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IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BLOG ABOUT NUTRITION OR TRAINING TIPS, THEN YOU CAN SKIP PAST THIS ONE AND READ ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS ENTRIES BECAUSE TODAY I’M GOING TO THROW BACK THE CURTAIN AND GET KIND OF VULNERABLE WITH YOU, MY ‘OHANA. NOW, IF YOU KNOW ME THEN YOU KNOW THIS ISN’T SOMETHING I USUALLY DO, SO IF I KIND OF JUMP AROUND OR RAMBLE, JUST GIVE ME A BREAK ALRIGHT? OK, HERE WE GO…
SO, TWO YEARS AGO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY TRAINING AND COACHING TO A NEW LEVEL BY OPENING A FACILITY. WITH THE HELP OF MY TWO PARTNERS, MAX AND KORY, WE SLOWLY STARTED THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING AN OLD UNUSED SPACE INTO A FUNCTIONAL TRAINING FACILITY. I REMEMBER WHEN WE PUT THE LAST PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN I THOUGHT TO MYSELF “HOLY SH*T. WE DID THIS. I DID THIS.” I WAS SO PUMPED TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE SPACE AND WAS PROUD OF WHAT WE HAD DONE. I WAS EXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH YOUNG ATHLETES, PARENTS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS ON THEIR OWN JOURNEY. I DIDN’T CARE WHO IT WAS OR WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND WAS, I WAS EXCITED TO TRAIN THEM AND WATCH THEM GROW. WHETHER IT WAS A CLASS OF 15 PEOPLE OR JUST ONE; I DIDN’T CARE. WELL SADLY, THAT WORE OFF PRETTY QUICK.
BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS FINDING MYSELF COMPARING US TO OTHER GYMS, TRAINERS, AND FACILITIES. I STARTED TO THINK OF MYSELF AND THE FACILITY WE BUILT AS INSUFFICIENT. I WOULD SEE THESE “TRAINERS” ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK POSTING ABOUT ALL THEIR SUCCESS STORIES AND HOW MANY CLIENTS THEY WERE WORKING WITH AND I WANTED THAT. I WANTED TO BE THE NEXT TOP TRAINER IN UTAH AND ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT, WAS MY DOWNFALL AND HONESTLY ONE OF MY LOWEST POINTS. I WENT FROM STARTING THIS COMPANY FOR MY CLIENTS TO WANTING TO DO IT FOR ME.
I WAS BEGINNING TO GET EMBARRASSED OF TELLING PEOPLE I OWNED A GYM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ASKED WHERE OR HOW BIG IT WAS. I WOULD KIND OF BEAT AROUND THE BUSH BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO SAY “WELL, WE HAVE 400 SQUARE FEET INSIDE OF A CHEERLEADING GYM.” EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY GIRLFRIEND, BUSINESS PARTNERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND CLIENTS TELLING ME HOW PROUD THEY WERE OF NOT ONLY ME, BUT THAT THEY WERE PROUD TO BE A PART OF A.W.A.Y, I COULDN’T HEAR THEM. I WAS LOST IN MY OWN INSECURITIES AND LOST TRYING TO BE THE NEXT “BIG” THING THAT THEIR WORDS LITERALLY WENT IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER AND LET ME TELL YOU, THAT SUCKED.
HEARING THOSE THINGS JUST MADE ME EVEN MORE DOWN ON MYSELF AND MADE ME HATE WHAT I BUILT. I WOULD TELL MYSELF THINGS LIKE, “OH THEY’RE JUST SAYING THAT TO BE NICE.” BECAUSE AGAIN, I KEPT COMPARING MYSELF AND WHAT I HAD BUILT TO OTHER COMPANIES. THIS KEPT BUILDING MORE AND MORE AND I WAS GETTING MORE STRESSED AND STARTED TO LOSE THAT FIRE I ONCE FELT. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, I FELT LIKE A HYPOCRITE BECAUSE I WOULD TELL CLIENTS AND POST TO IG ABOUT THIS BEING YOUR OWN JOURNEY AND NOT TO COMPARE YOURSELVES TO OTHERS. I WAS LITERALLY TELLING MY CLIENTS NOT TO DO WHAT I WAS DOING TO MYSELF. AND IT WASN’T JUST ME THAT STARTED TO SUFFER.
MY CLASSES SUFFERED BECAUSE I DIDN’T HAVE THE ENERGY I ONCE DID. MY ONLINE CLIENTS SUFFERED BECAUSE I WASN’T BEING AUTHENTIC TO MY STYLE OF TRAINING AND INSTEAD, KEPT TRYING TO MIMIC SOMEONE OR SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS “SUCCESSFUL”. I WOULD FIND MYSELF NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE 110% TO MY CLIENTS BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT CLIENT TO COME ALONG AND HOW I NEEDED TO BE BIGGER AND BETTER. AND IF YOU’RE GUESSING IT, YES, THAT JUST ADDED MORE FUEL TO MY GUILT AND SHAME THAT I WAS FEELING. BEFORE I KNEW IT THIS SNOWBALL EFFECT WAS TAKING PLACE AND I WAS TIRED, STRESSED, AND HONESTLY BROKEN BECAUSE I FELT LIKE A FAILURE. IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT I COULDN’T SEE MYSELF BEING HAPPY DOING THIS ANYMORE AND I KNEW I NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE. WHETHER IT WAS REMOVING MYSELF FROM THE COMPANY OR JUST CLOSING SHOP; I DIDN’T CARE, I JUST KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO HAPPEN.
