Host Jennifer Gligoric welcomes Anthony Amen, founder and CEO of Redefine Fitness, to the Super Clinic Project Podcast. Anthony shares his powerful journey from childhood bullying and life-threatening injuries to building a premium, rapidly growing fitness brand. This episode delivers deep insights into overcoming adversity, redefining industry standards, building trust, and creating a client-centric, luxury experience—without ego. Clinic owners and healthcare entrepreneurs will find practical frameworks for staff retention, sales, branding, and building a business that truly delivers.
Key Topics & Takeaways
Overcoming Adversity and Mental Health Challenges
- Anthony’s journey began with childhood bullying and a near-suicide attempt. He shares how a personal decision to “kill the old Anthony” and become more outgoing changed his life.
- After a catastrophic sports injury and years of chronic pain, Anthony was told by over 25 doctors that he couldn’t be helped. He chose to take control, started working out, and found healing through movement and fitness.
Fitness as Medicine & the Power of Resilience
- Fitness was Anthony’s path to recovery, leading him to become deeply passionate about the human body and wellness.
- He stopped relying on pain medications and muscle relaxers, and now champions fitness as a primary form of medicine and antidepressant.
Redefining the Fitness Industry with Standards & Trust
- Anthony saw a crisis of trust in the fitness industry—trainers with minimal education, high staff turnover, and a lack of credibility with medical professionals.
- Redefine Fitness was created to set new standards: trainers undergo rigorous written and practical testing, receive ongoing education, and are paid as professionals (salary + benefits).
- Anthony was instrumental in launching New York’s first Department of Labor apprenticeship for fitness instructors, bringing new credibility to the field.
Staff Retention & Career Pathways
- Redefine Fitness pays staff salaries (not just hourly), offers benefits, and provides clear pathways for raises and advancement, resulting in a 3+ year average staff tenure (vs. 3-6 months industry norm).
- Trainers are required to get at least one referral per month, ensuring high performance and client satisfaction.
Human Connection vs. Technology Fads
- Anthony is adamant that the fitness industry will never be replaced by AI or technology because people crave human touch, connection, and accountability.
- Fads come and go, but the basics—strength training, real relationships, and personalized care—are timeless.
Building a Premium, Client-Centric Brand
- Every detail matters: from uniforms to clean facilities to greeting clients by name, Redefine Fitness creates a luxury experience.
- Anthony’s “sell the destination, not the journey” sales philosophy focuses on how clients will feel after working with him, not the technical process.
- Price yourself as a premium brand and deliver at every touchpoint—people will pay more for real value and trust.
Risk-Free Guarantees & Retention
- Redefine Fitness offers an unconditional 28-day money-back guarantee—no forms, no hassle, just a text.
- Flexible billing and no-commitment policies result in an unheard-of 4-5% monthly churn rate (vs. 18-20% industry standard).
Actionable Insights for Clinic Owners
- Turn Pain into Purpose: Your personal struggles can be your greatest asset—use them to drive empathy, authenticity, and innovation in your business.
- Set & Enforce High Standards: Raise the bar for staff education, accountability, and ongoing learning to build trust and credibility.
- Invest in Your Team: Pay salaries, offer benefits, and create real career pathways—staff stability leads to better client results and business growth.
- Focus on Human Connection: Technology can’t replace the value of in-person care, accountability, and emotional support.
- Deliver a Premium Experience: Sweat the small stuff—client experience starts before they walk in the door and continues after they leave.
- Sell the Outcome, Not the Process: Focus your sales and marketing on how clients will feel and the transformation they’ll achieve—not just the steps to get there.
- Don’t Race to the Bottom: Be the most expensive in your market, but back it up with exceptional value and service.
- Offer Risk-Free Guarantees: Stand behind your product with a strong money-back guarantee to build trust and reduce barriers to entry.
- Track & Celebrate Referrals: Make referrals a core expectation for your team to fuel organic growth.
Memorable Quotes
“Fitness is the biggest form of antidepressant in the world.” — Anthony Amen
“Sell the destination, not the journey. People want to know how they’ll feel, not the technical details.” — Anthony Amen
“Don’t be afraid to be the most expensive—just deliver on it.” — Anthony Amen
“Human connection will never be replaced by AI.” — Anthony Amen
“Every detail matters. Client experience is everything.” — Anthony Amen
Exclusive Resources for Listeners
How to Support the Show
Like, follow, share, and leave a 5-star review—your support helps us bring on more world-class guests and deliver actionable strategies for clinic growth.
Get worksheets and bonus content for this episode at superclinicproject.com.
About Our Guest
Anthony Amen is the founder and CEO of Redefine Fitness, a premium fitness brand on Long Island. After overcoming bullying, life-threatening injuries, and industry skepticism, he built a business with 50% year-over-year growth, redefining what it means to deliver results, trust, and client experience in health and wellness.
