Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika
With her genuinely good heart and a wealth of experience behind her, Susannah works to connect local business and non-profit leaders to their neighbors. In a community like ours in which so many have invested their lives, there are fantastic stories all around us that motivate and inspire, often right next door. She hopes to share some of those here, on the Good Neighbor Podcast. Book an interview today at GNPAuburn.com
Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika
Ep.#11: Resilience, Fitness and Community with Bob Collins of Roar Fitness
What happens when you combine a personal journey of resilience, fitness, and the desire to build an inclusive community? You get Roar Fitness in Auburn, owned by Bob Collins. Bob overcame a neck surgery that left him with a paralyzed vocal cord, and he's here to share his triumphant story. This episode is not just about fitness; it's about the power of the human spirit, the transformational benefits of strength and cardio training, and how Bob and his wife, amidst personal challenges, created a thriving, welcoming fitness environment where everyone fits in.
2408 E University Dr Suite 106
Auburn, AL 36830
(334) 734-5005
RoarFitnessAuburn.com
This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges. Susanna.
Speaker 2:Hodges, welcome to the Good Neighbor podcast. With me is Bob Collins with Roar Fitness. Welcome, bob, I'm happy to have you today.
Speaker 3:Bob Collins. Thanks, Susanna, I appreciate you all having me on. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Susanna Hodges. So you have a business in Auburn called Roar Fitness. Tell us a little bit about that and what you do there, Bob.
Speaker 3:Collins. Yes, ma'am, so about 16 months ago we opened Roar. It's a strength training and cardio training. It's a coached fitness class, so our classes are an hour. Our coaches are some of the best people in the world. Very motivating, very inspiring Just a phenomenal atmosphere that we've had here for the past. Like I said, about 16 months, susanna.
Speaker 2:Hodges, and where are you located, bob?
Speaker 3:Collins, right here on East University, 2408 East University, right near the Johnny Bruce goes chiropractor right here, susanna Hodges. Yes, ma'am, susanna Hodges.
Speaker 2:I know exactly where you're talking about. Well, tell me how you got into your business. What brought you into the fitness world?
Speaker 3:Bob Collins. So my wife and I we've loved group fitness for a long time. About probably three and a half years ago we got into a program and you know it was one of the most unique experiences because we went through it together where we felt like we were seeing people's lives, One fact that people's lives changed by programming and just by pouring into people, putting our heart and soul into them, and to see people's lives change. We talked about it and we prayed about it and we felt like, you know, God didn't feel like God has called us to do this and we're walking it out right now.
Speaker 2:So what kind of problems? Well, generally, when someone calls you and wants to join and get involved in fitness, what has brought them there, what kind of health conditions or you know what kind of things get them to looking into fitness?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know one thing about Roar. You know this industry. It can be very intimidating. So one thing that we've brought to the community is just that. It's a sense. We call ourselves the everybody Jim. We have our great share of college kids that come in, but we have people that come out the streets that are fearful of studio environments, that they say, hey, you know, this isn't for me, this is too hard. And so we take everybody in and, like I mentioned earlier, the environment here is everything. We are God driven and we are focused on just coming alongside people and their fitness journey, meeting them where they are and really pouring our heart and soul into every single person that walks through the door.
Speaker 2:That's good to hear. So when someone gets started in fitness and they have their goals, what are some of the benefits that you see people go through and the changes they go through when they start on a fitness journey? What are some of the benefits of doing this, you know?
Speaker 3:we see people with confidence growing. We see their lives it's, it's. You know I'm not trying to sound cheesy, but we see people's lives change every day. We see people come in that you know, maybe it was health related, maybe it was weight related, and Again, we sit down with everybody and say, hey, what are your goals, where do you want to go, what? And just, we ask people to trust us. We ask people to stay consistent and disciplined and to see I have said, people's lives change, their health, improved their confidence in themselves. You know you, and I think for us, you know you don't know what you don't know but for people to Continue to come up to me and my wife Kelly and say that you guys are making a difference and that you guys have impacted my world, it's, it's everything to us, and so everybody's journey is different. I hold this memory here. I think it's 66, our youngest is 14, some amazing athletes in here to People that are not fit, and they come in and the workout is truly for everybody.
Speaker 2:Okay, what are some of the misconceptions you think people have about Joining a gym or a fitness club?
Speaker 3:Well, I know for me, I used to be in this boat. I'd walk by group fit Situations and they're intimidating. I can be intimidating, so a lot of people will say, oh, I'm not fit enough to join, I'm not in, you know, I'm not, I don't belong there. And it's just the biggest untruth. We tell people all the time we Allow them to come try a class, just show them the environment. But the biggest myth is just somebody saying they're not ready, because it all comes down to a decision and being committed first and foremost itself, but then having the discipline to show our regular and change your life.
Speaker 2:Well, you mentioned, you know, the spiritual aspect of starting a business. I know when I started my business and went through much the same way, you do a lot of prayer, a lot of thought Before you, before you go into it, and I like for this podcast to be encouraging to other. You know people that may be, you know stepping out and trying to start their own business or at least thinking about it. What are some of the challenges that you and your wife faced when you, when you started roar fitness, and maybe even some of the challenges you come across today, that, by overcoming those challenges, made your business stronger and yourself personally stronger.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know several, um you know, personal challenge. I'll share this real quick, just before we open here. I Personally had a neck surgery which went amazingly. However, doing that surgery, my vocal cord was paralyzed.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah it was.
Speaker 3:It was a. It was a tough go. I'm not Day job, I'm in sales Roar, I coach every day and I have that boys taken. It was humbling. Luckily I was able to get up with dr Wiley here in town and April from pulling throat surgery on me and you can tell I still talk a little raspy but I can talk again. So personally, just me. That was one of the challenges that.
Speaker 3:That overcome and, again, just a lot of prayer. But you know, when we open, you don't know what. You don't know and I was today and Auburn there's some amazing fitness facilities here in town and For us to step out on pure faith and a belief that we're supposed to do, this Can't tell you how every day we're rewarded, we're shown. Tell you know, not lean on ourselves, which is hard, but just to just trust and have that blind faith. And and we started on my Italian we open the doors with not a lot of members and right now, praise God where we're doing really well.
Speaker 2:Well, that sounds. That sounds really really good. So what's one thing that you would like people to know about Roar Fitness that maybe they don't know or don't realize?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mentioned earlier, this environment is for everybody. There's some really we're in a college town and a lot of people. They go different places and may or may not come into Roar. When you walk in community, it is everything Believing that the person that is standing beside you truly cares about you. I can't speak enough about our members, I can't speak enough about our coaches, so I think just I want people to know that it's genuine, that the people here and it just blows your way. I can sit here and pump it off, but it's coming in here. It's truly it's amazing and it's such a gift to us and, I think, to our community here.
Speaker 2:Well, that sounds wonderful. So how would someone get in touch with you if they were interested in looking at doing something like that? Yes, ma'am, a couple ways.
Speaker 3:First, for people to kind of get, I guess, a taste of our personality and really to see the workouts, they could go on Instagram to Roar Fitness Auburn and see us that way Count as RoarFitnessAuburncom. So either way online or, like I said, we encourage people to come to the Instagram page because that gives them a real sense of who we are and what we're about.
Speaker 2:OK, well, thank you, bob. I really enjoyed talking with you today and I appreciate you being a guest on the Good Neighbor podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you, susanna, have a great day.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast, auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpoverncom. That's gnpoverncom, or call 334-429-7404.