One of America’s favorite gyms shares tips for creating a sense of belonging

In Thai, Kru means “instructor,” someone who teaches new generations the long tradition of Muay Thai. While leading classes, Thanat Tanchon is known as Kru Chon, but in his professional boxing career, he received the nickname “Little Giant” because he’s small but powerful.

The same can be said about Kru Chon’s Muay Thai gym,The Little Giant Muay Thai. The small business has a big impact on its tight-knit community of professional boxers, young students, and their parents. “It’s a little place, but we [have] giant, big hearts,” said co-founder and coach Nate Bennett.

Nate and Kru Chon’s commitment to giving every student individualized attention earned them the #3 spot in the Fitness and Instruction category on Yelp and Entrepreneur’sAmerica’s Favorite 150 Mom and Pop Shops list. Below, the duo shares three ways they lead from the heart to create a sense of belonging and community.

1. Building a tight-knit community

Since its founding, Little Giant has been operating out of a small, converted office building in Falls Church, Virginia. But Nate and Kru Chon never saw the gym’s size as a disadvantage.

“We wanted to start very small,” Nate said. “One, because that’s what we could afford, and two, because we wanted to really make it a tight-knit, small community. That way, you’re able to focus on each individual student. This space gave us the opportunity to do that.”

Little Giant’s ability to provide individualized attention is one of its greatest strengths, according to Yelp reviewers likeSamantha N.“[The coaches] make sure to greet every single person, acknowledge the fact that they’re there, and it shows a lot of respect,” she said. “If they already have respect for one another, you know there’s gonna be great things that happen there.”

Small toucheslike greeting everyone by name, creating a personal rapport, and keeping tabs on each student’s progress go a long way in building strong relationships. The gym’s tight-knit culture has also helped Nate and Kru Chon dispel myths about Muay Thai, a martial art and combat sport with a rich history in Thailand.

“There’s a misconception for a lot of martial arts gyms that we’re just trying to beat everybody up,” Nate said. “But we really try to preach good, healthy habits: being disciplined, being a good person, [having] courage. That’s how we run our school.”

2. Training employees with a service mindset

It’s not just service businesses that require acustomer service mindset. According to Nate and Kru Chon, their customer service background informs a lot of their business decisions—from one-on-one communication to employee training.

“I was a waiter and [Kru Chon] was a bartender,” Nate said. “I think that really helps us because when you’re working in the service industry, you gotta make sure everyone’s good. Is their food too cold? Did they get their drinks? Did you greet them or say ‘how are you?’

“[Being an instructor is] just like serving. You go around, you make sure you talk to [students at least] three different times—fix their technique, that kind of stuff.”

Consistency is key when it comes to employee training. To standardize Little Giant’s customer service practices for future coaches, Nate plans to record Kru Chon in action, so new hires can model his enthusiasm and attentiveness. This step—communicating your expectations and procedures for customer service—is also one of service expert Jeff Toister’s three pillars ofcustomer service training.

3. Embracing a learning atmosphere

Classes at Little Giant span all ages, from kids and teens to adults and even professional boxers. Providing a great experience for students of varying levels requires a particular balance, especially when working with young kids. Teaching the skills and values of Muay Thai is a priority, but ultimately, the coaches want their students to have fun.

“When I was a young child, I did karate and taekwondo, and it was just so strict and formal,” Nate said. “I remember trying it out for two weeks, and I just felt like I couldn’t be a kid [there].”

With that experience in mind, Nate is determined to make Little Giant somewhere kidswantto go. “That balance of fun but competitive—a kind of learning atmosphere—really helps,” he said. “The parents really enjoy that, and the kids genuinely want to come and show how strong they are and how fast they are… It feels great when you see a kid enjoying himself or herself, and also crushing it and sweating and really wanting to run and race and duck and dive.”

Nate and Kru Chon strive to create a learning atmosphere in all aspects of their business, including reviews. Despite their perfect 5-star rating, they know that they can always improve and learn from customer feedback. “We’re trying to keep this five star forever, but we can’t make everybody happy. It’s not always gonna be perfect, but we’re always gonna do our best,” Nate said.

Photos from The Little Giant Muay Thai

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These lessons come from an episode ofBehind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Nate, orvisit the episode pageto read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.