From chaos to clarity: How Los Campeones Gym built a scalable fitness empire with clean data and modern member experiences

Walk into any Los Campeones location and the atmosphere is unmistakable. This isn’t a ‘big box’ fitness center, it’s a dedicated strength sanctuary where serious lifters come to push their limits.

Each location has its own unique community vibe, but all share the same core mission: supporting committed athletes in their pursuit of excellence, both in the gym and in life. From its roots as a local favorite, Los Campeones has grown into a regional powerhouse with nine corporate sites and five franchise locations spanning Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, and the Dakotas. But as any rapidly scaling business discovers, what works for a single location often breaks under the weight of double-digit growth.

For Los Campeones, the challenge was clear: preserve the hardcore gym culture that made them successful while building professional operational systems capable of supporting a multi-state empire.

When Laura Schirer joined as Head of Corporate Development, it became clear to her that the organization’s member management system was limiting growth.

Key challenges included:

• System downtime during peak hours, preventing staff from checking in members or completing transactions smoothly
• Cumbersome member management, including the inability to merge accounts or clearly manage dual and family memberships
• Fragmented member data across locations, making it difficult to get a unified view of the business
• Limited reporting and analytics, leaving leadership without the insights needed to guide growth and expansion
• Inconsistent operations across locations, turning data into a liability instead of a strategic asset
• Lack of digital engagement tools, despite member expectations for mobile access and modern communication
• Siloed systems that did not support enterprise or franchise-level scale, creating barriers to consistent growth and retention

Together, these gaps made it harder to operate efficiently, engage members, and confidently plan for the future. For a growing, multi-location brand, the absence of an integrated solution made it harder to engage members, strengthen relationships, and support long-term retention.

Leadership at Los Campeones, led by VP of Operations Christian Klemmensen and Laura, knew they couldn’t afford another “quick fix.” They needed a platform built for multi-location gym operations.They approached the search with the same discipline their members bring to the squat rack.

Laura utilized a rigorous MoSCoW spreadsheet (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) to evaluate every major platform in the fitness industry. They weren’t just looking for a feature list; they were looking for enterprise scalability, cross-location management capabilities, and a partner that understood the unique needs of a high-volume strength gym.

After an exhaustive evaluation, Daxko Club Automation stood out as the winner. The decision came down to three primary pillars: modern technology, enterprise depth, and the people behind the product.

Daxko Club Automation offered the sophisticated infrastructure needed to manage both corporate and fitness franchise management structures within a single ecosystem. Beyond the powerful enterprise fitness reporting and integrations, the Los Campeones team felt a strong cultural alignment.

They didn’t want a vendor that just sold software; they wanted a partnership-centric organization that would be responsive to their specific operational challenges.

With a background in SaaS and customer success, Laura knew implementation sets the tone for everything that follows. From contracting through launch, Club Automation stood out for clear communication, strong follow-through, and hands-on guidance, making every step feel seamless, supported, and intentional.

The implementation team set clear expectations and guided the process from start to finish. With expert project management, knowledgeable trainers, and strong best practices, the team moved quickly on a tight timeline. Every step was organized, intentional, and focused on long-term success, not just go-live.

Software migrations across 14 locations are notoriously complex, but Club Automation’s implementation approach exceeded expectations. For Los Campeones, that concern was addressed early and consistently.

From the very beginning, the Daxko team walked them through exactly what data was needed and why. Instead of treating migration as a technical handoff, the team took time to understand the legacy data and explain how it would translate into Club Automation. That clarity mattered.

By explaining how data structure would impact reporting, member management, and daily operations in the new system, the team helped everyone understand the importance of getting it right. The process also created an opportunity to clean up outdated or inconsistent records before go-live.

When go-live arrived, the team knew their data was exactly where it needed to be and ready to support growth from the start.

From the start, Los Campeones leadership team felt confident knowing the right people were involved at the right time, especially when it came to staff training. What stood out most was the structure and thoughtfulness of the training approach. Instead of a one-size-fits-all rollout, training was clearly outlined by role, with different courses and tools designed for front-line staff, managers, and leadership. That flexibility mattered for a team spread across functions and schedules.

Live webinars, a learning management system, and hands-on sessions gave staff multiple ways to learn. Training focused first on what employees needed day to day, then gradually introduced more advanced backend capabilities. Staff were also given time to explore the system before working with members, which helped build confidence early. The timing made a difference too. Rather than overwhelming staff too far in advance, training ramped up closer to go-live, with role-based sessions scheduled the same week. That just-in-time approach helped information stick.

As staff began using the new system, excitement grew. Longstanding frustrations with the previous platform faded, replaced by a more intuitive experience. Even with a learning curve, ongoing support ensured no one was left behind and future onboarding is now much easier as a result.

The impact was immediate across every operational area. Messy data gave way to clean, standardized member profiles. The point-of-sale experience became faster and more intuitive – particularly appreciated during peak lifting hours when every second counts. Dedicated check-in stations now move members through efficiently, while staff work with a system that genuinely supports their daily workflows.

The standardization across locations proved transformative for franchise management. Where each gym previously configured systems differently, creating data integrity issues, consistent settings now enable accurate cross-location reporting and streamlined staff training.

Perhaps the most visible transformation has been the member-facing experience. Los Campeones launched a modern mobile app that members have embraced enthusiastically. Digital membership cards, easy scanning, self-service profile updates, and billing management – all features the previous system couldn’t support are now standard.

The self-service capabilities have created unexpected operational benefits. Front desk staff spend less time answering basic account questions and more time on high-value member interactions. Members who can update their own payment methods mean fewer declined transactions during billing cycles.

Behind the scenes, automated notifications about declined payments and expiring credit cards enable proactive outreach before issues escalate. The result is more predictable cash flow and significantly fewer billing-related member service issues.

Financial reporting has evolved from a frustrating puzzle to a strategic asset. Real-time visibility into performance across all locations, exportable data that makes sense, and robust analytics capabilities have given leadership the insights needed to confidently pursue expansion.

With three franchise locations preparing to launch and additional Texas markets on the horizon, Los Campeones is leveraging Club Automation’s enterprise capabilities to ensure franchise partners receive the same operational excellence as corporate locations. The unified platform means consistent member experiences, standardized training, and centralized support – regardless of ownership structure.

Los Campeones no longer views their member management system as a utility to be tolerated. It’s a strategic asset enabling their growth ambitions. The ongoing relationship with Club Automation – characterized by responsive support, regular check-ins, and continued platform innovation gives leadership confidence that their technology will keep pace as they scale.

By eliminating the friction of unstable systems and manual workarounds, Club Automation has allowed the Los Campeones team to refocus on what they do best: building the strongest gym community in the country.

Strong brands deserve strong systems. Whether you’re managing a single elite facility or a growing multi-state franchise, your technology should empower your staff and delight your members.

Learn how Club Automation can help your multi-location fitness brand scale with confidence.