Making a Difference in the Evergreen State!
Trevor and Tracy Bryant are living proof that a person's passion can transcend 'business' and change the attitude and fitness level of an entire region.
In the Fall of 2008, about the same time this nation was thrust into one of the worst economic recessions in its history, the Bryants opened their first Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store in Vancouver, Washington. Just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon, their store opened in a fledgling Mall on the north side of town. Rather than focus their marketing efforts on traditional methods, they realized that this was indeed an opportunity to truly showcase Max Muscle Sports Nutrition and its related products by bringing it to the people - Community Outreach - and they set out on a schedule of visiting and sampling Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Proteins and Supplements to any audience that would listen.
"Our business is part of our community." said Tracy. "Especially during these economic times, people want to feel connected to what is around them. We want to support what goes on in our community and the people in our community. Sometimes we have customers stop by just to say hi and see how we are doing. They know we care about the things that are important to them and so they care about us, not just as a business, but as people."
Added Trevor, "We sponsor a lot of events. Most of the time, we actually participate in the events we sponsor. In a recent local triathlon we sponsored, I finished 3rd in my age group. It was awesome to have the promoter present me with my award and tell the crowd that we were also sponsors and they should go visit our booth! This builds credibility - people see us out there doing it and want to know how we do it - what do we eat, what products do we use to fuel before and after events. This also gives us the opportunity to interact with people during the event. There is a great comradery among the running, triathlon and cycling communities. We also do samplings, health fairs, nutrition seminars, boot camp classes. We find that anytime we do an event, we are guaranteed to see more traffic in our store."
The Bryant's passion for fitness is a key component to their success. Trevor, while studying for his degree, was also training for an MMA fight. Tracy keeps an online journal of all the trials and tribulations of their lives - personal and professional - for all to read at the Bryant's Blog - and while all this was going on, business began to grow due to their hard work, focus, and "Simplicity".
"We are focused on being the best in sports nutrition. Max Muscle Sports Nutrition's new product roll-outs complement and expand the exisiting line, they don't compete with it."
Simplicity is a key component to everything they do...and so is measurement. Trevor had been a business manager for Snap-on tools, managing 42 franchisees. Tracy worked in advertising and marketing. They had sports nutrition experience in our personal lives, not in our professional lives. So how do these collective backgrounds not only make one store successful, but bring the Bryant's to opening their second store in August of 2009?
"Flexibility to decide what works best in our market. Its not a one size fits all program." said Tracy. "What we do works for us in our community. We are coaches and sponsors of a local marathon training group. Its a six month program to train for the Portland Marathon. When we are three months in, running yet another 12 mile training run and looking/feeling good - the other members want to know our secret...and we tell them - Max Muscle Sports Nutrition!"
The Bryant's also leverage interactive medias as much as possible. Their website at MaxMuscleVancouver.com is always busy with new products, specials, community events, photos from the Bryant's as well as their customers, events they're holding, and links to a myriad of other fitness and nutrition elements they've chosen for their community.
"Our website, email blasts, web-marketing and radio campaigns are world class. Equal to that of the most successful companies around. We look professional and the message is cohesive. It is also still evolving and we are so excited about that."
One of the things they both think is the most fun is the power and reach of the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition brand across the US.
"We did the Lake Stevens Half Ironman Triathlon in Everett, Washington and saw a person wearing a Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Missoula shirt. We stopped and talked to him and he had great things to say about his store in Montana. That was really cool and really showed us the power of our brand. We took his picture and sent it to the owners of that store. They loved it!"
What's next for this dynamic duo from the great Northwest whose first store just received the coveted 'Outstanding Store of the Year 2009' during Max Muscle Sports Nutrition's recent system-wide convention in Chicago?
"I'm excited to help shape the future of the company." said Trevor who was recently named to the Board of Directors of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition...a select group of owners whose decisions impact the more than 150 stores nationwide.
"We have had all these products and all this knowledge at our finger tips. By using it, we have been able to push our bodies to physical limits we did not think possible. We didn't know this before, most of our customers didn't know it before either. Now, we all do. As a couple, we work together better than we ever imagined. Our strengths complement each other and we have the same vision, the same goal. This makes business and life much more rewarding. We have so much more to learn - we have just scratched the surface."
