Mullins Gym Customer Profile
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How He Ran Mullins Gym Without Employees
How Did Digital Keytags Grow Mullins’ Gym
Some gym stories are just too amazing to keep secret. Down in central Mississippi, in a town of 1,400 people, the top-tier Mullins Gym thrived for 14 years. Without our digital keytags. Without a single employee. Without direct owner oversight.
It ran on the small town honor and a big stick. It worked, too. But only as long as grandma stayed in business. More about that later.
Justin Mullins owns Mullins Gym in Monticello, MS, a 450-member, 24/7 powerlifting center. Featuring top-of-the-line equipment, the 7,000-square-foot facility draws members from nearly an hour away.
There are no full-time employees. Mullins only pays for cleaning services, a social media specialist, and our Gym Insight software.
In addition, he maintains a second company Peak Performance Nutrition.
How He Ran Mullins Gym Without Employees
(Here comes Granny.)
Mullins opened the gym in 2008 as an unstaffed 24/7 fitness center.
To join, prospective members stopped by his grandmother’s florist shop between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to sign up. New members received a code to a combination lock and were told to let themselves into the gym.
The lock’s combination changed monthly—members learned the new combo at payment time. Mullins frequently traded gym memberships for part-time employee help, counting on these favored souls to collect the monthly fees.
With a dedicated and loyal member base, the system worked for years. He settled into visiting between his job as a supervisor on an oil platform in the (then) Gulf of Mexico.
Unfortunately, Granny retired, and Mullins needed a new way to sign up customers. At first he installed his own door access system, but that quickly took up too much time.
Eventually, he turned to the bro network and called two Mississippi gyms —Lighthouse Gym and 300 Fitness Gym and Bar. They both use Gym Insight’s door access system with barcode keys. He, though, really needed a door access system that would free him from having to distribute keys to members. This busy father, husband, and business man required automation.
Why Mullins Chose Gym Insight’s Digital Keytag Door Access System.
Because our Digital Keytag system automates the entire sign-up, open-door, sign-in process.
New members receive an automated email link to add payment information and sign waivers. Then they download the free Member’s App on the phone to enter the gym immediately.
Although access theft was not a big concern, Mullins knew people slipped in without paying. Our Digital Key tags solved this issue too. Digital key tags use a continuously refreshing QR code, making it very difficult to copy or share entrance keys.
Amazingly, his gym grew 30% within the first year of using Digital Keytags. Today, about 90% of his members use the app.
How Did Digital Keytags Grow Mullins’ Gym by More Than 30%?
- They eliminated non-paying gym members.
With Digital Keytags, each member must scan their own phone to enter. The Member’s App QR code continuously refreshes, and the software system takes photos of each person who enters the gym. - Links posted on social media alerted locals to his membership deals.
- Increased guest pass sales captured visitors searching for a local gym.
- They made it simple to create industry-specific discounts.
Mullins offers various membership plans for first responders and others. The digital platform allows him to create unique, private links only he can send. Prospective members then upload their badges to prove their position.
How Much Time Does Mullins Spend Each Day at His Gym?
Mullins is at his gym three to four hours a day, in addition to his daily workout.
While he still tends to day-to-day tasks, the software automation allows him to spend more time on concerns closer to his heart: Lifting the health and wellness of his community.
A dedicated weightlifter, Mullins sponsors bodybuilding competitions across Mississippi and about half of Louisiana. Additionally, the gym is one of the hospital’s largest donors and supports community activities across town.
At the same time, Mullins uses his education degree to give back by teaching part-time at Monticello’s community college industrial program. In 2024, he was elected mayor of Monticello.
And of course, for his gym, he buys only the best equipment.
Recently, he commissioned a $10,000 Iron Core chest press, custom-built by Tyler Hopson in Texas.
Why Gym Insight Is Invaluable to Mullins
Mullins admits his gym grew well without software because of its culture—he’s a strict owner and won’t tolerate people misusing the gym. At the same time, the town is small enough for him to publicly call out troublemakers.
Yet by using Gym Insight, Mullins has access to two benefits he would not have on his own:
- The ability to open another location without hiring additional employees
- Immediate, reliable customer assistance
Mullins is ready to open a second gym. He’s bought the equipment and is looking for a location. Yet even this cowboy knows he needs to step into the digital age and run the business on solid gym software.
Additionally, he’s pleased customer service is a phone call away— a perk which saved him early in our business relationship when we migrated his customer base from a sole proprietorship to an LLC.
“It was easy,” he says.
Mullins’ Advice to New Gym Owners
“I truly feel like to be a successful gym owner you need to love the gym yourself,” he says.
Too many people open a gym who’ve never worked out, don’t eat healthy, and the gym dies from neglect.
You need to be involved and not worry about the aesthetics, he argues.
It’s not popular advice, he admits. But don’t get caught up in the idea of buying all your equipment from a single company. Instead, invest in the best machines on the market, regardless of manufacturer.
“I don’t give a crap if this piece is white or black or red,” he says.
About Gym Insight
Thank you for the interview Mr. Mullins. Although you say this is all easy, we suspect Gym Insight’s automated sign-up system and integrated scan-in technology makes juggling the rest of your life a little simpler.
We’re glad you’re with us.
Gym Insight is a gym management software company established in 2008 with the sole purpose of providing custom-designed subscription software. We deliver:
- Cloud-based payment processing
- Member management tools
- Integrated Point of Sale software
- Tablet-based sales automation
- A fully integrated platform
- A free members app
- 24/7 Digital Keytag access
- U.S.-based customer support
Together, these tools transform how gyms sell memberships, manage guests, and store documents.
Call us today at 855-FOR-GYMS for a free demonstration of our fitness software.