Four Year Anniversary
For the past four years, this has been my life. I wake up and I come to CrossFit PB. When everyone is done working out, I go home. After four full years of this, I love it just as much today as I did four years ago.
As with most weeks in my life, I have no clue what the actual day is. I have a built in time clock. Every day I wake up, shower (most days), and I go to the gym. I do this most days at 5:30 AM and some days I do this around 7:30. My days are structured based on gym programming. I know if I see a lot of people squatting, it is either a Monday or Friday. If I see cleans and snatches, it is a Wednesday, and if I see a lot of people lying on the floor in piles of sweat it must be Tuesday. I am a creature of habit. My body is tuned in to seeing the same people at the same times. If you randomly show up to a 6:00 AM class, it will be the first thing I mention to you.
For the past four years, this has been my life. I wake up and I come to CrossFit PB. When everyone is done working out, I go home. After four full years of this, I love it just as much today as I did four years ago. We opened in 2010, expanded to North PB in 2012, and somewhat peacefully left our initial location and expanded into a 6,000 square foot facility closer to the beach this year. Turning three new gyms around in four years was never the plan. We never intended to expand at all. All we ever wanted to do was be around people that liked working out as much as we did. Somewhere along the way, we learned a few things about people, business, and the world. We learned a lot about taking care of people and putting their needs ahead of ours. In our first year of business we learned about survival. In our fourth year, we learned about personalization and quality. Success is no longer defined by the quantity of clients, but the quality and results that every person has from being here.
I still barely understand how we have made it this long. I do know that we have the greatest coaching staff I have ever come across. Last week in our coaches meeting I was literally left speechless when I started discussing their efforts. We must get 7-10 comments a week from current members and drop in’s thanking us and telling us how amazing the coaches are. I am also forever grateful for their loyalty. We are a family in the truest sense of the word. As with every family, we go through the gamut of emotions. This year was no different. We continue to stick together and I could not imagine coming to work every day and not seeing these people. For four straight years I wake up and Lindsay Renteria is here. It is crazy to think I went to her 21st birthday party four years ago. Greg Kuchan is my first phone call anytime I want to do anything involving salt water and fun. Jenn Ryan is absurdly good at everything she does. I mean, half the reason I spend twelve hours day in this place is because I have to somehow find a way to work harder than her. For the last year, Matt Lodin has taken on the role of Director of Coaching. If you have been in a class and thought, “Man, these guys are pretty good at coaching,” you can thank him. He has developed an entire coaching manual, added professionalism and created a litmus test for excellence that is unmatched. When you surround yourself with people of this caliber, it makes life incredibly enjoyable and rewarding.
Ten years ago Bryan and I met in a dingy apartment at James Madison University. On days we were not hungover we did chest, back, and legs. Hangover days we did bis and tris (lots of preacher curls because we got to sit down). Despite the obvious differences in programming, he is still the best resource and coach I have ever met. We often talk about how interesting our dynamic has changed over the years. From the days of college, moving apart, moving back in together, watching each other get married and engaged, and somehow creating a business out of the same things we did for fun when we first met. The relationship transcends friendship at this point. It is so crazy how in tune two people can be to a common vision. I am so thankful for our friendship, our shared vision, and that we still get to sit next to each other every day and talk about how to get people in really good shape.
If you were to sum up year four, you could say we grew up a little. In the beginning we spent so many sleepless nights hoping people would show up and want to learn from us. Well, three locations and a couple hundred members later, we find ourselves staring at the same mission as the day we opened. Educate people on fitness, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles, Inspire them to achieve their personal goals, and make it as Entertaining as possible. The sleepless nights are now spent in constant thought on how to better connect with people and create an environment that is unparalleled in the fitness community.
If you were to ask what the biggest lesson I have learned in owning a business is, the answer is simple. Every action and thought in your life should be about creating an environment that empowers others to chase their dreams. The goal is to elevate everyone around you. Bryan and I cannot do what we do without the most incredible coaching staff and clients. Our job is to make sure this place gives you back everything that you put into it.
We will be hosting our four year anniversary party this weekend at the gym on Garnet. We will be rolling in a full casino, all you can eat food, drinks, and a wealth of laughs, and timeless stories of the past four years. It would be an honor to have you join us and celebrate this place we all call home. You can pourchase your tickets by following this link.
Thank you to everyone that has ever walked into the doors of CrossFit PB and trusted us with your fitness needs. We understand this is a huge decision and investment in your life. Keep showing up, and I promise, we will continue making the most amazing gym you have ever been too.
