Running Insight

1,400-square foot store tucked on Richmond Hill's Exchange Street. "Honestly," Ron says, "we thought it would be Sandra and maybe one or one-and-a-half employees." Opened as a natural running store, a designation motivated not by the accelerating minimalism trend, but rather Sandra's own life-changing experience with natural running, her careful, professional study of its merits and her work with injured soldiers, the Elliotts were confident they had the knowledge and service mentality to succeed even without the big brands on their footwear wall. "With my experience and research, I felt I knew things about gait, fitness and running injuries that could help people, particularly if they were open-minded and saw a world beyond Brooks, Asics or Nike," Sandra says. An inherent benefit, of course, was the Elliotts' military ties and the presence of nearby Fort Stewart as well as Savannah's Hunter Army Airfield, two installations filled with military personnel embracing – or at least being forced to embrace – an active lifestyle and setting a fitness tone for those around them. "They needed the products we have," Sandra says. From the get-go, the store's mission was to "change the game," Ron says. Their inventory, filled with niche brands like Altra, Newton and inov-8, reflected their differentiated approach, as did Sandra's people first-second-and-third mindset. While certainly recognizing the necessity of profitability, the Elliotts eschewed upselling – and even the mention of the word, hired only those with a servant heart and focused, habitually and intensely, on detailed, personalized service, a holistic approach informed by Sandra's physical therapy background. "Almost everyone who comes in here leaves with exercises and tips to improve their health," Sandra says, adding that the goal is always to have customers exit Georgia Game Changers better than when they walked in. While a store carrying only natural running footwear in a town of some 12,000 would seem destined to encounter struggles on its path to sustainability, the Elliotts instead captured quick success. "Most people said they had never had an experience like this," Sandra says. "We were accomplishing just what we set out to do and we were gaining a loyal following." Creating a one-stop destination In late 2014, Ron says the "good idea fairy" landed on his shoulder. A raw, five-acre parcel of land had become available up the street from Georgia Game Changers and Ron fashioned the idea for a one-stop, community- based enterprise for all things fitness. If opening a natural running store wasn't bold enough, this vision was, particularly amid the beginning ripples of a running specialty slowdown. "The original store just wasn't big enough to do everything we wanted to do, especially with all Sandra and her team were accomplishing," Ron says. The Elliotts crafted their plan and then committed everything they had to their vision. Losing sleep and losing hair, Sandra jokes, the husband-and-wife team oversaw the construction of a new, 16,000-square foot health and fitness-themed retail complex headlined by the 6,000-square foot Georgia Game Changers retail shop. 10 runninginsight.com © 2017 Formula4media LLC. Changing the Game (continued) The Game Changers shoe wall caters to niche brands. From the get-go, the store's mission was to "change the game." Their inventory, filled with niche brands like Altra, Newton and inov-8, reflected their differentiated approach. "Most people said they had never had an experience like this. We were accomplishing just what we set out to do and we were gaining a loyal following." SANDRA ELLIOTT OWNER, GEORGIA GAME CHANGERS

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