It started with a dislocated shoulder in high school. That’s when Dave Tuthill started a lifetime of trying to fix that nagging pain. A few years later, he started going to a local gym to recover some of his motion, and the result was not positive. Even though he had gone to a fitness center religiously, it was devastating to see that all that hard work not only had not healed his shoulder but left him overweight and defeated.
That led Dave to hire a personal trainer when he and his wife started to live on the Eastern Shore. He would drive to Annapolis twice a week for sessions and doubled down on exercise and diet. Within a relatively short period, he had lost 150 pounds, his shoulder became pain-free, and he had almost completely eliminated the use of medication.
It was during that time that Dave was asked time and time again how he accomplished this remarkable feat that the idea of opening up his own fitness center in Easton became another life goal for the real estate developer.
Defying the conventional business model of most gyms, where long-term contracts are pushed on members who never really use the facilities, Dave wanted to create an environment of encouragement, support and fellowship. In fact, the name itself, Hearthstone, was meant to symbolize a culture of caring and familiarity with members.
Fast-forward to 2022, and Hearthstone, against the odds as new big chain fitness centers, have entered the market, and with its unorthodox business model, has become one of the most successful gyms in the region.
The Spy sat down with Dave Tuthill last month to find out more.
This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about Hearthstone please go here.
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