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How it Started
CrossFit Crusade opened in Castle Rock, Colorado in May 2024. Jacob and Sammie Dumas are the owners, in the gym every day coaching classes, managing operations, and connecting with members. Both were part of Castle Rock’s CrossFit community for about eight years before deciding to open their own gym.
Castle Rock has grown from a small town to roughly 85,000 people. There are three other CrossFit affiliates in town, plus a growing list of boutique fitness options nearby. Sammie doesn’t see much of that as real competition.
“Our biggest competition is people that have a misconception of CrossFit,” she said, “not understanding how it can truly improve their life.”
As a result, CrossFit Crusade holds steady between 130 and 150 active members, a number Sammie is both proud and protective of.
“I want you to be here because you want to be here,” she said. “Because you will listen in class, you will appreciate it, you will record your scores, you will be part of the community because you understand how special it is.”
That philosophy is how Jacob and Sammie have grown from the start. No Groupons, no discount ads. When a member isn’t the right fit, they don’t force it.
The Win: Tracking Progress for Above-Average Retention
Maintaining such a strong membership base at CrossFit Crusade is much more about retention than it is about new member acquisition. Sammie believes that Wodify Perform is a crucial part of the big picture, helping members continually see their progress.
In the same way performance tracking has always been a part of CrossFit, Sammie and Jacob made it a non-negotiable part of the CrossFit Crusade community as well. Logging workouts isn’t just for the competitive athletes in the gym. Whether it’s the daily workout, strength numbers, or a benchmark, everyone is encouraged to track.
Then there’s the leaderboard, which Sammie treats as a second community hangout as much as a tracking tool.
“Our members like and comment on each other’s scores,” she said. “The community aspect is so important to us.” She went on to explain that members check on each other’s scores all day long, not just in the class time they show up for.
Sammie also celebrates attendance milestones, at 100, 150, and 200 classes. She posts a photo and a personal caption on Instagram for each member, which goes even further than something impersonal like a gift card.
“I try to write a very personal caption about them because we know them,” she said.
Want to replicate the success CrossFit Crusade has with retention? Copy these three things:
- Use Wodify Perform to encourage members to record workouts, benchmarks, and strength numbers consistently. This will help them see progress and always know their lifting percentages.
- Build a leaderboard culture, not for best-in-the-gym bragging rights, but where members get excited to show support and cheer each other on every step of the way.
- Celebrate attendance milestones and Weekly Streaks, making the recognition personal rather than generic.
How Wodify’s Automated Workflows Help CrossFit Crusade Win
In addition to using Wodify Perform daily, Sammie and Jacob are still building out the rest of their Wodify setup as they work toward their goal of developing their coaching staff without burning themselves out.
Right now it’s just the two of them, and neither have time to spend hours chasing leads. But Sammie also refuses to do anything that feels robotic or ungenuine. And that’s where automated workflows come in.
In the fall of 2024, she set up the free trial nurture sequence but turned off the text portion and only left the emails.
“Email felt a little softer, so I’d still keep them on email so that they’re seeing our name and remembering CrossFit Crusade, but I didn’t want to be texting them, when I knew that wasn’t the vibe.” Her decision aligned with how she and Jacob generally handle sales. They’d rather stay visible to a lead without pressuring someone who isn’t going to be the right fit.
Sammie described her goal to start automating her milestone celebrations, which she currently handles manually. She spotlights each member’s 100th or 150th class by writing them a personal shoutout on Instagram. Knowing Wodify has workflows built for exactly that, it’s on Sammie’s list to turn on. That way, the automated version means it happens every time, for every member, without her having to handle it herself.
If your fitness business runs with a small team like Sammie and Jacob, let automation take the work off your plate. From lead nurture to milestone celebrations, spend your time on the tasks that help you connect with members and grow your business.
Want to see how Wodify Perform can help your gym build the same kind of tracking culture? Learn more here!
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To learn more about CrossFit Crusade, visit the website here.
