POWELL
Workout Anytime gym in Powell gets a fresh look after 15 years
Al Lesar, Shopper News
As a business owner for the last 15 years, it’s hard to question John Heifner’s philosophy for achieving success.
“If you don’t revive it, it dies.”
John and his wife, Gina, were early franchise owners with Workout Anytime. Their Powell facility, 3547 W. Emory Road, opened 15 years ago and continues to thrive with more than 2,500 members. They also own a Halls location.
Since May, they've put in $350,000 to handle the “revive” part of the philosophy. John describes it as a “re-grand opening” in which everything is new and looking good.
Flooring, lighting, bathrooms, ceilings, locker rooms and walls were all refurbished in the makeover that ended in late July. Walls came down so the 10,000-square-foot gym could be opened
up.
“We had to keep this thing on an upward trajectory,” Heifner said. “When we re-signed a 10-year agreement with Workout Anytime, we felt it was the right time to start over. It’s like making a bright, shiny penny.”
Community is key to success
Heifner, who has a background as a registered nurse (as does his wife) before he became immersed in the fitness world, said he has had dozens of new franchise owners referred to him to discuss longevity. Of the 200-plus Workout Anytime franchises across the country, the Powell location has been in existence the longest.
“We’re locally owned and operated,” Heifner said. “Gina and I are at each location every day. We’re not owned by some equity firm.
“The biggest decision I made was where to open the Powell club. We wanted to be conveniently located where people live. The Powell community will support Powell businesses. And the businesses have to give back. If you go to Knoxville, you really don’t have an identity.”
The couple’s medical background has also played a role in the gym’s upkeep. Cleanliness is imperative in a medical setting. That focus has carried over into this pursuit.
“After the pandemic, we didn’t have to change any of our procedures,” Heifner said. “We were already taking measures to make sure everything was clean.”
Loyal members
Membership has climbed steadily. Heifner said there have been about 1,000 members who have been part of the Workout Anytime family for 10 years or more. The Belltown area, which is just a couple of minutes away, has had an influx of members.
“We’ve got an excellent retention rate,” Heifner said. “We have people who first joined in middle school. Now, they’re married and have children. I make sure I keep their middle school picture up (on the member board).”
Heifner has refused to go the route of having a cheap monthly fee in order to have a large volume of members.
“When you get a high volume of people, you can’t get to the equipment,” he said. “That ruins the experience. We want to offer a high-class experience.”
Monthly members are standard, but annual are accepted. Cost is $35 a month for premium and $20 for basic. Premium allows access to the premium suite that has hydromassage, tanning, infrared sauna and zero gravity massage chairs. Design for another premium room will be left up to member suggestions.
For more information, go to Workout Anytime Powell on social media or call 865-441-4471.
FARRAGUT
How this free networking group helps local businesses
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
Every Wednesday morning, the parking lot at the Karns Event Center (formerly known as the Youth Center) fills with business owners who are there for more than a cup of coffee and a stack of business cards. They come to Small Business Matters to build relationships, exchange referrals and, perhaps most importantly, champion one another.
The group meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Karns Event Center, 6618 Beaver Ridge Road. What began decades ago in Oak Ridge has evolved into a thriving network of local entrepreneurs in Karns.
Jacob Miller, who leads Small Business Matters with John Geer, joined the group in 2018 when it was still a small network meeting at an apartment complex in Oak Ridge.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the group made the decision to continue meeting in person, following social distancing and mask requirements. That decision became an unexpected turning point in attendance. Another turning point came when the apartment complex where they met was purchased and the new owners said the group had to move outside even during cold weather.
The group found a new location thanks to the Karns Community Club, which owns both the Community Center and the Event Center.
The group first moved to the Community Center but quickly outgrew its parking. Fortunately, the Event Center holds more than 100 people with ample parking. The move was made and the group continued to grow to 70 to 90 participants each week.
As other networking organizations increased their prices, Small Business Matters has remained free and open to reputable businesses.
“Know, like and trust are the three pillars of networking,” explained Geer. “Once you’ve been to a few meetings, we feel comfortable recommending you to customers.”
Miller explained the group has a strong social media presence and referrals go a long way online.
One referral illustrates that impact.
A member once saw a request on the “I Love Karns” Facebook page for an electrician and recommended someone in the group who was operating as a one-man business. The referral brought so much new business the electrician soon became booked a month in advance and now has employees.
“That’s the kind of grassroots effort we are putting forth with our group,” Miller said. “Everything is organic, nothing is forced. These are people that we know.”
That personal connection is at the heart of Small Business Matters.
Meetings begin with basic news items, then each business owner gets 30 seconds to introduce themselves, name their business and explain what kind of referrals they are seeking that week.
Afterward, an intermission gives members an opportunity to talk one on one while enjoying refreshments. The meeting then continues with a question designed to get everyone involved.
The questions can range from how business owners handle objections to whether they would choose an employee based on experience or trainability.
The partnership between Miller and Geer seems almost destined. The two grew up in Atlanta only about 5 miles apart, although they did not come together until much later in life to help grow Small Business Matters.
Today, their shared vision has created something bigger than a networking group.
“We have a sense of community and we all champion each other,” Geer said.
Info: https://smallbusinessmatters.org, find Small Business Matters on Facebook
HALLS
After 17 years in nursing, Emily Katz embraces life in the wedding business
Al Lesar, Shopper News
April 4 was a big day for Emily Katz.
That was the Corryton resident's last day after 17 years working as a high-risk obstetrics office nurse.
It also turned out to be her first day as the property manager of The Barn at Timber Trails, 5752 Washington Pike.
