LIVING THE DREAM

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In a conversation, Ruslan Mohammed Hossain, Founder of Ruslan’s Studio, International Fitness Athlete and Coach elaborates on the journey from obscurity to becoming a poster boy of Bangladesh’s thriving fitness industry, existing challenges, and how he plans to take the brand beyond borders.


 

Please walk us through the growth and evolution of the fitness centre that now boasts over 15,000 sq. ft. floor space with state-of-the-art facilities.

When I started back in 2009, it was more like a random idea; an expression of the passion I have had for bodybuilding, my fitness goals, and working on myself. Perhaps, the fact that inspired me most is the rewarding feeling of facilitating positive changes in people’s lives. Also, I envisioned creating something different from what was available at the time. Although there were a handful of gyms with decent facilities, the concept of personal training was virtually unavailable at that point.

Therefore, since the start of my entrepreneurial journey, my results-based approach, which prioritised personalised training, was very well received by my clients, which increased exponentially over time. As things started to progress swiftly, my friends and well-wishers started encouraging me to go bigger, and it eventually expanded from our 1,000 sq. ft. to a larger 3,000 sq. ft. facility. So, the bedrock of my entrepreneurial success has been my unyielding dedication to producing positive results.

However, not everything went as planned, and I started encountering a few issues. Dhaka’s worsening traffic started making my clients’ commute to Mohakhali DOHS very inconvenient, as most of them were coming from the Gulshan and Banani areas. At one point, I decided to take the gym to them and move to Banani in 2012. Considering the increased rent I had to pay for the location, it was a financial gamble. Fortunately, it paid off as it became packed within a year. It actually led to my next challenge, ensuring the quality of my trainers, as it was not possible to work with so many people at once. So, after teaching my staff to emulate my training standards, I could focus on reaching out to more people, and that’s how evolution kept happening. Finally, just before the pandemic, I inaugurated another branch of Ruslan’s Studio in Shimanto Shambhar, Dhanmondi. So, that’s how the journey has been so far.

What motivated you to pursue your entrepreneurial venture? How did you weigh the risks and rewards of making this investment?

Honestly, I never even thought about the risk factors and kept working on what I believed in. Of course, a few doubted (even mocked) my endeavours, but I did not bother or deviate from my path. I was busy doing what I loved – my work, my fitness, and my clients’ results. I firmly believe in intuition because you can’t become a good entrepreneur by just crunching numbers. Theoretical knowledge alone won’t make your idea work. In business, you adapt, improvise, and work based on your intuitions. This is how I moved forward.

Eventually, there will be a point in time when calculations and forecasts will be part of the day-to-day business, but that comes later. First, you have to believe in yourself and put in the effort to make an idea work. I always have had the support of my family and close friends, who formed a healthy belief system for me. They always believed in me and supported my endeavours through thick and thin. At the same time, there will be tricky situations, as I faced during the pandemic, but one has to treat them like learning curves and come out even stronger. That’s how it goes.

 

RUSLAN MOHAMMED HOSSAIN
Founder
Ruslan’s Studio
International Fitness Athlete and Coach

 

How is Ruslan’s Studio targeting its consumer groups and services to keep ahead of the competition?

I never really focus on what others are doing. Instead, I concentrate on my ambitions and limitations. I am not someone who would invest crores of taka on a whim. My biggest asset is my product; my speciality is the technical factor. So, it is something no one can buy with money. Therefore, the competition is always with me.

I see the presence of an increasing number of fitness centres in the city as an advantage. It allows people to grasp the uniqueness of the quality I offer. It has actually been encouraging to see the growth of the industry and the rise of numerous fitness centres all around Dhaka. It allowed us the opportunity to show people how our services, skills and quality are different from others. And more options are also beneficial to the client base. As a result, the big companies investing in this industry now understand that it’s not always about the investment but the quality you get from the chain.

 

 

Over your years of experience as a fitness consultant, competitive bodybuilder, and entrepreneur, what changes, good or bad, have you observed in the fitness industry in Bangladesh?

There have definitely been some encouraging improvements over the years. For example, 10 to 15 years back, you would rarely see young people working out at the gym. There was a very stereotypical notion of the gym being only for older people with physical issues. Thankfully, people have come out of that mindset over the past decade and understand the value of staying fit to ensure well-being. For obvious reasons, we are seeing an increasing number of 20-30 years olds joining our facilities. Young people nowadays have to deal with a ruthless amount of stress in their daily life, and working out is a great way to find relief with numerous health benefits. At the same time, a good physique exudes confidence; more often than not, it is the first impression that makes or breaks an opportunity; you can never go wrong with a fit appearance.

One big downside of the current state of the industry has to do with the workforce. There is a skills gap when it comes to quality trainers in the country, and it is getting wider as the industry grows. So this is a segment the industry collectively needs to work on because no matter how much you invest, a gym can never function well without a trainer.

How do you envision the growth of Ruslan’s Studio in the years to come?

Considering the deteriorating traffic situation in our city, we are planning to facilitate multiple branches of Ruslan’s Studio across Dhaka, where our clients will have the opportunity to avail the services of the one closest to them. For example, members of my Banani branch can already use all the facilities of one in Shimanto Shombhar. Therefore, ensuring our patrons do not miss workouts even on the busiest days.

Also, I aspire to take my franchise abroad. Over the years, we have seen numerous foreign franchises coming to Bangladesh, which costs our economy valuable foreign currency. On the contrary, I want my country to gain dollars through my franchise, so that’s the next step for me. Only time will tell how well I can materialise that vision.

 

Photographs courtesy of Ruslan Mohammed Hossain

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