Monday 100531

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CrossFit Kinetics (Canada).

"Murph, The Lone Survivor Foundation, and Me" by Josh Appel of CrossFit Works (AZ).

"Fallen But Never Forgotten" by Russell Berger in the CrossFit Journal.

Sunday 100530

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Coach Mike Burgener and the CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification at CrossFit Watertown (CT).

The CrossFit word continues to spread: "CrossFit Delray (Beach): Totally Relearning Endurance Training."

"When Entrepreneurs Should Ignore Advice" from Read Write Web.

Saturday 100529

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CrossFit LKN (Greg and Kathleen Falasca) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: 2-28-2009.

Location: Huntersville, N.C. USA.

Square Feet: 6500sqft (1000 is two locker room w/ four showers).

Number of Members: 75-90 members depending on college semester.

Is this your original location? Location number 2.

Number of trainers: We have 8 level one trainers, 7 Kettlebell, 2 kids, 2 nutrition,2 endurance,1 rowing, 1 football.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? It's my full-time and my wife's part-time (full-time PT for disabled children).

Why CrossFit? Closest thing to how I trained for wrestling in Division 1.

Keep reading! There's more!

Friday 100528

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Mary L. of CrossFit North Atlanta (GA) does an L pull-up on what she finds in front of her.

Yesterday, hundreds of CrossFitters around the world did box jumps on whatever they could find (wherever they were) when a mini-challenge was issued on the "Crossfit" page on Facebook. How about you? Did you do the challenge? Did you even know that CrossFit has Facebook pages?

"Google is not a search engine. Google is a reputation-management system." -- from "The See-Through CEO" at Wired.

Triangle CrossFit (NC) asks "Why Not?"

Thursday 100527

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Jed E. of CrossFit Torrance (CA).

"How to Lead Without Saying a Word" from the Harvard Business Review.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." -- John Quincy Adams

Affiliate Scenario: You have four trainers. Recently one of them has been inviting two members to come work out with him during non-class hours. You're glad your trainer has a close relationship with the members, but you're also worried about letting this situation continue and the other members getting perturbed by favoritism. It seems like members should work out during class times. Or, perhaps you should just let it go?

Wednesday 100526

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CrossFit Santa Clarita (Ben Saul/Chris Morton) enters the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: January 2008.

Location: Santa Clarita, CA, USA.

Square Feet: 5300 SF.

Number of Members? 111.

Is this your original location? No, we have moved twice.

Number of Trainers? 3.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? This is Chris and my full-time job. I used to Work for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and coached high school football.

Why CrossFit? CrossFit is the best exercise program for getting people in functional condition.

Keep reading! There's more!

Tuesday 100525

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Jesse E. of CrossFit Daytona (FL) during the WOD named "Tommy V."

Ever get out of a traffic ticket because the cop was a CrossFitter? Or ever get some other kind of special treatment somewhere because you were wearing a CrossFit shirt?

"Why Some Owners are Shy about Marketing" from the New York Times.

"You accept failure as a possible outcome of some of the experiments. If you don't get failures, you're not pushing hard enough on the objectives." -- John Poindexter

Monday 100524

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CrossFit Pasadena (Johnny Di Gregorio) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: November 1st, 2009.

Location: Pasadena, CA, USA.

Square Feet: 1800 sq ft of work space / 2900 sq ft total.

Number of Members? 120. We average 10-15 new members per month.

Is this your original location? Yes, but we expect to be out within the next 6-8 months.

Number of Trainers? 5 (including myself) and 1 intern.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? This is my full-time job. Before opening CrossFit Pasadena, I was a personal trainer doing 1 on 1's. Before becoming a trainer, I spent 8 years working as a professional drummer touring and recording with a lot of different artists like OZOmatli, Brian Setzer, Nancy Sinatra and a lot of local jazz groups in CA and NY.

Why CrossFit? Because pushing yourself to levels this uncomfortable makes anything else you try to do in life seem easy. It changes the way people live. It gives strength and confidence, proper self-image and puts smiles on the faces of every member every time they walk in our door to see their friends.

Keep reading! There's a whole lot more!

Sunday 100523

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Rob Orlando of CrossFit Conan/Hybrid Athletics (CT) clean and jerks at the CrossFit Games Northeast Regionals on Saturday at Albany CrossFit.

