Amanda and Eric Stockholm were successful. They both held Master’s degrees: Eric in Teaching, Amanda in Education Administration. They had solid careers in insurance and EdTech.
But there was a persistent, nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away.
“We felt like cogs on someone else’s wheel,” Amanda shared. “That feeling just ate away at us.”
They knew they wanted to build something of their own, but they didn’t just want a business. They wanted a mission. They found it in a place they least expected: a children’s birthday party.
The “Aha” Moment
As former Division I athletes and educators, Amanda and Eric were looking for an outlet for their children. But the competitive gyms they visited felt wrong. Their son was bored; their daughter was intimidated.
Then, they walked into The Little Gym.
“I looked over and my daughter, who had been crying in my lap for thirty minutes, was scaling the high beam with an instructor,” Amanda recalls. “In that moment, I realized: we teach gymnastics, sure, but the real product is the growth that happens in that room. Parents never forget those small milestones.”
The Reality of the First 6 Months
Three years after signing their agreement, Amanda and Eric opened their doors in Clifton Park, NY. The transition from the corporate world to gym ownership wasn’t without its “floor pulled out from under you” moments.
But their persistence paid off. In just six months of operation, they recently hit a massive milestone: 300 members.
The secret to their rapid climb?
- Community Immersion: They didn’t just run ads; they became a fixture in Clifton Park, connecting with local daycares, preschools, and high schools.
- Staff as Family: They’ve leaned into the role of mentors, helping their young staff navigate their first-ever jobs.
- The Marketing Assist: Amanda is the first to admit that as an owner, you can’t do it all. Her advice to other owners? “Marketing can be a time suck. Get help.”
Winning the “Zip Code War” in Clifton Park
By combining META and Google strategies with high-energy local engagement (and a lot of black coffee), the Stockholms have turned their location into a community hub.
For Amanda and Eric, owning a franchise hasn’t just been about hitting profitability. It’s been about finding the fulfillment they were missing in the corporate grind. It’s about the “light” in a child’s eyes when they finally conquer the high beam.
