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

In this episode of the Active Life Podcast, Larry Gaier tells his story, a personal trainer who grew his career from humble beginnings to earning $10,000 a month while selectively working with clients he loves. Larry's journey started at a commercial gym, New York Sports Club, where he worked as a swim instructor after asking for a job to afford a gym membership. He transitioned to personal training after demonstrating his passion for fitness and helping gym-goers.Larry shares how he built his clientele, focusing on meaningful conversations rather than just fitness routines. Over time, his dedication paid off, and he was able to establish himself as a sought-after trainer, even though the gym’s corporate environment limited his ability to grow further. Seeking autonomy, Larry left the gym to start his own training business at a smaller rec center, where he doubled his income while working fewer hours. Throughout the conversation, Larry emphasizes the importance of personal growth, education, and providing value to clients. He discusses his decision to transition from direct personal training to mentoring other trainers, helping them build their businesses, and scaling his impact through Active Life. Larry now continues to train a select few clients while focusing on mentoring others, ensuring that his work remains inspiring and fulfilling. Key takeaways: Larry’s shift from employee to business owner mentality helped him break through income ceilings. Providing a unique, personalized approach to training led to client loyalty and increased demand. Scaling impact by teaching others is a natural progression for those excelling in their fields. This episode is a motivating listen for fitness professionals who want to build a sustainable, impactful career.

Whenwe say "people need to make it their priority, and then they will be healthy", the fitness industry has it backwards. It's a statement of ignorance for the lives people live. And it is ia deflection of responsibility that we're supposed to take in order to help them improve those lives. Angi Halvorson is a new kind of professional. She is a new kind of business owner. She is a new kind of leader, advocate, and guide. The help she is providing her local community in Calrisle PA is remarkable, and refreshing. Nothing she did was easy Everything she did was worth it. Find Angi on instagram at @angelmh101

This week I'm sitting down with Cody, who did some serious research about the origins of processed foods before this episode. We discussed how the movement to food like substances started, and what I think the best path forward to unwind it is.

Explore the impactful philosophy of prioritizing being different over simply being better in the health and fitness industry. Discover how redefining service quality and customer support can revolutionize business practices. Learn about a pioneering company in Long Beach that emphasizes delivering on client promises through personalized consultations. Their unique approach fosters strong reputations and effective service, all while maintaining premium rates. Embrace change and see how simple it can be to achieve success!

Conversations with parents can be hard, and complicated, no matter how accomplished or old we are. I have had some really difficult conversations with my parents, and the one about leaving clinical practice is among the hardest. On this episode I sit down with my Mom to discuss what made it so hard, how we could have done it better, and what went well, so that you can make sure your next difficult talk can be as painless and productive as possible.

Sometimes physical therapy isn’t a fit, and sometimes even when it is a fit, it’s an incomplete one.  On today’s episode Larry and I discuss how we’ve been helping people to get out of pain without going to the doctor or missing the gym at active life since 2015.

In this episode Cody Ringle and I break down the four types of people we most frequently find ourselves helping at Active Life. - why can’t these people get help elsewhere? - what have most of them tried? - when are they a bad fit for us? - mistakes we’ve made. - what makes clients successful? - how has the process changed? This is a deep dive into the way we view client services at active life Want to work with us? https://activelifeprofessional.com/rx-coaching/

Sheila has been around since the beginning. She was at the first seminar we ever put on, and now her job is work Mom to, well, Me. On this episode she breaks down the changes she has seen in me, and in the company over the years, because sometimes when we're too close, we can''t see it ourself. I asked Sheila some really personal, and hard hitting questions. Enjoy as she answers them, honestly.

When you actually do the math, this is much more interesting than initially thought.