Want to explain to prospective clients what joining an affiliate feels like? Try "Getting Started with CrossFit" by J.D., a member at CrossFit eXcellence (OR).

Saturday 100522

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CrossFit RX (GA).

CrossFit L.A. offers: "Paid Your Dues? You Might Rethink Your Answer."

"In any event, hating competitors is a good way to lose objectivity and lose focus on customers." -- From "Companies Don't Get Killed by Competition, They Commit Suicide."

Friday 100521

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Mike at CrossFit Catalyst (Canada).

CrossFit Catalyst (Chris Cooper) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: June 2008.

Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Square Footage: 2000 sf.

Number of Members? 200.

Is this your original location? Yes.

Number of Trainers? 5.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? Full-time. Training since 1996.

Why CrossFit? We did a study on adherence from 2006-2008 (summary published in the CrossFit Journal) that manipulated variables related to exercise adherence. By the end, we were doing CrossFit.

Keep reading! There's more!

Thursday 100520

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Cary H. at CrossFit in Common (TX).

"The Upside of Injury" from CrossFit West Santa Cruz (CA).

"Why You Should Love Failure" from Inc.

Affiliate Scenario: You're coaching a class when suddenly one of the members, apparently frustrated with his own effort, just puts down the barbell and walks out of class, grabbing his car keys on the way out the door. What should you do? Follow him to make sure he's okay? Call him later? Or just let him be until he contacts you?

Wednesday 100519

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Drew Shamblin of CrossFit Innovate (AL) - 2nd place Overall - AL Sectional. Lost his shoe in first sprint, but kept going. Finished 4th place in the event (sprint/burpee/clean).

Read this: "Forget Your Elevator Pitch -- What's Your Dumbwaiter Pitch?" from the Harvard Business Review.

Now, tell us what your affiliate's "Dumbwaiter Pitch" is. Or what CrossFit's is? Post to Comments.

"Respect a man, he will do the more." -- James Howell

Tuesday 100518

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CrossFit Brighton Fire steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Owner: Greater Brighton Fire Protection District (Lt. Brad Cogburn, Physical Fiitness Coordinator).

Affiliate Since: 02/2009.

Location: Brighton, Colorado, United States.

Square Feet: We have five fire stations, each has a full CrossFit gym around 1500 square per gym.

Number of Members? 56.

Is this your original location? Yes.

Number of Trainers? Five,

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? I'm a full time firefighter holding the rank of Lieutenant and the Physical Fitness Coordinator.

Why CrossFit? I believe it is the best fitness program to offer to the firefighters I work with.

Keep reading! There's more!

Monday 100517

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Caden, daughter of CrossFit Solano (CA) owner Lauren Joseph, born 5/6/2010. Her mom has already rowed a 2K and is itching to get back into the gym. Read more about their story.

Affiliate Programming: What do you use to write down and store or share the workouts that you've planned? Google Calendar? Another online or compter-based program? A sheet of paper on the wall? Anybody using a collaborative space or wiki with a team of trainers?

Keegan Martin of CrossFit Kids stands up a 59" box jump:[wmv] [mov]

"The way of the world is to follow the herd, but the way to success is to do things different." -- Andrew Lock, in the article "Rage Against Businesses That Suck."

Sunday 100516

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CrossFit St. Charles (MO).

CrossFit Evolution (FL) owner Monique Ames goes over the elements of their Free Intro Session and explains how you can "showcase excellence" in this article from the CrossFit Journal.

"Comment Innovation: An Open Door of Start-up Opportunity?" from Read Write Web.

How do you moderate the comments on your blog? Do you have many comments?

Saturday 100515

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CrossFit Vitality (Steve and Jess Pinkerton) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: 10 April, 2010.

Location: Concord, NC, USA.

Sq Ft: 9,000 sf (1200 of that is office/kitchen space).

Number of Members? 68.

Is this your original location? Yes.

Number of Trainers? 2.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? Yes, I just finished up 7 years in the Marine Corps as an Artillery Officer.

Why CrossFit? We felt that there was a huge need for CrossFit in our area and it was something Jess and I could do together. We are both very passionate about fitness and we felt the reward greatly outweighed the risk of opening our own business. We looked at CrossFit and truly believed that in a few years, there won't be anybody not doing it. It is the smartest, most efficient way to train, period.

