SpringBoard diary: Nothing to lose

A successful climber is a climber who possesses a handful of traits, such as strength, endurance, mental power and technical skill. With only one, the climber will be able to successfully climb only a small number of routes.    

If I had a dime for every time someone asked me if I thought opening a climbing gym was actually realistic, I might have enough money to pay a month’s worth of rent on a potential building. While most of the people I have spoken with have been hugely supportive, others have pointed out numerous reasons as to why my idea is not in the realm of possibilities.

No, I do not have a trust fund or a line of investors knocking at my door. Yes, I have only been climbing for a year and a half. No, I do not have a business degree nor have I ever opened a business. Yes, I am only 24 years old. The list could go on. And on.

In week 4 of my SpringBoard class, we came up with estimated numbers for our sales and profit goals, as well as our break-even point. I will be the first to admit, the estimations were very difficult considering I literally have nothing but an idea. When asked why I would spend so much time figuring out potential numbers when I have no concrete building or bank account to fund it, the only reason I could come up with was, “Why not?”

There is a need for a climbing gym downtown, and I literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain. While there may be a list of reasons why I shouldn’t pursue the gym or why it won’t work, I have a list triple the size of reasons why I should and it will.

If I were solely a business person, climber or resident of OTR, my understanding of what it took to open a successful gym would be limited to that single dimension. Because I have my hand in all three, I am the perfect candidate to take on such an endeavor. My experience through SpringBoard, coupled with my passion for climbing and vision of OTR’s potential, make the likelihood of my creating a successful climbing gym far more realistic than a stack of money in the hands of someone not as well-rounded.