In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I sit down with Aaron Parlier, owner of Center 45 in Boone, North Carolina.

Aaron shares a grounded, long-term perspective on what actually makes a climbing gym successful. Not rapid expansion, flashy amenities, or forcing your gym into a predefined box, but focusing on community, routesetting, and creating a space people genuinely want to spend time in.

We talk about slow, sustainable growth, why your climbs are the product, and how first impressions at the front desk shape everything that follows.

This episode is especially valuable for new gym owners and operators in small or college towns.

Show Notes:
00:00 – Aaron’s climbing background & early influences

03:00 – Discovering indoor climbing & falling all the way in

06:00 – Opening Center 45 with limited resources

08:30 – Crowdfunding holds & growing within constraints

11:00 – Capacity issues, weather, and space limitations

14:30 – Partnering with the university climbing wall

16:00 – Making the gym feel welcoming to new climbers

18:30 – Why intimidation kills the first-time experience

21:00 – Front desk energy & first impressions

22:10 – Final advice: slow growth & “it's about the bread”

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