Keep reading! There's more!

Friday 100514

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Jimmy M. at Cynergy CrossFit (MA) competes in a recent Team Affiliate Throwdown.

San Francisco CrossFit gives us "Two Words . . . Fuzz."

"Remember: It's not about telling a story. It's about telling a true story well."
-- from "Why Is Business Writing So Awful?" in Inc.

Read the two articles above and then go over your own affiliate website like you were brand new to CrossFit and encountering it for the first time. Does your site say what it needs to? Does it tell a true story well? And, if it doesn't, can you fix that yourself . . . or can you find a member or a colleague or a friend to help you make it better?

Thursday 100513

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Garrett Wales from Oregon CrossFit, who will be competing this weekend as an individual at the CrossFit Games Northwest Regionals.

On the Masters Competition: "Steve P. Sums It Up" at CrossFit Oakland (CA).

"So I decided the time is right, the passion is oozing from my pores, the clients are screaming for my time, my husband is 100% on board, and there is no turning back." -- From the CrossFit Affiliate Application Essays.

"Why the Amish Make Entrepreneurship Programs Look Bad" by Dr. Jeff Cornwall.

Wednesday 100512

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CrossFit Ireland (Colm O'Reilly) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Owner: As a hobby business, it was just me. Now three of us own the business: myself, Tom and Will.

Affiliate Since: July 2007, opened my doors in September 2007.

Location: Dublin, Ireland.

Sq Ft: 3500, about 3000 of usable gym space, plus offices, changing rooms and coffee area.

Number of Members? 88.

Is this your original location? Nope. We outgrew our original location, and decided to take the plunge and step it up to a full time operation at the end of last year. It was a big risk but we're glad we did it.

Number of Trainers? 2 trainers (Will and Colm) and 1 intern (Jimminy).

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? Yes, full time job and devotion for the three of us. Before CrossFit I was a competitive MMAer, then I joined the rat race of corporate HR. Will was working in construction after finishing a Physics degree, and Tom was in Sales and Business Development.

Why CrossFit? After my first taste of CF (Cindy) I was hooked. When I learnt of its application and effects for everybody, regardless of goals or fitness level, I just had to share it with people. So I wrote an application to become Ireland's first affiliate.

Keep reading! There's more!

Tuesday 100511

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CrossFit 757 (VA) on retreat in Gaston, VA.

Affiliate Scenario: You're in one of the classes at your own affiliate. 15 people are in the class. One trainer and an intern are leading a skill session on the push jerk and, in your opinion, they're not teaching it very well. The members of the class seem confused and you're worried that they are having bad movement reinforced. What do you do? Speak up in the class? Ask to speak to one of your trainers privately? Or just wait until after the class and then e-mail the trainers? Or, just say nothing?

From CrossFit Peru: The Spanish Glossary of CrossFit and "You Are Never Alone in CrossFit."

"Time to Audit Your Facebook Settings, Here's How" from Fast Company.

"10 Reasons You'll Never Quit Facebook" from Business Insider.

Monday 100510

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CrossFit Milford (Jason Leydon) steps into the CrossFit Affliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: May 11, 2008.

Location: MIlford, CT, USA.

Sq Ft: 6,000 and trying to get another 1,000 to help with the On Ramp Program and soon to be kids program.

Number of Members? 250+

Is this your original location? We moved one time. We first started off in a 3,000 square foot retail space that I had acquired from a previous business. The spot we a good starting point, but it was hard to work with because there was a dividing wall in the middle. The wall made it hard to keep a good eye on everyone, but there are a lot of awesome memories from the first location. We found a nice warehouse right around the corner which enabled us to keep our running route and it opened everything up for us.

Number of Trainers? We currently have 10 trainers on board.

Is this your full-time job? What else do/did you do? This is my full-time job. I started off as a physical education/health teacher, then went to financial planning for three years. My wife encouraged me to go back to my passion in coaching others, and that is when I took the plunged and opened my gym (Underground 2) full-time. We decided that if we were gonna do it we were going to do it full steam, and CrossFit MIlford was born.

Why CrossFit? CrossFit is the best fitness program around, and the community that grows amongst its members is amazing!! There is nothing better than to see members realize how athletic they truly are, seeing people realize their potential and then watching them push the limits to surpass it is such a privilege to be a part of. All of that is witnessed everyday inside a CrossFit Gym . . . that is why CrossFit.