WELL, SINCE YOU’RE READING THIS, OBVIOUSLY I DIDN’T REMOVE MYSELF OR CLOSE SHOP (PS I NEVER TOLD ANYONE THAT SO JUST KEEP THAT BETWEEN US), SO WHAT HAPPENED? HONESTLY, I CAN’T REALLY TELL YOU. I DIDN’T WAKE UP ONE DAY WITH THAT “AH HA” MOMENT OR DO SOUL SEARCHING THAT MIRACULOUSLY OPENED MY EYES. I LITERALLY JUST STARTED THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING. AND THIS THINKING CAME FROM THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WERE ALWAYS TELLING ME HOW PROUD THEY WERE. IT CAME FROM JESS, KORY, MAX, JOYCE, AMY, BRAD, MY MOM, KHYLEE, CAREN, AND EVERY OTHER CLIENT THAT WALKED THROUGH OUR DOORS. THEY CONSTANTLY WOULD REMIND ME OF WHY WE STARTED THIS. THEY WOULD REMIND ME ABOUT THE FIRE I ONCE HAD AND WOULD TALK ABOUT THE HUGE IMPACT WE WERE MAKING ON PEOPLES LIVES. AND IT WASN’T THEM TELLING ME THAT FINALLY MADE IT CLICK, IT WAS THE FACT THAT I LOWERED MY WALLS AND PUT MY INSECURITIES ASIDE AND STARTED TO LISTEN. I OPENED MY EARS AND HEARD WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
FROM THERE I STARTED TO WAKE UP MORE AND MORE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. SO WHAT IF WE DIDN’T HAVE A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY OR THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS, THAT’S NOT WHY I STARTED A.W.A.Y ATHLETICS. I STARTED IT BECAUSE I SAW A DISCONNECT IN THE INDUSTRY AND KNEW I COULD HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND CLIENTS. I KNEW I COULD RELAY INFORMATION AND TEACH MY CLIENTS IN A WAY THAT OTHER TRAINERS COULDN’T. I KNEW I COULD WORK WITH YOUNG ATHLETES AND REACH THEM IN A WAY THAT OTHER TRAINERS COULDN’T.
FAST FORWARD TO NOW, MAY 2ND 2019. I’M BEARING IT ALL AND TELLING YOU THAT NO WE MAY NOT BE THE BIGGEST AND NO WE DON’T HAVE THE LATEST FANCY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND YES 95% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE YOUNG FEMALE CHEERLEADERS AND MOMS AND NOT NFL TEAMS, BUT GUESS WHAT, THAT’S WHO WE ARE. THAT’S WHO A.W.A.Y ATHLETICS IS AND THAT’S WHAT I’VE HELPED BUILD. SINCE OPENING OUR DOORS IN 2016 WE’VE HELPED OVER 300 CLIENTS! WE’VE HELPED OVER 300 PEOPLE IN SOME WAY BECOME A BETTER VERSION OF THEMSELVES… I’VE HELPED OVER 300 PEOPLE BECOME A BETTER VERSION OF THEMSELVES. THAT SOUNDS LIKE SUCCESS IN MY BOOK AND I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING TO BE DAMN PROUD OF.
SO, TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COME THROUGH OUR DOORS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME AND MY COMPANY ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO JOIN YOUR JOURNEY AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR JOURNEY; MY JOURNEY. AND IF YOU CAME THROUGH OUR DOORS DURING MY LOW -POINTS, I’M SORRY. YOU DESERVED THE BEST AND AT THE TIME I JUST COULDN’T GIVE THAT, BUT I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IF YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE, YOU’LL GET NOTHING BUT MY BEST. AND TO MY PARTNERS, MAX & KORY, THANK YOU. WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT YOU GUYS HELPED SAVE A.W.A.Y ATHLETICS AND ME.
TO ANYONE ELSE WHO’S READING THIS, JUST REMEMBER, IT REALLY IS YOUR JOURNEY AND AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU ARE HUMAN. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE UPS AND DOWNS AND GET SOME SCRAPES AND BRUISES ALONG THE WAY, BUT THAT’S JUST GOING TO ADD MORE CHARACTER TO YOU AND YOUR JOURNEY. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ONLY PERSON YOU NEED TO COMPETE WITH IS IN THE MIRROR STARRING RIGHT BACK AT YOU…
-MICAH
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