From Owning a Struggling CrossFit Gym to Becoming the Lead of the Active Life Flagship Facility

The Active Life Podcast

In this episode, our co-host shares a remarkable journey from a college dropout and repeated arrests to becoming a successful gym owner. Through a candid and inspiring conversation, we explore the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the tough decisions that come with staying true to your vision. Key Takeaways: The Early Struggles: Our guest reflects on his difficult early twenties, filled with frustration, lack of direction, and multiple arrests, until discovering CrossFit, which became a turning point in his life. Building the Business: Starting from coaching part-time, the guest takes us through his path to becoming a gym owner—an unexpected offer to buy a struggling gym and the challenges of managing it while working a full-time job. Turning Point: A tragic loss prompts the guest to reevaluate his priorities, pushing him to pursue full-time gym ownership. He shares how focusing 100% on the business led to significant growth but also created internal conflicts about the gym's direction. Lessons in Leadership: From paying coaches and managing partnerships to dealing with resentment and fallout, this episode dives into the complexities of business ownership. You'll hear about hard-earned lessons in leadership and the importance of aligning your values with your business. Facing Change and Rebranding: Our guest opens up about his shift away from the CrossFit brand, moving toward a more personalized fitness model, and the struggles of implementing change when clients resist. His story offers a real-world example of how difficult but necessary it can be to stay true to your mission, even if it means losing customers. Surviving COVID-19: Hear how the gym not only survived but thrived during the pandemic, using creative solutions like outdoor classes and Zoom sessions to keep clients engaged. Navigating Personal and Professional Transitions: After years of running multiple gym facilities, the guest talks about his decision to relocate and pass the torch to his business partner, signaling a new chapter in his personal and professional life. 00:00 - Introduction & Fluffing as a Profession 01:00 - From Athlete to Dropout 03:00 - Discovering CrossFit 05:00 - Becoming a Gym Owner 08:00 - Balancing Two Jobs 10:30 - Loss and Dark Night of the Soul 12:00 - Going Full-Time with the Gym 14:30 - Hiring Coaches & Growing 17:00 - Opening a Second Gym 19:00 - COVID-19 & Business Resilience 22:00 - Shifting Values & Leaving CrossFit 25:00 - Closing the Gym & Moving Forward