Future of Fitness

Jim is CEO of OPEX in Scottsdale, AZ. They are a global coaching education company offering remote coaching and gym licensing. Every endeavor that Jim Crowell has tackled throughout his life has led him to his coaching role with OPEX. In school, whether he was playing 5 sports in high school, competing as a member of the Big Ten Men's Tennis at Penn State, or mentoring numerous students and athletes Jim's reputation was built early around hard work and tremendous care for the people around him. Even though athletics were a huge part of his college life Jim's double major in Finance and Economics led to enter the hedge fund world where he would become an energy commodities trader in Austin. It was in that fast-paced environment where Jim learned how crucial continuous education is. He found a great love of researching his craft inside and out. Learning became one of Jim's highest values. That focus on learning helped teach him to strive for the best possible methods to benefit his clients. After 5 years in the financial arena, Jim couldn't ignore his heart anymore. For the next 4 years, he opened and successfully managed multiple fitness facilities in Pittsburgh. It was in Pittsburgh where Jim spent countless hours learning and testing principals with his athletes. But, he also tested those strategies as an athlete himself. His athletic drive solidified him a spot in the 2014 Individual Mid-Atlantic Regionals. He built his coaching reputation around two main points: progress and fulfillment. That reputation of positively impacting his client's lives provided him the opportunity to work with thousands of wonderful people ranging from professional athletes to adults hungry for better fitness and wellness, and to kids of all ages. After his tenure in Pittsburgh, he was honored to join OPEX. He has the privilege of working with inspired clients and learning from some of the finest coaches in the world. His unique experiences have helped him understand that everybody is unique. That understanding helps him ensure that his approach for each and every athlete meshes with their specific goals and values in a way that will help them reach their highest potential in a way that they truly enjoy.

A 2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist in rowing (W8+) from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She has podiumed at every World Championship rowing competition she has ever competed at accruing a total of 6 World Championships Gold Medals and 2 Bronze Medals. Erin began her rowing career by walking on to University of California, Berkeley and was part of the 2-time NCAA Championship Cal Women's Crew in 2005 and 2006. She takes us through her experience as an athlete and what life is like on the other side of hitting the apex of her sport.

James is THE "O.G" when it comes to competitive functional fitness and the very first man to be crowned the CrossFit Games Champion in 2007. He is the founder of OPEX which is a high-level educational company for fitness coaches and a conglomerate of qualified online coaches. He is often times the smartest guy in the room and has made it his mission to pave a path where professional coaches can make a great living with purpose and prestige.

Ever thought about writing a book? Many of us, but rarely execute. Jason has and he details that process and how he reaps the benefits. He is a co-founder of OwnYourEating.com along with his fiance, Roz. They are a growing force in the world of online nutrition and his story is a great one

Box Pro Magazine is a publication with the mission of educating and empowering fitness professionals. Heather is a professional journalist providing highly valuable methods that will assist fitness professionals in producing relevant content for their clients and prospects. She also has a unique vantage point that allows her to see trends in the industry (hint: digital marketing is a big one).

Jason is an expert in program design and has leveraged that expertise into a global brand. He provides a ton of insight into what makes solid program design, his mentors, and the everyday tools he uses to do great work. He also digs into the importance of explaining the "why" to your clients (hint: increased retention, results, and referrals).

Casey tells us the story of FitBot and the itch he scratched when developing the software. It is a tremendous tool for coaches to have in their tool belt. It solves a ton of problems from client communication to retention to saving mass amounts of time. Technology is undeniable and this is an area you'll want to keep an eye on!

From a high-level competitive athlete to a facility owner to a multiple facility owner, things have come full circle for Luke Kayyem. His journey has been full of struggles, battles with the "big guys," and plenty of success as well. Now he is solely focused on building his brand by helping men find their path through fitness, nutrition, lifestyle, and his tribe...The Fittest Tribe Alive.

John co-founded one of the very first business mentoring programs for CrossFit Affiliates back in 2006 with "The Biz - Raise Your Game." He's helped 1000's of fitness professionals get and stay profitable. Now he's turning his focus towards huge technological advancements in the industry and tackling world obesity head-on.

In this conversation, Dan John, gives us dozens of insights into what has made him successful over a span of decades in the industry. HINT: It's all about consistency. Dan John has spent his life with one foot in the world of lifting and throwing, and the other foot in academia. An All-American discus thrower, Dan has also competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting, Highland Games and the Weight Pentathlon, an event in which he holds the American record. Dan spends his work life blending weekly workshops and lectures with full-time writing, and is also an online religious studies instructor for Columbia College of Missouri. As a Fulbright Scholar, he toured the Middle East exploring the foundations of religious education systems. Dan is also a Senior Lecturer for St Mary's University, Twickenham, London. His books, on weightlifting, include Intervention, Never Let Go, Mass Made Simple and Easy Strength, written with Pavel Tsatsouline as well as From Dad, To Grad. He and Josh Hillis co-authored "Fat Loss Happens on Monday." In 2015, Dan wrote Can You Go? on his approach to assessments and basic training. In addition, Before We Go, another compilation akin to Never Let Go became an Amazon Bestseller. In early 2017, Dan's book, Now What?, his approach to Performance and dealing with "life," became a Bestseller on Amazon. Currently, we are awaiting the publication of his next book, HardStyle Kettlebell.