NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When Kurt Schneiter talks about business, he starts with people.
“We’ve done over a thousand commercial real estate transactions. That’s how we make our living,” he says. “But fitness is how we make our life.”
Fitness, after all is a passion of Kurt and Jennifer’s that they have instilled in their children. This family value has guided every chapter of Iconix Fitness—and it’s why the company’s expansion into Nashville is not a short-term play or a satellite market, but a deeply personal decision. Kurt and his family made the move from California to Tennessee four years ago. For the Schneiter’s, this isn’t an outpost. It’s the future.
Schneiter never planned to enter the fitness industry. The idea came unexpectedly, mid-flight, after backing out of a restaurant deal. As he talked through next steps with his daughters and wife, the conversation shifted toward what people truly need: connection, consistency, and a place that feels grounding.
That conversation became Iconix.
Founded in 2017, Iconix was built on three principles—cleanliness, quality, and community—and nearly a decade later, those values remain intact. They are embedded not just in the brand, but in the way the company operates every day.
Iconix is a family business, though not in the sentimental sense. Schneiter’s daughters have grown alongside the company, each contributing in ways that reflect responsibility and belief in the brand. His eldest daughter, Sam Schneiter Smoller, serves as Executive Operations for Iconix as a whole and has relocated to Tennessee to support the Nashville expansion firsthand. Sydney has helped shape Iconix’s cultural identity by assisting with Wall of Fame selections at each location, ensuring those honored reflect the brand’s values.
Grace, now 21, is deeply passionate about fitness and martial arts with advanced belts in Krav Maga, Muay-Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu. She is planning on teaching a self-defense class at Iconix. The youngest, Katie, now 15, has been part of Iconix since she was six years old. Katie began working at the first neighborhood location greeting guests and folding towels, learning about the importance of good hospitality. She is looking forward to serving members in the same way at the Nashville location.
Beyond the family, Iconix’s strength lies in its leadership continuity. Adam Armbrust, now National Director of Membership and Nashville General Manager, has been with Iconix for ten years, helping shape the company’s membership strategy and growth across markets. Ricardo Rodriguez, National Director of Personal Training, alongside Paul Kolososki, Nashville Director of Personal Training and Recovery, have spent years developing the performance and recovery systems that define the brand’s training philosophy. 
Cameron Corlett, Nashville Membership Director, and Courtney Lardas, Personal Trainer, both relocated from the Long Beach location, bringing with them years of experience and deep familiarity with the Iconix culture. Samuel Mason, a Nashville local, Director of Group Fitness and Operations and has been a respected group fitness instructor in the city for years, previously at Soho House and other leading fitness studios. Shea Doby, Assistant Operations Director, and Karen Yamasaki, Membership Advisor, relocated from the Inglewood location after two years with the company to support Nashville’s launch. Supporting the Schneiter family behind the scenes is Kim Heying, who has played a key role in managing and organizing the family’s growing business operations as Iconix continues to scale thoughtfully. The majority of Iconix’s management team moved from Los Angeles to Tennessee—an uncommon decision that underscores their belief in the brand and their commitment to its long-term growth.
Iconix is designed as an all-encompassing fitness destination. The Nashville location spans more than 40,000 square feet and offers multiple strength floors, performance rooms, recovery services, and an expansive group fitness schedule with approximately 100 to 120 classes offered each week. These include strength, conditioning, spin, yoga, barre, Pilates, dance, heated classes, HIIT, breath-work, and sound baths. Crucially, every one of those classes is included in membership—even at the lowest tier.
“We want you to be able to go one place that costs less than going to a private studio for unlimited classes, and also have access to the best possible equipment you can ever think of,” Armbrust says.
Iconix places equal emphasis on personal training and group fitness, staffed by a deeply experienced team with years of knowledge across disciplines. Trainers and instructors are selected not just for credentials, but for their ability to connect, coach, and elevate members at every stage of their fitness journey. The result is a gym where elite-level expertise feels accessible rather than intimidating.
Cleanliness and comfort remain non-negotiable. Locker rooms are meticulously maintained, designed to feel as elevated and pristine on day one hundred as they do on opening day.
Beyond the gym floor is The Nix, a cafe under the Iconix brand that extends its lifestyle ethos into hospitality. Run by Kale Evans, a New York restaurateur and former owner of Charley Street, The Nix offers a thoughtful, community-driven cafe experience designed to complement training and recovery rather than distract from it.
Iconix Nashville also features ION Recovery, a dedicated recovery suite available as an add-on to membership. The space includes a two-seater hyperbaric chamber, cold plunges, cryotherapy, a NEO red-light therapy bed, lymphatic compression, PEMF mats, IV therapy and vitamin shots, along with spa services and both private and communal saunas. Designed to support performance and longevity, ION reflects Iconix’s belief that recovery is an essential part of sustainable training.
At its core, Iconix is not about equipment or amenities—it is about connection.
“Most gyms think they’re in the fitness industry,” Schneiter says. “We’re not. We’re in the connectivity business.”
He makes a point of meeting members, asking how staff are treating them, and introducing people to one another. His goal is simple: that every person who walks into Iconix leaves feeling a little less alone.
As the Schneiter’s make Tennessee their home and the leadership team plants permanent roots in Nashville, Iconix is embracing the city not as a market, but as a community. Growth, for Iconix, has never been about scale alone. It has been about building something that lasts.
The name Iconix itself came from a desire to represent character over aesthetics.
He ensures everyone that steps foot in Iconix, from staff member to gym goer, are treated with kindness, empathy and happiness. That emphasis on mental health and belonging is woven into the Iconix DNA. “If our staff isn’t happy, how do I sell happiness to you?”
Beyond the gym floor, the Schneiter family are self-proclaimed food lovers and dog enthusiasts. Schneiter jokes about his “granddog” and shares that the family is “very dog friendly.” If you are lucky enough, you might even meet this furry friend prancing around the gym.
As Kurt and several other family members relocate to Nashville, they became pleasantly surprised at how many innovative ideas have come out of the state of Tennessee. The family has immersed themselves in Nashville culture, embracing its history and quirks.
“I now know fun facts about Nashville and Tennessee that most people that lived here their whole life would be shocked at,” he laughed. “I mean cotton candy and miniature golf comes were invented here!”
Iconix Gym may be expanding, but at its core, it remains a family venture born from conversation, courage and collaboration.
From blueprints and crayons to boardrooms and black belts, the Schneiter daughters have shaped the brand at every stage and Schneiter gets to call himself one proud girl dad.
And in Nashville, that life is now very much a family affair. “The real success isn’t the gyms we build, it’s the family we’ve built inside them.”
For Schneiter, preserving the soul of a city is critical and he is excited to be bringing his beloved business to our city.
From family conversations and long-standing leadership to a team willing to relocate for the brand, Iconix remains a company shaped by belief, commitment, and care.
“The real success isn’t the gyms we build,” Schneiter says. “It’s the family we build inside them.”
Be sure to follow them on Instagram and visit their website to take advantage of their founding membership offer, available now.
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