I recently sat down with Allen Wasinger and Becky Hutchins, owners of Compelled Fitness, a CrossFit gym in Wichita, KS. Allen is the husband of our Director of Operations, Laura Wasinger, and Becky is her sister.
We talked about what 13 years of owning a gym has taught them. Everything from working with people to building systems, navigating challenges, and staying grounded through it all. Their insights are honest, practical, and hard-earned.
Here’s the Top 5 things they’ve learned:
1. Relationships are everything.
“We are in the relationship business as much as the fitness business,” Becky said. “People can find a workout anywhere, but when they know you care about their life outside these walls, they want to keep showing up.”
Allen added, “In the beginning, I focused too much on numbers. But I’ve learned that when you build trust with someone and truly get to know them, they stick with you. That’s what makes the work meaningful.”
2. Passion gets you in the door. Systems keep it open.
“I thought if people just did what I did, they’d fall in love with fitness too,” Allen said. “That was naive. I had to stop trying to mold people into me and instead learn about them. What they want. What they’re struggling with.”
“We also thought that being fun and getting people results would be enough,” Becky said. “But without systems, we were constantly playing catch-up. Once we put structure in place and started focusing on what we each did best, things got a lot smoother and a lot more sustainable.”
3. We’re not selling workouts. We’re helping people live better lives.
“You can have all the equipment and programming in the world,” Becky said, “but what we’re really offering is the chance for someone to live without being limited by their body. That’s the goal.”
Allen echoed that: “It’s not about the best squat or the fastest time. It’s about what happens when people leave here. If they’re stronger, more confident, or simply more present in their life. That’s the win.”
4. No one will care like you do—and that’s okay.
“This is our responsibility,” Becky said. “We’ve had to learn that while others may support and love what we do, they won’t carry it the same way we do. And that’s not wrong. It just means we have to own it fully.”
Allen added, “We’ve also learned to lean on each other. I used to think I had to do it all myself. That led to burnout. But we’ve figured out how to stay in our lanes, trust each other, and ask for help when we need it.”
5. You have to keep loving it and you can’t get too comfortable.
Allen put it this way: “Complacency is the death of a business. You can’t coast. The work is hard, and dealing with people’s emotions and needs can wear on you. If you don’t love people, you’ll burn out. I never used to like change, but now I see how necessary it is to grow.”
“There are hard days,” Becky said, “but even on those, I’ll hear someone share how this place has changed their life, and I remember why we do it. We’ve had members meet here and get married. We’ve seen people push through tough pregnancies, battle cancer, and come back stronger than ever. That’s the really cool shit that happens here.”
Hearing Allen and Becky reflect on the real work behind the workouts was a reminder that building something that lasts, whether it’s a gym, a team, or a life, comes down to people, purpose, and showing up when it’s hard.
live freed,
Jordan
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