Keep reading! There's more!

Sunday 100509

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Michael M. doing thrusters at CrossFit Memphis (TN).

Creative Destruction: How Entrepreneurs and the Internet Disrupt Old Industries from the Mark Bao Journal.

Saturday 100508

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South Tahoe CrossFit (CA) recently hosted "Fittest of the Sierras" and competed with CrossFit Avalanche, Battle Born CrossFit, CrossFit Carson Valley, CrossFit Initiative, and CrossFit Lake Tahoe.

One of their volunteers commented: "I had never seen or heard of anything like it. If a stranger had wandered in they might have been curiously puzzled. But most assuredly, they soon would be inspired by the thrilling ROARS of encouragement and cheering at the weightlifters' success! These were ordinary people doing extraordinary things and it hit me: CrossFit was here to stay."

Kevin Daigle of CrossFit New England (MA) writes on his own blog about the CrossFit Games moving from Aromas to L.A. this year: Read.

Free live streaming of the CrossFit Games Southwest Regionals today and Sunday.

Friday 100507

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Custom squat rack at CrossFit eXcellence (OR).

"Love Your Business More Than Your Family" from Entrepreneur. Good advice or just plain stupid?

An entire page of testimonials over at CrossFit Rockwall (TX): Do you have something like this on your blog? Why? Or why not?

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character." -- Heraclitus

Thursday 100506

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Family sled pulls at CrossFit Thunder (WV).

Some stories just stand out among all the CrossFit affiliate application essays: "In January of 2009, while mountaineering in Mexico, I was hit by a landslide. My hip broke in seven pieces and my arm was almost torn in half. My mind was the only thing that got me through this ordeal, and the mentality that CrossFit creates was of great importance."

The CrossFit mentality. What's the best way to describe it? And who best embodies it in your affiliate? Be proud of your people. Post to Comments.

In case you were wondering about all that brightly colored tape lately: "Putting on the Stripes to Ease Pain" from the Wall Street Journal.

Wednesday 100505

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Matt K. of CrossFit Enhance (IL) swings a 2 pood kettlebell as the sun rises.

"You Be the Affiliate" from the CrossFit Journal.

Chandler A. and some snatch balances at CrossFit On the Move (GA).

"Respect people's cone of concentration." CrossFit West Santa Cruz writes about "Unwritten Rules."

Tuesday 100504

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Ultimate CrossFit (Lance Breeden) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: August 2007.

Location: Charlotte, NC, USA.

Sq Ft: 5400.

Number of Members? 200, well actually 199 but 200 sounds better.

How many times have you moved your affiliate location? 1 time and expanded once since the move.

Number of Trainers? 8.

Greatest joy as a CrossFit affiliate: Seeing someone accomplish something they never thought they could. Getting a first pull-up or PRing a lift.

Keep reading! There's more!

Monday 100503

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Hronn, co-owner of Crossfit Reykjavik (Iceland).

CrossFit Rehoboth (DE): Attention (Primal and Paleo) Athletes! Learn From My Mistakes.

Affiliate Scenario: You're new but you're already growing. Lately, you're getting hit by e-mail and phone with proposals for seminars and equipment and business solutions. Some of this stuff seems cool but none of it comes from CFHQ, so how do you know what works and what's worth your money or your time? How can you tell who's really an expert and who's just trying to make a buck off you and CrossFit?

"Trying to Be the 'Next Big Thing' Will Usually End in Failure" from Open Forum.

Sunday 100502

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CrossFit Relentless (Diana and Merle Mckenzie) steps into the CrossFit Affiliate Snapshot.

Affiliate Since: October 2009.

Location: West Hartford, CT, USA.

Sq Ft: 8500.

Number of Members: 65 adults,10 CF kIds.

How many times have you moved your affiliate location: Never, just expanded from 6500 by adding a 2000 sq ft CF Kids room.

Number of Trainers: 4 including myself.

Greatest joy as a CrossFit affiliate: There are 2. Calling my own shots and the smiles on my CF Kids faces!

Keep reading! There's more . . .

Saturday 100501

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CrossFit Breakaway (VA).

"It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The May Painstorm is here . . .