“After I left, I cried the whole way home,” Katz said. “This was a God thing. I was a single mom most of my life and had to work. I got married last year. It allowed me to do something different. The timing couldn’t have been any better.”
Katz actually found her way into her second calling earlier. For years, she had run a wedding and event planning business on the side. While she was ending her nursing job, a family member told her about the opportunity at The Barn at Timber Trails.
Too many things came together for this not to be the next direction her life was meant to take.
Everything fell into place
Marty and Lisa Norton owned L&M Landscape Materials on Mill Road for several years. They purchased some land nearby on Washington Pike so they could hold family gatherings there. Little by little they added trails and built up some spaces.
After a while, Katz said, Marty was interested in having a timber-framed barn built on the eight acres. It took about a year, but the result was a 3,800-square-foot structure that was perfect for events.
They were thrilled to find someone like Katz to run it.
The Barn at Timber Trails is climate controlled with separate bridal and groom suites. There’s a catering support area, and tables and chairs are supplied. The electric and lighting grids are perfect for DJs. There’s an outdoor ceremony area and outdoor area for children.
“Marty and Lisa thought of so many things,” Katz said. “The wiring is great. There’s plenty of air conditioning. Lights are on dimmers. The restrooms are placed just right.”
Organization helps things run
Five Angles Events is the business Katz runs separately from her property manager job.
“There are so many different angles needed to pull off an event,” Katz said. “There are vendors, creativity, details, timeline and connection.
“Marty and Lisa are great, wanting me to build my own business while running this one.”
Organizational skills, which Katz has had since she was young, help her manage both of her jobs.
“I was always the mama of the group,” she said. “I would take the leadership. Same with my nursing position. If I saw a need, I would just do it.”
She has had to get used to the business side of an event place: rules and regulations that come with owning a building, such as handicap parking spaces, zoning, contracts and first-aid kits. Those are details she took for granted when booking an established venue for a wedding.
Katz said The Barn at Timber Trails offers several packages between $4,000 and $6,000. It can accommodate fewer than 200 people.
For more information, go to: www.thebarnattimbertrails.com.
BEARDEN
Why Episcopal Church of the Ascension is a music destination
John Shearer, Shopper News
The gentle sound of the almost inconspicuous and narrow Fourth Creek flowing near Northshore Drive in Bearden is sometimes not the only soothing noise heard amid the passing motorists.
Since 1999, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension just above the stream at 800 S. Northshore Drive has been hosting a Friends of Music & the Arts series of choral and instrumental concerts and literary readings.
As the new brochure regarding the 2026-27 season describes the events: “FOMA is more than just a concert series. It’s a holy offering that skillfully blends artistic mastery with deep spiritual meaning.”
And conscientiously helping put together the program in a coordinating role since its inception has been Jim Garvey, the church’s director of music and its organist. He said simply that he had seen how popular such series were when he worked at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver decades ago and hoped they might work here.
“When I moved to Knoxville in 1990, I thought that was something that was under-represented here,” he said in a recent phone interview. “There was one at Church Street United Methodist and maybe First Baptist, but that was all. It took us awhile to get the initiative off the ground to see if people could partner with us. But it has been successful.”
Over the years, they have had a number of well-known artists appear, including the Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen, the King’s Singers, VOCES8, and the Vienna Boys Choir from the music realm. Such noted authors as Jan Karon and Ann Lamont and poet Billy Collins have also done readings or programs, he said.
Among those scheduled to appear in this year’s concert series at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 is Stile Antico, a British choral ensemble specializing in music of the 16th and 17th centuries. Tickets are $35, but it is the only concert requiring paid admission, Garvey said.
Free events include a choral concert by Chanticleer, a group of 12 men performing choral literature, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26, 2027; an organ recital by Nathan Laube of the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music at 5 p.m. Jan. 31; and an organ recital by National Young Artists’ organ competition winner Mitchell Miller at 7:30 p.m. March 8.
“Because the organ is very fine, we always have organists perform,” Garvey said of the Wilhelm-installed organ.
The final event of the year is a concert by the choirs of Church of the Ascension and Westminster Presbyterian and an orchestra performing composer Maurice Durufle’s “Requiem” and “Messe cum Jubilo.” It will take place at 5 p.m. April 11.
The mid-century church built to look somewhat like a European monastery and featuring good acoustics has been a selling point as much as any efforts made by the church. “It is an acoustical setting that feels both intimate and grand at the same time,” he said.
Designed by Charles Barber and his BarberMcMurry firm and initially completed in 1957 and enlarged in 1986, the nave now seats over 600 people. Its cross shape when seen from above allows more people to be closer to the musicians and altar, Garvey said.
For Garvey, getting to help the church put on the concerts and special events is like its own long musical symphony that began when he was a youngster in suburban Houston. He remembers admiring a woman musician, who was maybe not appreciated as much as she should have been, and he quickly became interested in good music.
“All of my family took piano lessons,” he said. “But I was the only one of the kids to be foolhardy enough to pursue it and to think I can make a living at it. It’s always been important in who I am.”
While some attention has been paid in recent years to the fact that traditional church choirs are giving way to praise bands at many churches, Garvey believes church choirs will remain for the foreseeable future. However, he does admit it is sometimes harder to recruit choir members because everyone is so busy these days.
Several elite choirs are quite busy as well performing special concerts at places like Episcopal Church of the Ascension.
Even other churches near Fourth Creek such as Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Westminster Presbyterian and Central Bearden have also developed their own special music events and series. As a result, this part of Knoxville has become the heart of choral or church music in Knoxville like Middle C is on the piano.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper Blog: Workout Anytime gym in Powell gets a fresh look after 15 years
