Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose “Flaco” Perez.
Jose, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and as a kid fighting was simply a part of life. I started boxing in 2001 when I was 19 and in 2007, I competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. I moved to FL in 2004, started working at a boxing gym in 2006 and in 2014, I opened my own gym.
We have had six fighters compete for world titles and have had many of the top-ranked amateur fighters in the nation coming through the gym.
Flaco’s Community Gym is very involved in supporting the community especially the youth. We have several charity events a year as well as a plethora of programs where we sponsor kids and/or families who may not be able to afford to attend the gym.
Here at Flaco’s Community Gym, we have a competition team which has kids, amateurs, and professionals. We also have a fitness program for anyone simply trying to get in better shape. Flaco has personally designed a class which takes all of the exercises and routines that professional fighters use to become the finest tuned athletes in the world and squeezed it into a 1-hour class that supports health and wellness.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There is no such thing as a “smooth road” in business or life, we all face challenges and obstacles which we must overcome in order to be successful and Flaco’s story is no different. There have been up’s and down’s throughout his five years of being an owner/operator of the gym.
Finding employee’s who share the vision of the facility and have to work ethic to support its growth is always a challenge, possibly the biggest one a gym owner can face. Throughout the five years of being open, we’ve gone through many of the wrong people for the gym however we now have a team of devoted trainers and staff who fit just right. At Flaco’s Community Gym, you’re more likely to hear it feels like a family rather than a gym or a job.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Flaco’s Community Gym story. Tell us more about it.
Flaco’s Community Gym is strictly a boxing gym which caters to professionals, everyday patrons and anyone in between. We offer a fitness program which is an amazing way to lose weight, get into shape, or if you are in shape, get into better shape. We offer fitness classes Monday through Friday with hourly classes scheduled to be able to fit any schedule.
We have a competition team which consists of all levels whether just starting or already at a world championship level.
We have a youth program starting from seven years old which teaches self-defense, confidence, and discipline.
What sets us apart is the high level of professional knowledge as well as health and wellness background. Flaco himself is a licensed paramedic and Registered Nurse. He combines physical fitness with an understanding of anatomy and physiology to create a unique program designed to get the best results for everyone.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The fitness industry is growing and will continue to grow as society becomes more conscious of the importance of health and physical fitness. The focus of society is moving in the direction of physical fitness and healthy eating becoming the norm in the everyday household. Culture is becoming about staying healthy vs. waiting to be sick in order to have people become active and watch their diet.
As far as trends go, the fitness industry has historically been about what new and amazing quick fix fad that comes out however they come and go. One of the big shifts in fitness however has been from bodybuilding to functional training. More often than not, people are attending gyms that focus is how well one performs vs. how well we look. (Even though the better we perform usually means it the better we look!)
Contact Info:
- Address: Flaco’s Community Gym
4419 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, FL 33021 - Website: FlacosCommunityGym.com
- Phone: 9548423446
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @The_FCG
- Facebook: Facebook.com/flacoscommunitygym
Image Credit:
Kassim Richards
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