Dean Stallard did something amid the COVID-19 pandemic that seems implausible: he managed to grow his gym business. Perhaps it was serendipity that made him leave his corporate job in Hong Kong to focus fully on his own business just two weeks before the city's first COVID lockdown, but he has nonetheless set a precedent for seeing one's vision through despite seemingly insurmountable adversity.
Stallard's The Hybrid Gym and its subsidiary business, The Hybrid Gym Group, were first launched in 2018, and last year he debuted a 360 Personal Training & Wellness program with Asaya Wellness at Rosewood Hong Kong. While the ink had barely dried on the lease for Hybrid's eagerly anticipated Los Angeles location in February 2020, COVID-19 hit with full force globally and that gym wasn't able to officially open its doors until August 2021.
Stallard was able to keep Hybrid on a steady path throughout the pandemic by working long hours and being tenacious in his approach to his business. He would wake up every morning at 4 a.m., spend a couple hours on personal learning and research, and then take calls and meetings and coach personal fitness sessions during the day. Now, he plans to extend his collaboration with Asaya Wellness to 13 other countries. “The past year has by far been the most difficult time to navigate in my career… but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. One thing I have learned throughout my journey is to expect the unexpected, and if a great opportunity comes up—even if it scares the hell out of you—grab it with both hands," said Stallard.
