How working for a major airline led to this Louisville gym's one-on-one focus
Fitness studio owner Bruce Miller said leaving a long-time job with a major airline to start his own small business was not the heavy lift some might think.
Don't get him wrong. It's never easy starting your own business, but for Miller, the 20-year success of his Body & Soul Personal Training studio, 1914 Bardstown Road, is the result of a passion fueled by years of providing top-of-the-line customer service.
"I went to Atherton High School and The University of Louisville," Miller told the Courier Journal. "But I got my real schooling at the University of Northwest — airlines, that is."
Before Miller opened his fitness studio in 2003, he worked at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport as a ticket agent for Northwest Airlines.
From behind the ticket desk, assisting airline passengers, Miller acquired customer service skills which he successfully transferred to supporting fitness clients and running his own Louisville business.
"When I started at Northwest Airlines I was taught how to de-escalate a situation by listening to a passenger's concerns, helping them to feel heard, and doing what I could to resolve the problem," Miller said. "We called it taking a situation from 'red to green' and I really loved that aspect of my job."
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On top of problem-solving, Miller has always been someone who enjoys fitness. During his time at Northwest Airlines, Miller noticed the gym where he worked out was hiring personal trainers. He applied, went through a certification course, and began training clients part-time at Louisville's Downtown YMCA.
"I met with clients early in the morning before my shift at the airport started at 11 a.m.," he said. "It didn't take me long to realize two things — first I really enjoyed personal training and second, customer service was the key to success at the airport and in the gym."
Miller found that simple habits, such as showing up on time, being prepared, and listening to his clients were as important in the weight room as it was in the airport's lobby.
"But I never considered leaving my job with the airline," Miller remembers, "until I took a trip to Miami."
A staple in the Louisville fitness community
In Florida, Miller happened to walk by a large fitness center with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
"I noticed all these people working out, kind of on display on the other side of the window," Miller said. "I remember thinking that was probably uncomfortable for some of them and a more private setting, without people walking by and staring would be a better option."
The accidental observation became the niche that has made Miller's Body & Soul Personal Training a staple in the Louisville community for two decades.
"I wanted to create a space where I could offer people personalized encouragement and positive feedback," Miller said. "There really weren't many boutique gyms in the early 2000s so I just created what I thought felt right. A place that could nurture a person's body and their soul."
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At first "that place" was inside Miller's own home on Muhammad Ali Blvd in Louisville's West End neighborhood. He started Body & Soul Personal Training in a spare room with some inexpensive fitness equipment and invited friends to book sessions. Within a year, Miller had left his full-time position at Northwest Airlines and had found a permanent commercial space for Body & Soul Personal Training along Bardstown Road in the Highlands neighborhood.
Over time, he has been able to expand his studio space, employ additional trainers and retain long-time clients like artist and mother of four, Elizabeth Eblen.
"After the birth of my first child, I started going to Bruce's studio for several reasons," said Eblen. "I had tried large gyms but found working one-on-one with Bruce worked best for me. I liked that I could book my sessions around my schedule rather than relying on times when classes were offered at a gym. I also liked the idea that Body & Soul is locally owned."
Intimate fitness studio with an emphasis on the little details
Today, Miller's thoughtfully decorated studio has helped to improve the lives of hundreds of people like Eblen in the Louisville community. The space is tiny in comparison to most typical gyms but the intimate boutique feel is by design.
Fresh fruit, water, clean towels, and great music are some of the extras that make Body & Soul a welcoming environment. And while it is small, Miller has assembled every piece of professional fitness equipment needed for a full-body workout and placed it comfortably into the studio.
Miller's attention to detail and customer service isn't lost on his clients. Today Body & Soul is one of the longest-operating training studios in the city.
"I now have four children and have been one of Bruce's clients since 2011," Eblen said. "He has become more than a trainer. He's a great friend and someone I can constantly count on. He is always on time, the gym is always clean and since my first pregnancy, I have been able to lose 30 pounds and keep it off in-between pregnancies. I couldn't have done that without Bruce and his trainers. They make my life easier."
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The boutique fitness studio offers personal, couples and group training programs that help clients like Eblen reach and maintain peak physical condition.
"I have clients like Elizabeth who have been coming here for years and I think that says something," Miller said. "They come to get into shape, to stay healthy, and because this is their comfort zone. I am proud of what I have built, the customer service I provide, and what it means for the people who come here."
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com
How to sign up for Body & Soul Personal Training
WHAT: At Body & Soul clients receive individual attention through one on one, couples, group, in-home and on-site training for all ages.
WHERE: 1914 Bardstown Road
HOURS: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CONTACT: 502 458-8300 or bodyandsoulhighlands.com
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: One-on-one focus is key at Body & Soul Personal Training in Louisivlle
