facility is probably the biggest challenge we’ve had so far.”

To find and retain those new members, Allegiate relies on Mindbody for everything from class registration to processing payments. “Mindbody is our touchpoint for everything,” Cody said. “A lot of the blocking and tackling that you don’t always think about—Mindbody helps us do it.”

But Allegiate didn't take the decision to go with Mindbody; Cody and the team vetted as many fitness software providers as possible, and by the end of that process they knew with certainty that Mindbody was the solution for them.

"It's the platform that booking classes and the day-to-day maintenance stuff is all run on," Cody said. "We depend on it for our livelihood and logistics. Mindbody is a central piece of it all."

But Allegiate didn't just choose Mindbody because of software, Cody was interested in the education Mindbody provides, too. In 2017, he attended the BOLD conference by himself, couch surfing at a friend's house to make it affordable. In 2019, Cody came back to BOLD—and was able to bring a staff member with him and pay for a hotel room, all while celebrating being a Visionary Award winner. 

"It's a big moment for our business," Cody said.

Two and a half years after opening, Allegiate remains as strong as ever. The gym has continued to acquire new customers and build a community in a niche business model, even for boutique fitness.

"The proof-of-concept is working, and we're really excited about that," Cody said.