Ten years ago, Adrien Guillot didn’t have a perfectly defined plan or a clear entrepreneurial roadmap. He didn’t have investors or major financial backing. What he did have was a deep conviction: he wanted to dedicate his life to something he genuinely loved.

“I started ten years ago with no money. I like to say that because it reminds me how far we’ve come. I sold my car to get a small amount of capital. All I had was passion and determination.”

That is how Human Blossom CrossFit was born.

They found a space, fitted it out themselves, negotiated with banks and moved forward step by step. There was no sophisticated strategy in the beginning — just hard work, resilience and a constant willingness to make it work. Adrien partnered with his friend Sofien Zaier, who shared that almost irrational energy of believing in something even before it fully existed.

They didn’t know how far it would go.
They simply knew they had to start.

Today, they run five gyms.

When Passion Isn’t Enough

As the years passed, members joined, the team grew and a community began to take shape. Alongside that growth came important lessons.

One of the biggest was about leadership and people management. Adrien admits it openly:
“I think my biggest mistake as an owner was being too young and too passionate. Relationships were too friendly — they weren’t structured enough.”

In the early days, closeness was natural. But as the business grew, he realised that leadership requires more than enthusiasm. It requires boundaries, structure and the acceptance that not everyone will stay.

“I believe the hardest part of being an owner is managing people.”

It wasn’t programming or marketing that shaped him the most. It was learning to make difficult decisions without losing the spirit of the project.

The Turning Point: Growing Through Uncertainty

Just as the business was entering a phase of expansion, everything was put into perspective.

They had opened new facilities, taken on significant risks and committed fully to growth. Then Covid arrived.

“During Covid, we had just purchased the building for one of our facilities. We opened a second gym in February, and in March lockdown began. In September, we took over a third facility in Belgium.”

Those were difficult years, marked by uncertainty and the real fear that everything they had built could collapse.

But instead of freezing, the team adapted. Outdoor classes. Online sessions. New projects. More creativity. They kept moving.

“It was such a difficult time that it actually brought us closer together as a team. They worked incredibly hard. I will never thank them enough.”

After going through that period, something shifted. It was no longer just about surviving — it was about realising they had proven their resilience.

“After that, I knew we were ready to face almost any storm.”

That was the true moment of maturity.

Growing Without Losing Your Soul

Today, Human Blossom runs five facilities and supports the launch of a sixth. But if there is one thing Adrien is clear about, it’s that growth should never come at the expense of identity.

“Don’t hide behind grand, corporate-style mission statements as if you were Netflix. Keep your soul.”

For him, the gym represents health, family and performance. It’s about staying approachable while remaining professional. It’s about ensuring that every person who walks through the door experiences the best hour of their day.

“We want everyone who comes in to have the best hour of their day.”

That, for them, is the true measure of success.

Choosing the Right Partners

With multiple facilities and a growing team, they also realised they needed stability in their systems. They had experienced issues with their previous booking platform: limited fluidity, operational uncertainty, even funds being blocked.

Changing software felt daunting. But growth requires decisions.

“We needed a quality partner — one that evolves and truly listens.”

Because when a project reaches a certain scale, passion remains the driving force, but stability is what sustains it over time.

The Advice He Wishes He Had Received

If someone asked him today what they should do before opening their own gym, Adrien wouldn’t talk about spreadsheets or complex projections.

“If you’re passionate, just go for it.”

He speaks about making mistakes, iterating, not repeating the same error twice. About surrounding yourself with people who have already walked the path. About not wasting time trying to do everything alone.

“Learn from your mistakes, but also from the mistakes of others. Write your story in your own way.”

Ten years after selling his car to get started, Adrien hasn’t just built five gyms. He has built resilience, perspective and a conscious way of growing.

And perhaps that is what makes his story truly inspiring — not simply that he grew, but that he grew without losing his soul.