Today’s interview is a bit different.
We have had Rachel Guy
and Derek Woodske, two people from an athletic standpoint… Now we have the
person that supplies a lot of the kit they use in the facilities they train at!
Simon Watson is the founder and owner of Watsons Gym equipment. I have been
down to see Simon many times to pick up kit, once he even spent about an hour
showing myself and my mother round the outstanding factory that they design and
make the kit from. They even have a room dedicated to their STUNNING
dumbbells!! Something EVERY gym should have! What struck me about Simon is the
passion he has for the kit he builds; he started it from scratch and is unlike
other producers or suppliers he has been involved in every step! I buy a lot of
kit from Simon, simply for the service and quality you get. Second to none!!!
Here he is answering the questions from OC Fitness interview series:
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| The Watson Gym logo based around the back double bicep pose! |
Can you give us
a bit of background about you and your business?
I started Watson Gym Equipment back
in 1999. It was just me for the first year doing everything. Designing and
building the equipment, delivering and installing – everything!
We’ve obviously expanded a lot over
the years and the key has been finding the right people who have passion for
what they do and are keen to expand with the company.
My role is now mainly working on
where we want to be and how we are going to get there. Part of my time is still
involved with the design of new products, which I really enjoy.
What’s your inspiration for doing what you do?
Hearing great feedback from
customers has always inspired me. It’s great seeing emails from customers
saying how happy they are with equipment they’ve bought from us.
The thought of ‘doing our bit’ and
contributing to the fitness industry inspires me to keep coming up with new
ideas that will appeal to anyone who loves training.
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| Fully kitted out M10 in Nottingham run by Mark Coles |
What’s the most important factor in your own development as
a professional?
Setting Goals.
For a long time now I’ve set very
specific, measurable goals and had a plan of how to achieve them. I make a
point of asking myself constantly ‘is the thing I’m doing right now moving me closer to my
goals?’ if it’s not then I get myself back on track. I find without this it’s
too easy to drift into ‘busy work’ that isn’t really important.
I think constantly learning is very
important, I read a lot of books and never drive anywhere without some form of
educational CD on, driving is dead time so you may as well use it in the most
useful way possible. I recently got my Pilots license and I learned all the
theory for the ground exams while driving to and from work, saved me a huge
amount of time!
What is it do you think about your kit that sets you apart
from the other competitors?
I think doing our own thing and really
focusing/specializing in our niche is what has kept us ahead.
Our focus has always been on how we
can improve the lives of our customers rather than looking at what competitors
are doing and putting any focus on them.
The Watsons Dumbbell range is getting a lot of attention, what
makes them so special?
There are 4 main points that make
our dumbbells special:
·
They are machined from
Solid Steel so they are far more accurate and a lot smaller for a given weight
than the usual Cast Steel
·
They have a unique
design that ensures they never come loose which is a big problem with most
dumbbells on the market
·
They can be supplied in
any increments required (Charles has 4-45kg in tiny 0.5kg increments)
·
They can be totally
personalized with custom end plates making them a real focal point of any gym
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| Example of the STUNNING custom end plated dumbbells |
Do you think that one of the reasons you are so successful
is due to your customer service? Is it something you pay particular attention
to?
We genuinely care about the
experience people have when they buy from us and we rely on customers coming
back time and again to build our business. We sometimes make mistakes as
everyone does but I think we go the extra bit when it comes to putting things
right.
How would you describe your management style?
Having started the company with
just myself doing everything means I know exactly what is possible and how long
things should take, which comes in handy!
I make sure all the Watson staff
know what is expected of them and then pretty much leave them to it. I’m
probably quicker to criticise if something is done wrong than I am to recognize
all the great work they do which is something I need to work on!
Are you still into fitness yourself?
I have a gym at home and train
pretty regularly.
What was the biggest obstacle when you started?
Finding enough time to get
everything done that needed doing which led to getting processes/procedures in
place so things work without my input.
Getting orders built quickly enough
to keep up with demand has always been an issue. We are continually becoming
able to produce more equipment each month but the rate at which the orders are
coming in always keeps us slightly behind.
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| The beautifully designed 'Jungle' Half Rack |
What’s next for Watsons Gym Equipment?
Basically a lot more of the same
unusual, specialist machines and accessories as well as a range high quality
Olympic Power Lifting and Weight Lifting bars.
What are your top 5 nutrition tips?
I’m no nutrition expert but I know
from personal experience this works:
·
Loads of water
·
Loads of quality
protein from as many different sources as possible
·
Loads of varied
vegetables
·
Fish oil
·
Good multi vitamin
What is wrong with the big conglomerate gyms of today?
They seem work on the ‘stack them high, sell them
cheap’ way of thinking so people end up actually getting very little from them
in terms of real results. There also seems to be a lot of trainers in these
gyms that actually have very little experience and understanding of putting
together a good programme for a client and motivating them to see it through.
It’s nice seeing how the industry is moving
towards the private gyms/performance centers run by experienced, knowledgeable staff
who have a passion for what they do and get great results for their clients.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these, really
appreciate it.
OC
If anyone wants to get in touch with Simon for kit (which I
highly recommend you do) here are the details you need:
