Stijn Pieters was never motivated by money. When he took over OmniMove from his parents in 2020, his goal was to help people become fitter and happier. Over the past few years, Stijn has transformed OmniMove from a gym and physical therapy practice into a place where people come to change their lives. He created health clubs in Westerlo and Herentals where he helps his clients become stronger and more energetic in every way.
“We started out offering CrossFit,” says Stijn. “Due to a series of circumstances, we later added yoga to our program. Although CrossFit was my great passion, I began to appreciate the beauty of yoga more and more. Our concept today is a unique combination of the two. To build a strong and resilient body, you need both. CrossFit is good for the body, and yoga is good for the mind. Our challenge is to bring those worlds together.”
"I just went ahead and asked, and I was surprised that people were willing to do it."
The next step
Stijn was very attentive to his customers, but paid little attention to the financial side of running a business. As a result, OmniMove was financially unsound. Stijn explains: “We were breaking even, but not turning a profit. When I look at what I’ve invested in the company over the past few years, the risks I took, and the financial return I got in return… I think the others would have given up long ago.”
The fact that it didn’t benefit Stijn personally didn’t bother him much. But in 2023, it dawned on him that this style of leadership was also failing his team. “I can pay my employees a good salary now,” Stijn begins. “But if I still want to reward them fairly in a few years, I simply need more capital, if only to keep up with inflation. And then you’d ideally like to offer high performers a little something extra. When I looked even further into the future, I suddenly realized: I have a serious responsibility here.”
At the time, Stijn was working with a business coach. During one of their sessions, his coach recommended that he try the leadership coaching offered by Straight-Line Leadership. “Hats off to him for what he did,” says Stijn. “He could have easily continued coaching me himself, but he sensed that I was ready for the next step. My coach put me in touch with Straight-Line Leadership. That was truly a gift.”
Leadership: The Key to Increased Profits
Thanks to leadership coaching, Stijn learned to put himself first. Strangely enough, this approach to leadership turned out to be the key to increased profits. He explains: “Over the past ten years, I did a lot for others and very little for myself. I’ve come to realize that I can only give to others what I’m willing to do for myself. It might sound a bit vague, but I had to start seeing myself as valuable before I could help OmniMove grow further. The first step in that process was joining Straight-Line Leadership. It was a significant investment, but it immediately made me feel more valuable at my core. After that, I started charging rates that matched the value we added as OmniMove. After all, we were far too cheap for the impact we were making on people’s lives.”
A new service also gave revenue a boost. Stijn launched the Highly-Committed program, which focuses on intensive coaching and guidance. “This program costs 600 euros per month,” says Stijn. “The highest subscription fee we had charged up to that point was 129 euros. So our new service fell into a completely different price range than what people were used to from us.”
"I've had a tremendous impact on my business results by implementing the tools from Straight-Line Leadership."
Powerful Communication
Looking back, the way he found clients for this was surprisingly simple. Stijn explains: “I communicated powerfully by making requests. I reached out to existing clients and invited them to participate in the program. I asked if they were willing to invest in themselves and create the life they’d always wanted. At worst, I got a ‘no,’ but at least I had offered them the opportunity.”
That direct communication turned out to be very effective. “I just went ahead and asked, and was surprised that people were willing to do it. There had never been a Highly-Committed program in December, but in January we launched a fully booked program with twelve participants. By adding this higher-end segment, our company is ready for the future.”
Remarkable impact thanks to effective leadership
OmniMove’s profits rose by more than 500 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. “I’m completely blown away by the results. I’ve made a tremendous impact on my business results by implementing the tools from Straight-Line Leadership. But I realize that these figures also show just how modest our profits were before this. That will never happen again.”
Stijn uses the extra profits to build a stronger financial cushion and give his team opportunities to grow—for example, through education and training. He also shares the tools he’s been given during his leadership training with his employees. “It would be very selfish of me not to let them benefit from that. I assess what’s relevant to them and convey it in my own words. That ranges from how they can communicate effectively to personal leadership.”
He finds it rewarding to see that his employees are willing to develop personal leadership skills to achieve team goals. As a result, they have become stronger, more resilient people. Both at work and at home. “Sometimes I hear that this has even made them better partners or friends. One employee told me, ‘When I’m home with my kids now, I’m really there with them. I don’t spend more time with them than I used to, but I’m just mentally present.’ I think that’s one of the best gifts I can give a team member and a mom.”
Want to make an immediate impact on your bottom line, just like Stijn Pieters?
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