Andrew Robbins, a former warrior in broad-shouldered corporate competition, has for five years now achieved gains among narrower shoulders with his Little Gym in Fairfield. Its success is spawning a second gym in Stamford.
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“We”™re actually up in Fairfield, in terms of enrollment and revenues,” said Robbins. “I think that people will continue to spend money on their children and cut back on themselves. They want skill building and they want them to be successful and healthy.
Stamford is a great location again in that it has a great demographic, densely populated and there are a lot of families there.”
Robbins second location in Stamford will open April 25 in a new mall complex on West Avenue.
Robbins is a graduate of Skidmore College and got his MBA in marketing and finance from Syracuse University.
“I worked at AT&T for five years then Verizon and American Express; I have a strong background in marketing and product management,” said Robbins. “I was in my career for about 15 years and I realized I wanted a little more out of life than just being in the corporate model. I decided to take a chance and do something totally different, which was working with children.”
Robbins, the child of a pediatrician and a child psychologist, had been a camp counselor and a ski instructor in his younger days and though his skills may have been rusty, they had survived years in the corporate world.
“My wife and I talked about pursuing our dream of owning our own business,” said Robbins. “She”™s sort of my silent partner.”
Robbins and his wife, Tracey, live in Larchmont, N.Y., with their sons Ben, 7, and Jack, 6.
After shopping around the different services, Robbins invested in the Little Gym on the basis of its programs.
“They believed in the values that I had in working with kids,” said Robbins.
Robbins said the Little Gym focuses on motor skills development.
“We do it in a fun and positive manner that builds up the kids self confidence and their muscle tone,” said Robbins. “At a young age, working on those skills really helps them later in life.”
The Little Gym was founded by a child psychologist with a motor-skills background and is based in Seattle, with 300-plus locations in the U.S. and 30-plus outside the country. The Little Gym also has locations in Norwalk, Avon and Scarsdale, N.Y.
“What we offer is truly unique in the children’s gym arena in Fairfield County and we are committed to making a long-lasting, positive impact on children’s growth and development, and on the Stamford community at large.” He added “I love kids and there is nothing better than seeing a smile on their face when they succeed.”
In addition to classes for age groups through grade school, The Little Gym offers sports skills classes in gymnastics, karate, dance and cheerleading classes.
“We”™re averaging at about 500 kids enrolled at a time in Fairfield,” said Robbins. “The best form of advertising is word of mouth.”
Robbins employs four fulltime and five part time staff in Fairfield and will have three fulltime and four part time staff in Stamford.
“The staffing is interesting,” said Robbins. “The Little Gym provides extensive training and they conduct quarterly training sessions.”
His employees are children’s education majors, camp counselors and gymnasts who have also completed The Little Gym training and certification program. Â
The Little Gym also offers a babysitting service called Parent Survival Night where on the third Friday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m., parents can drop the kids off.
“It”™s a great way for the kids to burn some energy, learn some skills and parents know that they”™re safe,” said Robbins.
The Little Gym of Stamford will support St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a national charity that raises awareness and funds to find a cure for children with cancer, through member donations at special event fundraising campaigns throughout the year.