In the Fall of 2008, about the same time this nation was thrust into one of the worst economic recessions in its history, the Bryants opened their first Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store in Vancouver, Washington. Just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon, their store opened in a fledgling Mall on the north side of town. Rather than focus their marketing efforts on traditional methods, they realized that this was indeed an opportunity to truly showcase Max Muscle Sports Nutrition and its related products by bringing it to the people - Community Outreach - and they set out on a schedule of visiting and sampling Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Proteins and Supplements to any audience that would listen.
"Our business is part of our community." said Tracy. "Especially during these economic times, people want to feel connected to what is around them. We want to support what goes on in our community and the people in our community. Sometimes we have customers stop by just to say hi and see how we are doing. They know we care about the things that are important to them and so they care about us, not just as a business, but as people."
Added Trevor, "We sponsor a lot of events. Most of the time, we actually participate in the events we sponsor. In a recent local triathlon we sponsored, I finished 3rd in my age group. It was awesome to have the promoter present me with my award and tell the crowd that we were also sponsors and they should go visit our booth! This builds credibility - people see us out there doing it and want to know how we do it - what do we eat, what products do we use to fuel before and after events. This also gives us the opportunity to interact with people during the event. There is a great comradery among the running, triathlon and cycling communities. We also do samplings, health fairs, nutrition seminars, boot camp classes. We find that anytime we do an event, we are guaranteed to see more traffic in our store."
The Bryant's passion for fitness is a key component to their success. Trevor, while studying for his degree, was also training for an MMA fight. Tracy keeps an online journal of all the trials and tribulations of their lives - personal and professional - for all to read at the Bryant's Blog - and while all this was going on, business began to grow due to their hard work, focus, and "Simplicity".
"We are focused on being the best in sports nutrition. Max Muscle Sports Nutrition's new product roll-outs complement and expand the exisiting line, they don't compete with it."
Simplicity is a key component to everything they do...and so is measurement. Trevor had been a business manager for Snap-on tools, managing 42 franchisees. Tracy worked in advertising and marketing. They had sports nutrition experience in our personal lives, not in our professional lives. So how do these collective backgrounds not only make one store successful, but bring the Bryant's to opening their second store in August of 2009?
"Flexibility to decide what works best in our market. Its not a one size fits all program." said Tracy. "What we do works for us in our community. We are coaches and sponsors of a local marathon training group. Its a six month program to train for the Portland Marathon. When we are three months in, running yet another 12 mile training run and looking/feeling good - the other members want to know our secret...and we tell them - Max Muscle Sports Nutrition!"
The Bryant's also leverage interactive medias as much as possible. Their website at MaxMuscleVancouver.com is always busy with new products, specials, community events, photos from the Bryant's as well as their customers, events they're holding, and links to a myriad of other fitness and nutrition elements they've chosen for their community.
"Our website, email blasts, web-marketing and radio campaigns are world class. Equal to that of the most successful companies around. We look professional and the message is cohesive. It is also still evolving and we are so excited about that."
One of the things they both think is the most fun is the power and reach of the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition brand across the US.
"We did the Lake Stevens Half Ironman Triathlon in Everett, Washington and saw a person wearing a Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Missoula shirt. We stopped and talked to him and he had great things to say about his store in Montana. That was really cool and really showed us the power of our brand. We took his picture and sent it to the owners of that store. They loved it!"
What's next for this dynamic duo from the great Northwest whose first store just received the coveted 'Outstanding Store of the Year 2009' during Max Muscle Sports Nutrition's recent system-wide convention in Chicago?
"I'm excited to help shape the future of the company." said Trevor who was recently named to the Board of Directors of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition...a select group of owners whose decisions impact the more than 150 stores nationwide.
"We have had all these products and all this knowledge at our finger tips. By using it, we have been able to push our bodies to physical limits we did not think possible. We didn't know this before, most of our customers didn't know it before either. Now, we all do. As a couple, we work together better than we ever imagined. Our strengths complement each other and we have the same vision, the same goal. This makes business and life much more rewarding. We have so much more to learn - we have just scratched the surface."