May 24, 2010Monday 100524
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! Using 3 words or less, describe your affiliate culture: Strong, Determined, and FUN! Programming: Do you do your own or follow somewhere else? I use a programming method designed by one of my coaches. It is AMAZING! Most of the Coaches follow the OPT Big Dawg Work outs since we don't want to program for ourselves and James is THE MAN! Any special focus in clientele? When I was a private trainer, I focused on overweight clients, and Senior Citizens. Partially due to my background with physical therapy and accomplishments with weight loss. Now, our members are each individually unique and come from all different backgrounds. They have different goals and come in all shapes and sizes, ages, and weights. But they all come in and work hard. My oldest client is 86 years old. Average hours you work per week on/at your affiliate: Well, I spend about 50 hours a week at home. All the rest of the week is spent at the Box. :) I am very lucky to have a fiance that loves CrossFit and can deal with my schedule. Plus she has a 315 Dead Lift. Have you ever advertised? We once took a column add in a local magazine. It got us one walk-in who tried to haggle my prices down and then told me my tactics are just to compensate for not having any machines at my gym. I told him that he most likely wasn't ready for this type of work. With only 1800sqft, we don't have room for egos. In running this business, what really took you by surprise? Does anyone who does this survey ever say they DID expect this much office work? I knew we would grow fast. I knew it would be a challenge to manage everything, but I haven't seen the bottom of my desk in months. Oh, returning phone calls is getting increasingly difficult. Luckily, my fiance loves helping me! Complete the sentence: CrossFitters are . . . Ready. How has CrossFit changed your life? It sounds kind of cheesy to say but CrossFit SAVED MY LIFE! I was first introduced to CrossFit in 2005 by my best friend. I was 23 years old, working as a professional musician and burning the candle at both ends. My stress level was high, and worse, I weighed well over 400lbs. My best friend had just come back from deployment with the USMC and during his time away, we had written back and forth and I confided in him what I needed to do with my life. When he came home, he introduced me to CrossFit. Each weekend he would leave base, pick me up and we would go on a long hike and then to his back yard where he had nothing but a pull-up bar. He and a FEW of his friends would help me get up to the bar and assist me in my pull-ups, I would do push-ups on my knees, crunches (because I couldn't do a full sit-up) and squats onto a 2-ft wall in his yard. It was like this for a while until I had lost enough weight to start feeling mobile and flexible enough to begin working with a barbell, all the while staying strict to a Paleo diet. It was like this for about 2 years. I managed to lose about 185lbs using CrossFit and Paleo. I went from a 64 inch waist to a 36, a 4XL shirt to a Large and most importantly regained a life I was at risk of losing before reaching 30. I began working as a private trainer and became a level 1 coach in June of 2008. After my level 1 cert, I wrote Coach Glassman a thank-you letter for creating a program that saved my life. He had me featured on the first episode of CrossFit Radio, and invited me up to Prescott, AZ for a week to learn how to put together an affiliate. I met some of the greatest people I know up there and we have all since created amazing communities and maintain good standing friendships. I was awarded affiliation with CrossFit in 2008 but could not fund the start up. I trained at Valley CrossFit and coached at Team CrossFit Academy for over a year while saving money to finance the start up of CrossFit Pasadena in November of 2009. It has been a dream come true so see how fast we are growing. 120 members in 8 months and people are still flooding my mailbox and voicemail. CrossFit has changed me from someone who was dying to the leader of an elite fitness community. I am forever grateful to Coach and the Community. Any advice for new affiliate owners? 1) Create a support system before you begin the opening process. I would not have been able to get this affiliate started without the help of my fiance and my first 2 coaches. My fiance kept me disciplined in saving to fund start-up costs. My friends/coaches helped me see outside perspectives when designing layouts and overall goal systems for the gym. All three of them gave me swift kicks in the butt whenever I lagged. Good support systems help aid in great success! 2) Too often I see affiliates lower their rates to be competitive with other affiliates and other non-affiliate gyms in the same area. Don't do it! If you are worried about being competitive, put all your work into offering a better product. Do the work to make sure you are training your clients in a more intelligent way than your competition. Create a program that when coupled with discipline and consistency, shows your clients amazing results beyond what any other gym is doing. Show up to 5k races and other community events in big numbers and dominate. Let the public know that you have something special that works really well at your place, and they will know your price is worth every penny and more. 3) Learn to delegate! 4) Always return phone calls.
