I TOOK OVER CROSSFIT MOUNTAIN ISLAND IN 2017. THERE WERE 7 PAYING CUSTOMERS, AND A LOT OF BILLS. I BOUGHT THE EQUIPMENT FOR $35K AND TOOK OVER THE LEASE. FOR ME, THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY.

I HAD A PRIVATE INVESTOR THAT BELIEVED IN WHAT I WAS DOING, AND BELIEVED IN ME. I FELT LIKE I’D WON THE LOTTERY WHEN I WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A GYM. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE, AND IT FELT LIKE IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. I KNEW I COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE MY HOUSE IF I COULDN’T MAKE IT WORK, BUT THAT DIDN’T MATTER. IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY. I COULDN’T LET IT PASS ME BY.

NOW, IT WAS DEFINITELY A RISK. THE PREVIOUS GYM OWNERS HAD GIVEN IT A REPUTATION, AND IT ISN’T IN THE BEST PART OF TOWN. BUT, IT WAS A PLACE TO START. AND I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS A “NEXT STEP” IN MY JOURNEY TO HELP MORE PEOPLE.

I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS. I DIDN’T HAVE A MARKETING BUDGET. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO BUILD FACEBOOK ADS, OR DO SALES, OR MARKET MYSELF. I KNEW HOW TO DO CROSSFIT. I KNEW HOW TO TRAIN PEOPLE. I KNEW HOW TO HELP PEOPLE. I KNEW HOW TO GET RESULTS.

SO, MY FIRST DAY, THAT’S WHAT I DID. I TAUGHT PEOPLE HOW TO DO CROSSFIT. I HELPED PEOPLE EXERCISE CORRECTLY. I TAUGHT PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR NUTRITION. I STARTED INVESTING IN THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVESTING IN ME. ALL I NEEDED TO DO THAT WAS A ROOM, A FEW BARBELLS, BOXES, KETTLEBELLS AND PULL UP BARS. WE MADE IT WORK. AND WE GOT PEOPLE REALLY FIT.

THAT’S ALL WE NEEDED. A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SHOW UP, WORK HARD, AND CHEER EACH OTHER ON. AND LEARN.

THREE YEARS LATER, I CAN AFFORD TO BUY MORE EQUIPMENT. BUT WHAT I INVEST IN IS MORE OF THE SAME EQUIPMENT: ROWERS, BARBELLS, PULL-UP BARS AND BOXES. YOU WON’T EVER SEE PEC DECS, OR CABLE MACHINE OR LEG EXTENSIONS AT MY GYM. INSTEAD YOU’LL SEE PEOPLE DOING SQUATS, PUSH-UPS AND PULL UPS. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

VERY FIT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE FANCIEST OF EQUIPMENT IS ACTUALLY A RED HERRING. THE MAJORITY OF GYMS SELL COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE: PADDED MACHINES, OILED STACKS AND CHROME EVERYTHING. BUT REALLY FIT PEOPLE—OR THOSE NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, PERFORM, OR ARE DESPERATE TO FIX THEIR BAD BACKS OR ACHING KNEES—AVOID THAT STUFF. PEOPLE WITH SKIN IN THE GAME KNOW THEY DON’T NEED MORE FANCY CHOICES; THEY NEED MORE WORK.

ALMOST EVERYONE WHO COMES TO CROSSFIT MOUNTAIN ISLAND HAS BEEN TO OTHER GYMS. AND ALMOST EVERY PERSON SAYS, “I just didn’t get any progress.” THEY STARTED WITH THE CHEAPEST OPTION. OR THE LARGEST. OR THE ONE WITH 3 STORIES AND THE BEST MACHINES. BUT EVENTUALLY, WHEN THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO PAY FOR RESULTS, THEY WENT LOOKING FOR A COACH.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET IN MY INDUSTRY? REAL COACHES DON’T USE THAT STUFF. PROFESSIONAL, CAREER COACHES, WHOSE LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON GETTING RESULTS, USE BARBELLS. BOXES. SQUATS AND PUSH-UPS AND FOOD PLANS. FORCED TO CHOOSE WHAT ACTUALLY DELIVERS RESULTS, PROFESSIONALS CHOOSE THE BASICS.

MANY NEW CLIENTS DURING OUR NO-SWEAT INTRO’S TELL ME, “THIS JUST KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF OPEN SPACE.” IT’S TRUE: YOU NEED A LOT OF SPACE WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE MOVING A LOT. AND IF YOU WANT TO GET FIT, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE. A LOT. FITNESS REQUIRES NO CHAIR, NO PADDING, NO SEAT BELT.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED. NOTHING YOU DON’T.

NO WASTED SPACE. NO WASTED TIME. NO WASTED EFFORT.

IN HINDSIGHT, I’D BUY LESS. THE ONLY MACHINES THAT WE USE NOW ARE ROWERS AND BIKES. WHEN I TOOK OVER, I SOLD THE TREADMILLS, THE LEG EXTENSION MACHINES AND THE STUFF THAT NO ONE NEEDED. INSTEAD, UNDER OUR BRIGHT LEDs, OUR CLIENTS ARE DOING BURPEES AND SNATCHES; CLIMBING ROPES AND SMILING. THEY’RE FAR MORE FIT THAN WHEN THEY STARTED. MY COACHING HAS IMPROVED TENFOLD. MY EQUIPMENT HASN’T CHANGED AT ALL.

In Health,

Coty