Does the road to award-winning entrepreneurship lead through professional dance troupes, the U.S. Army Infantry, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, and Munn Ice Arena? It does if you’re Chris Najor, owner since 2003 of two Go Workout fitness centers in Lansing.

With such an eclectic variety of stops along the road, it’s not surprising to hear Najor say, “I never expected to be a business owner. I never wanted to be a business owner.” But his father and grandfather both were, and obviously something rubbed off on Najor, who had a vision of what he wanted to do, and did it. The vision? To turn a mom-and-pop gym into a full-service health club.

While working on his criminal justice degree at MSU, Najor was a resident director at Bryan Hall, and said that this is where he learned about the corporate structure that helped him in the business. Najor credited his team for helping him succeed. The team includes sales manager Mike Reyes (all the way from Texas) and Mitchell Gast, manager for the previous owners during their most successful years.

What else helps them stand out from the competition? “What we try to do to differentiate ourselves is provide a little bit better customer service, help people when they first come in to be able to understand how fitness can work into their lives no matter what their lives may be like. And [we] try to structure a program that will work for them depending upon their goals.”

Najor said that he tries to “stay on the cutting edge of technology,” which is not always an easy thing to do. But it has certainly paid off, as is evidenced by Go Workout’s good reputation in the Lansing area. “We want to see people coming in, and using the club. We think that fitness is a lifestyle that everybody needs to use in order to have a greater quality of life.”

Najor’s biggest challenge along the way has been increased competition. “There’s always somebody new coming around. The market’s pretty saturated, and every time somebody opens up, it eats away a little bit at your business, no matter how good you are. Trying to stay off the competition and keep ourselves leaders in the field has been the most difficult part.”

He believes that although being willing to take a big risk is essential to becoming a successful entrepreneur, just as important is “having a vision of what you want to do, and then being able to implement that vision.” In fact, he said, “that’s certainly the hardest part.” But with 70-hour weeks, and what he describes as an incredible staff who helps him implement his vision, Najor feels good about his future, and very grateful to have been named the 2007 Emerging Entrepreneur of the year.

Go Workout offers members power classes on a 16-visit punch card. If you complete all 16 classes in eight weeks or less and aren’t happy with the club, you can get 100 percent of your money back. The same guarantee applies to new clients who sign up to their First Week with a Trainer program. Add to that free babysitting, tanning and full-service locker rooms and what are you waiting for? Go Workout!