Comments
Crossfit Pasadena is a great community of people who care about fitness and each other - great coaches, great members, and amazing WODs. I had never done crossfit before going to CFP and it has changed my life. As Johnny said, if you can make it through the WODs you can do anything. It has changed my entire perspective on life and fitness. Thanks to coach Johnny for the vision and determination to make it happen. And thanks to all the other coaches and Tiffany who show everyday and make it all possible. Comment #1 - Posted by: Brandon Moore at May 23, 2010 10:38 PMThat dog is awesome! Its exactly what I want for our gym dog. What kind is it? Also, great story. Comment #2 - Posted by: Andrew K at May 24, 2010 3:53 AMThanks Andrew, Luna is an English BullDog. Benson is her big brother. They look identical but he is about 75lbs. Fun dogs to have around the gym. Comment #3 - Posted by: CrossFit Pasadena at May 24, 2010 5:23 AM"With only 1800sqft, we don't have room for egos. " Awesome. Comment #4 - Posted by: Chris Cooper at May 24, 2010 5:42 AMAwesome story. Congrats to you personally and professionally. Comment #5 - Posted by: Nikol Burton at May 24, 2010 5:45 AMWhat a great success story you have. Especially your own introduction to CrossFit. It gives you a really great ability to relate to new clientele that might otherwise be intimidated, AND you're an inspiration. Best of luck to you, you are already aimed toward great success! Comment #6 - Posted by: Amber at May 24, 2010 7:02 AMFirst off, great story! Sounds like you have a great box there! I will be keeping an eye on your blog. And drumming for Ozomatli... Outstanding! Such a great band, and live, one of the greatest. So much fun! Comment #7 - Posted by: Nathan Chmura at May 24, 2010 7:04 AMGreat Snap shot! Crossfit Pasadena is a great community and has show me how to achieved my goals. I know coach Johnny and he has been a great part of my life change. Has help me get to where I am now and where I want to be in the future in my fitness. All the members and coaches are so focus and determine to help and guide people that want to step up to the level of fitness and feel great and change their lifes. I am proud of coach Johnny and his accomplishments and goals for CFP. I wish him luck....Thank you for all your great help, and making me feel that anything is possible, even when I could not even lift the bar or run the 400 meter in less than 2 mins. A year ago I came to Johnny to get me thru my first goal, I have lost 50 pounds and have become stronger, faster, and dedicated to nex goals in life. CFP is the place to be!! Comment #8 - Posted by: Urbana at May 24, 2010 7:38 AMI am an extremely proud member of Crossfit Pasadena. I never knew when I first walked into the place how much the gym, coaches, other members and the rest of the community would end up meaning to me...it's amazing...being part of such a supportive and motivating community. Crossfit Pasadena welcomes anyone and everyone which makes for fun times and tons of progress. Tiff, Johnny and the other coaches are so positive and are always getting us to push harder and faster, and technique! technique! technique! I love crossfit and I'm so lucky to be a part of something so great. Comment #9 - Posted by: Megan S at May 24, 2010 9:06 AMWhat up Johnny and Tiff! So awesome to see CrossFit Pasadena on here,and good to see you both yesterday!! Keep on killing it! Comment #10 - Posted by: Matt at May 24, 2010 9:28 AMGreat to see Johnny here! He's an awesome dude and his passion for teaching and helping others with CrossFit is ALWAYS showing. I'm stoked you're doing so well, bro! Keep it up! Comment #11 - Posted by: Zach@CFLV at May 24, 2010 9:29 AMYou are an inspiration Johnny! It's always an honor to train with you. Comment #12 - Posted by: Randy Mulkey at May 24, 2010 1:10 PMHey Johnny and CFP, Thank you for opening my eyes more to what CrossFit is about and the culture it brings to the community. You have definitely made me more passionate about CrossFit and obtaining my Cert. 1. Great culture, great people, and great community. Comment #13 - Posted by: Vince Michael W at May 24, 2010 3:00 PMI love CrossFit Pasadena, it has a supportive vibe that makes you feel like you can do it! Comment #14 - Posted by: Amber O'Hara at May 24, 2010 7:43 PMI can't thank every one enough for the kind words. I have put every ounce or "Block" of me into building the CrossFit Pasadena community and it truly is a dream come true to see it thrive as much as it has the last 8 months. I must take a moment to thank some of the people that have helped me get started and have always be willing to lend an ear and suggestion when asked: My Coaching Staff: The Veteran Affiliates who have helped me along the way:
To Latch, Andy P, Andy T, Sara Rod, Steve and Denise, the Channs, The Lab Rats, L & Z, Jeremy Kinnick, Robb and Nicki, and Coach B: You all give me guidance, motivation and a goal to aim as high as you all have with your coaching and communities. To the HQ Crew: Thank you for setting the bar so high. To Coach, Lisa, Kathy, Lisbeth, Kelly, Castro and the rest of the HQ Leaders: Thank you for being a wonderful family to me. I love you guys. Thank you to every member of CrossFit Pasadena. We started our small community with 5 members and an empty building. Your results speak worlds and you have all done us proud. There has never been one moment where i had any regret being your coach. (Well maybe when I clean the bathroom) I get a high off every class I lead, and you make it easy to wake up at 5am every morning. You are a the Data. You are the proof that CrossFit Works. You are the reason we have succeeded so well in our start up. I have shared milestones in your lives, from losing 100lbs to your first Pull-ups. We have shared tears and laughs. I consider you all family and could never call this job work so long as I share it with you. Thank you to my fiance Tiff. You are the love of my life. Thank you for keeping me focused, and thank you for always being by my side. Thanks for cleaning the bathroom too. CFP has LITERALLY changed my life and in turn, Tiff and Coach Johnny have changed my life. I eat healthier and workout more than I have in years. In the last three months, I've lost 2 inches off my waist while gaining strength each day. Coach Johnny encourages all of us to better ourselves and the quality of our lives through great nutrition and pushing our limits through tough WODs. And I can't say enough great things about CFP members. I can honestly say that I've developed great friendships and competitors who truly care about my well-being and push me to surpass my physical limits. I look forward to the growing community at CFP, many more WODs with Coach Johnny, O-Lift tips from Coach Tiff, technique work with Coach Will, and the never ending encouragement of Coach Liz!! Comment #16 - Posted by: Pam W. at May 24, 2010 9:08 PMCFP is a Great place to train! I have been a CrossFitter for about a year and a half now but have only been training at CrossFit Pasadena for a few months. But in this short amount of time I have learned so much from Coach Johnny and the rest of the staff at CFP! I LOVE the positive energy that comes out of this gym! you are ALL such great people to train with and Im a proud member of CrossFit Pasadena! ~Anne Comment #17 - Posted by: Anne at May 24, 2010 9:37 PMCFP is an awesome place. I had my choice of two different CF affiliates near my work, but after some convincing from my cousin I decided to check out CFP. On my first day, Coach Johnny was very welcoming; he introduced me to the warm-up exercise, skill work, and of course the WOD. Coach Johnny even encouraged me to take few more classes before committing. But, just after one WOD, I knew right then and there CF was for me. Coach Johnny's enthusiasm, and genuine passion to help others reach their fitness goals can be seen in the good community of people at CFP. The CFP staff are great and are always encouraging. I recommend everyone check out CFP. Coach Johnny and CFP is the best! Comment #18 - Posted by: Tony Huynh a.k.a OGT at May 24, 2010 10:22 PMHey Johnny, Just a side question. Wasn't David Burton your road/tour manager for Ozomatli? Comment #19 - Posted by: Nikol Burton at May 24, 2010 11:51 PMI'm a recent member of CFP and have to say its a fantastic, high intensity, friendly and welcoming place! Thanks to coach Johnny and the rest of the crew I'm being pushed harder and further in one month than I have been in years. The best part of my day is checkin the W.O.D and getting myself ready! Comment #20 - Posted by: raj at May 25, 2010 10:27 AMCROSS FIT PASADENA IS AWESOME! BEST WORK OUT IN YEARS! ENCOURAGING AND HARD!!! Comment #21 - Posted by: Steven Heckes at May 25, 2010 12:45 PMWorking out was a way for me to stay active but after starting with CFP about 6 months ago, it has become an addiction! CFP has motivated me to push myself beyond my "normal" limits. I love working out with everyone at CFP and thanks for the motivation! Comment #22 - Posted by: Linda Dao at May 25, 2010 1:13 PM
BTW, those dead-lifts kicked my butt today! Comment #23 - Posted by: Jay D Walters at May 25, 2010 9:39 PMCfp is awesome! I am a newbie (officially signed up on Monday) and this has been the most intense thing I have done EVER but I feel totally supported and welcomed by the staff and the members. It makes me come back for more. I take pride in the aches and pains as well as how great I feel afterward about doing things I never thought I would ever be able to do! Comment #24 - Posted by: Clare Hubilla at May 25, 2010 10:40 PMCrossfit Pasadena has been such a great home for me. The members are motivated to reach their fitness goals and supportive of each others success, big or small. I may be bias because I'm sleeping with the owner but CFP has been such a positive experience, going from being unable and afraid to lift 15 pound dumbells overhead to beinging able to snatch 60kg In 1 year. Johnny has fostered a community based on positive attitudes and good laughs. There isn't a workout he puts me through that I'm not having a good time. I <3 CFP and Johnny for challenging me and keeping me smiling. Comment #25 - Posted by: Tiff at May 27, 2010 2:15 PMHaha. Comment #26 - Posted by: CrossFit Pasadena at May 27, 2010 2:27 PMI started CFP in January of this year (2010) and can tell you it has been nothing less than spectacular. Coach Johnnie and the rest of the coaches are amazing. The people that I get to work out with every day are the best! I recall doing kettlebell swings during one WOD and was completely last...everyone was finished laid out on the floor...I had my last 15 to go...everyone picked up their kettlebells and counted down with me and finished with me. Where else do you get that type of support and encouragement? That is what our box is like. I am sure that represents most Crosffit boxes. I love Crossfit and the people! CFP rocks! Comment #27 - Posted by: Gabriep Pelino at August 22, 2010 8:31 AMPost a comment |
